Let’s be honest, today’s approach to making homemade ice cream does not exactly require the time and labor our ancestors endured, but that doesn’t make the venture less honorable, or the result less tasty. And since I recently received the gift of an ice cream maker – that is my contention and I’m sticking with it!

At first, I was a non-believer, expecting the final result to taste nothing like store-bought ice cream. What I didn’t expect was that “my” ice cream would taste better. Since the initial foray I’ve made several batches–chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, and each new flavor brings a child-like joy. Proudly, I think to myself, “I made this”. Sort of…

Turning down a pint of specialty or generic grocery store ice cream was once beyond contemplation, but now that I have my sleek new machine, I easily prefer my own. Hands down. The process is easy and fun, and really rewarding. Plus, homemade ice cream makes a great gift, even if slightly melted. Just be sure to put it in a cooler en route, or you can use these reusable ice cream containers.

Now that I’ve covered the basic flavors, I have my eye on trying some of the more creative recipes out there, many from pastry chef David Lebovitz’s blog. Here are a few recipes I can’t wait to try, and with July being National Ice Cream Month, I can’t think of a better time.  

Banana-Brown Sugar Ice Cream (David Lebovitz)

Candied Bacon Ice Cream (David Lebovitz)

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream (David Lebovitz)

The Best Lime Ice Cream (Food52)

Fig Ice Cream (Saveur)