David Lebovitz, former pastry chef at Chez Panisse, hilarious and articulate blogger of davidlebovitz.com, cookbook author of several highly acclaimed books on desserts, and frequent commenter on Simply Recipes, has written a gorgeous, informative, delicious book about ice cream, sorbets and granitas. The Perfect Scoop has over 150 recipes and over 50 stunning photographs. Ice cream recipes include the basics such as chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch pecan, and branch out to aztec "hot" chocolate, apricot-pistachio, and lavender-honey. Papaya-lime sorbet and mojito granitas make appearances as well. One of the things I love about David's work is that he takes the time to instruct us on the basics of whatever it is he is cooking. In The Perfect Scoop David describes right up front the methods you'll need to employ to make creamy, perfect ice cream. Using a custard base is what is usually called for, but can be a bit tricky for first timers. David's explanation makes it easy. ~Elise

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Product Description

Ripe seasonal fruits. Fragrant vanilla, toasted nuts, and spices. Heavy cream and bright liqueurs. Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Every luscious flavor is grist for the chill in David Lebovitz's ecstatic guide to the pleasures of homemade ice creams, sorbets, granitas, and more. With an emphasis on intense and sophisticated flavors, an international flair, and a bountiful helping of seasoned technique, this collection of frozen treats ranges from classic and comforting (Chocolate Sorbet) to contemporary and cutting edge (Mojito Granita). Spilling over with scrumptious sauces, crunchy toppings, and surprising mix-ins, THE PERFECT SCOOP transforms simple ice cream into a knockout dessert.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1881 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 246 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Lebovitz, a former Chez Panisse pastry chef and author of The Great Chocolate Book, credits his "first and craziest, most insane summer job"— as an ice cream scooper at a soda fountain—with inspiring his lifelong devotion to ice cream. The author's 25 years of experience as a frozen-dessert maker are put to excellent use in this wittily written, detailed volume. Step-by-step photos and advice on selecting an ice cream machine will reassure ice cream amateurs. Experts and novices alike will appreciate tips for selecting the best citrus and creating unusual but complementary pairings (apricots go nicely with Olive Oil Ice Cream). An impressive array of flavors is available for the making, like Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, Fresh Fig Ice Cream and Pear Pecorino Ice Cream. Sorbet, sherbet and granita also are explored in depth, as are ice cream "vessels," such as brownies and crepes. Great photos and plenty of practical advice combine to make this an appealing and useful resource for the dessert aficionado. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Library Journal - Judith Sutton
"...dozens of recipes for delectable frozen treats, from Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream to Cherry Sorbet to Blood Orange Granita."

Michael Hastings-The Winston-Salem Journal
"David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop is a complete guide to making ice cream."

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Customer Reviews

Tasty Tasty!
I love this book!!! All of the recipies sound so delicious and I can not wait to try more. So far I've made Pear Sorbet and Strawberry Yogurt. Both were delicious and very simple to make. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in making their own Ice Cream.

Very disappointing
Very disappointing. I had great hopes in view of all the positive reviews, but in reality there are few original recipes -- just variations on recipes easily found elsewhere. I strongly recommend Chez Panisse Desserts instead. The CPD book is mostly about ice creams, but has many more interesting ideas.

Lebowitz's basic formula (cf. Vanilla Ice Cream) is 28% buttercream fat (2 cups heavy cream + 1 cup milk) + 6 yolks, although most of the time he uses just 5 yolks and practically never adds any alcohol. CPD is 30% fat base (2 C cream + 1 C half/half) + 6 yolks and some alcohol most of the time. Madeleine Kamman in her book In Madeleine's Kitchen recommends 20% fat base (light cream) + 9 yolks (for 3 cups) and has some alcohol in all recipes.

Bottom line is that Lebowitz's ice creams tend to freeze harder and feel less rich and smooth. IMHO, you should always experiment with the basic recipe to find the right percentage butterfat and the right number of yolks for your taste. In any case, a small amount of alcohol improves texture and flavor -- check CPD for great combinations.

The book has great photos -- CPD has none. I should learn to discount by at least one star the average rating for any cookbook with great photos :-),

A great facilitator for self-indulgence
If you enjoy preparing homemade ice cream, BUY THIS BOOK. The coffee ice cream is sublimely decadent, the vanilla custard is basic ice cream at its best. The recipes may use a little more heavy cream and egg yolks than some people may want, but that's the beauty of making ice cream - it's not like baking which is an exact science. You can tweak the recipes by using more milk and less heavy cream, whole eggs instead of egg yolks or any combination thereof, less sugar, etc. and you'll still have a fantastic result more to your liking. This book is essential to any serious cook's library.