Exciting flavors include an assortment of vanillas of varying degrees of richness, several great chocolates, Butter Pecan, Sensational Strawberry, Peaches 'n' Cream, Utterly Peanut Butter and Double Ginger to mention only a sampling. For an extra flourish, there's a collection of ice creams with add-ons -- swirls and twirls, sauces and toppings. There is even an entire chapter of great reduced-fat light ice creams and nonfat frozen yogurts with names like Creamy Banana, Cappuccino, Date Rum and Maple Crunch.

Many completely fat-free frozen delights are covered in the chapter called "Sorbets, Granitas and Other Ices." Enticing and refreshing, they come in flavors such as Kiwi-Lime, Mango Margarita, Spiced Rasberry and Strawberry Daquiri. And for showstopping, truly fabulous desserts, made completely in advance, turn to the last chapter, which contains ice cream cakes, pies and other frozen desserts.

Excerpted from The Best Ice Cream Maker Cookbook Ever by Peggy Fallon, John Boswell. Copyright © 1998. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Makes about 1 1/2quarts

This was probably the first flavor of commercially produced premium ice cream I ever tasted. Now I make it at home, using the best quality rum and, just for fun, a combination of dark and golden raisins.

3/4 cup raisins, preferably half dark and half golden (about 6 ounces)
About 3/4 cup dark rum
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine the raisins with enough rum to cover. Bring to a simmer over low heat. (Watch carefully. If the alcohol gets too hot, it will ignite.) Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain the rum into a heatproof glass measuring cup and set aside. Reserve the raisins.

2. In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and half-and-half. Gradually whisk in the sugar to blend. Whisk in the vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, until very cold, at least 3 hours or as long as 3 days.

3. Whisk the mixture to blend and pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. When the ice cream is at the soft-serve stage, add 1/3 cup of the rum and the raisins and process 1 minute longer. (Discard any remaining rum or reserve for another use.) Eat at once or transfer to a covered container and freeze up to 8 hours.

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Raspberry Granita

Makes about 1 quart

Since raspberries vary greatly in sweetness, you really do have to taste here and adjust the sugar accordingly. Other berries can be used with the same process.

1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 pound) fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries
3/4 cup water
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the raspberries and water. Puree until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a medium bowl, pressing through as much fruit and juice as possible. Discard the seeds.

2. Add 1/3 cup sugar and the lemon juice. Stir to blend and dissolve the sugar, Taste for sweetness and add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours or as long as 3 days.

3. Stir the mixture to blend and pour into the canister of an ice cream maker, Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Eat at once.