Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

I am so sorry you can't get a lick here on your computer screen

My plan this week was to get so much blogging done -- get all those recipes posted that have photos sitting on the desktop. Alas, life never goes just that way, and other things got done instead. But, that's ok, they were real things. At least more real than blogging about food.

This recipe needed to be posted next, however, because it was so divine, and you need to make it soon. Like today. If you haven't put that ice cream machine on your Christmas list, I don't know what you're waiting for. Look at this delicious ice cream you can make at home. All by yourself!

I read about it at The Sweets Life and it caught my eye because it's a Jeni's recipe. Jeni's ice cream started in our fair city (actually, I intensely dislike Columbus, so I take that "fair" back). Actually it started here, and I'm not sure it has gone anywhere else, but I don't frequent Jeni's because I'm a...tightwad. Yup, about some things I am. Actually about most things I am, except shoes, and coats, and sofas. Those things deserve to have money spent on them so they last. But very few other things. I can always make it or find it elsewhere for less. And in this case, I can make it. And I did.

It was so very good, and as Natalie's friend Mike said, it really is legit. It's the best ice cream I've had so far this season.

I screwed the recipe up twice, once on purpose and once by accident, and it turned out great, so I am posting it as I screwed it up because 1) it was easier this way, and 2) you have no waste.

By the way, don't let the term "roasted" fool you. They are really just warmed up enough to soften. I prefer uncooked strawberries (like fresh berry pie and freezer jam) to cooked, and this ice cream tasted fresh.

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/3 c. sugar
3 T. fresh lemon juice (or quality bottled)
1 1/2 c. whole milk 

2 T. cornstarch

2 oz cream cheese, softened

1/8 t. fine sea salt

1 1/4 c. heavy cream

2/3 c. sugar

2 T. light corn syrup

1/4 c. buttermilk

To roast the strawberries, preheat the oven to 375F. Mix the strawberries with the sugar and place in an 8-inch square glass baking dish (or pie plate) stirring to combine. Roast for 8 minutes, just until soft. Allow to cool slightly.

 In a food processor or a blender, puree the strawberries with the lemon juice. 

To make the ice cream base, mix 2 T. of the milk with the cornstarch in a medium bowl, mixing to make a smooth slurry. Add the cream cheese and salt and stir to combine.

 Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside.

 In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, and corn syrup, and cream cheese/cornstarch mixture, heating to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 to 4 minutes, cooking until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

 Stir in the strawberry puree and buttermilk, mixing well. Pour the mixture into a bowl and nestle down into the ice water. Allow to stand for about 30 minutes, until chilled.

 Churn ice cream according to ice cream maker instructions. Pack the ice cream into an airtight storage container and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours (or just eat it straight from the ice cream machine -- yum!).

Source: modified from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home via The Sweets Life

My sweetheart enjoying his ice cream by the bonfire

Frozen Key Lime Pie

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I stepped out the back door this morning to let the dog out, and the air felt cool, light, and oh-so-slightly fall-like. I could breathe. Oh my goodness, I think my lethargy this past summer might have something to do with lower oxygen levels in my blood -- for the humidity all summer long I felt like I could hardly breathe.

Anyway, when I got that breath of fresh, cool air this morning, I realized there were some yummy summer recipes that I had not yet shared with you, one of which being this wonderful Frozen Key Lime Pie. I, myself, am not big on Key Lime Pie, but I tell you, I could have eaten this entire pie by myself, it was that good. The recipes comes from my new, favorite ice cream cookbook, A Passion for Ice Cream.

One thing I like about this cookbook is it not only offers great ice cream recipes, but it offers recipes using those great ice creams. This recipe, however, does not use ice cream -- it's made to be just this pie. The crust is made with sugar cone crumbs (yum!), and it is topped with a macadamia nut whipped cream, which we unfortunately had to do without because of my son's tree nut/peanut allergy (I'm sure it's wonderful, however and I have included the measure of nuts in the ingredients in case you want to use them). If you don't use the nut cream you could top the pie with some grated lime peel, or just leave is clean like I did.

Note: I used Rose's lime juice instead of key lime juice as neither key limes nor their juice are available at any of my local grocers.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

serves 8-10

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12 sugar cones, broken up

6 T. butter, melted

6 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup Key Lime juice (I substituted Rose's lime juice available either in the juice aisle or with bar mixers)

1/8 t. salt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Whipped topping

3/4 c. whipping cream

1 T. sugar

1/4 t. vanilla

2/3 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)

Place sugar cones in processor and grind them to fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse until combined. Press the crumbs in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Place in the freezer.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, eggs and sugar. Whisk in lime juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon, until thick, about 8 minutes. (The curd is done when you can briefly see the bottom of the pan as you stir.) Pour curd into a bowl set inside an ice bath and cool. 

When curd is cool, whip the 1 cup whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold cream into curd. Pour into shell and freeze for at least four hours or until firm.

To serve: whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold in nuts if using. Spread over pie and serve.

To make ahead: cover pie tightly and freeze for up to 2 days. Whipped cream can be made up to three hours ahead and placed on pie at serving time. (I found that the cream tasted just as good on the leftover pie after it had frozen, so this is your choice -- frozen cream or soft cream).

Modified from A Passion for Ice Cream

Arnold Palmer Ice

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The summer is getting mightily long in the tooth isn't it? I don't know if that phrase applies to anything other than people and farm animals, but I think it does here. This summer has gotten very old. No rain and extended heat and humidity makes for very grumpy people, and we're all pretty grumpy. Each morning I wake up with less and less energy. Hence my absence here -- I don't even have the energy to blog.

This recipe, however, requires very little energy, and it's cold and sweet and very tasty. I personally can not enjoy it because of all that lemon juice, but I have it on good authority (my husband and all the kids) that it's really very good. I've made it several times this summer. The recipe comes from A Passion for Ice Cream. which we have really enjoyed this year, and is based on Arnold Palmer, the beverage. The author, Luchetti, includes some blueberries and raspberries in the recipe for serving on top, but my guys like it straight up -- it's just like lemon ice, but with a little tea mixed in. Yum. I modified the recipe just a bit because I thought it would be too tart and my guys said it was perfect.

Arnold Palmer Ice

serves 6

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3 cups water, divided

1 T. English Breakfast tea leaves or other black tea (I use two Barry's Gold tea bags)

1/2 cup plus 1 T. sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (alternately I used Italian Volcano Lemon Juice once, but used less of it because it's pretty strong)

pinch kosher salt

fresh blueberries and rasperries, if desired

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Turn off heat, add tea, cover and steep for five minutes. Strain tea (or remove tea bags), stir in sugar and let cool to room temp.

Stir in lemon juice and remaining water and salt. Refrigerate until cold.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. If desired, freeze until scoopable, about 2 hours. If you freeze for longer than two hours, you'll get a harder, icier product which you can scrape with a fork to serve.

If desired, serve with berries spooned over the top.

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Strawberry Ice Cream Bombe

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Last night we celebrated the birthday of my son's girlfriend -- her nineteenth (oh to be so young again!). She is not a dessert lover (totally can't relate there!), but I know that she enjoys ice cream from time to time, so I planned an ice cream style dessert. She also does not enjoy chocolate (???) so I created a fruity ice cream dessert for her to enjoy.

A bombe style dessert has an impressive presentation so I chose to make a Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream Bombe. It tasted wonderful and I topped some of the individual servings with Marshmallow topping for an extra dose of sweet!

You can use store-bought ice cream and you'll have a perfectly edible dessert, but I used the opportunity to make my favorite Strawberry Gelato and Basic Vanilla Ice Cream which made it infinitely more yummy! You need a bowl with a nice round bottom to make a perfect bombe, and as you can see, mine was not -- it was flat on the bottom (top). A pyrex bowl makes a perfect bombe. I used a modified version of this strawberry cake and it was very tasty -- I will have to remember to make it to enjoy just the cake sometime.

Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream Bombe

1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened

1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened

19-inch baked strawberry cake (recipe below)

1 large strawberry washed and sliced up to the greens

Strawberry Cake

1 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
  1/2 cup pureed strawberries

1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray and dust with flour (I use the kind of spray that has flour in it).

In a large bowl, combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pureed strawberries, vanilla, and eggs, and stir until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

 ~~~~~


Line a 3 to 4-quart bowl with plastic wrap. Spoon in the softened strawberry ice cream, spread smooth and freeze for an hour.

Spoon on the vanilla ice cream and spread smooth.





Freeze for an hour. After cake has cooled, top the vanilla ice cream with the cake, press firmly, but gently all around, and wrap with plastic wrap. When ready to serve wash and slice strawberry up from bottom to the greens, but not through. Unmold bombe and place upside down (ice cream side up) on serving plate. If necessary, smooth any "wrinkles" with a spatula. Top with strawberry fanned out.


Source: Cake modified from Dash of Sass, and strawberry gelato recipe from italylogue.com
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Peach Ice Cream

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 I apologize in advance for my photographs. My camera is being very fickle about which objects it would like to focus on and I can not anticipate its mood. I know that you know what Peach Ice Cream looks like, so you'll be o.k.

That said, this ice cream was much better than it looks, even in focus, and it looked pretty darn good. I have a love for peach ice cream about once a year in July. I used to go mad buying up UDF peach ice cream because you can only get it once a year and when it's gone, it's gone. But this year I decided to forgo a trip to UDF and make my own. I was a bit concerned that my peaches were not all that good, but in this recipe the peaches are cooked with sugar and lemon juice, and you probably know that almost any fruit is improved with cooking and sugar (except strawberries and melon -- I prefer those uncooked). They were wonderfully sweet and tender, and because I let the warm peaches sit in the cream base while they both chilled, the base tasted pretty peachy too.

The recipe came from Emily Luchetti's A Passion for Ice Cream, which I borrowed from the library but enjoyed enough to purchase. The book offers much more than ice cream recipes -- lots of yummy sauces, cookies and cakes, pies and other ice cream desserts, but so far I have only tried the straight stuff -- ice cream! I modified it just a little for expediency, but I don't think it was a major change. The base was very thick (probably due to the pectin in the fruit) and made a wonderfully creamy ice cream.

Peach Ice Cream

serves 8

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5 large ripe peaches (the recipe called for 2 pounds but I had 5 large peaches and had no idea how much they weighed -- be more precise and weigh if you like)

3/4 cup sugar, divided

large pinch kosher salt

1/t t. lemon juice

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

Peel, pit, and chop the peaches (I cut them in a rather fine dice, but you can cut them more coarsely if you like).

Place them in a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup sugar, salt and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until jamlike in consistency, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, combine cream, milk and remaining sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid begins to bubble around the edges, stirring occasionally.

Transfer to a bowl and add peaches and sauce. Place bowl in a bowl of ice water and let sit for about 30 minutes or until room temp. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. 

Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instruction. Freeze until scoopable to your preference.

Source: modified from A Passion for Ice Cream


Next up: Arnold Palmer Ice

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Breakfast of Champions

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The other night when my brother's family was over for dinner, I made a huge pan of this Blueberry Crisp (I added some peaches so it, too). Oh my goodness I do love that dessert, but because my children are incredibly finicky when it comes to fruit desserts -- there is only a small handful they will eat -- I only make this dessert if other adults are coming over to share. Of course, I completely overestimated how much everyone would eat (and since I also made Rice Krispie Treats the kids were not at all tempted) and had half a pan left over.

Thus...I present the Breakfast of Champions. It's fruit, and oats, and cream -- sounds like breakfast to me. Yum.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream -- Basic Recipe

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream

2 t. pure vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Turn the ice cream churner on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

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Chocolatey...so very chocolatey... Gelato

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My husband likes chocolate. At our favorite local ice cream store he always gets Chocolate Chocolate Chip, sometimes with bittersweet chocolate topping. There's just no such thing as too chocolatey for him. He almost died and went to heaven last night when he ate this Chocolate Gelato. I made it for St. Anthony's feast day, and had every intention of making pizzelle cones, but since I was churning the ice cream as dinner cooked, the cones didn't happen. Luckily we had sugar cones in the pantry. And he ate two -- with big scoops.

It was good, I'll give him that (though I am more of a Strawberry Gelato girl). The kids loved it, too. So, I guess we'll make it again. I found the recipe here, but when I went to make it, I just couldn't imagine not using cream, so I did -- one cup of cream and two cups of milk. I know it's more fattening, but it's dairy fat, not like partially hydrogenated shortening fat. So, the recipe below is modified to my taste (and need for cream). Another note:  I started mine the day of and not the night before, so don't let a little lack-of-planning stop you. Place your mixture in a bowl inside a bowl of ice for 30 minutes before you refrigerate it to give it a head start. I use this ice cream freezer and I love it!

So Very Chocolatey Gelato

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2 cups milk (I used 2%)

1 cup cream
3⁄4 cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Bring 2 cups milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then remove from heat. Combine remaining 1 cup cream, sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa in a bowl, add to hot milk, and cook until sugar and cocoa dissolve.

Set aside to let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight (see my note above). Process mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions (mine was not quite perfect after churning so I froze it for an hour -- then it was perfect).


Modified from Saveur

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Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

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This is one of those recipes that not only does not qualify as a recipe, but it almost does not qualify as food. But it's yummy un-food. My kids really love this dessert and when we left them (with the 18-year-old) recently for a night out, I made it as a special treat. The funny thing is, adults love it too, and you would never guess what the ingredients are by tasting it. I usually don't eat any of these ingredients on their own, but I can't resist a piece of this dessert. You can double the ingredients and put it in a 13 x 9 pan, but I can't remember if you use all the ice cream sandwiches that way.

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

9 servings

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1 box ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped (duh!)

1 small container Cool Whip

1 bottle Smucker's Magic Shell Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream topping

maraschino cherries, optional

In a 9 x 9 pan arrange a single layer of ice cream sandwiches, cutting a sandwich to fit where necessary. Spoon half the Cool Whip on the sandwiches and spread to edges. Drizzle with a layer of Magic Shell. Place another layer of ice cream sandwiches and the rest of the Cool Whip. Drizzle with Magic Shell. Freeze until ready to serve. Top with a cherry if desired.

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Gelato di Fragola

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I apologize that it took me so long to get this recipe posted after I teased the readers of my other blog last week. This truly is some of the best food I have ever tasted. I made it for the feast of St. Clare last week, enjoyed with some pizzelles, and then I made it again over the weekend for my son's birthday. It is divine! And it's so easy, you can make it in no time at all.

I love strawberries, so that's a definite plus for this recipe in my book, but I'm guessing you could try it with another fruit -- using the same quantities and adjusting for sweetness. The recipe came from italylogue.com and they claim to have obtained it from the owner of Mio Gelato in Portland, Oregon. According to the notes made with the recipe, if you use stone fruits like peaches, you'll need the optional dash of lemon juice. I did not use the lemon juice with the strawberries -- they were "bright" enough.

Strawberry Gelato

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1 lb. fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and quartered
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups cold whipping cream
1 1/2 cups cold water
dash of lemon juice (optional -- use if fruit needs a boost in flavor)

Place berries and sugar into a blender or food processor and blend until liquid and smooth. (This is also where you’ll add lemon juice if necessary.) Add the cream and water and process until thoroughly combined. Freeze as indicated by the manufacturer of your ice cream maker. Remove from ice cream maker and place in a freezer safe container with a lid. Freeze for several hours or until the desired consistency.

NOTE: if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make homemade ice cream. The machines do a fantastic and effortless (for you, at least) job of aerating the ice cream, but you can do an acceptable job without one, too. Just pour the chilled mixture into an airtight container and put it in your freezer. Take it out every so often (half-hour intervals or less, depending on how much it’s freezing between the times you take it out) and give it a really good stir. Then pop it back into the freezer. Keep doing this until it’s pretty frozen.

Source: italylogue.com

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Caramel Ice Cream Sauce

Yesterday my family celebrated the lives of the Blessed Carmelite Martrys of Compiegne, sixteen sisters of the Carmelite Order who were captured and guillotined during the French Revolution for holding fast to their Catholic faith. They sung hymns to God and the the Blessed Virgin as the were taken to their death and as they faced the guillotine, and never wavered in the face of evil. They were put to death just one day after the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which they celebrated in prison. (You can read the complete story here.)

With their beautiful faith in God, these sixteen Carmelite sisters took the ugly, unjust death by guillotine and turned it into sweet martyrdom. Likewise, I took plain, white sugar and heat, and turned it into sweet, rich caramel sauce. Just a few moments before the heat turns the sugar into a bitter, acrid substance, it turns it into sweet, molten caramel.



About caramel sauce -- there are a few things to know. This sauce, with the addition of water instead of butter and cream, yields a pure caramel flavor. A richer sauce can be made by adding butter and cream to the sugar/water syrup after it caramelizes, but I love the simplicity of this sugar and water sauce. The Joy of Cooking says, "Caramel is simply sugar cooked to the point where it melts and begins to burn. Old cookbooks refer to it, appropriately enough, as burnt sugar. Butterscotch is similar, except butter is added to the sugar as it caramelizes, resulting in a characteristic nutty taste. To convert caramel and butterscotch into sauces, a mixture of butter and cream, water or some other liquid is added to while the syrup is still hot. Otherwise, the syrup, once cooled, will become hard candy."

This syrup is just two simple ingredients, but it does require a little bit of patience. The syrup takes time to go from simple sugar syrup to caramel, and of course it requires heat. Once you have achieved the desired color (deep amber) of your syrup, you will turn off the heat and add a small bit of water -- to keep the syrup from turning into hard candy. As you prepare to do this, take one giant step backward and cover your hand with a towel, because the syrup will spatter and you could be burned.

It most definitely worth the time and effort, however. The taste is so pure and decadent. My husband loves this sauce so much, I have to hide it from him!

Use this Caramel Sauce over chocolate or vanilla ice cream -- or go all caramel and use caramel swirl ice cream. Top with whipped cream, cherries and chopped nuts, if desired. It would be a wonderful dessert to celebrate any Carmelite Feast day. You can find a list of Carmelite saints here.

Caramel Sauce
printer-friendly version

1 cup sugar
water


In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water and place over medium-high heat. Without stirring, very gently swirl the pan until a clear syrup forms. It is important that the syrup clarify before it boils, so move the pan off and back on the heat if necessary. After the sugar dissolves, raise the heat to high and bring the syrup to a rolling boil; cover the pan tightly and boil for 2 minutes. Uncover the pan and cook the syrup until it begins to darken around the edges. Gently swirl the pan by the handle and cook the syrup until it turns a deep amber and begins to smoke -- stop before it becomes red or mahogany. Remove from the heat. Standing back (take one giant step backward and cover your hand with a towel or hot pad -- it's going to spatter) add 1/3 cup water, then stir until smooth. If the caramel remains lumpy, stir briefly over low heat. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve over ice cream. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to six months. Reheat over low heat if needed.

Source: modified from The Joy of Cooking

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Frozen Fruit Smoothie

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I mentioned on my other blog yesterday that I recently developed the bad habit of stopping at McDonald's for a Caramel Frappe whenever I was out and happened to pass by the golden arches. They are very yummy, and as I was standing inside a McDonald's once (before I ever tasted one) watching the staff make them, it looked like they had authentic ingredients. The frappes are very addictive, and I decided if I was going to continue to indulge I was going to first research the ingredients. Click away now if you don't want to know: "water, cream, sugar, milk, high fructose corn syrup, coffee extract, natural (botanical source) and artificial flavors, mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, potassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, carrageenan, carob bean gum." I was apparently fooled by the "authentic" whipped cream from a can that goes on top -- not so authentic after all. And a small size has 14 grams of fat! No wonder I was starting to feel a little bloated after running errands in the afternoon. A couple of those a week and you have seriously increased your fat intake.

Because I try to limit my food to real food, I decided I was going to have to substitute something nutritious for my frappes. I know myself well enough to know I can't just "forget about it," and so I started making myself and the kids a fruit smoothie a couple times a week. They are so tasty, and so healthy, not to mention so much less expensive, it's really not hard to stop the frappe habit and start a smoothie habit.

During the summer we eat fruit salad a couple times a week for dinner, but we rarely finish the bowl. I use the ice cube tray trick and fill ice cube trays with leftover fruit salad, juice and all. Leftover tidbits of fruit in the fruit drawer, not enough for mess with? They go in the ice cube trays, too. I use strawberries, cherries, red grapes, blueberries, peaches -- almost anything seasonal except watermelon which does not freeze well. Bananas make a great natural sweetener so those go in too.




When the fruit is frozen, I pop it out into a ziploc bag and keep adding more each time I have a frozen tray. Unless you have a really juicy salad the fruit pretty much freezes individually.



For each fruit smoothie I use about 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, about 1/2 cup frozen fruit and a little bit of milk -- just enough to get it blending. You can use juice instead of milk, but I use milk to keep the acid low. Blend until smooth. If your fruit is on the tart side, add a tablespoon of honey.

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Rita's Gelati Knock-Off

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We are huge fans of Rita's Ice at our house. It's frequently a treat in the afternoons during the summer, but even with my "frequent buyer" card, it's pretty pricey to eat regularly. One our favorite flavors is Fruit Punch, so I recently tried something at home to make a quick and much less expensive Gelati -- what Rita's calls their half fruit ice, half custard treat.

I bought a jug of Hawaiian Punch, chilled it, and poured about three cups into my ice cream maker. In about 15 minutes, I had Hawaiian Punch slush. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream it was almost just like Rita's. The flavor of the Hawaiian Punch was a little different than Rita's flavor, but the texture was just right. I'm looking forward to trying this with other flavors -- maybe lemonade, or cherry juice, or grape juice, or blue raspberry punch... Yum.

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Oh pooh!

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Don't you hate it when the gas grill runs out of gas halfway through your Buttermilk Brined Chicken Legs? Argh. It's just not the same cooked in the oven.

But the good news is, I consoled myself (we consoled ourselves) with Graeter's ice cream. Any Grater's fans out there? Raise your hands!

I chose a new flavor -- Elena's Blueberry Pie. Oh my! Real bits of flaky pie crust and whole blueberries. Why, I've never. Honestly. And as if it could get any better, a portion of the proceeds from my scoop (and waffle cone) went to The Cure Starts Now, a foundation established to help fight childhood cancer, which appears to be quite the worthy cause. Kudos to Graeter's.

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It's Peach Time!

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It's back. Only in July. UDF peach ice cream. Oh yyyuuummm. It's one of my favorite things!


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Strawberry Margarita Pie

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I almost didn't blog about this one, but I haven't stopped thinking about the last few pieces that are left in my freezer, and I think that's a sign that I should share. The reason that I wasn't going to blog about it was that I didn't make it "perfectly right." I was making it on Friday afternoon when I realized (halfway through) that I didn't have a lime -- I used them all for our Mexican fiesta last weekend. But, I'm trying to be a little less rigid about ingredients, so I subbed with a lemon. I really, really wanted to run to the store to buy a lime, but I knew that to run to the store for a lime was to waste gas and energy (mine), all to achieve some level of perfection, unnecessary in a pie.

And even without that lime, it turned out yummy. Very yummy. And because I can't stop thinking about that last little bit left in the freezer, I thought I'd tell you about it, flaws and all. Now you know that if you discover halfway into the recipe that you don't have a lime, you can sub a lemon. I made a few modifications in my preparation, which I put in parenthesis.

Strawberry Margarita Pie
serves 12 to 16

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 tbsp. tequila*
1/4 cup triple sec*
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Zest of one lime
2 cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Butter the parchment, as well as the sides of the springform.
(I did not use parchment and I did not grease the pan
and it came out of the pan just fine.)
In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
Add the melted butter and toss with a fork until well combined
(or use the food processor to crush the crumbs
and then add the sugar and butter in the bowl).
Transfer the mixture to the springform pan
and evenly cover the sides and bottom of the pan with crumbs;
use the bottom of a ramekin to even the bottom crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the strawberries, sugar,
condensed milk, tequila, triple sec, lime juice and lime zest
in the bowl of a food processor.
Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Transfer to a large bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment,
whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Add one third of the whipped cream to the puree
and gently fold in with a rubber spatula.
Fold in the remaining cream.

Pour the filling into the crust, cover, and freeze until firm at least overnight.
To remove the springform sides,
wrap a towel soaked in hot water around the outside of the pan for 10-15 seconds
(or run a thin sharp knife between the pan and crust).
Carefully remove the sides of the pan.
To serve, slice with a hot, dry sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices
(a big sharp knife was all I needed,
but I think the texture of mine was more frozen due to the lesser quantity of alcohol).

* Because I was serving to my children, I halved the alcohol amounts.
I think that may have resulted in a more firm freeze,
and obviously less of an alcohol flavor, but it was still very good.

Source: Annie's Eats

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Cookies 'n' Cream

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I'm on an ice cream binge. It happens every year. The weather turns sunny, warm, and humid and I'm in the kitchen making a new flavor every day. Very bad for the bathing suit season. It's a good thing I haven't worn one of those in a couple years.

This flavor recipe comes from Annie's Eats -- Cookies and cream. Admittedly I'm not normally a cookies and cream girl, but this was awesome. Big chunks of cookie in a rich custard base. I'm posting Annie's recipe here, but I didn't make any changes (except that I lost count on the cookies, but maybe that wasn't a mistake).

Cookies 'n' Cream Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
15-20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.
Heat until bubbles form around the edges.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks
and sugar until smooth and well combined.
Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture,
whisking constantly to prevent curdling.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
about 5-8 minutes,
until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon
(about 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer).
Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator
until completely chilled.

Once the mixture is well chilled,
pour into an ice cream maker and freeze
according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once the mixture is softly frozen, transfer half of it to a storage container.
Add half of the chopped Oreo pieces and fold in gently with a rubber spatula.
Add the remaining ice cream and Oreo pieces to the container,
and fold once more until the mixture is evenly combined.
Freeze until completely hardened.

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Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Last night we had my mom and my brother's family over for dinner. And while I knew I wouldn't be up for cooking (we ordered Take and Bake pizzas) I managed to throw together a homemade dessert. It wasn't rocket science, or even culinary genius, but it was a yummy treat nevertheless. With the recipe for Slice and Bake Cookies, and a couple tubs of ice cream, we had delicious, fresh from the oven, ice cream sandwiches in no time.

I made the cookie dough during the afternoon. Then, after dinner, with the oven still warm from the pizzas, I baked two dozen cookies, let them cool briefly and sandwiched a scoop of ice cream between two. The warmth of the cookies melted the ice cream just enough to make them easy to eat. Yums all around.

We used Espresso Chip and Mint Chocolate Chip, but any flavor you like will do. Homemade ice cream would be excellent also.

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Paper Cup Freezer Salad

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I made this dish a month or so ago when we were having friends over for lunch. And while little our visitors were not keen on my fruit salad in a paper cup (they eyed it with suspicion, but none ventured to taste), we enjoyed having the leftovers around for a few days. In fact, I have enjoyed this recipe for most of my life (at least the parts I can remember). This is my Aunt Ruth's recipe and these little salads-disguised-as-treats were a part of every big family meal.

The salad, in its frozen state, is creamy and tangy, with a little crunch. It could be that it's a familiar flavor texture combo for me (hence, a comfort food), but I think it's wonderful. And it's packed with vitamins, too -- kind of a frozen smoothie. Even if you have no littles hanging around, make a batch and save them for yourself -- they're a wonderful mid-afternoon treat. Sorry, no pics today.

Paper Cup Freezer Salad

2 cups sour cream
2 T. lemon juice
½ cup sugar
8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
1 diced banana
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)
16 oz. jellied cranberry

Mix all ingredients.
(Or, if you have texture sensitive kids, puree pineapple and banana
and add remaining ingredients.)
Spoon into a paper cup.
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.
Peel paper cups off.


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Pudding Pops

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I've told you about my recipe for posickles. They may not be healthy, but they're darn good.

But tomorrow, I'm going to make these. They look darn good and healthy. Join me?

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Picture from marthastewart.com




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Eggnog Ice Cream

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Tonight we had family over again for dinner. And, since I was serving Christmas cookies for dessert again, I thought I'd offer everyone a little dish of ice cream to break up the monotony (not that my Christmas cookies are monotonous). As I was passing the eggnog in the dairy aisle at the grocery today, I made a snap decision to make it Eggnog Ice Cream. I used my basic vanilla ice cream recipe, and substituted a rich eggnog for the whole milk. I cut the sugar back to 1/4 c. and added dash of vanilla and nutmeg and, I have to say, it was really yummy. It tasted just like a premium ice cream. I use this ice cream maker and have recommended it before -- it's a really great kitchen tool.

Eggnog Ice Cream

2 c. whole milk eggnog (you can use lowfat, but the results will not be as rich)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. heavy cream
dash nutmeg

In a bowl, whisk together eggnog and sugar for a minute or until sugar is dissolved.
Add vanilla, heavy cream, and nutmeg, and stir until mixed.
Pour ice cream mix into freezer bowl of ice cream maker and, freeze according to manufacturers instructions. Eat immediately or transfer to a container and cure in the freezer until ice cream reaches desired consistency.

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