Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

SSS # 14 - Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

The Sunday Slow Scoopers, a group of food explorers from the Slow Travel community, have been working our way through David Lebovitz's wonderful ice cream book - the Perfect Scoop. In fact, with winter on the doorstep, we are almost at the end of our exploration. Next up - soups!

I think Paul is happy about that. Yesterday when I mentioned that I was making ice cream his response was: 'More ice cream? Isn't it time to start the soup . . .?'

Deborahselected this recipe. I was not looking forward to it because Paul doesn't like coconut. Silly me, I should have known that it would be wonderful and he would be purring while he licked his spoon.

A perfect coconut ice cream doesn’t just toss a cup of shreds into a vanilla custard and freeze them up. Instead, it starts by infusing warm dairy with freshly-roasted coconut, steeping to extract subtle flavors. Then the solids were out of the coconut-scented cream, which is used to finish a rich, not-too-sweet custard base.

After churning and freezing, the mixture emerged as a beautiful, smooth off-white velvet, redolent with coconut but minus the “pencil shavings” texture that some find unappealing. about coconut. We loved it equally on its own and with the apple galette with cardamon caramel that I whipped up for dessert.

Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

1 cup dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
Big pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon rum

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring it frequently so it toasts evenly. Remove it from the oven when it's golden brown.

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar and salt and add the toasted coconut. Use a paring knife, and scrape all of the vanilla seeds into the warm milk, then add the pod as well. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep at room temp for 1 hour.

Rewarm the coconut-infused mixture. Set a mesh strainer over another medium saucepan and strain the coconut-infused liquid through the strainer into the saucepan. Press down on the coconut very firmly with a flexible spatula to extract as much flavor as possible. Remove the vanilla bean pieces and discard the coconut.

Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a larger bowl and set the mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla or rum and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs and aren't traveling - lucky them!) here:

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip

1 cup dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
Big pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon rum

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring it frequently so it toasts evenly. Remove it from the oven when it's golden brown.

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar and salt and add the toasted coconut. Use a paring knife, and scrape all of the vanilla seeds into the warm milk, then add the pod as well. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep at room temp for 1 hour.

Rewarm the coconut-infused mixture. Set a mesh strainer over another medium saucepan and strain the coconut-infused liquid through the strainer into the saucepan. Press down on the coconut very firmly with a flexible spatula to extract as much flavor as possible. Remove the vanilla bean pieces and discard the coconut.

Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a larger bowl and set the mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla or rum and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs and aren't traveling - lucky them!) here:

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

SSS # 13 Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

As you no doubt know, the Sunday Slow Scoopers, a group of food explorers from the Slow Travel community, have been working our way through David Lebovitz's wonderful ice cream book - the Perfect Scoop. In fact, with winter on the doorstep, we are almost at the end of our exploration.

Thank goodness because I'm ready for hot comfort food in the kitchen and my waistline can't withstand another month of ice cream!

Sharon selected this recipe thinking it was in the cookbook. Later she discovered that it was on the author's blog (David Lebovitz.com - if you haven't been, just what the heck have you been up to?) and offered to switch to a recipe from the book. The group was quick with the response - NO - stay with the salted butter caramel ice cream.

This was a more complex recipe to follow than others we have tried but well worth it. The flavour of the finished product is outstanding. Heck, the flavour of the unfrozen custard was outstanding and I 'may' have licked every bowl, utensil, and implement I used to make the ice cream. Thank goodness Paul was at his sister's and didn't get to witness my debasement.

So, if you're just going to make one ice cream - this should be the one! You will not regret it one bit.

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

For the caramel praline (mix-in)

½ cup (100 gr) sugar
¾ teaspoon sea salt, such as fleur de sel

For the ice cream custard

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk, divided
1½ cups (300 gr) sugar
4 tablespoons (60 gr) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cups (250 ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the caramel praline, spread the ½ cup (100 gr) of sugar in an even layer in a medium-sized, unlined heavy duty saucepan: I use a 6 quart/liter pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or brush it sparingly with unflavored oil.

Heat the sugar over moderate heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.) Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it's just about to burn. It won't take long.

Without hesitation, sprinkle in the ¾ teaspoon salt without stirring (don't even pause to scratch your nose), then pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and lift up the baking sheet immediately, tilting and swirling it almost vertically to encourage the caramel to form as thin a layer as possible. Set aside to harden and cool.

To make the ice cream, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they're floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

Spread 1½ cups (300 gr) sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until caramelized, using the same method described in Step #2.

Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go. The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F (71-77 C).

Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

While the ice cream is churning, crumble the hardened caramel praline into very little bits, about the size of very large confetti (about ½-inch, or 1 cm). I use a mortar and pestle, although you can make your own kind of music using your hands or a rolling pin.

Once your caramel ice cream is churned, quickly stir in the crushed caramel, then chill in the freezer until firm.

Note: As the ice cream sits, the little bits of caramel may liquefy and get runny and gooey, which is what they're intended to do.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs and aren't traveling - lucky them!) here:

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip

Malted Milk Ice Cream

The Sunday Slow Scoopers attempted this ice cream last Saturday. Cindy from Alaska selected it as 'her' recipe and I figured that someone with a natural freezer on hand would know her ice cream. I had a hunt finding malted milk powder - not being American or 50 (but FABULOUS) I had no recollection of a Malted Milk no could I locate the requisitepowder. Finally I discovered some this summer and I snapped it up so I could be ready when the time arose.

Sadly, it was not to be. Palma scheduled her annual desert blow out for Malted Milk Ice Cream week. GASP I had a tough decision to make but in the end the desert with food, fun, dear friends, and frivolity won out.

Imagine.

However, when we returned it was time for another ice cream (even though the bloody snow is falling). I made this and Paul was able to sample a scoop prior to heading out to visit his sister for a few days.

The verdict?

According to Paul this is the best ice cream so far! It is incredible. If you can locate the malted milk powder give it a churn.

Malted Milk Ice Cream

The recipe calls for malt powder which is usually found in the ice cream aisle of your supermarket. But sometimes it’s stocked alongside chocolate drink mixes like Ovaltine, which isn’t the same thing and shouldn’t be used here. Most common brands of malt powder are Carnation and Horlicks.

1 cup (250 ml) half-and-half
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (90 g) malt powder
6 large egg yolks
2 cups (350 g) malted milk balls, coarsely chopped

Warm the half-and-half with the sugar in a medium saucepan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla, and malt powder. Set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof plastic spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.

Pour the custard through the strainer and whisk it into the malted milk mixture. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, fold in the chopped malted milk balls.

SSS # 9 Green Apple and Sparkling Cider Sorbet

As you no doubt know, the Sunday Slow Scoopers, a group of food explorers from the Slow Travel community, have been working our way through David Lebovitz's wonderful ice cream book - the Perfect Scoop. Shannon was excited about the recipes in the book because many of them are 'adult' with unusual flavours and alcohol. It is no accident that she selected this recipe as 'her' pick for the week.

I ended up serving this for dinner tonight. We had our Thanksgiving feast and this was perfect between the courses as a palate cleanser. Our first two courses involved heavy, rich cheese so this was great at clearing the way for the rich turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and veggies. YUM The sorbet tasted just like a tart green apple with a hint of the cider flavour in the background.

Green Apple and Sparkling Cider Sorbet

4 Granny Smith or green pippin apples
2 cups sparkling dry apple cider, with or without alcohol
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

Quarter the apples and remove the cores and seeds. Cut the unpeeled apples into 1" chunks.

Combine the cider, sugar, and water and bring to a boil in a medium, nonreactive saucepan. Add the apples, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer the apple chunks for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the apples steep until the mixture is room temperature.

Pass the apples and their liquid through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, or use a course-mesh strainer and press firmly on the apples to extract their pulp and all the liquid into a container. Discard the apple peels. Add the lemon juice. Taste and add more if you wish, since sparkling ciders can vary in sweetness.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs and aren't traveling - lucky them!) here:

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip

SSS # 7 - Roquefort-Honey Ice Cream

In my mind one of the greatest things about participating in a group like the Sunday Slow Scoopers is that it forces you to move beyond your culinary 'comfort zone'. Let's face it, most of us, even the most adventurous of eaters, has our favourite foods and we tend to stick with them. This week's recipe is a perfect example of this expanding my horizons.

 

I never used to enjoy blue cheese as a child but as my palette has expanded (no comparisons to my waistline thank you very much) I have come to appreciate and even love the complex flavours of blue cheese. That being said, I wasn't too sure about blue cheese in an ice cream. However, when Palma selected the Roquefort-Honey Ice Cream from the Perfect Scoop as 'her' flavour I had no choice but to make it.

 

Lebovitz suggests pairing it with baked pears thus taking care of the dessert andcheese course all at once. Of course we followed his advice and paired this ice cream with a pear galette with caramel - if David says to do it who are we to ignore his wisdom?

 

The final verdict - it was wonderful. The combination of the honey and cheese was sophisticated and complex. I doubt that I would want to eat this ice cream by the scoop but certainly would enjoy it paired with something.

 

 

Roquefort-Honey Ice Cream

6 tablespoons honey
4 ounces (110 gr) Roquefort or other blue cheese
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250 ml) milk
4 large egg yolks

In a small saucepan warm the honey, then set aside.

Crumble the Roquefort into a large bowl. Set a mesh strainer over the top.

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Over medium heat, stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon. Note: because there is no sugar in this custard it will cook very quickly - watch carefully so you don't scramble your eggs!

Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cheese. Stir until most of the cheese is melted (some small bits are fine, and rather nice in the finished ice cream.) Stir in the cream and the honey.

Chill custard thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

SSS # 7 - Cinnamon Ice Cream

This week the Sunday Slow Scoopers made an ice cream that was a nice follow-up to last week's Panforte ice cream. The final product was delicately flavoured with cinnamon (more so if you really broke those cinnamon sticks into small pieces). The recipe is found on p. 38 of David Lebovitz incredible ice cream book the Perfect Scoop. Kim selected this recipe and I am quite glad that she did - once again it forced me to try something I wouldn't have made and I'm glad that I did! Now if only I have the same experience with the roquefort-honey ice cream that Palma selected for NEXT week!

Lebovitz points out that the flavour will be more spicy and complex than you would get from using ground cinnamon. We found the flavour to be subtle but delicious. When making this be sure to use the freshest cinnamon sticks you can find and not the ones that have been sitting at the back of your spice cupboard since last Christmas!

This ice cream went quite well with the apple crumble pie I made last Sunday. In my mind there are few flavour combinations as perfect as apples and cinnamon! One thing that surprised me about this ice cream was that the colour didn't change - as you can see in the picture below (BTW - those a recrumbs from the apple crumble pie on top not some sort of add-in). When I have had cinnamon ice cream in the past the colour was always a soft rusty brown - the colour of cinnamon.

Having thought about taste combinations some more - I bet that this would be amazing sandwiched between two gingersnap cookies for an amazing adult ice cream sandwich.

Hmmm . . . I may have to bake some gingersnaps now . . .

Cinnamon Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of sea salt
10 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and one cup of heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Once warmed, remove from heat, cover, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Re-warm the cinnamon infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them.

Pour the remaining cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate bow, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that you do not scramble them. Scrape the milk-egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Place over medium heat.

Stir the mixture constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl with the remaining cream.

Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs and aren't traveling - lucky them!) here:

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip

SSS # 6 - Panforte Ice Cream

This week the Sunday Slow Scoopers attempted an ice cream that many folks thought reminded them of Christmas (likely because the combination of citrus peel and spice reminded them of a fruitcake - the cake that keeps on giving, as they say). David Lebovitz includes a recipe on p. 68 of the Perfect Scoop for this decadent treat - he even includes a recipe to assist you in making your own citrus, should you be so inclined.

Christmas fruit cake as a rich and heavy cake, full of candied and nuts, then soaked in alcohol. When we were in Italy the first time we discovered that there were other similar cakes out there. Panforte (pronounced pan-FOHR-tay), a specialty of Siena, Italy is far richer and decadent than any fruitcake I've tasted on this side of the pond. 

Although it does have some similarities to the 'British' fruit cake (containing the traditional fruit, nuts, and spices) its texture and flavor are very different. Bite into a slice of panforte and you may be surprised to find how chewy it is. This chewy texture comes from mixing the fruit, nuts, spices, and flour (just enough to bind the ingredients), with a boiled syrup made from sugar and honey. This sugar/honey syrup, along with the addition of melted chocolate and cocoa powder, gives this cake an almost candy-like texture and flavor which is hard to resist, even for those who hate fruit cake.

I'm not one of those irrational fruit cake haters (shush you out there who are silently thinking 'I bet he's never met a cake he hasn't liked'). In fact, I just remembered that we'll have to get busy shortly and make this year's batch shortly to give them the appropriate 'aging' time in rum/brandy soaked clothes. Our family has built a huge tradition around the annual Christmas fruit cake. Because of this I was quite looking forward to this ice cream.

This was a delicious treat! I know from reading the comments of many of the slow scoopers that they loved this as much as I did. This is great on its own but I bet that this would pair amazingly with an apple tart!

Panforte Ice Cream

1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 Tbs full-flavoured honey
1/4 cup mixed candied citrus peels
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Warm the half-and-half, sugar, and spices in a medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Rewarm the spice-infused mixture.

Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over top.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warmed spice-infused cream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Stir constantly, over medium heat, with a heatproof spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream. Discard the cinnamon stick. Stir the custard until cool over an ice bath. While it's cooling, warm the honey in the microwave, then stir it into the custard.

Chill the mixture throughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the citrus peel and almonds.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs and aren't traveling - lucky them!) here:

 

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip

SSS # 5 - Peach Ice Cream

The is the fifth frozen treat that the Sunday Slow Scoopers are attempting from David Lebovitz's the Perfect Scoop. The recipe for Peach Ice Cream is found on p 89 of the book. This recipe was selected by Marcia. 

Peach Ice Cream is not something I would stand in line for - I am really not a huge fan of anything flavoured with peaches (although that part of my palette is certainly expanding - with my waistline!) We did quite enjoy this. I served it last night alongside a piece of raspberry-peach cake to finish off a celebratory dinner with Paul's mom and step-dad.

I made the ice cream a few weeks ago knowing the the peach season is so short here in Ontario. For this to be a success you want to use the best quality peaches you can find at the height of their fragrant ripeness. It has been stashed away in the freezer - well hidden from Paul's sight - since then, waiting to make its debut.

(You'll notice from the picture above that we also had some of the lavender-honey ice cream left over from last week. It made a delicious combination!)

Peach Ice Cream
The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

1 1/3 pounds  (600g) ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook peaches and water in a covered saucepan on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Give it a stir a few times.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Purée mixture in blender or food processor with remaining ingredients until almost smooth but still with visible pieces of peach.

 Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs) here:

 

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip

SSS # 4 - Lavender Honey Ice Cream

The is the fourth frozen treat that the Sunday Slow Scoopers are attempting from David Lebovitz's the Perfect Scoop. The recipe for Lavender Honey Ice Cream is found on p 64 of the book. This recipe was selected by Nancy. Yet again it is a recipe that I likely wouldn't have selected on my own but am glad that I made it. We thought that the flavour combination of lavender and honey was particularly sophisticated (which is why I had to serve it in a waffle cone!)

I first had lavender ice cream in May when we dined at I Caffi in Acqui Terme. For dessert we received a small chocolate cake, alongside it was a chocolate bowl in which was nestled a scoop of lavender ice cream. It was great but Lebovitz's version was even better.

I am a bit leery of cooking with lavender because I find that things often end up tasting like 'soap' and are heavily perfumed. Happily this ice cream had none of that. The lavender flavour was delicate making this a smooth, complex flavoured treat.

Lavender-Honey Ice Cream

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup dried lavender flowers
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks

Heat the honey and 2 tbs lavender in a small saucepan. When warmed, remove from the heat and allow to steep for 1 hour.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.

Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. Pour the lavender-infused honey into the strainer, pressing on the flowers in the strainer to extract as much of the flavour as possible. Note - this will be extremely messy if your strainer has too fine a mesh! Discard the lavender flowers, clean the strainer, and set it back over the cream.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the warm egg yolk mixture back into the pan.

Stir the mixture constantly over a medium heat with a heat-proof spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream and honey mixture. Add the remaining 2 tbs of lavender flowers.

Cool in an ice bath.

Chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, before churning, strain the mixture again to remove the lavender flowers. Press on the flowers in the strainer to extract as much of the flavour as possible. Discard the flowers.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs) here:

 

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip

SSS # 2 - Tiramisu Ice Cream

The is the second ice cream the Sunday Slow Scoopers are attempting from David Lebovitz's the Perfect Scoop. The recipe for Tiramisu ice cream is found on p 63 of the book. This recipe was selected by Krista- the force behind the Sunday Slow Scoopers.

In case you've been living in a cave for years here is the 'skinny' on tiramisu:

Tiramisu (Italian: Tiramisù/ Veneto: Tiramesù, IPA: [tirame'su]) is one of the most popular Italian desserts. It is made of savoiardi (lady fingers) dipped in coffee and mascarpone cream. For many years, different sources (from Vin Veneto, dated 1981, to the Italian Academy of Giuseppe Maffioli and several cuisine websites) give evidence that tiramisu was born in Treviso at "Le Beccherie" restaurant in the hands of the confectioner Roberto Linguanotto, also known as Loli.

Different stories report the creation of the cake to have been born in the city of Siena. Some confectioners were said to have created it in honour of Cosimo III on the occasion of his visit to the city.

These days, the cake is characterised by a delicate and intense taste. In order to prepare it, according to the original recipe, the following ingredients are needed: Savoiardi biscuits, eggs, sugar, rum and cocoa. In the original recipe, there was no liquor as the cake was originally aimed at children and the elderly and the original shape was round. The name Tiramisu is Italian and means "pick me up" (Tirami su) but can be translated figuratively as "cheer me up".

So what would tiramisu ice cream be like? In two words . . . bloody delicious. Because of the alcohol content (and I may have overpoured here a tad) it will freeze softer than other ice creams but the flavour is rich and intense; just like tiramisu.

One of the things I liked the most about this recipe was that it was simple to make because it didn't have a cooked custard base  . . . no scrambled eggs to contend with here!

Tiramisu Ice Cream

2 cups mascarpone (I used the real stuff, imported from Italy this time and it worked far better than the less expensive domestic version)
1 cup half and half
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahlua
3 tablespoons brandy or dark rum
Mocha Ripple (see below for recipe)

Puree the mascarpone, half and half, sugar, salt, liqueur, and brandy together in a blender or food processor until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Chill thorougly in the refrigerator.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. As you remove it from the machine, alternate layers of Mocha Ripple with the frozen ice cream in the storage container.

MOCHA RIPPLE
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup strongly brewed espresso (or use 1/2 cup water and stir in 1 Tablespoon best-quality instant coffee granules after you boil the mixture)
6 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using.

You can check out the creations of the other Sunday Slow Scoopers (well. at least those of 'em who have blogs) here:

 

In and Out of the Garden: A Blog

Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog

What I Really Think

Palmabella's Passions

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Poptarticus

Best Trip Ever

Baked Alaska

Old Shoes, New Trip