Honey, Lavender, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

 I got my first "real" job this summer. By "real," I mean doing something other than working as a camp counselor, which, as rewarding as it is, wasn't in my plans this year. Instead, I'm basically spending a couple of weeks doing secretarial work for a family friend who is a doctor; entering his patients' information into an online database and so on.

 While it's not exactly the most challenging job in the world, it's been surprisingly entertaining. Not only have I learned how to spell hundreds of last names I have no idea how to pronounce, I've had the Brandenburg Concertos on as background music more times than I'd care to admit. It also makes me smile every time I'm entering a baby's information, and the parents have listed five or six different emergency contact numbers. (The doctor says he's never once had to use an emergency number, much less six.)

 I try to make the time that I'm not working as "summery" as possible. Last week, I decided that a batch of freshly churned ice cream was in order.
  On their own, honey, lavender, and vanilla beans aren't particularly overwhelming flavors. But when mixed together, some kind of magical taste fairies make them incredibly warm and refreshing at the same time; put this together with smooth, rich ice cream, and you've got quite the summer afternoon ahead of you.
  Enjoy!

 Honey, Lavender, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
(adapted from The Perfect Scoop)

½ cup good quality honey
¼ cup dried or fresh lavender flowers
seeds from 1 large vanilla bean (scraped out)
1½ cups whole milk
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1½ cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Heat the honey, 2 tablespoons of the lavender, and the vanilla in a small saucepan.  Once warm, remove from the heat and set aside to steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan.
Pour the cream in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
Pour the lavender-infused honey into the cream through the strainer, pressing on the lavender flowers to extract as much flavour as possible, then discard the lavender and set the strainer back over the cream.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to avoid cooking, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lavender flowers and stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill the mixture overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, before churning, strain the mixture, again pressing on the lavender flower to extract their flavour.
Discard the flowers, then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: I used vanilla bean-infused honey, so if you happen to have some around, you can use that instead and leave out the fresh vanilla.

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie

The older I get, the more I realize how fast time goes by. This may seem ridiculous coming from a teenager (17 as of this week!), but it's true. My friends and I are shocked that the school year is ending so quickly, and while we're excited for all the fun plans we have for summer, it's also kind of terrifying.

This past year has been by far the busiest, most stressful of my life; but it's also been the greatest. I had a great time with my friends, got to know my teachers better, had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places, and became more involved in music.
I also watched the seniors at my school go through the crazy college application (and audition, for those pursuing music) process, and the idea of really starting that (and not just talking about it) can be a bit daunting.

That said, I'm excited to see what lies ahead, and wow I just realized how cheesy this post got. Anyway, right now I'm focusing on celebrating the start of summer, no matter how much German diction I have to learn, or how many application essays I have to write!
This dessert is perfect to kick off a season of fresh, bright flavors. The tart lemon curd and berries are a perfect contrast to the creamy, sweet vanilla ice cream, and it's all nestled inside a crunchy, almost cookie-like pie crust. And hey, what isn't better with toasted meringue?
(Shout-out to my best friend's mother for the recipe - it's quickly become one of my absolute favorites!)
Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie

(slightly adapted from Epicurious)

For the lemon curd 

2 large eggs 

2 large egg yolks 

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 

1 cup sugar 

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel 

Pinch of salt

For the crust 

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted 

3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, divided

1/2 cup chopped berries of your choice (I used raspberries)

For the meringue 

4 large egg whites, room temperature 

Pinch of cream of tartar 

6 tablespoons sugar

For the lemon curd
Whisk eggs and egg yolks in medium bowl. Melt butter in medium metal bowl set over large saucepan of simmering water. Whisk in sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt; gradually whisk in egg mixture. Whisk until thick and thermometer inserted into curd registers 178°F to 180°F, about 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap on top of curd; chill 4 hours.  

For the crust Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix pecans, sugar, and butter in medium bowl until moistened. Press pecan mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish (mixture will be crumbly). Bake until crust is lightly toasted, about 12 minutes (crust will slip down sides of dish). Use back of spoon to press crust back into place. Cool crust on rack. Freeze crust 30 minutes.
Dollop 1 1/2 cups ice cream over crust; spread into even layer. Spread lemon curd over ice cream; freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Dollop 1 1/2 cups softened ice cream over lemon curd; spread into even layer. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

For meringue Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar. With mixer running, gradually add sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon meringue over pie, spreading to seal at edges and swirling decoratively. Freeze pie until ready to serve.
Using a kitchen butane torch, toast meringue until golden in spots; or, place pie in a preheated 500°F oven or broiler until meringue is golden in spots, watching to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. (Seriously, watch it the entire time - it can go from raw to burnt in a second.) Cut pie into wedges; serve immediately.

Earl Grey Ice Cream

 Seasons have always been a bit of an issue for me. I can't ever really get the timing of my feelings quite right - I'm in a beach mood in the middle of winter, and I've been known to sleep with a comforter in August. This used to be quite the problem, especially when it came to clothing; every year, my best friend (and/or my mother) had to yell at me to stop wearing boots in the spring or put on a coat in the fall. I'm telling you, teenage problems are so real.

Over the years, I've learned to embrace my lack of harmony with seasonal shifts, especially when it comes to food. Why not have soup in the summer, or fruit salad in the winter? Who says smoothies have to be a summer thing, and who made up the crazy rule that gingerbread is meant only for the month of December? Life needs a little spontaneity, right?

I'm of the belief that ice cream is a year-round food, just as enjoyable when you're curled up by a fireplace as when you're sitting by the pool. This one is creamy and just sweet enough, perfect for pairing with a fruity dessert. (I served mine with a French apple cake, recipe coming soon!) That said, it actually does include a little winter touch; the earl grey is a flavor you're probably used to getting in a steaming mug, and having it in ice cream is a little mind game totally worth playing.
 I'm a fan of earl grey tea in just about anything sweet (because everyone knows I'm actually an old lady at heart), but this ice cream is by far the best I've ever made. Winter or not.
Enjoy!

Earl Grey Ice Cream

(slightly adapted from Gimme Some Oven)

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup loose earl grey tea leaves (from about 6 tea bags)

5 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, warm the milk, cream, and sugar over medium-heat, stirring occasionally. Once the milk is steaming (but not boiling), remove pan from heat. Place the tea in the pan, cover and steep at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla until frothy. Once the milk mixture is re-warmed, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, and quickly whisk in until combined. Repeat 2-3 more times with more of the milk mixture, then gradually pour in the remainder of the milk mixture into the egg yolks and whisk quickly until combined.
Return the new milk/egg mixture to the saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan constantly until the mixture thickens to a custard and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Immediately strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove tea leaves and any bits of egg, and then refrigerate until completely cooled (this can be done fairly quickly over an ice bath, or in the freezer). Then freeze with an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it's the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

Homemade Indulgences: Tart Pinkberry!

   Welcome to a new series here at Sophia's Sweets! I like to call it "Homemade Indulgences;" the idea is basically to re-create some of my favorite store-bought treats at home.
   Choosing a recipe to start with was easy. (By the way, sorry for the back-to-back ice cream posts - I'm trying to get them in while the weather is warm enough!) As any of my friends (or family) will tell you, I am completely obsessed with frozen yogurt. It's super yummy, and low-fat enough to pass as healthier than ice cream. For dessert, I love mixing flavors and crazy toppings, but sometimes I just want a simple snack. One of my favorites is the classic plain/tart frozen yogurt, topped with fresh fruit. It turns out, it's SUPER easy to make at home!

  No cooking of custards, or even pulling out of blenders, is required. Let it go for a spin in the ice cream machine, and you're all set! I loved this right after it was churned the best, but it was great after hardening for a few hours too. You'll just have to microwave it for a few seconds to get it back to that soft, creamy texture.
  I've been enjoying this with fresh berries and a drizzle of honey. Not only is it cheaper than one of New York's many frozen yogurt chains ($5 cups of yogurt start to add up...), but it also isn't full of various preservatives and other unpronounceable ingredients. And it tastes just like store-bought. I found myself a new favorite!
  Enjoy!

Tart Pinkberry

(slightly adapted from Food Network)

2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
2 cups plain nonfat or reduced-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Fresh fruit or other toppings (like honey), for garnish

Whisk both yogurts, the sugar, the corn syrup and the vanilla in a bowl until combined. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

For a soft consistency, serve right out of the ice cream maker. For a firmer texture, transfer the frozen yogurt to a covered container and freeze for up to 2 hours. Serve with assorted toppings.

Olive Oil Ice Cream

 When you think of ice cream, olive oil probably isn't the first flavor that comes to mind. Deep dark chocolate, light and creamy vanilla bean, sweet and sour strawberry - those are more likely. But I'm here to tell you that olive oil beats them all.

 This recipe basically replaces some of the cream in a classic ice cream recipe with olive oil. The oil not only adds a great creamy texture, but a lovely flavor. When you first taste it, you might not detect the olive oil, but there's definitely something wonderfully different about the ice cream.

 The oil adds a fruitiness and depth that I've never been able to achieve at home. (Shoutout to two awesome friends of mine who gave me an ice cream machine for my birthday!)

 This was perfect served alongside an almond plum tart (recipe to come!), but I think it would be great with any fruity dessert. Get ready to turn your kitchen into a 5-star restaurant!

 Or, if you're like me, you can forget to photograph the ice cream with the tart, so just pile a bunch into a beer glass and call it a day. Whether you then eat the entire five scoops is entirely up to you.

 I promise not to judge.
Enjoy!

Olive Oil Ice Cream

(from Around My French Table)

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

5  large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Set a heatproof bowl with a strainer set over it ready for the cooked custard.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a large heavy saucepan.  In a large bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened.  Whisking without stop, drizzle in about 1/3 of the hot liquid - adding it slowly will temper the eggs and prevent them from cooking.  Once the eggs are acclimated to the heat, you can whisk in the remaining liquid a little more quickly.  Add the salt and pour the custard back into the pan.  Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring constantly.  The custard should reach at least 170 degrees, but no more than 180 degrees.  

Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl.  Discard whatever remains in the strainer.  Add the olive oil and whisk.  Stir in the vanilla.  The custard needs to chill before you churn it.  Chill it and scrape the custard into your ice cream maker and make according to the appliance instructions.

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

the ice cream was eaten so quickly, this was the only picture I managed to snap!

As a birthday gift, I recently received an ice cream maker from two of my closest friends (although, let’s be real, I think everyone who knows me knows about my culinary obsession). I was lucky enough to get this from them a week after my old ice cream maker broke! See, my friends are so awesome, they can read my mind. Kind of.

Anywho, one of these two friends came over to make sweets for the fourth of July. Besides chocolate lava cakes and the absolutely necessary flag cake (not the fruit one, just click on the link and you’ll find out), we also decided to test out the new machine with a batch of fresh strawberry ice cream. We went with a recipe that included sour cream, because (a) it didn’t require any stovetop cooking in the New York City July heat, and (b) it came from David Lebovitz. And if it came from David Lebovitz, it’s gonna be good.

As we had hoped, it was. The strawberries’ natural sweetness shone through, and their delicate flavor wasn’t overwhelming. The tartness from the sour cream complemented the berries perfectly, creating a creamy, fruity dessert that should (and will) be repeated often this summer.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

(from The Perfect Scoop)

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vodka or kirsch
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve and all of the strawberries are coated. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Pulse the strawberries and their liquid with the sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until almost smooth, but still slightly chunky.
Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5-Ingredient Hazelnut Ice Cream

     Let me start off by saying sorry for the absence. I went to Brazil for my spring break to spend time with family, and actually managed to get quite a lot of baking done with my cousins; but, I definitely didn't have the time/concentration for blogging! I did take pictures, though, so lots of recipes to come...
   This is a simple recipe that I made a while ago to have with some chocolate macarons for dessert. The flavors aren't too complicated, which can be nice sometimes - it just tastes like hazelnut, with the creamy goodness of frozen custard! While this recipe does require cooking the custard mixture (this is not a whipped-cream-based one), it has only 5 ingredients and comes together quickly. I loved that it was chock-full of hazelnuts; it makes it perfect for eating in small scoops with cookies. If, however, you want a creamier or smoother ice cream, you can reduce the quantity of hazelnuts (I think it would be great with half the amount of hazelnuts, chopped in larger pieces).
    Enjoy!

5-Ingredient Hazelnut Ice Cream

(adapted from Emeril for Food Network)

1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
4 cups half-and-half
1 cup granulated sugar
6 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and roast until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Chop the nuts (my mom was kind enough to finely chop them for me!) and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the half-and-half and sugar. Bring to a simmer. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add 1 cup of the hot liquid to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan of liquid and whisk until incorporated. Bring the liquid back to simmer and continue to cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and stir in the vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture. This will prevent a skin from forming while cooling. Cool the mixture completely. Stir in the nuts. Process the mixture in an ice cream machine until creamy and thick, usually about 20 minutes (but depends on the machine). Freeze until ready to eat.

KitKat Ice Cream Torte

Remember how I was telling you about Brazilians and how much they love trifles? Well, this is a frozen trifle. A frifle? I decided to call it a torte.
In this party-perfect dessert, brigadeiro, the gooey chocolate made of sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder that is often rolled into little truffles, is layered with KitKats and vanilla ice cream. The ice cream is filled with chocolate shavings- we bought it that way, but it's easy to do yourself if you can't find it to buy. The three layers go perfectly together: the crunchy, cookie-like KitKats, the gooey, chocolatey brigadeiro, and the creamy, cool ice cream.
According to my aunt, who taught me how to make this, it is easily adaptable. Don't want all the chocolate flavor in the brigadeiro? Just leave out the cocoa powder and make it just with the sweetened condensed milk and butter. If you don't want vanilla ice cream with chocolate shavings, substitute a different add-in or change the ice cream altogether. However you make it, I promise it will be delicious. Enjoy! <3

KitKat Ice Cream Torte

Enough KitKats to cover a 9x9" pan, cut into fourths
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup chocolate shavings

Cover the bottom of a 9x9" pan with the chopped KitKats.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, and cocoa. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, 2 minutes, stir. Continue microwaving in 1-minute increments, stirring inbetween, until the mixture reaches the consistency of a caramel sauce: too thin to scoop, but too thick to drizzle easily. Pour over KitKats and put pan in the fridge until cool.
Soften the ice cream by microwaving for 15 seconds or leaving out at room temperature for a while. Stir in the chocolate shavings and spread the ice cream over the chocolate layer. Freeze until serving, at least an hour.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Thank you David Lebovitz. No, I'm serious. He has some of the most amazing ice cream recipes in the world (in my opinion), so I simply had to have his book. I wrote about two of them a few years ago, but his is probably the best one I've tried so far. I needed something to pair with nutella macarons (recipe coming soon!), and my mom suggested cinnamon. I ran to his book and realized the number of egg yolks would work perfectly with the macaron recipe. We put some milk to steep with cinnamon sticks right away!
We actually left it overnight instead of for just an hour, so the flavor was pretty strong, but not overly so. This is a pretty simple recipe as far as ice cream goes - you do have to make a custard and cook it for a while, but it doesn't take too long. It was fairly quick, and I actually doubled it to serve nine people, but we ended up eating pretty much exactly one batch. This broke my ice cream machine!! Luckily it was really close to being ready, but that batch was a little icier. I guess the machine was overworked - it's pretty old, and was actually passed down from a friend. Any recommendations? Brand or model you have and like? Let me know!
This is so sweet and creamy and delicious, and you should go make it right about... now! Enjoy! <3

Cinnamon Ice Cream
(from Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz)

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
Ten 3″ cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of the cream on a medium saucepan. Once warm, cover and remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
Rewarm the cinnamon infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Oh Wow.

Oh my gosh. I haven't posted in a really long time, and I'm SO sorry. But this time I do have an excuse.
If anybody reading this has ever been in 8th grade in New York City, you know what I'm talking about. I think this past month has been the craziest in my life. Why? I'm dealing with applications to NYC Public High Schools. Admissions to the really good schools is very competitive, and I have spent all of my free time studying for tests, practicing for auditions, going to open houses and tours, and sleeping. :)
Now all of the tests are over, and I seem to have a bit more time on my hands (although I'm still super busy). Also, I was recently on Tuesdays with Dorie's website and read about how anybody who doesn't post by today is getting kicked out. SO.... I decided it was time I put up a post :)
I'm just going to talk about a jumble of TWD recipes I've made over the past few months (no pictures today, because I'm too tired and busy to find them).
Peanut Butter Crisscrosses - I actually made these way back in February, before they were chosen. I believe I doubled the recipe, because I was making them for a big party. They were pretty simple to make and delicious. A hit!
Peach Ice Cream - Oh my goodness, this stuff is amazing and SO addictive. In August, we went peach picking and I had to find something to do with all the quickly ripening peaches, so I went with this. It's actually very easy to make (although a bit time-consuming). The next time you have some extra peaches, go make it!
Crunchy Custardy Peach Tart - This was also a hit. The crust was same as usual, and the thin layer of custard was delicious. My only complaint was that the peaches were baked for so long, they seemed to lose a bit of their flavor. But all in all, a yummy dessert.
Mango Bread - I made this one because I was bored over the summer and wanted to cross something off the old rewind list. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this spicy bread, and I will make it again sometime!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread - Oh, what we did for this bread. We were in Rome when we decided we wanted this bread. So we looked up the ingredients, got the people at the supermarket annoyed with our hand gestures as we tried to communicate what we were looking for, and went back to the house where we were staying. When we got there, we realized we had forgotten the applesauce. Back to the store we went. And who would have known? Apparently Italians don't believe in applesauce :) So we went back to the apartment, cut up and cooked some apples, and mashed them in a ricer. And you know what? That applesauce was pretty good. The bread, on the other hand, was just okay. This might have been a result of our not really knowing what baking powder/baking soda we were dealing with, and our measurements having been slightly off. We also didn't make the crumble, just sprinkled some spices and sugar on top. I guess I'll just have to make it again!
Raspberry Blanc Manger - When I went peach picking, I also went raspberry picking. When I got home, I decided to make this cold dessert. It was actually a bit of a let-down for me. The agar-agar (vegetarian substitute for gelatin) sort of clumped, making weird lumps in the custard. However, the taste was good, and everyone else liked it.
Blueberry Pie - I had never made a blueberry pie before, although I had always wanted to. I loved seeing the blueberries and sugar become a syrupy, yummy mess. I'll definitely make this one again.

Coffee Break Muffins - It's coffee in a muffin. What's not to love? Mmm, I want one right now.....
Tarte Fine - This was one of the easiest recipes in Dorie's book that I have made. It consists of a thin layer of puff pastry, some apples and sugar, and jam brushed on top. I didn't have high hopes for it, but it was really, really good. And so easy! (Especially when you used frozen homemade puff pastry, because you get the flavor of the homemade in a few minutes.)
Apple Pie - I loved loved loved this pie! It was a simple filling, but the best I've made. Definitely one I'll make again.

So those are the recipes I've made recently. Hopefully I'll be back next week with a more detailed post!

Daring Bakers: Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.-

So, a swiss swirl ice cream cake. This was the most time consuming challenge. EVER. It starts off with a swiss roll. It's kind of like a jelly roll - it's a thin sponge-type cake, which is rolled up with sweetened whipped cream inside. Even on its own, the swiss roll was delicious! It got sliced and I lined a bowl with it. In to the freezer for some firming up!



Then came a layer of white chocolate ice cream. Instead of using a the vanilla ice cream recipe from the challenge, I used David Lebovitz's recipe (I just got his ice cream book, which I am loving). It got spread up the sides of the cake-lined bowl. It was really great on its own - I thought it was the yummiest part of the whole challenge.



After that, came a layer of raspberry ice cream, also from David's book. It was also so yummy - it had a bit of a sweet+sour taste that was so addictive.



Wait - I forgot! Between the layers of ice cream came a layer of homemade hot fudge sauce! This was quick and easy to make. I thought that it was going to become hard as a rock in the freezer, but it stayed nice and smooth - almost like another layer of ice cream!

Once the dessert was assembled, I let it stay in the freezer for the day. Once I got home at night, I flipped it on to a plate and found....



THIS! I was so happy with how it looked - I thought it was going to look really messy. Ten minutes later, we cut into it.



It was SO GOOD. I loved it - and how it looked. I would love to say that I'll make this again and again, but it's simply too time consuming. Maybe once in a while, because the taste was worth the effort. If you want the recipe, you can find it on the Sunita's blog (link at the beginning of this post). Enjoy!

Lots of Tuesdays

Well, I've been gone a long time! I have four recipes for you guys. First up: this week's TWD.

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie was chosen by Cristine of Cooking with Cristine. She chose the Quick Classic Berry Tart. It is a simple tart crust, vanilla (or in my case, almond) pastry cream, and fresh berries. I used raspberries and blackberries. This tart is definitely a classic, but I wouldn't call it quick!
We loved it, and I will definitely be making it again! You can find the recipe in the book or here.


Next up: last week's recipe.


I had zero time to post last week's recipe, but it was Burnt Sugar Ice Cream, selected by Becky of Project Domestication. This was fairly quick to make, except for the time it took to churn (I love my ice cream machine!) and then freeze. We ate it the first time when it had been churned and frozen for two hours, and it was still very soft and melted quickly. But the next day, it was like store-bought ice cream. I liked the flavor, but thought it was a bit too sweet. Even so, I might make it again and am excited to try other recipes from Dorie's book. You can find the recipe here.

Next up: a rewind.


Perfect Party Cake! This cake is a lemon cake, layered with a lemon meringue buttercream and raspberry jam. I wasn't able to get the perfect layers of jam and icing like in the picture in the book (in fact, the cake was quite crumbly and hard to layer), but everything was covered up with the icing. We loved loved loved this cake! It was an interesting but perfect combo of flavors. I will definitely be making this one again!

Finally: another rewind.


The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart. This is made using Dorie and Pierre's citrus pastry cream (which is like a curd, only the butter is beat in at the end to achieve the "texture of lemon cream dreams"). Last time I made this, I cut down the butter by a stick, but had no need to this time. It was delicious!!!!! I loved it and will be making it again (like pretty much everything else in this post). You can find the recipe here.

Enjoy!

Two TWD Rewinds: Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream

Yesterday we had some friends come over for dinner who have tasted lots of my baking, so I wanted to make something really delicious. That combined with the fact that we have tons of apples to use up, I decided on Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie Cake. When my mom mentioned that we should buy some ice cream, I immediately took the opportunity to make another TWD rewind. Vanilla Ice Cream!

This was probably one of the most annoying things to make in the book. I was making the 9x13, as in the recipe, but I was also making an 8 1/2x3 1/2 loaf pan, so I had to scale up the recipe by one fourth. So many apples to peel and slice! And the dough was extremely hard to roll out, and it kept cracking when I put it into the pan. But when it was baked you couldn't tell. It was delicious! The crust really was more like a sugar cookie than a pie, but that was great. However, I didn't see how it was like a cake at all. Sorry Dorrie!

This is pretty easy to make, however, I think I over-heated the custard, because it the eggs started to cook at the bottom. But after I strained it, it was fine. This ice cream was what everybody was talking about. It was creamy, sweet, and delicious. My dad even said it was Haagen-Das quality! We will be making this one again!

If you want the recipe for the apple pie cake (I recommend it!) you can buy the book or find it here. If you want the recipe for the vanilla ice cream, you can also buy the book or find it here. Enjoy!

TWD Rewind: Banded Ice Cream Torte

As you can tell, I'm working on catching up with the TWD recipes. I wasn't able to make last week's espresso cheesecake brownies, and probably won't be able to make the chocolate souffles for next week, but I'll try. This torte was for a wedding shower, and since the bride's favorite ice cream is chocolate chip, and here in Brazil you can't find raspberries as easily, we decided to use the chocolate chip. At my grandma's, where we're staying, there is no springform pan, so we had to buy one. On the wrapping it said it was 9 inches, but when we got home it was actually 12. We didn't want the torte to be too thin, so we basically doubled the ice cream. However, we didn't double the chocolate gajavascript:void(0)nache, so the torte ended up tasting like ice cream with thick chocolate sauce. Well, that's what I think, but everybody at the party loved it, so I guess either it was really good and I just didn't think so, or they really like hot fudge sundaes. Despite how mine turned out, I think this recipe would be good as the original. 

And if you want the recipe - well, I think you know how it goes. Something about buying the book? 

Have fun!