The Easy Way To Make Store-Bought Vanilla Ice Cream 10x Lighter And Fluffier - Tasting Table

"First, she advises you to allow the store-bought ice cream to soften. Placing the tub on the counter would do the trick. Then, whip very cold heavy cream into stiff peaks. Don't over-whip because the cream can curdle. If the tub of ice cream is soft enough, fold the whipped cream [in batches] into the ice cream until well combined."

"Gaman explains why the resulting ice cream tastes like mousse and has its texture. She states, "This method works because it has a similar process to making mousse. The light texture in mousse comes from gradually adding air from whipped cream or egg whites into a heavy base, until the two textures fuse. In this case, softened ice cream is the heavy base.""

Allow store-bought ice cream to soften at room temperature before working with it. Whip very cold heavy cream to stiff peaks, taking care not to over-whip to avoid curdling. Fold the whipped cream into softened ice cream in batches until well combined. A suggested ratio is a half cup of whipped heavy cream to four cups of ice cream, adjustable to preference: increase cream for lighter texture or reduce for denser ice cream. Refreeze the blended mixture until firm. The added air creates a mousse-like, airy, lighter, and fluffier ice cream texture. This technique works with most flavors.

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