I remember Homer Simpson always had a pink doughnut in his hand with sprinkles, and I wanted to make an ice cream that was a pink doughnut and call it the Homer.

What I did, was blend glazed donuts into my base using the Dana Cree method. And made a strawberry icing/glaze that I swirled into my base along with sprinkles.

It’s definitely a more powerful, very sweet ice cream and a lot of people probably wouldn’t like it because of its level of sweetness. But if you’re into cakebatter ice cream and birthday cake ice cream I have a feeling you would really love this.

Animal cracker ice cream, toasted animal cracker crumble and circus cookies!

I realize the bowl may be a little unorthodox, but I don’t trust my little fastfreeze wand to do the job

I toasted animal crackers for 15 minutes at F, then soaked them in 1 1/3 cups milk for 20 minutes

Strained, topped off with milk then proceeded with salt & straws 17% butterfat base:

100 grams granulated sugar
2 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 tsp xantham gum
315 ml whole milk
2 tbsp light corn syrup
315 ml heavy cream
Also added 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and a dash of Watkins natural red food coloring for the pink one

The crumble:

169 grams animal crackers, crushed up
23 grams light brown sugar
15 grams all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
107 grams unsalted butter, melted
Baked at 350F for 10-15 minutes

Crushed up circus cookies as well and mixed in!

I'm having a problem with my Musso 5030. The blade doesn't seem to scrape the ice cream properly from the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Has anyone experienced this problem before? If so, what did you do to fix it?

I did a few tests and noticed that if I stop the blade while the gelato is churning and manually scrape the frozen gelato off the bowl, it reduces the time needed for the gelato to be ready. I also lose less gelato, as you can see in the picture above, where a significant amount is left stuck to the bowl.

I bought the machine second-hand. The previous owner never mentioned this issue, but she did tell me that she had replaced a cog before selling the machine.

As you can see in the picture, there seems to be a huge gap between the blade and both the bottom and the sides of the bowl. When I looked at pictures of this machine and its blade, I didn't realise the gap could be this large. I have no idea what could be causing it or whether something inside the machine needs to be adjusted or replaced.

Has anyone encountered anything similar or have any ideas about what might be causing this?

Thank you

Hi! I’m new to ice cream making and so far have only made sweet flavored custard based varieties. Have any of you experimented with simple but savory combinations? What was it like?
I was in a supermarket over the weekend and was wondering if a cheese ice cream is doable, I feel like it’s possible to do a simple custard with swirls of fig jam, and chunks of either goat cheese or Brie for a tart kick.

Probably a dumb question. I've been making gelato for quite a while, but I don't usually make mix-ins, toppings, etc.

I just made a fiordilatte base and was planning to make stracciatella but I'm thinking about making hot fudge sauce instead. I'm wondering if that would be a bad idea since gelato is usually eaten at a warmer temperature and I'm worried the hot fudge would just melt it into a puddle.

I usually put each serving in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes, so maybe skipping that step would counteract excessive melting from the hot fudge sauce but still warm the gelato enough to have the right texture?

So before I use the rest of my chocolate for this, do you think it would work well or should I just do stracciatella?

Hi all, I have a beautiful Lello and would like to progress in making creative flavours but so far I've only had success with vanilla and chocolate (most often from the booklet that came with the machine) and mint chocolate chip. Everything else I've tried (especially any fruit) has been a fail. Could you suggest a couple of "second tier" challenges for me? I have The Perfect Scoop and one other book that include hay-flavoured ice cream. Thank you, ice cream mentors!

(Hopefully this one follows community guidelines)

Title: Soft serve tech here. Your drip tray is telling you exactly what's wrong. Here's how to read it

I've spent the last few years working on commercial ice cream machines, a lot of it on the phone talking owners through problems. Leaks are one of the most common calls I get, and nearly all of them can be fixed by the operator for a few bucks in O-rings. The trick is knowing where to look.

**Step 1: Find where it's actually coming from**

Wipe everything dry, run the machine 15 to 30 minutes, then grab a flashlight and watch for the first drops. Also notice what's leaking. Sticky and sweet is mix, clear and runny is water, and slick and oily is a different conversation (more on that below).

**Dripping from the spout between draws**

That's almost always the draw valve O-rings. Pull the valve and check every one for flat spots, nicks or a squared-off look. Roll each between your fingers; it should feel springy, not hard or gummy. Also count them against your parts diagram. A missing O-ring is one of the most common causes, because they're tiny and easy to lose during cleaning.

**Seeping around the edge of the door**

Check that the door gasket is in its groove all the way around and isn't twisted. Then tighten the door knobs a little at a time in a crisscross pattern, like lug nuts on a wheel. Cranking one side down first cocks the door and squeezes the gasket unevenly.

**Filling the rear drip pan**

This is where reading the pan pays off:

- Thin, milky residue: the rear seal is starting to wear. Replace it soon.
- Thick product, like soft serve: the seal is failing. Replace it now.
- Grinding or squealing at the rear, or gray-tinted product: suspect the rear shell bearing.

Before you put in a new seal, run your fingernail along the drive shaft where the seal rides. If your nail catches on grooves, replace the shaft too. A brand-new seal on a grooved shaft will leak again fast, because product follows the grooves right past the seal lip. And if new seals keep failing within weeks, the shell bearing is usually why. That one's a job for a tech.

**The #1 cause I see: the wrong lube**

Only use food-grade, NSF-approved soft serve lubricant. Never petroleum jelly, cooking spray or general grease. Petroleum products make O-rings and seals swell and go soft, so they stop sealing, and they can look fine while they do it. If someone used the wrong stuff, replace every O-ring it touched, even the good-looking ones.

Lube does two jobs: it lets rubber parts slide in without rolling or tearing, and it actually becomes part of the seal. Use a thin, even coat on every part your manual calls for, every time you reassemble.

**Oily spots inside the cabinet?**

Don't ignore those. Oil on or near refrigeration lines can mean a refrigerant leak, since refrigerant carries oil through the system. That's a call for a certified tech, not a DIY fix.

**The cheapest insurance**

Keep a spare tune-up kit on hand for each machine, and swap all the O-rings and seals on your manual's schedule (often every 3 months with daily use), even if they look fine. A worn O-ring found at 10 AM shouldn't shut you down for the day.

Got a leak you can't track down? Drop your brand, model and where you're seeing it in the comments and I'll help you figure it out.

Hi everyone!

I’ve been using my Musso Stella 5030 for a while now. While it’s an absolute tank of a machine, there’s one minor design quirk that bothers me: during the freezing process, a thin layer of frozen ice cream sticks to the walls and bottom of the bowl.

Since the original stainless steel blade leaves a tiny gap (about 1–2mm), that frozen crust acts as a thermal insulation barrier. Thermodynamics dictates that this insulating layer slows down the heat transfer and extends the churning time.

On commercial batch freezers (like Cattabriga or Carpigiani), the blades feature spring-loaded Teflon/Delrin scraper blades that constantly wipe the cylinder clean to maximize heat exchange.

My questions for the community:

Has anyone here ever modified the stock Musso blade (or designed a custom 3D-printed/CNC-machined blade with PTFE scrapers) to solve this issue?

Is there any small maker or aftermarket brand out there selling a drop-in replacement blade or a clip-on scraper mechanism for the 5030 (or the 4080 Lussino)?

My brother is an architect with access to 3D printers and CAD software, so we are currently thinking about prototyping a custom solution—possibly testing food-grade materials or POM/PTFE scrapers.

Before we reinvent the wheel, I wanted to check if anyone has already attempted this, shared any CAD/STL files, or if there are any mechanical pitfalls I should keep in mind (e.g., strain on the gear motor, tolerances, etc.).

Would love to hear your thoughts, experiences, or see any pictures if someone has actually done it!

Thanks!

do you add the matcha:

- during cooking process (i.e., with the dairy base on the stove)
- after base is done (i.e., added to the base on a bowl and then immersion blending, and then cooling in the fridge before churning)
- right before churning (i.e., adding the matcha to the cooled base)

also do you
- whisk the matcha with the egg mixture (if using eggs) before tempering it with a bit of the base and then adding to the stove
- make matcha paste the way you’d do a normal matcha latte and then adding that to the base
- whisk matcha with sugar and then adding to the base on the stove

what made the matcha flavour translate the best for you?

I'm thinking of importing one to India. Is it a good machine?
Also any alternatives?

This is an amped up version of Dana Cree's Bourbon Butterscotch custard recipe with the addition of her Nutterbuddy crunch from "Hello, my name is Ice cream". The base gets heightened by the substitution of Muscovado sugar, with its natural toffee notes, and the addition of a heaping tablespoon of malted milk powder. I also found that a dark rum is better than bourbon in simulating those sharp burnt edges that toffee attains at end stage.

The Nutterbuddy crunch utilizes rice crispies for simplicity, and adding 100g of chopped peanuts for some additional texture and a nice counterpoint to the cacao nibs. (mix those nibs with the melted peanut butter and chocolate blend to control their snap)

This is one of the richest bases I have worked with, almost Umanic, and it cry's out for both the textural progression and flavorful cavalcade of the huge mix-ins - which childishly amaze and surprise by quickly reducing and disappearing between the teeth. Delicious and fun!

I tried one a month ago but this recipe was beyond wonderful 👍

Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients

- 2½ cups heavy cream, divided

- 1½ cups granulated sugar

- 2 large eggs

- 12 oz light cream cheese, softened to room temperature

- ½ tsp fresh lemon zest (optional)

- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 4 graham crackers, coarsely crushed

Steps

1\. Whisk together 1½ cups of the heavy cream, the sugar, and eggs in a heavy saucepan.

2\. Bring to barely a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat.

3\. If desired, pour the egg mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any lumps.

4\. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Gradually beat in the hot cream mixture.

5\. Cover and chill for 4–5 hours or overnight.

6\. Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the cold mixture.

7\. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

8\. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and stir in the crushed graham crackers.

9\. Freeze for 3–4 hours, or until scoopable.

Has anyone that makes their own mix had any success with making a Nutella ice cream in larger batch freezers?

Mine seems separate slightly no matter what I do, I’d appreciate any brainstorming to help.

Current recipe:
560g milk
150g cream
200g Nutella
40g sugar
20g dextrose
30g Milk powder
0.8g Locust bean gum
0.4g xantham gum.

I am awful at telling when dairy is bad because to me it always smells different like a day after opening.

After you first open a container of milk, how long do you keep it before throwing it out? I'm not comfortable using it in my ice cream after like 4-5 days but I'm not sure if it lasts longer.

I sometimes end up with a cup or so of cream leftover. If I am not up for making another base, I would like to use it. I have typically just mase Dana cree's fudge ripple, but does anyone have any suggestions for mixins to make?

How can I mimic the flavor of pistachios with pepita seeds, looking for a recipe.

Ask: Any red-flags with our formula before our first commercial run??

Flavor: Sea Salt + Olive Oil + Orange Zest
Target Feeling: An overall light and refreshing taste - Olive oil forward with a splash of salt and orange in each bite

Context
My best-friend and I are starting an ice cream brand and have come up with the attached formula after several small batch tests at home.

That being said, I know producing commercially is a completely different ball game so wanted to see if there's any feedback / glaring red-flags from this community before the run!

Such a fun creation! Next time I’d use less of the soak so the cake held up a little better, and probably jiffy instead of Krusteaz but super yummy! Here’s the recipe I used :)

Recipe:
Hello my name is ice cream Philadelphia base
20 grams nonfat milk powder
150 grams sugar
380 grams cream
400grams whole milk
50 grams glucose
2tsp tapioca starch
*for the cereal milk I used milk bars recipe minus sugar and salt

Caramelized cornflakes:
50 grams sugar
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
50 grams cornflakes

Krusteaz honey cornbread:
1 egg
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tbsp honey

Cake soak:
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp Mexican vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Is it possible to color store bought vanilla ice cream? Or am I better off making my own in a bag with salt and ice?

Ask baking said my post didn't belong, so let me know if this is ok, or if I need to go elsewhere.

What’s the best way you’ve found to fill pints? I am finding that filling the pints directly out of the batch freezer can make the texture icy especially towards the last few that get more melted.

Edited to ask: does anyone fill pints directly from their emery thompson?

Ok so I feel like there’s an easy answer here that I’m just missing. I’m looking to find a recipe to make peanut butter swirl (like the equivalent of a fudge ripple texture). Not the actual ice cream base just the peanut butter itself. I’ve tried recipes from Salt and Straw and Hello, My Name is Ice Cream but those don’t make a true swirl the texture is either too cookie dough-like or too hard (think magic shell). Any ideas to check out?