BROWNIE CHUNK VANILLA ICE CREAM AND MOCHA MACARONS

EMPTY NEST


Is this what it is, the so-called Empty Nest Syndrome? Our baby boy, Simon, has been in the States for the past year and our older son, Clément, left us for his summer internship early July. We are told that our home should be filled with an oppressive emptiness, the weight of loneliness heavy on our hearts. We should yearn for the company of our dear children, their presence a necessary part of our happiness. Shall we feel abandoned, as the experts say, craving the bustle and camaraderie, desiring for nothing more than overseeing their needs and wants, preparing them hot, wholesome meals and providing them with clean and lovingly ironed laundry? Do we feel the chasm their desertion has left; are we jealous that they have quit the bosom of the family for greener pastures and the companionship of others? Just two lonely parents who have given their every waking moment for the last twenty years to a pair of beloved, darling offspring, parents now wandering aimlessly around an empty space, a home no longer a home without the noise and laughter, the demands and the exciting challenges of parenthood? A family no longer quite a family?


Who are we kidding? We hugged each son goodbye, making sure that their suitcases were filled with all necessities and clean clothes. We made sure that they would be heading to a safe haven, a roof over their heads and food on the table. Maybe a motherly tear or two was shed as I waved goodbye. And then, well, let the fun begin!

The Empty Nest just happened to coincide with JP’s sabbatical, a time when he would be home full time; no office, no office hours, no long work days away from home. How could we possibly deal with such total upheaval, these major changes all happening at one time? Without the sons to cushion our face-to-face daily existence, would we manage to fill our hours with activities not centered on them and find subjects to talk about together? Would we risk having nothing to do and nothing to say to each other? Well, if you follow my blog and understand the message nestled within the words, you will understand that, in fact, our days have been filled with joy and laughter, projects and outings. We force ourselves to separate for several hours a day simply to accomplish our individual tasks as the urge, day after day, is simply to be together, side by side, doing something, anything, nothing. Our newfound freedom, for this is what it is, allows us to do as we please when we please, and we have.

So many bloggers are writing post after post about their babies and toddlers, offering images of chubby hands and arms reaching into baskets of berries or scooping up sweet treats, stories of young children crawling into bed with them in the morning or dragging dirt into the house after a rambunctious morning outside. Not us! Those days are long gone and we find the solitude delicious, the freedom exhilarating! Neither chubby, darling toddler nor loud, demanding youth taking up our space and our time. Neither childish babbling nor adolescent kvetching to break the silence. There are no schedules to coordinate nor mealtimes abandoned for more interesting invitations, no eyes rolled in disbelief as we head early to bed or invite them to take a trek in the woods with us, no picking up after messy boys or worrying when they don’t come home at night. Just calm and serenity, lazy days dotted with bursts of energy and exertion as we see fit, quiet meals and long mornings in bed. Date night is every night and the only one we need take into account is one small Boston Terrier.

Until September: Simon returns home with the hopes of going back to school and Clem will be back for another year to continue his studies. The house will once again be filled with young men, both our own and their friends, the Young Dudes who have taken into the habit working together in the back bedrooms, popping out once in a while to enjoy a meal or a bit of tv. Doorbells buzzing, music blaring, cutlery clattering on plates, laughter ringing throughout the house and the dog bouncing after the boys in the hopes of being invited into the bedroom to crash. The house will no longer be our own to do as we please and once again we’ll be needed and argued with, confided in and made fun of, just like old times.


But maybe, just maybe, it will be different this time. Maybe they have grown up thanks to the time away and the responsibilities that were placed on their young shoulders, adolescence morphing into adulthood. Maybe their teen grumblings and unreasonable demands, their hormonal mood swings and irrational bickering will have been replaced by rational adult conversation and trust in our experience and opinions. Maybe the old skulking around, their secretiveness and mistrust will have miraculously transformed into a well-meaning sharing of confidences and a desire to meet us half way. All joking aside, we have always enjoyed our children’s company when their intelligence, kindness and humor were not overshadowed by all of the stereotypical adolescent woes and boorish comportment. We have been lucky not to be stricken by any Empty Nest Syndrome and thoroughly enjoy, appreciate and delight in our time alone, yet, truth be told, we do somehow miss our boys and being involved in their lives. We do love having them join us at a restaurant for a meal or for a picnic and a trek in the vineyards. We love hearing all about their activities and discussing their future plans with them. We love their wicked sense of humor and their clever musings. We do, after all, miss being a family.


So, until then, we will take advantage of our time alone and enjoy every single second of it.
We’ll do as we please without the risk of being caught in an uncompromising position or being accused of being old. We’ll run our lives according to our own schedule and our own whims without the judgmental glances of those two. And then we’ll prepare the house for the return of our two prodigal sons. And then we will celebrate.


Meanwhile, we cook and bake for two. I have been cutting back on the sweets but I have too long neglected Mactweets. Deeba and I decided that the theme of July’s Mac Attack challenge would be Ice Cream and Macarons, certainly a match made in heaven. I have long been craving a rich vanilla ice cream dotted decadently with chunks of pecan brownies. And what better to go with Pecan Brownie Chunk Vanilla Ice Cream than Mocha macs, that fabulous combination of chocolate and coffee, my personal favorite?


MOCHA MACARON VANILLA BROWNIE CHUNK ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

MOCHA MACARONS
The stunning combination of chocolate and coffee, the two flavors perfectly balanced and complimenting the other; neither one too heavy, bitter nor rich to overpower the other. A delicate macaron, the outside elegantly crisp and the inside satisfyingly dense and chewy, the best macaron shells I have made yet. Perfect with the ice cream or filled with your favorite chocolate ganache.

For the shells:

7.2 oz (200 g) confectioner's/powdered sugar
4 oz (115 g) finely ground blanched almonds
3 large egg whites (about 4 oz/ 112 g)
1 oz (30 g) white granulated sugar
1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp powdered (not granular) instant espresso powder

Follow the method and instructions here or here for the macarons.


VANILLA BROWNIE CHUNK ICE CREAM
From Donvier Ice Cream Maker Recipe & Instruction Booklet’s French Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter) ice cream

3 large eggs
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
2 cups (500 ml) light cream
2 tsps vanilla
1 – 2 cups coarsely chopped pecan brownie chunks

Whisk the eggs and the milk together in a large saucepan until very well blended. Whisk in the sugar. Over medium-low heat, cook the mixture, whisking continuously, until thickened, about 10 minutes. It should smoothly coat a spoon. Allow to cool and then whisk in the cream and the vanilla. Refrigerate overnight.


PECAN BROWNIES

Bake a pan of brownies using your favorite recipes or make one of mine:

Fudgy Brownies (for an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch square pan)

- or –

Best Big Pan Brownies (for a 15 ½ X 10 ½ x 1-inch (38 X 27 x 2-cm) jelly roll pan with ½-inch sides)

The fudgier the brownie the better. Adding pecans, walnuts or another kind of nut (try it with salted peanuts!) adds a satisfying crunch to the brownie and to the ice cream.

Once the brownies are cooled to room temperature, coarsely chop and reserve 1 to 2 cups, depending on how much you like to add.

Prepare the ice cream:

I used a hand-crank 1 pint (500 ml) ice cream maker, making half the custard base at a time. Once it was thickened to a smooth, creamy but still workable (not stiff) ice cream, I scraped it into a plastic freezer-friendly ice cream container and stirred in brownie chunks. I repeated with the second half of the custard base and added more brownie chunks. My brownies were slightly overdone and a bit dry so that they crumbled in the ice cream, but it is still delicious. I also added swirls of liquid caramel au beurre salé.

Read more »

End of Season Peach Frozen Yogurt

I love peaches and am always a little sad when peach season comes to an end.  Really to me that and the kids going back to school are the true signs of summer ending. 

So when I saw a picture of peach frozen yogurt on Tastespotting the other day I just had to make it.  As luck would have it I had 1-1/2 pounds of peaches on hand.  Perfect for the recipe!!!

Peach Frozen Yogurt (adapted from Tales From a Kitchen Misfit)

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs ripe peaches
• 1/2 cup water
• 2  cups plain whole milk yogurt
• a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of sugar

Directions: 

Peel peaches, slice them in half, and remove the pits. Cut the peaches into chunks and cook them with the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the sugar, then chill in the refrigerator.

When the peach mixture is cool, puree in a food processor with the yogurt until almost smooth but slightly chunky. Mix in a few drops of lemon juice.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacture’s instruction. Eat immediately or chill for a few hours if you want it to be harder.

Read more »

PEACH MELBA MY WAY

Brown Butter Pound Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream, Caramelized Peaches & Chocolate Almond Ganache

My dad bought us an ice cream maker when I was in grade school. I have only vague memories of us sitting on the driveway in front of the house, churning ice cream. I don’t remember much about the ice cream itself; there may have been vanilla and peach, maybe strawberry. But I do remember the chocolate ice cream that came out of that maker. The flavor haunts me to this day, and, like a Pavlovian reflex, just pulling up the memory makes my mouth water. Maybe it was the rock salt that we had to pack around the central canister, but the chocolate ice cream, light and icy, had a salty undertone that I simply loved! I had always been a kid intrigued by unusual flavors and flavor combinations, eating peanut butter and bologna sandwiches, for example, so the hint of salt in the chocolate ice cream was the best thing that I’ve ever tasted!


JP and I went to Florida for six months after Clem was born and stayed with my mom. A bumpy ride it was; newly marrieds with new baby staying with family is rarely a very pretty sight, but we made some wonderful culinary discoveries – Paul Prudhomme and Cajun cuisine, for one – and brought back some wonderful kitchen tools. We had splurged, as poor as we were, on a small Donvier ice cream maker. We absolutely fell in love with this baby! The small silver canister sits in the freezer until you are ready to make your ice cream. Then pop the canister into the plastic container, screw on the lid and churn. By hand. We loved having dinner guests over, serving them a spicy Shrimp Creole or spicy breaded veal cutlet à la Prudhomme then whipping out our small hand-crank ice cream maker filled with coffee or chocolate cream and watching jaws drop or curiosity splash across astonished faces. We would all take turns gleefully grinding the handle, passing the Donvier around the table until the ice cream was ready to serve. On top of homemade cake, of course, in chocolate or lemon or a good old fashioned quatre-quarts.


Which brings me to this month’s Daring Baker challenge. Now, this month has been more than hectic here in Crazy Junction. After a lazy month in Florida, we have been having a hard time catching up and getting back into the swing of things. I had only posted twice on my blog and once on Huffington Post during those four weeks away so the fingers were itching to clatter across the keyboard, yet the brain seems to still be on vacation or shrunken dramatically from the Florida heat and hours upon hours of mindless TV. I have so many pages open on my computer screen, bits and pieces of stories, thoughts and ideas waiting to be filled in as I root around in the closets and drawers looking high and low for my blogging mojo. And August is a slow month at the office so JP takes just a tad longer with me at lunch and is home earlier in the evening, dashing from room to room, teasing me to follow him, making me laugh with his silly jokes, imitations and antics. “Come away from the computer,” he booms as his expression goes from smirk to iron eye. So his playtime becomes mine and two or five more posts get sidelined again. But August is such a wonderful time; the apartment is comfortable, the peaches and plums are out in abundance at the market, our favorite pizzeria is open for business and the streets are practically empty. Heaven!

For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa of 17 and Baking was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make Brown Butter Pound Cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop. The challenge comprised many parts and many options. I made the Brown Butter Pound Cake, a recipe from Gourmet, and Vanilla Ice Cream, a recipe adopted from David’s book. I used my own recipe for Chocolate Ganache using Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate with Grilled Almonds and a splash of Amaretto. Since we are at the height of peach season and since I love them so and because I felt that this dessert needed something fruity to offset the vanilla cake and ice cream and offer a wonderful contrast to the dark chocolate drizzle, I caramelized peaches and raspberries in a dot of butter, a dusting of brown sugar and yet another splash of Amaretto. And I came up with an elegant, layered treat, smooth and creamy, cool and fruity. I also created my take on the Peach Melba: chunks of the Brown Butter Cake topped with a smooth, creamy scoop of perfect vanilla ice cream, topped with the caramelized peaches and raspberries then drizzled with the chocolate ganache and finished off with slivered almonds. Divine! Sweet and creamy, wonderfully fruity and all brought together in the loving embrace of a smooth, warm chocolate sauce.


I will also be sending my Peach Melba to Elissa for Sugar High Fridays, of course!

What does Comfort Food mean to you? My latest article on Huffington Post Food analyzes the whys and the hows. And offers you the recipe of one comfort food that I turn to in times of trouble and woe.

PEACH MELBA MY WAY – or -

BROWN BUTTER CAKE & VANILLA ICE CREAM TOPPED WITH CARAMELIZED PEACHES & RASPBERRIES & CHOCOLATE ALMOND GANACHE

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165 g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500 ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)

Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream. (I did not have an ice bath)

In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.

Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 tsp if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

Once the mixture was cool enough, I poured it into a large plastic container and placed it in the freezer overnight.

Brown Butter Pound Cake
19 Tbs (275 g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200 g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (75 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter, line with parchment and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan or an equivalent round pan.

Place the butter in a 10-inch (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) The butter will sizzle loudly for quite some time and it will begin turning brown when the sizzling stops. Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.

Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until combined and then the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture to the batter, blending on low speed until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 - 30 minutes.

Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right side up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

2.6 oz (75 g) good quality dark chocolate (I used Lindt Excellence semi-sweet with Grilled Almonds)
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
2 tsps (10 g) unsalted butter
1 Tbs Amaretto

Coarsely chop the chocolate and place in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the butter and cream just to the boil to scald in a small saucepan. Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate and gently stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is combined and smooth. Continue to give the ganache an occasional, hearty stir with the spatula as it cools to room temperature and thickens a bit. You do not want this too warm or the ice cream will melt to quickly and you want it just thick enough that it stays on top of your dessert and doesn’t simply run off and puddle on the plate, bringing fruit and ice cream with it!

Read more »

LEMON ICE CREAM

POSTCARD FROM FLORIDA


Sitting in my brother’s Florida kitchen I can watch out the back window at my two sons splashing in the pool like a couple of kids. The water’s surface is littered with floating tubes and blow-up rafts as two lanky figures cannonball into the deep end and throw pool toys as hard as they can at each others’ heads. A mother’s worry never abates even as they age; 20 and 22 now and they still act like grade-schoolers as I cringe each time one or the other crouches up on the edge getting ready to pounce as his brother swims by. All I can do is close my eyes and sigh. But after being apart for these past 4 months they seem to be enjoying each other’s company and I feel a warmth and a comfort as I watch them chat and laugh together. I only wish that boys didn’t need to express their brotherly love through so much roughhousing.

Having fun, wish you were here... xoxo

The last time I was back here with my family was for Michael’s funeral. Ten months have passed yet he has once again brought us back together. This time around we will be going through his things, divvying up his belongings, getting rid of everything that we aren’t able to drag back across the state or across the ocean to our own homes. A person’s lifetime floats in front of us, an entire life reduced to packing cases and piles of furniture, cardboard boxes and suitcases. He loved collecting beautiful things, unusual things and it is heartbreaking to think that these objects he so cared for will be scattered to the wind, snatched up by people who never knew him, never knew the thought and love he put into caring for each painting, dish or lamp. I comb through boxes of old family photos looking for hints of the past, childhood memories and emotions, and events long forgotten push their way back up through the thick haze of time and I smile sadly as I think of him. And then every evening as we gather at Andrew’s house, as the boys splash around in the pool, as the grill is fired up and the Wii golf turned on, discussion of Michael melds into more immediate concerns and life goes on and we move ahead.


Such a trip tinged with so much sadness also has its joys. This is the first family vacation the four of us have taken together for years. The boys laze around until lunchtime and then jump up and start to complain that there is nothing to do, begging to be brought to the mall to shop or to Uncle Andrew’s to swim. They clamor for game night – and JP cringes, fearful that someone will force him to actually sit down and play a board game. JP disappears to the beach for a morning walk and then drags his teen sons out again in the evening for a swim. Delis and diners, bbq joints and seafood restaurants lure us with their now-exotic flavors and the American grocery store, that Aladdin’s Den of mystery and delight, calls to us more often than we would like. Outside, the steam rises from the sidewalks, the air is heavy and the sun stabs at our skin. Palm trees sway in the slight breeze, sand peeks through the harsh grass in the front lawn and lizards dart across the cement walkway before scuttling back into the shade. This strange, savage environment never ceases to amaze us, this place where man is in a constant battle of control against the wild harshness of the flora and fauna: a stroll down the beach and we are faced with man-o’-wars and jellyfish while rumors of sharks just offshore send shivers up our backs and we step out of the cool water as it laps up around our ankles; the sharp rocks hiding underneath the water bite like sharks; the fleas and tics have poor Buster going mad; the heat is unbearable, pushing at us each time we step out the back door! But this is the land of my childhood, the sizzling summers of my youth and I feel like I’ve pulled on a comfortable old pair of sneakers, a familiar worn pair of jeans that I know so well, that feel just right.

They say that we can never go home again, but I am not too sure about that. I drive through this town that I knew so well and although I now feel like a stranger the memories of a childhood come rushing back as I pass Susan’s house and remember the slumber party in the tent in her backyard, or Shay’s house and think of that grade-school birthday party. I pass in front of the old elementary school and laugh thinking how many old friends I have found again all these years later, the stories and laughter that we share now each time we meet. TV blaring, ceiling fans swirling lazily overhead, air conditioner humming and I slip back into an old life as comfortable as if I had never left. Yet here I am with my sons, adults themselves now, and feel a stranger visiting a now strange land. Michael’s dog Buster rubs himself against our legs begging attention then flops down splay-legged on the cool tiles and we think of all that has passed, how life has changed for each of us and we laugh as tears well up in our eyes. I can’t wait to get back home to France. And I wish I could stay here – home – forever.


A little ice cream now and then is the one respite from Florida’s unrelenting heat, a little cold ice cream to cool and revive. This is a recipe given to me by my friend Clare when she visited us this summer and I absolutely love it. Smooth and creamy, tangy and sweet, it is the perfect summer cooler and a snap to make. And no ice cream machine needed.


LEMON ICE CREAM


1 large, juicy lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
1 cup (250 ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled


Chill a medium-sized glass or pyrex bowl and the beaters from an electric beater.

Combine the lemon zest and the granulated sugar in a food processor or grinder and whiz for a minute or two. The zest will be very fine and the sugar a very pale yellow.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon zesty sugar with the milk and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice from the juiced lemon.

Whip the chilled heavy cream in the chilled bowl with the chilled beaters until thick and stiff peaks hold. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemony sugar milk until completely combined.


Pour the mixture into a loaf pan or plastic container, cover and place in the freezer. Stir the ice cream after about 2 or 3 hours and allow to firm up, several hours or overnight.

Read more »

The best frozen yogurt, EVER…

The girls have been on Spring Break for the past week and then some. I can honestly say that I have had the best time with them and am looking forward to a whole summer with them and it can’t come soon enough. We’ve been to the beach, the pool, the park and Busch Gardens and with still plenty of down time for us to just relax.

On one of those relaxing days I decided that I would make some ice cream but after going through the fridge I realized that I had no cream to make it with, but I did find a container of plain yogurt and some beautiful, ripe strawberries…

Frozen Strawberry Yogurt

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of whole fat plain yogurt
1 cup of pureed strawberries (cut up and pureed in your blender or food processor)
1/3 cup of local honey

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
• Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturers directions until frozen. (Mine took about 20 minutes)
• Scrape into a sealable container and freeze for about 2 hrs or until firm enough to scoop.
• Serve with berries, granola or even chocolate syrup or chips!

***This could easily be adapted to any fruit you have and can make into a puree...think raspberry, blackberry, cherry or even banana!!!

Read more »

Lemon Curd Ice Cream

I think I am in love with my ice cream maker…

I know we are not suppose to really admit things like that but I think it might be true. Check this out… It’s always there when I need it, doesn’t talk back, just listens without trying to fix everything, doesn’t leave dirty clothes all over the house, and doesn’t steal the covers at night!  But the very best thing is that I can make the most incredible tasting things out of items in my fridge that a few months ago would have gone to waste!!!  How can you not be in love???

So this ice cream experiment was Lemon Curd Ice Cream. It wasn’t the first time that I had made lemon curd ice cream.  Last month for the Daring Baker’s Challenge we were baking a Bakewell Tart and I really messed up a batch of lemon curd that I was going to use in it.  Instead of throwing it out I decided that because of all of the egg and everything in it that it should make a pretty good ice cream.  I was right.  So on my second batch of lemon curd I realized that I was going to have quite a bit left over.  I thought I might make pop tarts again, or just use it on toast.  Time got away from me and I didn’t have any pie crust and no desire to make it and all the toast I have had around has been cinnamon raisin.  Not the best with lemon curd huh?

So ice cream it was…

Lemon Curd Ice Cream

1 1/4 cup lemon curd
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk (I just used 1% as that’s what I had)

Stir all of this together in a bowl and taste it for sweetness.  I didn’t add any sugar to it at all but that could just be personal preference.  Pour into ice cream maker following your manufacturers directions.

Also thanks to the folks at Recipe4Living for sending me out a really cool ice cream scoop that I won from UsefulThings.com !!!

As Always…

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Read more »

What I Was Able to Learn Last Weekend…(or what I learnt or learned last weekend) and a recipe!

As most of you know last weekend I participated in a hunger challenge. Trust me when I say that I don't go in for stuff like this lightly. I like food. I like food a whole awful lot. I guess that is one of the reasons I am a food blogger? So when I was approached to do a weekend long fast for NoFood4You, to raise awareness for childhood hunger, I was apprehensive to say the least. But because it was going to be in the company with some incredible people and for a cause that I wholeheartedly, 100% believe in I got on board. I can tell you now that I am honored and feel so privileged to have been able to do this challenge.

Last Friday at lunch time I went to a local school (of 800 children at the school 750 of them are on the free or reduced lunch program) to have lunch. I was in good company. There were several different local news agencies and local business owners and kids. Lots and lots of kids. Anyway we all ate our lunch of fish sticks, potato has browns, carrot sticks, and milk and that was it until Monday morning!!! The idea behind all of this is that there are children who go to school and eat at school on the lunch programs but once they leave school for the weekend they have no access to food until school starts back up Monday morning and they are offered breakfast by the school.

And I did it! I lasted the whole way through. Thanks to a bit of Gatorade, a ton of support from my family and friends, and knowing that the reason behind doing this was to help raise awareness for childhood hunger! Was it easy? No way. Would I ever do this again? I really don’t think so unless ‘you know who you are’ really, really needed me too!!! This is right up there with some of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I am not even really sure that if I was invited to do this challenge again that I would want to do it again. The ending result has been incredible. We were able to raise awareness and money (I think it was $12K) so in the end it was incredibly awarding.

I learned a lot over the weekend and that’s what this post is about. What I, personally, walked away with from this challenge and I can tell you it certainly wasn’t a full tummy!

1. I have never really, in all of my 40+ years, never been hungry. Oh yah, I have missed a meal here or there or really wanted a snack but have never really been hungry like I was past weekend. This was one of the most amazing things to realize. We all say that we are starving and that we can’t wait to eat but do any of us really know what that means? I now have a greater understanding of this. Was I starving. No way. I guess that takes weeks to happen but I sure was hungrier than I have ever been before.
2. I have more compassion than I give myself credit for. If I didn’t care about childhood hunger there is no way I could have completed this challenge. I always consider myself to be pretty selfish and make sure that I look out for myself and my family first but this showed me that there is a bit more to that.
3. I have an inner strength that I rarely use. I used it this weekend and there were times that it caught me by surprise. I wanted food and at times there seemed like no logical reason for me not to have it. Some of the arguments I had with myself were – no one would know, just a little taste, I’ve gone this far so that is good enough etc. But I resisted each and every time.
4. The final thing that I walk away with from this weekend is the knowledge that NO CHILD SHOULD EVER HAVE TO BE HUNGRY. It makes no difference why the child is hungry. Maybe the food stamps didn’t go as far as they could or should have, maybe the family can’t qualify for food stamps or public assistance, maybe the money just wasn’t there this month, maybe someone in the family is ill, maybe …and it can go on and on but in the end it really doesn’t matter. No child should feel how I felt last weekend. Remember it is not the child's fault and they are lacking the choice. I was hungry but that was the least of it. I was tired, so very, very tired and had no energy. I was cranky and short tempered. I was unable to focus or concentrate on even the simplest of tasks (I had to get my daughter to start figuring for me how long it had been since I had eaten. Simple math was a challenge). A child who is hungry is gong to have disciplinary and academic problems. If someone had told me that Monday morning I was going to get up and have PE that day or have to write a math test I would not have been very happy about it and would not have excelled at all. But I think that biggest thing was that I was my thoughts were all consumed with food. When I was going to get some next, what it was going to be, where I was going to eat it, what food I was missing the most, how happy I was going to be when I had it. I’m telling you not eating food makes you think about food all the time!!!

What can we do to make a difference and change this so that no child ever has to go hungry? Well that was one of the reasons that I did this hunger challenge. CCMI has a solution. They are running a backpack program where children who qualify by being on the free and reduced lunch program are given a backpack with enough food to get them through the weekend. Awesome huh? Sad thing is that out of 100 schools in our district they only have the funding right now to help 3. I bet if you looked there is a similar program in your community. Donate to the program. If your area doesn't have one and you would still like to help a child who is hungry you can donate to CCMI through here.

I will leave you with a recipe for strawberry ice cream! Over the weekend my family got me my belated birthday present…an ice cream maker!!! How lucky are they, oops I meant me, really I did!!! First recipe I made was for chocolate ice cream. I made that Sunday and I couldn’t even taste it until Monday morning!!! But boy was it ever good!!! Youngest daughter though loves strawberry so I made her some yesterday. Delicious.

Strawberry Ice Cream

1 pint ripe strawberries (hulled and sliced)
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

• In a small bowl mix the strawberries with the lemon and the 1/3 cup of sugar. Allow to sit at room temperature and macerate for about 2 hrs.
• In a medium bowl mix whisk the 2/3 cup of sugar with whole milk until the sugar is dissolved (about 1-2 min). Stir in the heavy cream as well as some of the juice from the berries and the vanilla.
• Follow the directions for your ice cream maker.
• Add the strawberries in the remaining 5 minutes and then freeze until ready to use or enjoy!

I am really loving this ice cream maker so look for some more exciting recipes to come…

As Always…

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Read more »

Pina Colada Ice Cream

For our Brazilian Carnival dinner, I prepared the following recipe to share. I wanted a nice dessert that tasted like the tropics and had some fun in it (ie: alcohol!). What came to mind was a pina colada. To make this, I usedBen & Jerry's original sweet cream base recipe with a few adaptations. I got this recipe from my Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert book. Instead of using whole milk, I used cream of coconut, stirred in some crushed pineapple and a nice splash of rum to create a Pina Colada Ice Cream!

Pina Colada Ice Cream
using an adapted recipe of Ben & Jerry's Sweet Cream Base

Sweet Cream Base:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 15oz can Cream de Coco
1 heaping capful of good quality rum
1 (15oz) can crushed pineapple, drained & squeezed dry


In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minuutes.

Whisk in the 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.

Pour in the heavy cream, cream de coco and rum; whisk to blend and set aside.

Add the pineapple and stir to fully incorporate.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

Transfer your ice cream into a freezeable container and freeze for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.

Read more »

Pear & Caramel Toffee Ice Cream

I had some vanilla soy milk and overripe pears on hand wondering what I could do to prevent throwing them out. Since I've been on an ice cream kick lately, I decided to make another ice cream!

I flipped through my Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert book for some inspiration and soon remembered awhile back, Haagen Daz featured a Caramelized Pear & Toasted Pecan flavor. With this in mind, I made Ben & Jerry's sweet cream ice cream base and mixed in mashed pears and swirled in caramel sprinkles which includes bits of toffee.

I made some adaptations to the original sweet cream base recipe by using vanilla soy milk (instead of whole milk) in hopes to save a few calories and fat... but the rich, creamy texture came through. You wouldn't have thought that this even used vanilla soy milk!

Pear & Caramel Toffee Ice Cream
recipe inspired by Haagen Daz

Sweet Cream Base:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup vanilla soy milk

Fresh fruit flavoring:
2 overripe d'anjou pears, peeled, seeded & mashed
2 overripe bartlett pears, peeled, seeded & mashed
1/4 cup caramel sprinkles


Sweet cream base:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minuutes.

Whisk in the 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.

Pour in the cream and milk; whisk to blend and set aside.


Adding the fresh fruit:

In a large bowl, mash both kinds of pears.

Add the mashed pears and caramel sprinkles to the sweet cream base.

Whisk mixture to fully incorporate.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

Transfer your ice cream into a freezeable container and freeze for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.

Read more »

Mocha Almond Caramel Crunch Ice Cream

Here's another ice cream I made recently using some caramel sprinkles I had on hand! I took Ben & Jerry's recipe for Mocha Swiss Almond ice cream and tweaked it a bit. I used vanilla soy milk (instead of whole milk) and threw in some of those caramel sprinkles I had. The mocha flavor definitely comes through and the addition of toasted sliced almonds and the caramel sprinkles just puts it over the top. Before serving, I garnished it with a little more caramel sprinkles on top... mmmm!

Mocha Almond Caramel Crunch Ice Cream
recipe adapted from Ben & Jerry's

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup vanilla soy milk
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons good quality freeze dried coffee
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/4 cup caramel sprinkles (optional)


In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minuutes.

Whisk in the 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.

Whisk in the cocoa powder and coffee, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.

Pour in the cream and milk; whisk to blend.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

About 2 minutes before you finishing churning/processing, add the almonds and caramel sprinkles and continue churning/processing until done.

Transfer your ice cream into a freezable container and freeze for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.

Read more »

Strawberry Banana Vanilla Soy Ice Cream

We've had such a beautiful weather lately here in Chicago that it *almost* felt like summer. It's quite rare that we get over 60 degree weather in early February! So with the sun brightly shining and a cool breeze coming through the window, I decided it was definitely an ice cream day. I wish I used my ice cream maker more during the holidays to create some delicious holiday flavors but it's never too late to whip up some homemade ice cream... even in the middle of winter.

I flipped through my Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert book for some ideas and inspiration and found the following recipe. It starts out with a sweet cream base and mixing in fresh strawberries and bananas. I made some adaptations to the original recipe including using vanilla soy milk (instead of whole milk), fresh strawberries (instead of frozen strawberries in syrup) and key lime juice (instead of lemon juice). Before enjoying, I drizzled a little strawberry coulis to garnish!

Strawberry Banana Vanilla Soy Ice Cream
recipe adapted from Ben & Jerry's

Sweet Cream Base:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup vanilla soy milk

Fresh fruit flavoring:
2 small/medium overripe bananas, mashed
1 pint fresh strawberries, diced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon key lime (or lemon/lime) juice



Sweet cream base:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minuutes.

Whisk in the 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.

Pour in the cream and milk; whisk to blend and set aside.

In a separate small bowl, place diced strawberies, 1/4 cup sugar and key lime juice; set aside to macerate for 15 minutes.


Adding the fresh fruit:

In a large bowl, mash the bananas.

Drain the strawberries and add the natural syrup created to the banana. Set aside just the diced strawberries.

Whisk banana mixture until smooth.

Combine the sweet cream base with the banana mixture and blend thoroughly.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

About 2 minutes before you are done churning/processing your ice cream, add the diced strawberries and continue churning/processing until done.

Transfer your ice cream into a freezeable container and freeze for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.

Read more »

Jackfruit (Langka) Ice Cream

This weekend I'm teaching a Filipino cooking class and for dessert, I decided to prepare Jackfruit ice cream. Jackfruit (aka langka in Tagalog) is one of the largest fruits in the world and growing up, I always looked forward to having fresh jackfruit from my grandparent's home in the Philippines whenever I visited.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

One of my fondest memories of my grandfather was when he took out his trusty machete and hacked a freshly picked jackfruit open for my cousins and me to enjoy. It was sweet and refreshing, especially on those hot and humid days during rainy season. The back of my grandparents' home had tall palm trees, coconut trees and jackfruit trees among the vast cotton field they harvested behind the main house. It was a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by such exotic fruits and enjoying them among family. Sadly, those trees are no longer there and since my last visit overseas back in 2004/2005, many things have changed years after my grandparents have passed on.

So I'm reliving the joys of my childhood in the Philippines through this ice cream. Asian markets typically carry jarred jackfruit packed in syrup and is most likely located where other jarred and canned exotic fruits would be. You'll notice the rich, deep yellow color of the jackfruit and it's slighly stringy texture. It's sweet, refreshing and has a muted flavor of pineapple.


In deciding how to go about making jackfruit ice cream, I wanted to start with a good vanilla ice cream as my base. Thanks to Amber, she recently posted her success using David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream recipe. This was a great start and I ended adapting David's recipe by using Vanilla soy milk since I didn't have any regular milk on hand. I also didn't have any vanilla beans or vanilla paste, but figured the vanilla flavor of the soy milk will help carry the flavor through, along with an extra dose of vanilla extract. Besides, the vanilla flavor only needed to compliment the jackfruit and not compete with it. I chopped a cup of jackfruit and added it to an adapted recipe for David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream. Delicious, just like I hoped for! I'll be posting final pics on Sunday when I'll be serving it to guests.

Jackfruit (Langka) Ice Cream
adapted recipe inspired by David Lebovitz

1 cup vanilla soy milk (I used Silk brand)
a pinch of salt
3/4 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped jackfruit (jarred in syrup, drained)

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

Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard through a sieve into a bowl filled with the heavy cream.

Add the chopped jackfruit to the heavy cream mixture. Chill thoroughly for at least 1-2 hours.

Remove the heavy cream mixture from the fridge and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Read more »