Self-made Ice Cream Date

(Daddy retells)

The last time I accompanied Ash on a cooking class in June, Ayd didn't get to go. So I had no choice but to promise him that I will bring him to one as well - just the 2 of us.

Ayd has got a sweet tooth - gummies, marshmallows, cakes - he adores them all. Quite markedly different from the older brother, who loves all things salty. Which is good in a way since they wouldn't clash over the same food then.

So anyway, after some extensive research (read: 5 minutes), I decided to let him make his own ice cream!

I came across Scoopy's & Cream - an ice cream parlour at Downtown East E!hub, which organizes self-making ice cream classes for both kids and adults alike.

So ice cream it was! Ayd would definitely love it. And that would be the topmost reason why I chose it. Definitely NOT the 50% discount (U.P. $50) in class fees per person promotion.

Ayd was absolutely thrilled the moment he found out that he was going to make his own ice cream. In fact, he proudly declared that the flavour he wanted to create would be strawberry, with bananas & seaweed. Luckily for my palate, there were no bananas or seaweed available at the class.

The class teacher first went through a brief history and the different basic ingredients of ice cream.

But someone was obviously too excited to pay attention.

Before the flavouring, we had to make the ice cream custard base first. And for starters, Ayd got to crack the eggs and separate the egg yolks & egg whites.

Then the fun began, as Ayd was to whisk the egg yolks until smooth.

You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round

Sugar was added, and more stirring ensued.

After a while, he gave me the my-hands-are-so-so-so-tired-so-can-you-help-me-whisk look and since I had also paid the class fee, I had to make my money worthwhile too, no?

Once the custard mix was thick enough, we had to add hot full cream milk to it.

The full cream milk was heated to 80 degrees Celsius, so as to cook the egg yolks. But any hotter, the yolks might be overcooked and that is a big no-no.

The flavour of the day was Oreo Milo Ice Cream. And so, once the ice cream custard base was ready, it was added to the ice cream maker machine together with smashed bits of Oreo.

And while waiting for the ice cream to be ready, Ayd asked the teacher if he could have his fave Strawberry ice cream as well.

And he got his wish! Haha...

Gooey Strawberry syrup to make his fave ice cream!

And once the ice cream was fit to be eaten...

Was there any surprise that he had extra helpings of the ice cream he personally made?

But he did leave some for the Mummy and his brother too. :)

We enjoyed ourselves on the whole, and the biggest lesson I took away from the class? 

No, not the fats from the ice cream. Rather, it reminded me that we need to bring our kids out individually sometimes so that there could be uninterrupted bonding between the both of us. And that to me, is priceless.