Strawberry-Buttermilk Gelato

After moving into our own home, we bought a small chest freezer that we use in the basement to store produce.  Most people around us buy a quarter cow every year, or half of a half (which is somehow different from a quarter?)  We aren’t huge red meat eaters but are far from vegetarian.  You would never know though looking through the contents of our freezer – strawberries, blueberries, applesauce…   it’s all fruit!

Last week we went strawberry picking with my sister and nephews, well… She and I picked and they ate.  I am now all stocked up on freezer jam, frozen berries, and have been eating the rest by the handfuls.  My defense is strawberries really don’t last long on the counter and it would be a shame for all that hard work to go to waste.  I did manage to make a few recipes, including this white chocolate mousse tart (which was gone before I took a pic) and this delicious ice cream.   Yup I think strawberry is one of my favorites.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 5 cups quartered strawberries (about 4 pints)
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Preparation

1. Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a large bowl; cool completely.
2. Place strawberries in a blender, and process until smooth. Add strawberry purée and buttermilk to sugar syrup; stir to combine.
3. Pour the strawberry mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cooking Light 
JULY 2001

I luv a little compote

We are out of maple syrup again…  not such a good year for syrup due to the warm weather.  BUT  my rhurbard is growing in awesome and I just made a batch of this strawberry-rhubarb compote.  It goes great on waffles, french toast, ice cream….  I find it very appealing how strikingly similar breakfast and dessert are.   I guess its just the best way to START and END the day!

the exchange…

The annual cookie exchange with my SpringHill ladies – always one of the best parties of the year.  I exchanged ice cream for cookies this year the choices were; gingerbread, peppermint, mint chocolate, cannoli and caramel egg nog.  I loved these sweet little pint containers, so convenient!

One of the best exchanges of the evening though was the sharing of hearts as we are able to catch up with those in town for the holidays and friends separated for weeks by busy schedules.  I love these ladies, who they are, what the do, what they believe in and certainly for what they make!  Those moments of exchange as we mingle around the room will last much longer than the temporary sweet treats, and nourish the soul.  Thanks ladies for another great tradition!

peppermint ice cream

The snow has returned… last year I found a code that made “snow” appear on your blog.  It automatically shut off after the holidays so I guess I never deleted it, but it’s that time of year again.  I still like it even though it wasn’t intentional, what do you think?

In other holiday cheer, I warned amanda who hosts a cookie exchange every year that this year I am bringing ice cream…. how else am I going to finish this goal (only 8 more recipes left!)  Last week I made the easiest ever Caramel nog ice cream and this week peppermint.  For the caramel Nog, I simply poured a  quart of dulce de leche egg nog into the ice cream maker and added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and churned.  I figured it had all the sugar, cream and eggs one needed already in it.  Easiest recipe ever!

Peppermint Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups 2% milk

3/4 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

 Whisk together in a small sauce pan over medium low heat until thickened.  This should be like a custard and should coat the back of a spoon when tested.  Do not heat so long that the eggs cook.

Let cool then add the ingredients below.

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp peppermint candies

Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.  Then freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufactures instructions.  The last two minutes of churning add the candies.  Continue to harden in the freezer, this would be delicious if you added chocolate chunks too.  I don’t know why santa asks for cookies, this is a treat.

 

apple pie ice cream

I made this last week for “medium” Sarah’s welcome party.  We already know a “big” Sarah and a “little” Sarah so our new SpringHill friend may have a new nickname, like it or not.  We work with the best people at camp, I am always so thankful to see new friends joining the ranks.  Welcome Sarah!

This is a really awesome cinnamon ice cream with toasted oatmeal cookies, caramelized apples, and dulce de leche, all swirled in…  you can find the recipe here.  The girls think the apples in the photo look like indian feathers – appropriate for Thanksgiving, no?

mocha brownie ice cream

Aaah I am getting behind,  I think I am actually going to be relieved when I reach the end of the year and the goal!  Luckily I have a few parties coming up where I can whip up a few batches of ice cream to take a long – there are some great holiday flavors!  My girls have declared this their favorite which truthfully they have said about many thus far.  What lucky kids,  I should make a vegetable goal next year!

mocha brownie ice cream

3/4 cup sugar 

2 large eggs

2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

1 starbucks VIA italian decaf packet

one pint whipping cream

1 cup 1% milk

1 cup fudge brownie chunks (better homes and garden – recipe below)

 

1. Using a large whisk, beat eggs and sugar together.  Whisk in cocoa powder and instant coffee packet.  Slowly incorporate whipping cream and milk.  Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufactures directions.

2.  The last two minutes of churning in the maker, add the brownie chunks.  I pre-froze my brownie bits in the freezer for a couple of hours ahead of time.

3. Remove from maker and put in a freezable container.  Continue to harden in the freezer 3-4 hours before serving.  YUM – enjoy!

 

Fudge Brownies  (from a really old better homes and gardens cookbook)

1/2 cup butter

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

 1. grease an 8x8x2 baking pan; set aside.  In a medium saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat.  Remove from heat.  Stir in eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Using a wooden spoon, beat lightly just till combined.  Stir in flour and nuts.

2. Spread batter in prepared baking pan.  Bake in a 350′ oven for 30 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.  Makes 24 cut bars.

chocolate-studded Grand Marnier ice cream and a dark chocolate orange soufflé

I think I have shared about my dad’s consumable only Christmas present rule before.  In keeping with that I told him I wanted a bottle of Grand Marnier for Christmas, since I always use substitutes for orange liqueur in recipes… It never seems worth the price for 2 tbsp.  They visited a few weekends ago and he delivered my Christmas present early.  Since then, it has been sitting on top of the fridge patiently waiting.

Celebrating my good friends birthday today, I cracked open the seal and made these two recipes;  chocolate-studded Grand Marnier ice cream and a dark chocolate orange soufflé.  Notice the soufflé didn’t even make it into the picture.  They were gone instantly – which is exactly how a soufflé should be eaten.  Happy Birthday S!

* Check out that wax seal on the bottle – I feel a little artistic obsession coming on.  Maybe a little seal will grace the backs of our Christmas cards this year- hummmm.

Weinhard’s root beer ice cream

This rootbeer has a special place in my heart.  When my husband proposed, he put together a lavish scavenger hunt, this was one of the tokens along the way.  That was almost 10 years ago!

• 1 bottle Weinhard’s root beer (minus a few sips)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup half & half
• 1 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp homemade vanilla

I have seen a number of recipes for root-beer ice-cream but they all called for root-beer extract.  I wanted Henry’s original recipe to be part of the concoction.  So I took a bottle (minus a few sips) and reduced it over medium heat with a 1/2 cup of sugar.  It took about 20-30 minutes to reduce into a thickened syrup about 3/4 cup.  In another pan warm the milk until small bubbles form around the sides.  Beat 3 eggs in a bowl and slowly temper by adding 1/2 – 1 cup of the hot milk to the bowl, while whisking.  pour the milk mixture back into the pan add the root-beer syrup, vanilla and warm slightly until it thickens.  Strain warm mixture and let it cool completely in the fridge.  Freeze using an ice cream maker according to your makers directions.  Continue to harden in the freezer.

I hope these directions all make sense, these steps are kind of like driving home now…. I kind of just go into auto-pilot.

apple cider ice cream with baked apples & walnuts

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup sugar
• One 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cups milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

This was adapted from this recipe.  When I first tasted this after being freshly churned I thought this was good.  But, the next day after it had completely hardened in the freezer, this was EXCELLENT! Can flavors continue to meld in the freezer?   Now I wish I made a larger batch….  I served this with simple baked apples.  Cut out the core, add raisins, 1 tsp brown sugar, and walnuts bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Bring it on, fall.

pumpkin latte spICE cream with chai infused whipped cream

If this doesn’t put me in the mood for fall, I don’t know what will!  I love seeing these on the menu at Starbucks but rarely get to a town where they have a store.  There are a number of recipes out there for pumpkin spice ice cream but like my drinks, I am always looking for ways to cut down the fat and calories.  According to the following definition this is more of a gelato than an ice cream… gelato recipes usually include more egg yolks, more milk and less cream. It actually has less fat than regular ice cream, but gelato’s low overrun (less air) makes for an extremely dense, rich and creamy treat. No stabilizers, no artificial coloring or flavors just the plain taste of fall.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Gelato

• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups 1% milk
• 2 Starbucks colombian VIA packets
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
•  1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

Beat the egg yolks and the granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light in color,  I used some farm fresh brown eggs from a friend so it was quite yellow.

Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream,milk, VIA packets, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring up to a simmer. Gradually ladle about 1 cup of the hot liquid into the egg yolk mixture, beating the entire time, to temper the eggs.  Pour the tempered egg mixture into the sauce pan and whisk well.

Add the pumpkin puree to the saucepan, and whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat until it has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Transfer into a covered glass container and place in the fridge.  Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions until the ice cream is a soft serve consistency.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 hours until the ice cream has hardened. If the ice cream has frozen too hard, simply allow it to set at room temperature for a few minutes.

* my little nut (age 4) has been working in the studio with me, check out her little pumpkin ornament!