Churning of an American Classic: The Scoop on Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield

Esther Levy included a recipe for bay leaf, lemon, almond, and orange-flower ice cream in her 1871 cookbook Jewish Cookery. In 1922, The Settlement Cookbook published recipes for Prune, Pistachio, and “Pêches Melba” ice creams. But, the undeniable Jewish authorities on 21st century ice cream making have got to be Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield met in middle school. They were still close when they finished college and, feeling directionless, they decided to open a food business, either ice cream or bagels; they eventually decided on ice cream. In anticipation of opening their first store in Burlington, Vermont, Jerry tested ice cream recipes in a White Mountain ice cream maker, the design of which has not changed since its invention in 1843. They took an ice cream-making correspondence course from Pennsylvania State University—PSU’s Department of Food Science is still internationally known for its ice cream-making courses.

The first Ben & Jerry’s store opened its doors on May 5, 1978. Although some of their ice creams—like Lemon Peppermint Carob Chip—have not withstood the test of time, others, like Heath Bar Crunch, remain perennial favorites. In 1988, Ben & Jerry’s factory produced 100,000 pints per day, that’s 3.5 million gallons per year, to be sold in 25 states. Today, Ben and Jerry have three factories producing 400 pints per minute and around 72 million gallons annually. Their ice cream is available in all 50 states and 38 countries (read more on this here).

Are you suddenly craving ice cream? Me, too. So I got my hands on a copy of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book, first published in 1987. I was intrigued by some of the book’s odder recipes – like kiwi and cantaloupe ice creams—and I was tempted by some of the Ben & Jerry’s classics, like Heath Bar Crunch and Dastardly Mash. In the end, I decided to try the Honey Apple Raisin Walnut ice cream, because it reminded me of the best part of the Passover Seder: haroset.

I was a bit baffled by the inclusion of raw eggs in the recipe. It seemed odd from a food safety standpoint, but also because I knew cooking the eggs into a custard would make a creamier ice cream. Although I felt like I shouldn’t mess with the best, I’ve adapted this recipe to use a cooked custard base—and it turned out super creamy. Alternately, you could use their Sweet Cream base, which is simpler because it requires no cooking. Just whisk together 2 cups heavy cream, ⅓ cup half-and-half, ½ cup honey, and ¼ cup cider jelly, apple jelly, or apple butter. Then it’s ready for your ice cream maker!

I’ve also adjusted this recipe to push the haroset connection. After making the original recipe, I just felt it needed a little spice and a bit more texture – so I’d recommend adding 1 medium apple, cut into cubes and simmered until tender with ¼ cup sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; and 2 whole matzo, crumbled, then frozen. Freezing the matzo before it’s mixed in the ice cream will help preserve its crisp texture.

Haroset Ice Cream

Adapted from Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book Honey Apple Raisin Walnut Ice Cream

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup raisins
• 1 cup water (or red wine, if you’re feeling fun)
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup apple cider jelly, apple jelly, or apple butter
• ½ cup honey
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• Optional: ⅓ cup cooked apple chunks and 2 matzos, broken into pieces and frozen

Yields a generous quart

Directions

1. Soak the raisins in 1 cup water or wine overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine cider jelly, honey, heavy cream, and whole milk. Bring to a boil then turn off heat. Stir to make sure jelly and honey are dissolved.
4. Pour hot dairy mixture slowly onto the eggs, whisking constantly.
5. Return to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until custard thickens slightly; about 15 minutes.
6. Pour custard into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pushing it down so it touches the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until chilled – overnight is preferable. 
7. Drain raisins and mix with walnuts.
8. Churn chilled custard in an ice-cream maker until it has “soft serve” consistency, about 10-20 minutes, adding raisins, walnuts, apples and matzo in the last 30 seconds of churning.
9. Transfer to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours
10. Enjoy!