We all (well, most of us!) love ice cream and having transitioned to a vegan diet makes it really difficult to enjoy it. Why not learn how to make it, then!?
In this specialised course I will guide you through the science of ice cream, starting from its main components (water, sugars, fats, proteins, fibres/stabilisers and… air) and their behaviour, from a generic physico-chemical perspective and then more specifically in ice cream preparation. Why do a gelato and a sorbet have so very different mouthfeel? What keeps ice cream soft? Can I reduce the amount of sugar in my ice cream and if so, how? This and many other questions will be answered though the course.
We will discuss the function of dairy components and eggs and how to replace them without loosing flavour and texture. We will look at the different sugars, their role and how to select the appropriate ones. We will look at the selection of fats to achieve the correct texture. We will analyse traditional recipes, learn how to convert a dairy-based recipe into a vegan preparation and also how to create new ice creams to suit our fancy! We will also look into the practicalities of making ice cream at home, what you need in terms of equipment and ingredients and how to prepare ice cream step-by-step.
The course is organised in four one-hour theory modules plus a fifth session based upon your interests. After the course you are always free to contact me if anything is not clear or you need a bit of help.
The course is run synchronously (live) on demand, and is an introduction (but plenty to get you going and become independent in your own ice cream making) to the science of ice cream.
In the first session, we go through the general physico-chemical properties and behaviour of water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibers, air and then we move onto their role in ice cream in the second session.
So, in the second session we look at why we choose certain fats, what proteins do and how sugars or substitutes help in making your ice cream less icy.
Thirdly, we will look into how to move from dairy and eggs to plant-based ingredients, which is useful even if you are not interested in vegan ice cream as it gives you a great idea of what happens and to be creative with substitutions.
Finally we look into how to analyse and balance a recipe, drawing from some of my own and from the web.
The final hour is a personalised session. We could go through a recipe that either you have created or I have, even making it together if you are totally new to ice cream or we can simply discuss in more detail some specific interests they have. The last session is generally organised a week or so after completion of the initial four hours, to give you time to revise and come up with what you would like to explore further.
It’s a technical course, but I can make complex stuff simple to understand – and at the end of the course you will be completely independent in recipe creation – and able to understand why a recipe from a book may not give you the desired results. Non-vegans will enjoy it too because understanding the science of ice cream opens a world of possibilities and variations on a theme.
The course is online (Zoom platform) and is run synchronously, not pre-registered. I strongly believe in direct interaction, which allows for exchange, discussion, mutual enrichment through questions and doubts.
Due to time zone differences, it is difficult to set fixed dates/times so the course will be generally run on a one-to-one basis at a cost of 150 Eur/170 USD. If a group of 2+ people is formed, the cost is 120 Eur /140 USD per person. I issue a regular tax-deductible (if applicable) invoice. If this seems like a lot, remember that you will understand the inside-outs of food science, and that I remain available for all your questions after the course!