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Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream: The Art and Science of the Scoop: A Cookbook
With more than 100 recipes for ice cream flavors and revolutionary mix-ins from a James Beard-nominated pastry chef, Hello, My Name is Ice Cream explains not only how to make amazing ice cream, but also the science behind the recipes so you can understand ice cream like a pro.
Hello, My Name is Ice Cream is a combination of three books every ice cream lover needs to make his or her own delicious it is 1) an approchable, quick-start manual to making your own ice cream, 2) a guide to help you think about how flavors work together, and 3) a dive into the science of ice cream with explanations of how it forms, how air and sugars affect texture and flavor, and how you can manipulate all of these factors to create the ice cream of your dreams. The recipes begin with the basics--super chocolately chocolate and Tahitian vanilla--then evolve into more adventurous infusions, custards, sherbets, and frozen yogurt styles. And then there are the mix-ins, simple treats elevated by Cree's pastry chef mind, including chocolate chips designed to melt on contact once you bite them and brownie bits that crunch."
Hello, My Name is Ice Cream is a combination of three books every ice cream lover needs to make his or her own delicious it is 1) an approchable, quick-start manual to making your own ice cream, 2) a guide to help you think about how flavors work together, and 3) a dive into the science of ice cream with explanations of how it forms, how air and sugars affect texture and flavor, and how you can manipulate all of these factors to create the ice cream of your dreams. The recipes begin with the basics--super chocolately chocolate and Tahitian vanilla--then evolve into more adventurous infusions, custards, sherbets, and frozen yogurt styles. And then there are the mix-ins, simple treats elevated by Cree's pastry chef mind, including chocolate chips designed to melt on contact once you bite them and brownie bits that crunch."
561 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2017
196 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 23, 2017
Sorry, it is hard to find time to review this book. I'm too busy making delicious ice cream! I love ice cream but can only allow a smallish amount into my diet. So it's gotta be GOOD. This book delivers on its promise of delicious, high quality ice cream. The art is there, the science is fully explained, and the recipes are wonderful. You will learn what each ingredient does for the quality of the end product, and when to use a custard-style base versus a Philadelphia-style base. Sherbets and frozen yogurts are also given delicious consideration.
Admittedly, some of the recipes sound a little O.T.T. I was thinking that it just couldn't be right to put sliced jalapeno peppers in the the peach frozen yogurt base. I forged ahead with Chef Dana Cree's gentle encouragement to try a jalapeno infusion, and it turned out wonderfully! Layers of flavor in ice cream -- who knew!?
There are some "texture agents" that are offered for each recipe. You will have to decide whether you want to use them or not. Chef Cree gives a full explanation of the pros and cons. But be forewarned: don't expect to find a non-sugar option in this book! She will explain why.
I gave the book 5 stars, but if you are among those ice cream lovers who are looking for quick-and-easy ice cream recipes that they can make with no fuss, maybe you would be a little disappointed. If you want to make high-quality ice cream in your home machine, this book is what you want. The Knowledge and The Science chapters really helped make the recipes make sense.
Admittedly, some of the recipes sound a little O.T.T. I was thinking that it just couldn't be right to put sliced jalapeno peppers in the the peach frozen yogurt base. I forged ahead with Chef Dana Cree's gentle encouragement to try a jalapeno infusion, and it turned out wonderfully! Layers of flavor in ice cream -- who knew!?
There are some "texture agents" that are offered for each recipe. You will have to decide whether you want to use them or not. Chef Cree gives a full explanation of the pros and cons. But be forewarned: don't expect to find a non-sugar option in this book! She will explain why.
I gave the book 5 stars, but if you are among those ice cream lovers who are looking for quick-and-easy ice cream recipes that they can make with no fuss, maybe you would be a little disappointed. If you want to make high-quality ice cream in your home machine, this book is what you want. The Knowledge and The Science chapters really helped make the recipes make sense.
June 20, 2017
This for me is a perfect cookbook. Good science, intriguing stories, delicious creativity, weight and volume measurements, accessible to the home cook but with options for those who are willing to pursue harder-to-find ingredients. I want to make and eat all the recipes, and I actually feel like I can. Bonus: the layouts are gorgeous.
February 3, 2021
2020 problems:
H was on board with limiting frivolous trips to the market until he ran out of gelato; I needed new cooking challenges to distract me. An ice cream maker won out over getting a bigger freezer but though I know a lot about the science of desserts generally that of frozen desserts was completely new to me. It's amazing how variable were the ingredients when I started checking packaging with the intent to reverse engineer some favorites, and it's in this respect Hello... has been of most use—concise explanations of the ingredient lists I was encountering plus a convincing argument for why I really do want to add locust bean gum and dextrose to my pantry.
The recipes are too sweet for my taste but experimentation solved that and the chapter on sherbets is different and appreciated.
H was on board with limiting frivolous trips to the market until he ran out of gelato; I needed new cooking challenges to distract me. An ice cream maker won out over getting a bigger freezer but though I know a lot about the science of desserts generally that of frozen desserts was completely new to me. It's amazing how variable were the ingredients when I started checking packaging with the intent to reverse engineer some favorites, and it's in this respect Hello... has been of most use—concise explanations of the ingredient lists I was encountering plus a convincing argument for why I really do want to add locust bean gum and dextrose to my pantry.
The recipes are too sweet for my taste but experimentation solved that and the chapter on sherbets is different and appreciated.
April 27, 2018
Every ice cream I made out of this book was meh. I blame the fact it uses too many texture agents and stabilizers. The Perfect Scoop by David Leibowitz in contrast does not use near as many texture agents and the recipes turn out better. The bubblegum flavored ice cream in this book is just nasty. I think the best recipe I made was probably the chocolate flavored one, but still the texture was off. I did learn some basics about the machines and everything. But I can't honestly recommend the machine it used-you'd be better off getting a compressor. More expensive but you don't have to worry about the mix not freezing.
December 30, 2021
If you get one cookbook on ice cream, make it this one. Cree's recipes are rooted in science and she explains clearly what steps you can take for better texture and flavor. Every recipe I've made from this book has been a winner and her information has given me the confidence to troubleshoot recipes from elsewhere.
October 18, 2020
An excellent overview of some of the food science behind making ice cream, as well as some excellent recipes.
So far I've only done one or two of the recipes precisely, but they are good for inspiration and I really appreciated the non-recipe material.
So far I've only done one or two of the recipes precisely, but they are good for inspiration and I really appreciated the non-recipe material.
November 4, 2019
This book is absolutely everything I needed to excite and inspire me even more to pursue my passion in Ice Cream Making. Through the chance visual of an Instagram story, I learned of this book's existence and decided that I would give it a shot, well worth that effort.
I learned so much with Dana Cree's homework and am so excited to continue on learning and experimenting with Ice Cream, this book was a blessing! I must own a copy for I predict I will refer again and again to it's pages and advice. The science is clear, it is possible to produce phenomenal product in a wide variety of ways.
Anyone who is serious about Ice Cream needs to have this book!
I learned so much with Dana Cree's homework and am so excited to continue on learning and experimenting with Ice Cream, this book was a blessing! I must own a copy for I predict I will refer again and again to it's pages and advice. The science is clear, it is possible to produce phenomenal product in a wide variety of ways.
Anyone who is serious about Ice Cream needs to have this book!
July 17, 2019
This one is a bit beyond me, with glucose syrup and texture agents. Eggs in some recipes. Also makes her own add-ins, like homemade graham crackers, caramelized rice krispies, and pretzel toffee. Now these might taste great, but the time and energy required is too much.
December 14, 2024
Mystery solved
I asked a Reddit group about a good beginner book that was something between “The Science and Chemistry of Ice Cream” and “Susie Q’s Fourteen No-fail Ice Cream Recipes”. (Completely made up names and any resemblance to real books is completely coincidental.)
This book was recommended many times so I read the reviews. I always read the 1 star reviews first to determine if there are real problems or simply conceptual ones. The majority of these (few) reviews mentioned inconsistencies in measurements which are clearly explained in the book. Dana creates her recipes the way bread bakers do, ie. using percentages but she also generously converts those to weight or volume and often has to round up or down to make the common measurements make sense without compromising the results. That’s why 1 cup of something in one recipe weighs 380 grams and in another recipe weighs 320 grams.
Another complaint was the use of simple additives that because of their function (stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc.) make them sound like chemical voodoo. Not at all. These effects can be achieved by using things as simple as egg yolks and corn starch. Some were put off by funky flavor names, “Cinnamon Basil” or some such. Don’t make them! There is enough information in this book to help you make nearly any flavor you want.
Read it with a desire to learn and create and you’ll be fine.
I asked a Reddit group about a good beginner book that was something between “The Science and Chemistry of Ice Cream” and “Susie Q’s Fourteen No-fail Ice Cream Recipes”. (Completely made up names and any resemblance to real books is completely coincidental.)
This book was recommended many times so I read the reviews. I always read the 1 star reviews first to determine if there are real problems or simply conceptual ones. The majority of these (few) reviews mentioned inconsistencies in measurements which are clearly explained in the book. Dana creates her recipes the way bread bakers do, ie. using percentages but she also generously converts those to weight or volume and often has to round up or down to make the common measurements make sense without compromising the results. That’s why 1 cup of something in one recipe weighs 380 grams and in another recipe weighs 320 grams.
Another complaint was the use of simple additives that because of their function (stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc.) make them sound like chemical voodoo. Not at all. These effects can be achieved by using things as simple as egg yolks and corn starch. Some were put off by funky flavor names, “Cinnamon Basil” or some such. Don’t make them! There is enough information in this book to help you make nearly any flavor you want.
Read it with a desire to learn and create and you’ll be fine.
June 17, 2022
This book is exactly what it touts itself as: a scientific look at how to make ice cream.
For me personally, this book was a little above my head. I am not particularly science-minded and get easily bored when reading about things I don't quite understand. I did learn things from this book so I think it could be great for the right reader - I just didn't happen to be that reader.
The recipes look fantastic and there are even recipes for ice cream add-ins like ripples, brownies, etc. Again though, for me, the recipes seem intimidating. I'm sure the recipes aren't meant to be intimidating but because this is a scientific book the recipes are broken down accordingly leaving me just a bit lost in space.
Also, some less than common ingredients are called for frequently such as glucose and xanthan gum. Don't get me wrong - substitutes are offered (glucose can be replaced by granulated sugar, xanthan gum by cornstarch, etc.) - but it still leaves me feeling like in order to do the recipe right I need to source ingredients I don't have on hand and would likely not use again. Truthfully, I find this to be a huge drawback for me, and doubt that I will end up using this as a standby cookbook.
I think this book is a good, solid book but in the end it was just a little too smart for me.
For me personally, this book was a little above my head. I am not particularly science-minded and get easily bored when reading about things I don't quite understand. I did learn things from this book so I think it could be great for the right reader - I just didn't happen to be that reader.
The recipes look fantastic and there are even recipes for ice cream add-ins like ripples, brownies, etc. Again though, for me, the recipes seem intimidating. I'm sure the recipes aren't meant to be intimidating but because this is a scientific book the recipes are broken down accordingly leaving me just a bit lost in space.
Also, some less than common ingredients are called for frequently such as glucose and xanthan gum. Don't get me wrong - substitutes are offered (glucose can be replaced by granulated sugar, xanthan gum by cornstarch, etc.) - but it still leaves me feeling like in order to do the recipe right I need to source ingredients I don't have on hand and would likely not use again. Truthfully, I find this to be a huge drawback for me, and doubt that I will end up using this as a standby cookbook.
I think this book is a good, solid book but in the end it was just a little too smart for me.
June 28, 2021
Dana has written a clear, educational, lay-person accessible book about the whys and how-tos of ice cream. She writes from a wealth of personal experience as a chef as well as taking the famed Penn State Ice Cream Short Course.
After personally taking the Penn State Ice Cream 101 course (3 days instead of 7 in Dana's course), I was on cloud 9, yet longed for more ice cream science information. I wanted to understand why some recipe tweaks worked and others failed.
Dana has provided exactly what I needed to gain insight and help with the science ofice cream. This resource clearly lays out what my heart has been longing to learn for several years.
Thank you, Dana! And thank you for taking the final step in providing complete information, as was your mission, by explaining Functional Ratios as well as Working Ratios.
I am so grateful to own a copy of this treasure. When I cull my books, this will definitely be a keeper.
After personally taking the Penn State Ice Cream 101 course (3 days instead of 7 in Dana's course), I was on cloud 9, yet longed for more ice cream science information. I wanted to understand why some recipe tweaks worked and others failed.
Dana has provided exactly what I needed to gain insight and help with the science ofice cream. This resource clearly lays out what my heart has been longing to learn for several years.
Thank you, Dana! And thank you for taking the final step in providing complete information, as was your mission, by explaining Functional Ratios as well as Working Ratios.
I am so grateful to own a copy of this treasure. When I cull my books, this will definitely be a keeper.
June 18, 2025
Library book - partially read, partially skimmed. Got this at the recommendation of a dinner party host who served what was possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever had.
I loved learning about the science of ice cream and the role of each ingredient, but rather than building my enthusiasm to make homemade ice cream, this book confirmed that I… simply do not want to invest the time and $ into getting all the stuff needed to make the perfect quart of ice cream at home. It definitely made me appreciate why specialty ice cream brands charge what they do, though.
This book is for people who want to optimize and seek perfection in homemade ice cream. I realized that’s not me! Still interesting for the home cook, though.
I loved learning about the science of ice cream and the role of each ingredient, but rather than building my enthusiasm to make homemade ice cream, this book confirmed that I… simply do not want to invest the time and $ into getting all the stuff needed to make the perfect quart of ice cream at home. It definitely made me appreciate why specialty ice cream brands charge what they do, though.
This book is for people who want to optimize and seek perfection in homemade ice cream. I realized that’s not me! Still interesting for the home cook, though.
February 27, 2022
I’m glad I got this from the library to review before purchasing. This has a really excellent introduction to ice cream at the beginning of the book. Unfortunately nearly all the recipes contain glucose or glucose syrup that need to be purchased from a specialty shop. We were looking for recipes to expand our current DIY ice cream portfolio, but were not anticipating having to purchase specialty ingredients to make this book work. I recently had a different ice cream book checked out and it did not contain any recipes with glucose, so it may be this authors preference but wasn’t what I was looking for.
December 29, 2019
I got this book for my birthday and I am pretty sure I could feel my brain expand as I read this book. As a life long ice cream lover and young teen/teen ice cream scooper, I realized recently I wanted to make my own ice cream. This book could not be more perfect for a first time ice cream maker. The author is a celebrated dessert genius, and I fell in love with her recipes and easy explanations of the scientific processes behind ice cream. Utterly inspirational for my own creative journey, this book was a great way of ending the year and preparing for the 2020s.
July 17, 2023
Whether you want to churn your own ice cream or not, the book is a good read just to understand the science behind the delicious dessert. I like the simple, no jargon kind of writing that the author chose while explaining the how and why behind the making of ice creams. Apart from the recipes, there are also a tips on how to fancy up the dessert with fruit purees, add-ins and composed scoops. However, the book doesn't have any vegan options. Overall, a good nerdy read without the complicated language.
May 15, 2024
The book is very well written. Details like the basic chemistry behind ice cream are really well explained for the ordinary person, so you can go deeper into the subject.
The calculation of proportions is also very reliably written out.
In fact, in this book we even have everything to start making ice cream for your first ice cream shop.
However ;) I missed a few details here (e.g., refined coconut oil or not?) and information on substitutes: what about lactose-free milk? Can I use xylitol or erythritol? In what proportions? And so on.
The calculation of proportions is also very reliably written out.
In fact, in this book we even have everything to start making ice cream for your first ice cream shop.
However ;) I missed a few details here (e.g., refined coconut oil or not?) and information on substitutes: what about lactose-free milk? Can I use xylitol or erythritol? In what proportions? And so on.
July 5, 2023
Welcome back to me being back on my bullsh**t. I like that this one is more sciencey and acknowledges that there are building blocks to ice cream and a variety of things can get you there. I've long been using xanthan gum instead of eggs, but this made me think about why I do that and what aspect I'm replacing. Also, made the donut ice cream-tastes just as advertised and pretty magical to see the donut come apart during cooking! I'll keep this updated as I make more out of the book!
September 27, 2017
A fun enough one to peruse for, with whimsical images and illustrations. Wish there'd been more visual stimulus along those lines, though. Ice cream of all things deserves more than text-heavy pages!
September 29, 2020
the only ice cream book you'll ever need. it teaches the science behind what makes good ice cream and then provides loads of recipes including some very strange ones, and it also gives several blank slate recipes so you can design your own ice cream
July 7, 2024
So I am an ice cream fanatic. This book however is so much more than just the recipes ( while they are phenomenal), but more about the literal science behind how great ice cream is made and how best to enjoy it. Not a light read, but education and very satisfying to the taste buds.
August 27, 2025
To my mind, there is nothing greater than a book that details the science behind the madness. Cree's book is phenomenal from that aspect. Clear foundations, demonstrated underpinnings and delivering enough knowledge to go push the boundaries of a handful of ingredients.
June 19, 2017
The science behind ice cream making and enjoyment. Holy Hootis, this is a great book! Talk about unlocking creative potential...Dana Cree is wildly inspirational!
September 16, 2017
The recipes in this book make the best ice cream ever. I'd swear it tastes like really high quality ice cream - great texture and no ice crystals.
November 1, 2017
Great, interesting read and really love the art-science feels that flows through the whole books. Cute graphics, interesting infos.
December 30, 2017
Chose this for the flavor profiles to use in gelato making.
Great choice for those interested in making ice cream.
Great choice for those interested in making ice cream.
September 6, 2018
Love it!
November 16, 2018
All the essentials to become an ice cream master.
February 10, 2019
Great combination of science, art, fun, and sass ... Just like ice cream is a great combination of water, air, fat, protein, and sugar!
January 28, 2020
Great book on how to make ice cream at home. It focuses on how to get the best texture from non industrial mixers and then has many recipes that can be altered or adapted.
May 28, 2020
Very clear and manageable way to break down the science of ice cream. Haven't tried the recipes yet - waiting for our ice cream machine to get here! - but I have a feeling they are going to be good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews