Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

A James Beard Award-winning cookbook from the founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, the Ohio-based chain that helped launch the artisan ice cream movement in America. Jeni Britton Bauer takes a different approach than most ice cream books: her base recipe uses cream cheese and a small amount of cornstarch instead of egg yolks, producing an exceptionally smooth, clean-flavored ice cream.

Why Start Here

If you want to skip the fussy custard-making step that trips up many beginners, Jeni’s method is a revelation. Her eggless base comes together quickly, churns beautifully, and produces ice cream with a lighter, more intense flavor than traditional French-style custard. The technique is simple enough that you can have a batch spinning in your machine within thirty minutes of opening the book.

The 100 recipes showcase Jeni’s gift for unexpected flavor combinations that somehow work perfectly: Salty Caramel, Goat Cheese with Roasted Cherries, Sweet Corn and Black Raspberries, Whiskey and Pecans. Each recipe is written with enough detail that a complete beginner can follow along, and Jeni is particularly good at explaining why each step matters. She also covers frozen yogurts, sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches.

What to Expect

A compact, focused 217-page cookbook that gets you making ice cream right away. The book opens with a thorough explanation of Jeni’s base method and ingredient philosophy, then moves into recipes organized by flavor family. You will need an ice cream maker, cream cheese, corn syrup, cornstarch, and standard dairy ingredients. The flavors lean creative and seasonal, so this is an excellent choice if you enjoy experimenting and have access to farmers’ markets or specialty ingredients.