Get Cranky!
Photos from our 2024 event!
An Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social
July 12th, 2025 from 12 to 4pm.
Nothing beats homemade ice cream on a hot summer day. Each year, CCHS wants to celebrate National Ice Cream Day with you by using hand-crank ice cream machines to make a variety of flavors throughout the day. In addition to ice cream, there are games, art, music, storytellers, and more.
Ice cream sundaes are also available with homemade caramel and fudge sauce from Larry Anderson. Keep scrolling to get his recipes below or visit the Pine Knot website for the full article.
Games
While you wait for a new ice cream flavor, explore the grounds for CCHS to find a variety of games including bean bag toss, horse shoes, hula hoops, and jump ropes.
Art
Local musicians will be playing throughout the day. The art area has a large coloring mural to fill in with your friends and family as well as more a complex paint by number. Don't forget to check out Sara Carters chalk art as you walk around and feel free to join her in making the concrete colorful!
Storytelling
Carlton County has a variety of wonderful local authors and storytellers here to spread word about different cultures and experiences from living in Carlton County or discovering their heritage.
Volunteer!
As with any event, there is a lot to do! Whether planning activities, setting up tables and chairs, or making the ice cream, we can always use more volunteers. Contact us by calling 218-879-1938, or email, info@carltoncountyhistory.org.
How does it work?
Nancy Johnson patented the first hand-cranked model in 1843. William Young produced the machine as the "Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer" in 1848.
Hand-cranked machines' ice and salt mixture must be replenished to make a batch of ice cream. Usually, rock salt is used. The salt causes the ice to melt and lowers the temperature in the process, due to freezing point depression. The temperature at which salt water freezes is lower than the temperature at which fresh water freezes. The sub-freezing temperature helps slowly freeze the edible mixture, making the ice cream.[9]
Some small manual units comprise a bowl with coolant-filled hollow walls. The paddle is often built into the top. The mixture is poured into the frozen bowl and placed in a freezer. The paddles are hand-turned every ten minutes or so for a few hours until reaching the desired consistency and flavor.
Recipes
Larry Andersons Homemade Caramel and Fudge Toppings
Here are some of his rules for making these special sauces:
1) chill the unsalted butter, have the salted butter at room temperature;
2) use Dutch processed chocolate, any brand;
3) make sure you use pure cane granulated sugar;
4) get Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract, not baking vanilla;
5) America's Test Kitchen and Larry recommend Bakers unsweetened chocolate;
6) you can substitute heavy cream (36 percent milk fat) for light whipping cream (30 percent fat) or double cream (48 percent fat), but don't use milk and be sure it is at room temperature before you start; and
7) use a high-heat resistant rubber spatula for stirring the caramel sauce;
8) use kosher salt, not table salt. As Larry said, 'You add that hit of kosher salt at the end, and it just comes to life.'
Salted Caramel
Ingredients:
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
6 T (85g) salted butter at room temperature
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream at room temperature
1 T kosher salt
Instructions:
Heat sugar in a medium heavy-duty saucepan (not non-stick) over medium heat, stirring constantly being careful not to burn it. Sugar will form clumps and then eventually melt into a thick amber-colored liquid.
Then stir in the butter. If the butter separates or the sugar clumps up, remove from heat and vigorously whisk it back together. Return it to the heat when it’s combined again.
Stir constantly as you pour in the cream, which will begin to bubble. Stop stirring when the cream is incorporated and allow it to boil and rise in the pan for one minute.
Remove it from the heat and stir in the salt. Allow the caramel to cool and thicken before you serve it.
Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups (8.75 oz.) sugar
⅔ cup whole or 2% milk
¼ tsp table salt
⅓ cup (1 oz.) unsweetened and sifted cocoa powder
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
4 T unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions:
Heat sugar, milk, and salt in a medium heavy-duty saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking gently until sugar has dissolved and liquid starts to bubble around the edges. Reduce heat to low, add cocoa, and whisk until smooth.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in chocolate, and let stand for three minutes. Wisk the sauce until smooth and the chocolate is fully melted. Add butter and whisk until fully incorporated and sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in vanilla and serve.
Note: Both sauces can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Gently reheat in a microwave (do not let it exceed 110 degrees, stirring every 10 seconds until just warmed and pourable.)
Ice cream Recipes will be added soon!
