Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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I have been trying to make more ice cream at home and avoid the store-bought varieties. I made some very good ice creams in the past and although I prefer more interesting types of flavours, this time I decided to make a basic vanilla ice cream. The process of making good home made ice cream can take some time, it’s not something you can make in the afternoon and have it for dinner, but the efforts definitely pay off.

This recipe makes for a vey rich ice cream. I like ratio of two and half cups of cream to one and half cup of whole milk. You can choose to make it equal parts cream and milk or even swap the cream for half-and-half, but I think ice cream should be very creamy.

Most ice cream recipes call for tempering the egg custard with hot milk/cream while beating fast and constantly with  an egg beater. I find it much easy to do this is the bowl of a stand mixer. I mix the yolks and sugar in the mixer and later mix the hot milk into the yolks with the mixer on medium-low speed.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe:

makes 1 quart

 

You will need:

2 1/2 cup of heavy cream

1 1/2 cup of whole milk

1 vanilla bean

1 cup sugar

9 egg yolks

a pinch of salt

 

Pour the heavy cream, milk and half of the sugar in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Cut the ends of the vanilla  bean and split it in half length wise. Scrape the seeds into the pot and add the whole bean as well.

Heat the pot until the liquid is just bellow simmering point. Do not let it boil. Stir eventually to dissolve the sugar. Set aside and let it steep on the pot (uncovered) for 20-30 minutes.

While the cream cools, prepare the yolks. Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer and start beating with the whisk attachment on medium-low speed. Slowly add the remaining half cup of sugar, a tablespoon at the time. Stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bow and make sure all the sugar has dissolved. If the sugar is not completely dissolved, the ice cream will leave a sort of residue on the spoon which is not very pleasant. Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the speed and whisk until the yolks are pale and slightly thick. Leave yolks in the mixer bowl for now.

Strain the milk mixture and discard the vanilla bean.

Return the pot with the strained milk to the stove, add a pinch of salt and heat again until bellow simmer. Turn on the mixer on medium-low speed  and slowly add the hot milk on a steady stream, decreasing the speed as the mixture cools down. Once all the liquid is incorporated with the yolks, pass it through a fine mesh sieve placed on top of a clean pot. Bring the pot to the stove and warm on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and it can cover the back of a wooden spoon. Do not speed up this process, as the eggs might cook. This step might take anywhere between 10-20 minutes.

Once mixture is thick enough, pour it into a clean bowl set over a larger bowl with iced water. Once the custard is at room temperature, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it. The ice cream can be made until this point up to 2 days in advance and kept it refrigerated.

Remove the ice cream custard after 4 hours in the fridge (minimum) and churn in the ice cream maker for about 10 minutes, or according to the manufacture’s instructions.

Transfer to a container, close and freeze it until hard, 6 hours minimum.

Enjoy it!

 

Roasted Banana Frozen Yogurt

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I like making ice creams, but this was my first time making frozen yogurt. Since I love banana ice cream, I thought I ‘d try a frozen yogurt using bananas. I roasted the bananas in the oven with lots of brown sugar but I suppose that cooking them in the stove would also work well. The bananas need to be very ripe for this recipe. The frozen yogurt turned out very nice, I liked the tangy flavour of the yogurt with the sweetness of the roasted bananas. If you can’t find Greek yogurt, use regular yogurt, strained in the fridge overnight to thicken it up.  I saved a banana and added in the last minute before turning the machine off. I did this because I like chunks of fruit in my ice cream or frozen yogurt. You can skip this step and just add all the banana at once.

 

 

Roasted Banana Frozen Yogurt Recipe:

makes about 1 quart

 

You will need:

4 very ripe bananas

1 1/2 cup of brown sugar

32 oz (900g) of plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil. Peel the bananas and cut lengthwise. Place bananas in the pan and cover with the brown sugar. Bake it until the sugar melts and the banana is soft and roasted.

Reserve 1 banana and transfer the others along with the melted sugar to a large bowl. Mix in the yogurt and the vanilla. Pour yogurt in the ice cream maker and freeze it according to the manufacture’s instructions. Add the reserved banana just before you turn off the ice cream maker, this will ensure you have some chunks of banana in the frozen yogurt.

Enjoy it!

Pure Honey Ice Cream

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This ice cream is the ultimate proof that when it comes to good food, less is often more. With only 3 simple ingredients (plus a pinch of salt), you can make this delicious ice cream that tastes so homemade and pure. Because the recipe is so simple, it is important to use the best ingredients that you can find and afford. Local, organic eggs and dairy are wonderful and easy to find this time of year. The final product will taste exactly like the honey you use, so choose something that you really like. I used a raspberry honey that I picked up last week at my local farmer's market.

This ice cream can be a starting point for many other variations. I kept it simple, but you may want to add some chopped walnuts to it, or some chopped semi-sweet chocolate. You can also infuse the base of the ice cream with herbs or spices such as basil, mint, cinnamon, vanilla. On this case, just add the extra ingredient to the simmering dairy base, let it rest for at least 2 hours, strain it and proceed with the recipe.

Another great way of using this honey ice cream is to make smoothies and shakes. Try blending it with fruits like peaches, bananas and strawberries.

Pure Honey Ice Cream Recipe:

You will need:

4 egg yolks

2/3 cup of pure honey

1 1/2 cups of half-and-half

1 1/2 cup of whole milk

a pinch of salt

 

Bring the cream and the milk to a simmer, do not let it boil.  While the cream mixture warms up, whisk the yolks, honey and salt together until pale and fluffy.

Slowly incorporate the warm cream mixture into the eggs, one ladle full at the time, whisking vigorously. Return the egg and cream mix to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Do not let it boil. The custard is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail if you pass your finger on it.

Cool custard completely in the fridge before putting in the ice cream maker. Follow instructions of your ice cream machine.

Enjoy it!

Strawberry Ice Cream

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I am excited about making my own ice creams this summer. Ever since I got the attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer at Christmas I really didn't do much with it (with a few exceptions). But now the summer weather finally arrived here in Seattle and I find myself wanting ice creams and frozen desserts. This one is not going to win any awards in originality, I know. It was Andrew's request though. I've established a "request rotation" here at home for the ice cream flavours. That's because I like to try new and different ideas, whereas Andrew prefers the more conventional flavours. So next time it's my turn to choose a new combination of flavours. I have to say, though that this ice cream turned out extremely well and in fact it tastes just like something from an ice cream parlor. Take your time when making the custard and your patience will be paid of. This recipe calls for 6 egg yolks, so plan on having an omelet or perhaps making meringues with the whites.

 

 

Strawberry Ice Cream:

makes 1 quart

You will need:

3 cups of half-and-half

6 egg yolks

1 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 1/2 cups of  strawberries, cleaned, leaves removed and sliced

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

Heat the half-and-half over medium-low heat until it gets steamy, without boiling it.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt until blended. Add the hot half-and-half very slowly, a little at the time, whisking vigorously. This ensures that the hot cream cools down fast as it is whisked and therefore won't cook the eggs. Once all the half-and-half is incorporated, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and cook over medium-low, stirring until it has formed a thick custard ( check by coating  a wooden spoon with the custard, pass your finger on it, the trail left on the spoon should be clear). It is important not to hurry this process, as the custard should never boil.

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean bowl and stir in the strawberries and vanilla. Let it come to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, up to overnight.

Pour cold custard into ice cream machine and freeze it following the manufacture's instructions. Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze it until set, about 3 hours.

Enjoy it!

 

Sweet Cream of Avocado (Creme de Abacate)

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Cinco de Mayo means avocados are on sale everywhere, but instead of guacamole, I decided to make cream of avocado, a sweet treat I used to have as a child. I just love the creaminess of the fruit and this is, for me, one of the best ways to enjoy it.

This is something very simple and yet super tasty. The idea is to combine avocados and vanilla ice cream to make a creamy dessert that's ready in minutes. Brazilian avocados are the large type that are hard to find here in the U.S. They tend to be much sweeter than the small ones and Brazilians use them in dessert and sweet recipes. I only found small Hass avocados to make this cream and even with the use of ice cream, it was still not quite sweet. I added some sugar, and depending on your sweet tooth you might want to add even more, but I like to be able to taste the fruit as well.

You can also make an avocado smoothie by adding more milk until the mixture becomes liquid enough. Another alternative is to omit the ice cream all together and add more milk and sugar. Choose very ripe avocados for this recipe, and if you can find the large variety, even better.

Cream of Avocado Recipe:

serves 1

You will need:

1/2 large avocado or 2 small ones, very ripe

8 oz of vanilla ice cream, softened

a splash of milk

1/2 teaspoon of lime juice

1 tablespoon of sugar (approximately)

Peel avocados and remove the pits. Blend all ingredients until smooth, adding milk until you get the consistency of a pudding. Add more or less sugar, according to your taste.

Enjoy it!

No-Cook Banana Ice Cream

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I wanted to make an ice cream for Andrew the other night, since he loves banana ice cream, I decided to try this recipe for the first time. Most ice cream recipes call for a yolk-based custard to be made first, then cooled and then put into the ice cream maker. This one skips the custard and instead uses a combination of sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and half and half to provide the creaminess to the ice cream. The result is a pretty sweet, nice ice cream. But it is not as smooth and creamy as the ones using eggs (like this one). So far I have never found an egg-less ice cream recipe that makes really creamy ice cream, so when that's what I want, I go for the full custard deal.

The advantage of this one is that it is much faster and easier to make, good when you decide at noon that you want to have ice cream for dessert ready at dinner time, for example. Be sure to use very ripe bananas here.

This recipe is from this book I found at my local library, so far it's the second one I try, and there are many more lined up...

No-cook Banana Ice Cream Recipe:

makes 1 quart

You will need:

2 cups of half and half

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 very ripe bananas

2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice

Mix together the first four ingredients until combined, making sure the condensed milk is well blended with the other liquids. Chill until cold.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze accordingly.

Mash the bananas with the lemon juice and add to the ice cream maker 2 minutes before it's finished. Transfer ice cream to a freezer safe container, cover and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Valentino Cake with Cinnamon Ice Cream - Daring Bakers Challenge

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It seems like Valentine's day was so long ago, but it was actually only 2 weeks ago. So this month's Daring Bakers challenge is a celebration of love!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

We were given the option of  making the vanilla ice cream recipe that was offered in the challenge or using one of our own. I decided to make a cinnamon ice cream which was a simple enough recipe that I could make as I have not yet mastered the art of ice cream making... The ice cream was very nice, although the cinnamon flavour is really strong and for some people (my Valentine included) it may be a little too much. I will definitely make this ice cream again, but perhaps pair it with something more fruity like an apple pie.

 

 

The Valentino cake was as easy to make as it was to eat.....At first I thought it was going to be too dense and rich and we weren't really going to be able to eat it quick. Oh, who are we kidding....The cake was made on Friday and it was gone by Sunday. It's that good, but yes, it is super rich, since it is a flour less cake. Not a cake to be made every week, or something you would keep it in the counter for an afternoon tea & cake thing...  This cake calls for an special occasion. I used a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate and baked it in a heart-shaped pan that I brought years ago in Brazil.

I enjoyed the challenge and the cake very much. Here is to love....

 

Chocolate Valentino Cake Recipe:

Recipe comes from "Sweet Treats" by Chef Wan

Preparation time: 20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated
1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

 

Cinnamon Ice Cream Recipe:

original recipe from allrecipes.com

serves 8

1 cup of white sugar

1 1/2 cups of half-and-half cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

In a large sauce pan, warm half-and-half and sugar until sugar is dissolved and liquid is heated, do not boil it. Remove from heat. Pour a ladle of the warm liquid into the eggs's bowl and whisk it fast and non stop until liquid is incorporated into eggs and mixture is warm. Repeat the same operation twice again, a ladle of the time. Bring this egg and cream mixture back into the pan, add the heavy cream and bring it to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove custard from heat, add cinnamon and vanilla, stir and let it cool to room temperature. Chill for at least 4 hours, up to 2 days. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Freeze for 6 hours before serving.

 

Coconut Ice Cream with Crystallized Ginger

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Last Christmas I got an ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid and I've been playing around with ice cream recipes since then. Not as much as I want to, but that is because the weather has been so cold and yucky that I instinctively turned to the oven for baked goods instead of ice creams. Well the weather here in Seattle hasn't improved much since December, but at least it's not that cold anymore, so my ice cream attachment is slowly making its way into my kitchen.

I went to my local library and found a book with lots of great recipes for ice creams, sorbets, frozen yogurts and more. The name of the book is Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts and the author is Peggy Fallon.  Here is the Amazon link to it.

This recipe made a very creamy ice cream, and I loved the addition of the crystallized ginger. In fact, if you are looking specifically for a good coconut ice cream recipe I suggest you keep looking. The ginger is the star in this ice cream and I don't think that just omitting it from the recipe would necessarily give you a great coconut ice cream. The idea of this coconut-ginger combo is to serve it after an Asian inspired meal. Perhaps paired with something like my banana spring rolls. I can imagine it would also go nicely with some sort of gingersnap cookies or biscotti.

 

Coconut Ice Cream with Crystallized Ginger Recipe:

source

makes about 1 quart/litter

 

You will need:

1 can of coconut milk (14 oz/400gr)

1 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

3 egg yolks

3 tablespoons of chopped crystallized ginger

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

In a large heavy bottom sauce pan, mix the coconut milk, cream, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine and cook over medium heat until the liquid is hot (do not boil) and the sugar is dissolved, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the yolks lightly. Pour a ladle full of the cream liquid into the yolks whisking fast and non-stop so the eggs won't cook. Do this about 3 times, return yolk mixture back into the cream and bring pot back to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the liquid thickens and it covers he back of the spoon. If you have a thermometer the temperature should be between 170 to 175 F (75 to 80 C). Be careful not to boil the custard or the eggs will curdle.

Strain custard into a container, let it come to room temperature and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours, up to 2 days.

Stir in ginger and vanilla into cold custard and freeze according to your ice cream machine's instructions. Transfer it to a container, cover and freeze until ready to serve, at least 3 hours.