Blueberry Ice cream

We haven't made ice cream in ages but we've consumed more than ever during the last year #thankscovid19.  I was making a lemon bundt cake last weekend and thought that blueberry ice cream would go well with it.  The recipe is super simple but it was delicious.  

Blueberry Ice Cream

from Taste of Home

4 cups blueberries

2 cups sugar (or less depending on how sweet your berries are)

2 T water

4 cups half-n-half

Combine the blueberries, water, and sugar in a large saucepan on the stovetop and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries are softened. Transfer to a food processor or high quality blender and blend until smooth.  An optional step is to strain the mixture to remove the skins.  My Vitamin blender got it pretty smooth, so I didn't do this step.  Refrigerate until cold.  Mix with the half and half and put it in your ice cream maker.

Blood Orange Sorbet

 It's almost summer vacation! We started out with a chain this long (27 links) a few weeks ago and now we're down to 8 links.

We had Open House at the girls' school and Mother's Day & Father's Day events in both preschool and kindergarten.  I went with Middle to her last field trip of the year and took Big to visit family and friends in the Midwest.  It seems like now the To Do lists are in full effect . . . everything I need to do to finish up my quarter at work, to get ready for 2 months away, and to get through the last two weeks of the school year with the girls.  It's exciting!

One of the almost summer things we've been doing is using our ice cream maker.  I found David Lebovitz's method for sorbet (link below in the recipe) and I'm sold.  I usually make a simple syrup adding water to the sugar but with his technique, the flavor and texture was outstanding.  I think it's the lack of water and/or the addition of a couple tablespoons of champagne.  Serving sorbet with champagne is always a good idea but adding it to the mixture is something I haven't tried before.  These ratios and the method will work for other fruits / citrus as well.  Two additional notes:  Lebovitz doesn't strain his juice and I recommend tasting the sweetness of your juice and adjusting the sugar amount slightly.  My juice was really sweet so I used less sugar than what it says below.

Blood Orange Sorbet
from David Lebovitz

Ingredients:

Blood oranges
Sugar
Champagne or sparkling wine (optional)

Method:
1.  Juice your oranges and measure the juice
2.  For every 1 cup of juice, add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
3.  Put the sugar in a small saucepan and add enough juice to saturate the sugar.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.
4.  Add the liquid with the dissolved sugar to the rest of the juice and place in the refrigerator until chilled.  Optional:  When completely chilled, add 2 tablespoons of champagne or sparkling wine per cup of juice mixture.
5.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Gelato

When life gives you lemons, make gelato!!  Last weekend we had such an awesome time with our cousins from the east coast.  In several different conversations, my cousin and I couldn't get over the similarities between our husbands . . . no wonder they're such great friends!  

To celebrate their time in California (and the amazing 80 degree February weather we enjoyed while they were here), I busted out my ice cream maker for a batch of gelato.  My Meyer lemon tree has been producing quite an abundance of lemons and my mother in law has been bringing me bags of (certified organic) lemons.  By the way - you never know - if you are interested in purchasing organic citrus in bulk, let me know!

I found a couple of online gelato recipes for proportion and included rosemary from my backyard.  My Vitamix hasn't been getting much use this time of year but blending the gelato base worked great to incorporate the fresh rosemary flavor.

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Gelato (makes approx. 1 quart)

1 cup Meyer lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
zest from 1 Meyer lemon
3/4  - 1 cup sugar (depending on your taste)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 T chopped fresh rosemary

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Pulse 1-2 minutes or until all ingredients are combined and rosemary is very finely chopped.

Transfer to the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to machine instructions.

Peaches!

It's July!  So hard to believe that a month of summer vacation is already gone.  We've been having a blast.  Here are some photos from our 4th of July weekend:

One of the summer treats we have all been enjoying is fresh peaches.  We've been eating loads of them every week and I finally got around to making peach ice cream.  It's not a true custard (no eggs or heavy cream) but it was creamy and delicious.

Peach Ice Cream (makes 1.5 quarts)

1.5 lbs ripe peaches
1/2-2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1.5 T fresh lemon juice
2 cups half and half

Your ingredients all need to be cold to go into the ice cream maker.  You can either peel and chop the peaches and refrigerate until cold, or you can make the ice cream custard and refrigerate it all together.

Peel and chop peaches.  Place 2/3 of the peaches in a blender with the vanilla, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches and your own taste preferences).  Blend until smooth.  Add the half and half.

Take the other 1/3 of your peaches and add another 1/4-1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice.  Mash them up (I used a potato masher).

Put the mixture from the blender into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker.  Stir in the mashed peaches.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Chai Tea Ice Cream

I think that I've finally landed on my absolute favorite ice cream that I've made to date.  I had the idea of taking the base of the Coffee Ice Cream that I made and adapting it to become chai tea ice cream by using tea bags instead of coffee beans and adding chai spices.  I love chai tea and prefer it spicy and not super sweet and this recipe was absolutely delicious.  Seriously, I cannot overstate how much I liked it and it completely affirmed to me why I own an ice cream maker and why homemade is the best.   Just like the coffee ice cream, it's not surprising that this much heavy cream, egg yolks, and whole milk makes for a creamy ice cream with a smooth texture.  While black tea doesn't pack the caffeine punch of coffee, it still might be a good idea to find a good quality decaffeinated black chai tea, especially if you're going to serve this to kids.

Chai Tea Ice Cream (makes one quart)

from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

1.5 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

5 Chai Tea teabags (black tea)

pinch of salt

1.5 c. heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground cardamom

Heat the milk, sugar, tea bags, salt, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, cloves, cardamom and 1/2 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan until warm and steamy, but not boiling.  At this point, cover, remove from the heat and let it steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Put a medium sized bowl on top of a larger bowl filled with ice.  Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into that medium sized bowl.  Set a mesh strainer over the bowl with the cream and set aside.

Remove the teabags and squeeze them to get all the flavor into the mixture.  Then, heat the milk/tea mixture over medium heat until it gets hot and steamy again (but don't boil).  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.  Temper the egg yolks by whisking constantly while adding a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk mixture at a time.  You don't want to cook the egg yolks, but raise the temperature.  Then, whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the tea & milk mixture and stir constantly.  Keep stirring over medium heat with a spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the custard thickens and coats the spatula.  You're looking for it to be thick enough that if you run your finger across the spatula, it won't run.  This took me almost 10 minutes.

Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream. Mix in the vanilla and stir until cool.  Chill completely in your refrigerator and then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to your maker's directions.

Homemade Ice Cream Treats

Last week we had friends over for supper and their son has a dairy allergy so I made two batches of sorbet in the ice cream maker for dessert.  Both turned out yummy but I particularly liked the peach.  I added some no-dairy creaminess to that recipe because I thought it would go great with the peach flavor . . . and it did!  I don't like super sweet ice creams and I thought the sweet, ripe summer fruit didn't need too much additional sugar.  For both of these recipes, taste the mixture and adjust it according to your preferences.

I hope you're enjoying your summer as much as we are!  We have had some fun outings, good visits with friends and family, lazy afternoons, and warm nights.  Here is one of my girls' favorite summer songs this year (Lisa Loeb cover of the song from the 80s movie "Meatballs")

Dairy free Peach Ice Cream (makes 1 qt)
adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

About 4 cups of peaches, peeled
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Take one cup of the peaches and dice them small and set aside.  Put the remaining peaches in a small saucepan with the brown sugar and cook over medium heat mashing for about 3-4 minutes (you want the sugar to dissolve and the peaches to soften up).  Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Add the coconut milk, almond milk, and vanilla and blend until combined.  Stir in the diced peaches.

Place the mixture in the refrigerator until cold.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Strawberry Sorbet (makes 1 qt)

2 lbs strawberries, stems removed
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
juice of 1 lime

Make a simple syrup by combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heating until the sugar has dissolved.

Put the strawberries and lime juice in a blender and puree.  Add the simple syrup and combine.  Place the mixture in the refrigerator until cold.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Last day of school!

Yesterday and today were the girls' last days of school.  I keep waiting for Big to realize that kindergarten and her year with her amazing teacher is really over and for her to get all sad about it like she's done with transitions in the past.  But so far, so good.  In the hall of the preschool, after only 1 year of two-day-a-week school, Middle did a little woohoo fist pump and jump in the air.  So funny considering how easy she has it and what a long educational road she has in front of her.  But I get it - not having the schedule and rhythm of school weeks feels so nice in the summer.  I'm just trying to make it there . . . I've graded 154 essays and 28 debates since last week and I have 60 quizzes and 60 exams and two more days on campus before I can be DONE for a few months.

To celebrate summer break, Middle and I made a batch of our favorite ice cream - Coffee!  I usually don't let her have more than a bite because of the caffeine but I made this decaffeinated.  It was honestly, the best ice cream I've made.  Not super sweet, perfectly creamy, delicious.  Middle's addition was the chocolate chips but I think it would have been better without them so I'll leave them out of the recipe below.  I can't believe it took me this long to make coffee ice cream.  Hope you have a good start to the summer!

Coffee Ice Cream (makes one quart)
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

1.5 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 cups whole coffee beans (I used decaf)
pinch of salt
1.5 c. heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat the milk, sugar, coffee beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan until warm and steamy, but not boiling.  At this point, cover, remove from the heat and let it steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Put a medium sized bowl on top of a larger bowl filled with ice.  Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into that medium sized bowl.  Set a mesh strainer over the bowl with the cream and set aside.

Reheat the milk & coffee mixture until medium heat until it gets hot and steamy again (but don't boil).  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.  Temper the egg yolks by whisking constantly while adding a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk mixture at a time.  You don't want to cook the egg yolks, but raise the temperature.  Then, whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the coffee bean & milk mixture and stir constantly.  Keep stirring over medium heat with a spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the custard thickens and coats the spatula.  You're looking for it to be thick enough that if you run your finger across the spatula, it won't run.  This took me almost 10 minutes.

Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream.  Press on the beans to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible.  Then, discard the beans.  Mix in the vanilla and stir until cool.  Chill completely in your refrigerator and then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to your maker's directions.

And more strawberry ice cream

We had the first morning at home in a long time where Middle and I didn't have to go shopping, to the gym, or even to swim lessons.  She wanted to watch TV and I wanted to play.  This is how it went:

Me:  We could play Cinderella and I'll be the prince or the stepmother.
Her:  No.
Me:  We could play Rapunzel and I'll be Flynn Rider or Mother Gothel.
Her:  No.
Me:  We could play Candyland or Chutes and Ladders.
Her:  No.
Me:  We could do puzzles or read books.
Her:  No.
Me:  We could make ice cream or cookies.
Her:  Yes!

She loves to cook with me like Big does but when Big is home, the turn taking makes the process less magical for everyone involved.  I had a bunch of sliced strawberries from the weekend that needed to get used up so I suggested strawberry ice cream.  She wanted chocolate so we compromised and made up a new recipe for Strawberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  After tasting the mixture, Middle declared it "Sweet Deewishious."  Then, we played Rapunzel while we waited for it to freeze in the ice cream maker.  And, Rapunzel had ice cream at 10am.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (makes 1.5 qt)

2 cups sliced strawberries
1.5 cups heavy cream
1.5 cups milk
1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Mash up the sliced strawberries (we used a potato masher).  Add 1/4 cup sugar and stir it well.  In another bowl, stir together the heavy cream, milk, and additional sugar (if desired - maybe 1/4 to 1/3 cup more).  Stir in the vanilla.  Stir in the strawberries.  Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze for as long as it needs to.  At the end, stir in the chocolate chips (or leave them out . . . it's a really good strawberry ice cream and doesn't really need them).

Strawberry Lime Ice Cream

It feels like summer already!  Last week we heated our pool and it made me so excited for summer nights watching the kids swim (and tiring themselves out).  I'm working on our 2013 bucket list and will post it in a few weeks.

We had friends over for dinner who eat primal / paleo diet and I was trying to think of a dessert to make for them.  I came up with this ice cream - it was a little icy (probably because I didn't have full fat coconut milk, just a "lite" version) and a little tart but pretty good!  This can accommodate a lot of lifestyles and dietary needs and tastes just like summer.

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (makes 1.5 qt)
Originally from www.delightedmama.com

20 strawberries (about 1lb), sliced
1 cup coconut cream (plain, unsweetened)
1 can coconut milk
Juice from 2 limes
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Depending on if you want strawberry chunks or not, you can either mash up the strawberries (I used a potato masher) or put them in a blender.  Add the other ingredients and stir until combined well.  Freeze in your ice cream maker per ice cream maker instructions.

*Trader Joe's has a canned coconut cream right now (right next to the canned coconut milk) but in the past I've had trouble finding it.  Some stores carry it with mix-ins (for pina coladas?) and I think that Whole Foods has carried a plain one in the past.  You could also just do 1 can + 1 cup of whole fat, unsweetened coconut milk.

Blackberry Ice Cream

How is it almost the end of summer and I haven't posted any ice cream recipes yet??  I've been making some of my tried and true favorites (see "ice cream maker" label on the side bar) but finally made a new recipe.  There were beautiful, ripe blackberries at farmer's market this weekend and I bought a few baskets.  I immediately hid 2 cups in the refrigerator so I could make ice cream because any berries brought into this house are quickly devoured.

I looked at several recipes with true custards and if you have the time or patience (I wanted instant gratification - ice cream tonight for dessert), try the Pioneer Woman's version (or this one looked good).  Instead, I went for a quick vanilla base with blackberry puree stirred in.  Delicious!

Blackberry Ice Cream (makes about 5 cups)

2 cups of blackberries
2 T sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1.5 cups milk
1.5 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, combine the blackberries, 2 T sugar, and lemon juice.  Stir and mash up the berries a little bit over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the berries have released a bunch of juice.  Put the blackberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer extracting as much juice as possible.  At this point, it would be ideal to refrigerate the blackberry puree until cold.  I used an ice bath just to cool it off.  I was in a hurry, remember?

In a bowl, stir the milk, cream, 2/3 cup sugar and vanilla with a whisk until the vanilla is dissolved.  Add the blackberry puree and stir until combined.  Make according to your ice cream maker's instructions, about 20-25 minutes for the Cuisinart.  Transfer to another container and freeze it until it's the desired consistency.

Pineapple & Coconut

There are lots of flavor combinations that I love . . . chocolate & raspberry, chocolate & salt, mango & chile, pineapple & coconut . . . my early pineapple & coconut food memory comes from flat tops with two holes.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you maybe never had a Thrifty Ice Cream cone.  We loved those as kids and if my dad offered flat tops with two holes, we were there!  I loved the "Coconut Pineapple" flavor.  Smooth, creamy & tasted like Hawaiian Tropic Suntan Lotion smelled.

So, when I decided to make a pineapple upside down cake after our trip to Hawaii, I knew that I needed to make coconut ice cream to go with it.  Both of these desserts were fantastic individually but together, they were amazing.  If I do say so myself :)

I was worried about how the cake would turn out after the brown sugar / butter part spilled all over the bottom of my oven and I flooded the house with smoke, but it was good (and didn't taste like smoke).  I used fresh pineapple pieces but you could use canned.

When you make the ice cream, make sure you use cream of coconut (has sugar in it and is typically used to make pina coladas so you can find it with other mixers), not coconut milk.  I decreased the sugar from the original recipe and found that it probably could be decreased even more.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Coconut Ice Cream (makes 1.5 qt)

3 large eggs
scant 1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
20 oz coconut cream

Whisk the eggs together in a light bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the sugar until completely incorporated.  Whisk one minute more and then whisk in the cream and milk.  Stir in the coconut cream.  Immediately pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to your maker's instructions.
*Can be GF - check your coconut cream ingredients.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

'Tis the season . . . not much to say about this except for I was glad to have friends over to dinner to share it with, otherwise, I would have eaten way too much :)  It was creamy, a good blend of spices, and delicious.  I'm imagining ice cream sandwiches with this ice cream between some gingersnaps!

Pumpkin Ice Cream (makes 1 qt)

Ingredients:
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. salt

Heat cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until almost boiling.  Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl.  Add hot milk, a few tablespoons at a time to temper the eggs.  Add the egg yolks to the saucepan.  Heat for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.  Don't let it boil.

Refrigerate the milk mixture until cooled.  In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and the rest of the spices.  Add to the cooled milk mixture.  Refrigerate a few hours or overnight.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Mint Chip Ice Cream

Did you know you can eat the cone? That's what my daughter is always asking people at an ice cream store - wants to make sure everybody knows not to throw away the best part! Last week we had ice cream cones in the backyard with her grandma. This was one of the best "easy" ice cream recipes I've made (dump it all in the ice cream maker - no custard involved).

15 days until baby girl #2's due date!



Mint Chip Ice Cream (about 5 cups)

1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Hershey's milk chocolate bars, chopped
green food coloring (optional)

Combine milk, cream and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla, peppermint and salt and 4-5 drops of food coloring (if desired). Stir well. Make according to your ice cream maker's instructions - mine took about 20 minutes. Add the chocolate to the mix in the last 5-10 minutes. Transfer to another container and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours for firmer texture.

Dessert on the Grill

We had friends over for dinner last week and Nicole brought dessert to make on the grill. I'll admit that I've looked at recipes in my Weber Grill Deck and a few cookbooks over the years but have been a little chicken to do something sweet on the grill. I was missing out!

Nicole brought peaches and plums that she had soaked and we sprinkled them with sugar before grilling. Amazing. Our neighbors snuck in the back gate just before dessert to help us eat it all up. It was beautiful and I wish I had some photos to share.

Grilled Stone Fruit ala Nicole
Heat 2 cups OJ, 2 cups water, 1 cup light brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Then off heat, add 1/4 c light rum. Soak 3 firm stone fruits, cut in half, pits removed for 2 hours.

Remove from liquid, dredge in turbinado sugar and grill each side for 2 minutes. Nicole used spiced rum and sucanat for both sugars and got all 7 pieces of fruit into that amount of liquid.

I made homemade key lime ice cream to accompany the fruit. I think next time I might try making a coconut ice cream (recipe, anyone?) but the tartness of the lime went well with the fruit.

Key Lime Ice Cream (makes 1 qt)
from Cooking Light May 08

Easy as can be - combine the following ingredients, pour into your ice cream maker, follow your maker's instructions (mine took about 20 minutes) and transfer to the freezer for an hour or two so it'll firm up a little.

1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
2/3 cup Key lime juice (bottled or fresh)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

Mango Sorbet

A few months ago, my daughter discovered her great love of mango smoothies from Jamba Juice. She was calling them "mingo" smoothies and it wasn't until one day at the zoo that I figured out she thought her smoothies were the same as those pink birds . . . flamingo / mango = same thing to her. Gross!

I cleared up the misconception and she wanted to see what one looked like at the grocery store. So, we bought a bunch of ripe mangoes and instead of making smoothies, made some ice cream. Well, technically sorbet because it was mostly fruit and sugar - no milk products or cream. The consistency was less like a traditional sorbet and more like a gelato because of the thickness of the mango puree. And, my confession is that my husband and I ate it all (half batch) while my daughter was asleep so she never even got to taste it.

Mango Sorbet (4-6 servings)

3/4 cup sugar
2 cups pureed, ripe mango
2 T fresh lime or lemon juice
pinch of salt

Make a simple syrup by dissolving the sugar in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Stir in the pureed mango (I used a mini chopper to puree but a food processor or blender would work fine). Add the last 2 ingredients and chill the mixture until it's nice and cold (I put it in the refrigerator for a few hours). You can make it up to this step and refrigerate for a couple of days if you want.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions - mine took about 25 minutes in the ice cream maker. After it came out of the ice cream maker, I put it in the freezer for a couple of hours before we ate it.

Happy Birthday to Mom

When I was growing up, the six of us sat down to a home-cooked dinner nearly every night. It's only as an adult that I realize what work and commitment this took on the part of my mom to think of a menu each week and do all the cooking. Spaghetti on Monday nights because of Boy Scout meetings, schnitta when there were lots of strawberries at farmer's market, hot cooked egg casseroles and cheese danish on Saturdays or Sundays when we had house guests from Connecticut . . . I don't remember helping her cook much and I'm not proud to say that I do remember complaining about setting or clearing the table.

At the dinner table, we had lively discussions and games and my parents tried to each us manners. I remember a period of time where we had a star chart for each night that none of us 4 kids left the table during dinner. What did we eventually earn? I think it was a bunny.

My mom is a good sport. Paula remembers her spending 8 dollars on imitation rum for her buche de noel and then she and her friends forgot to use it so it sat in the cupboard for years. Kurt remembers the amazing school lunches, in brown bags, waiting for us every day with what we each liked to eat. Mom made me egg salad sandwiches for two or three years straight when that's all I wanted. I think it was Kurt or Paula who liked peanut butter and fluff (marshmallow cream) and there was often a silver disk of a ding-dong or a twinkie at the bottom of those lunches.

On birthdays, we got to pick the meal we wanted for dinner and had a double layer, frosted cake with our names written in icing on the top. On Halloween, we carved pumpkins and mom roasted the seeds. At Christmas, we decorated sugar cookies and mom made homemade carmel corn and at Easter, we dyed eggs (more egg salad sandwiches).

Today, my mom compliments my cooking, pays for my subscription to Cooking Light, and comments on my blog. She's kept our family dinners going and inspires me with new recipes and ideas. I think she enjoys cooking today more than she did in the past and it's something we enjoy doing together. Happy Birthday, mom. I love you!

And, here's what I'm making mom for her birthday dessert: Ice cream sandwiches, of course.

I'm making plain oatmeal cookies for the cookie part and my friend Amber's peanut butter ice cream for the filling. If you're making the ice cream just to eat, stir in a cup of Trader Joe's mini peanut butter cups (or chopped up Reese's peanut butter cups) in the last 5 minutes before the ice cream comes out of the machine.

Peanut Butter Ice cream

1 1/8 cups smooth peanut butter (not natural)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
1 cup heavy cream (the original calls for 2 cups & no 1/2 & 1/2)
1 1/2 +/- teaspoons vanilla

Use a hand mixer to combine the peanut butter & sugar until smooth. Add the milk and mix 1-2 min. Add the cream, 1/2 & 1/2 and vanilla - mix until combined. Turn on machine, pour in mix, 25 - 35 min until thick. Ice cream will be creamy but soft, freeze if firmer texture is desired.

Excuse me while I lick the counter

It might be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. I made cinnamon ice cream for a dessert tonight and when chunk fell on the counter, I had a moment of serious contemplation before I wiped it up with a towel. I love cinnamony things. My favorite flavor at 21 Choices in Old Town is Snickerdoodle (followed closely by the oatmeal cookie one). Tangent - did you know that if you want one of the flavors of the day, you don't have to wait in that long line? You can go straight to the register. And, you can look up today's flavor on their website (so if they have Snickerdoodle, you can be sure to make a trip). I learned all this when I was pregnant.

But I digress . . . cinnamon things are wonderful. For dessert tonight, I'm making homemade ice cream sandwiches which I've never attempted before. I was telling my mom that I was making these and she said (and I agree) that a good ice cream sandwich is possibly the perfect dessert. They're even on the cover of Gourmet this month.

So, here's what I did. I made the cinnamon ice cream (recipe below) and a batch of oatmeal cookies. You can use your favorite recipe - I made a basic one and just added a cup of shredded coconut (no nuts, raisins, or any other mixed in things). Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack and then stick the ones you want to use in the freezer a few hours before assembling them.

Once the cookies and the ice cream are good and cold, put a scoop on top of a cookie, put another one on top, use a spatula to scrape the edges smooth, and stick them on a plate in the freezer. You have to do this right away with them individually so the ice cream doesn't melt. I originally planned to wrap them (individually) in plastic wrap but it was much messier. Then, just leave them in the freezer until dessert time (as if you can wait that long!).


You could roll the edges of the ice cream in something but other than coconut, I couldn't think of anything creative that went with my cinnamon-oatmeal combo. I bet chocolate chip cookies, mint-chip ice cream and chocolate sprinkles on the edges would be awesome!

Cinnamon Ice Cream (makes 5 cups)

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 2-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 T vanilla extract

Combine cream, milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape the vanilla from the pod into the cream mixture and then toss the pod and the cinnamon sticks in the mixture. Heat it until it almost boils - about 6-8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. While the cream mixture is heating up, beat yolks, sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until it's smooth and creamy - about 2-3 minutes.

Temper the yolk mixture by adding 1 tablespoon of the cream mixture to the yolk mixture and stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent the eggs from curdling. Do this until you've added 4-6 tablespoons of cream to yolk. Gradually add yolk mixture to the cream mixture (still over low heat), stirring constantly. Cook over low heat until the mixture is slightly thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon - about 3-5 minutes. Put the whole thing in the refrigerator until it's cold (leave vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks in it). When you're ready to freeze it, strain it into your ice cream maker and follow your ice cream maker's instructions.

Note: If you don't have a vanilla bean, just add 1T of vanilla extract to the cream mixture (and 1 T to the yolk mixture). The two types of cinnamon gave me good results. When I tasted the mixture before putting it in the ice cream maker I thought the cinnamon was really strong but it mellowed out when it was frozen. In general, flavors are less intense in the final product (the ice cream won't be as sweet as the mixture tastes before freezing)

Ice Cream Roundup

My ice-cream contest that I was thinking of doing this summer didn't materialize but I'm participating in a "Recipe Round Up" where people link to their ice cream recipes. I've posted this in the past but it's a good one for summer. Maybe in this ice cream round up, I'll find the chai tea or green tea ice cream recipes I've been wanting . . .

Spiced Apple Frozen Yogurt (makes 1 1/2 quarts)

1 1/2 cup of apple sauce (I used the chunky kind with spices but no added sugar)
2 cups Greek yogurt (I used the kind with honey added from Trader Joe's)
1 T whole milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 c. sugar (optional - I like it tart so I leave it out)

Combine all ingredients in a blender. You can store it in the refrigerator for a few hours until you're ready to make the frozen yogurt. Then, just pour it in your ice cream maker according to your model's instructions.

I think it's best to make frozen yogurt right when you want to eat it - the texture isn't great if it's put in the freezer after it's made.

Happy Birthday, T!

For my sister's birthday, I'm making these chicken enchiladas and this spanish rice. What I'm really excited about is the Tres Leches Cake and Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream that I'm making for dessert. I first made this cake a few years ago for a mexican-food themed potluck at work and it was a big hit. It's easy and tastes better if you make it a day before and let the cake soak up all the milk goodness.

I put it in the refrigerator last night and when I was laying in bed, I was thinking "Tres leches means three milks but I only put two milk in the milk mixture . . . " I forgot the regular old not-from-a-can milk. I didn't pour all of the wet stuff so I think I'll mix the remainder with the milk I forgot and pour that over the cake when I get home today.

At a birthday party, you have to have ice cream with the cake so I'm making my favorite ice cream recipe - Mexican chocolate. I love all things Mexican chocolate - the bars by Vosges, Mexican chocolate cappuccinos from Zona Rosa on El Molino . . . you name it. My friend Lisa made mexican chocolate brownies this weekend and she promised to save me one - maybe she'll put the recipe up as a guest blogger (hint, hint).

I've read other recipes that use Ibarra or a Mexican chocolate to start with but I go with what I have on hand. This time it was 72% dark chocolate from Trader Joe's. The spiciness of cayenne pepper varies and the jar I have is super hot so I just sprinkle a little bit - maybe start with 1/4 tsp and taste the mixture before putting it in the ice cream maker. It should have a warm aftertaste, not an immediate bite.

I'll update this post with a photo and a review of how it actually tasted after we eat it tonight. Happy birthday, Auntie T!

Tres Leches Cake (Serves 12)

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. sugar (divided)
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (divided)
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. sweetened condensed milk
3/4 c. evaporated milk
1/3 c. liquer (optional - I used brandy but Frangelico, Chambord, or Amaretto would be good)
1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Whisk flour and baking soda together and set aside. Cream butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and 1/2 tsp. of vanilla. Beat well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 1/4 c. at a time, mixing until well blended. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Let the cake cool and pierce it with a fork about 8-10 times. Combine the 3 milks and the liquer (if using) and pour over the top of the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

When you're ready to serve it, whip the whipping cream, 1/2 c. sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla until it's thick and spread it over the cake.

*Because of the milk, make sure you keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve chilled.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream (4 cups)

2 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
5 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate (chopped)
1 or 2 tsp. cinnamon
cayenne

Heat whole milk, cream, and chocolate over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is almost boiling. Meanwhile, mix sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until pale (I use a hand mixer). Turn heat down. Temper the egg mixture with 4 tablespoons of the milk mixture (stir one tablespoon at a time to warm the egg mixture so you don't end up with curdled or scrambled eggs).

Then slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture, stirring constantly. Without letting it boil, heat the mixture until it's thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (3-4 minutes). Chill completely and follow your ice cream maker's instructions for the rest.

Many Dirty Dishes

I don't go to work on Mondays and for the third week in a row, we made some muffins in the morning. Then, I marinated chicken for dinner, made a batch of the most wonderful ice cream and tried a new quinoa recipe as a side dish for dinner. Yeah, I'm kind of crazy. It was too much cooking (translate: too much cleaning up) for one day, even for me, but it all tasted great.

Maple Bran Muffins
This recipe is from a new cookbook I bought at Julienne restaurant in San Marino by the woman who created Julienne, Susan Campoy. It's a great book and you'll probably be hearing more about it from me, but go buy it!

I didn't read carefully that it made 10 "jumbo" muffins and I ended up with 18 regular sized muffins. By bedtime, there were only 5 left. This is one of the first bran muffin recipes I've made that's not from a mix/box and I really loved them. The recipe is exactly as it was written - I didn't make any changes. In the future, I might try lighter sour cream and some ground clove.

1 c. cake flour (oh, I guess I did make a change. I just used regular flour)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. sugar
4 extra-large eggs
3 cups wheat bran
3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 10 jumbo muffin cups (or 18 regular) with paper liners. Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the maple syrup, sour cream, sugar, and eggs to blend. Stir in the flour mixture. Mix in the wheat bran, then the melted butter. Bake until a tester comes out with some crumbs and the tops are brown and crackle slightly, about 35 minutes (20-25 for regular size muffins).

Mango Sour Cream Ice Cream (4 servings)

I discovered this recipe on a blog that I sometimes read and before I served it to my husband, I told him it would change his life. If you haven't come up with a good reason to be my friend, here it is. I'll make this for you and you'll love it. For the last time, I promise Cuisinart doesn't pay me anything for talking incessantly about their ice cream maker.

Mango Sour Cream Ice Cream
from A Thinking Stomach

2 very ripe large mangoes
Several limes
Some sugar (between 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup, depending on the fruit's sweetness)
1 1/2 cups sour cream

To make the ice cream:
Peel the mangoes and cut the fruit off the pits. Place the fruit into a food processor with 1/4 cup sugar and the juice of one lime. Blend, pulsing the processor until the mixture is completely smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the sour cream until completely combined. Taste. Most likely at this point you will need a touch more sugar; remember, that ice cream should be a little on the sweet side, since once it is frozen, it won't taste as sweet. Add sugar as necessary. Does it taste bright enough? If not, add more lime juice. Stir again to make sure to combine all ingredients, and place the mixture in a covered container to chill (in both senses of the word) for a few hours before pouring into your ice cream maker. From here on out, follow the directions your ice cream machine provides.

Risotto-style Quinoa with Asparagus (4 servings)

I adapted a recipe from Cook4Seasons and it was my favorite quinoa so far. Quinoa (say keen-wah) is a whole grain, good if you're eating gluten-free, low-glycemic, or candida diet. It's a good change for us from the cous cous and brown rice we've been eating recently. The fresh parsley, lemon rind, and asparagus tasted like spring to me.

1 TB butter
2 TB olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped leek (can also use onion)
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 TB grated lemon zest
1 TB fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c. shaved good quality Parmesan cheese

Heat butter and olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add quinoa and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups broth; cook 10 minutes. Add asparagus and simmer until quinoa and asparagus are tender, stirring often and adding more broth a little at a time as needed, about 7 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Season to taste w/ salt & pepper. Garnish with lemon zest, parsley and the shaved parmesan.