In Gear: Ice Cream Ball

So the New Year may have inspired us to scale back on the bacon and amp up the spirulina dosage, but this time around, thanks to the marvels of plastic and thermodynamics, there’s less need to adjust our ice cream intake. Though REI calls this wondrous ball Camper’s Dream, it could be just about anybody’s dream: calories are burned as ice cream is made. You simply insert ice and salt in one cavity of the ball and an ice cream base, which may be as simple as cream mixed with sugar and flavoring, in the other; toss, shake or gently kick the ball around for 10 minutes or so, and enjoy deliciously guilt-reduced homemade ice cream. The balls come in two sizes—the regular ball makes about one pint of ice cream and the “Mega” size makes about a quart—and a range of different colors. Happy New Year, indeed.

About the author: Amanda Clarke is a recovering restaurant pastry chef with a background in architecture. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she writes, tests, and develops recipes and works on freelance food-styling gigs between walkings and feedings of her two dogs and husband.