Is there a way to make ice cream at home like the soft serve that you buy at the store?

home soft serve image

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I want to try and make ice cream at home, but I don't like hard ice cream. I like the creamy smooth kind that I can buy at some ice cream shops. I am not sure that can be made at home. I think those shops whip air into it. Can that be done at home?

Answer
Cuisinart makes a specific soft-serve ice cream maker. Most ice cream recipes for home use suggest that the ice cream be allowed to "ripen" in the freezer for a couple of hours after the ice cream is done churning. If you skip this step and just eat it when it is done churning, it has a consistency like that of soft-serve.