Gingerbread Ice Cream

I saw this cookbook called Gingerbread a couple of months ago and as I was flipping through it, I started to realize that I wanted to make everything in the book. I had no idea how I would ever narrow it down and choose a recipe to actually make. I thumbed through it again and bookmarked a bunch of things and then, last week I had 6 egg yolks hanging out in the fridge and I knew ice cream was the answer.

I saw Tracey's post about this ice cream last week and that just help verify the fact that I was going to make it.

This ice cream tastes and smells exactly like gingerbread! It is loaded with spices and molasses. Fresh ginger is steeped in the milk/cream mixture, so it really has a great ginger flavor. This is the perfect ice cream for the holidays. It tastes like the holidays! It also stays nice and creamy, even after spending time in the freezer. If you have a gingerbread fiend in the house, they will love this!

Here is the recipe for Gingerbread Ice Cream

Root Beer Ice Cream

For some reason, the last time I had leftover cream and egg yolks, I just couldn't think of an ice cream flavor to make. I have made so many different kinds that my mind just went blank. I decided to ask my family for suggestions and my son immediately said "Root Beer Ice CREAM!". So, the search began for a recipe. I found one pretty quickly and had to go to a couple of stores to find Root Beer Extract/Concentrate, but once I did, we were in business.

I thought the finished product tasted like a Root Beer Float and my family absolutely loved it.

Here is the recipe for Root Beer Ice Cream

Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream

I have been meaning to make this ice cream for my husband for a long time. He loves chocolate chip cookies and I knew it would be something that he would love. I don't know why I put it off for so long, but finally, a couple of weeks ago, when we had some friends over for dinner, this ice cream was on the menu for dessert, along with this ice cream.

The reason this is double Cookie Dough Ice Cream is because the ice cream base tastes like cookie dough and there are chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough churned into the ice cream.

This was very popular. It practically disappeared a few minutes after being served. Everyone raved and raved about it and I know that I will be making it again.


Here is the recipe for Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream as seen on Annie' Eats, who used the cookie dough from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, ice cream adapted from Joy the Baker

Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Last week we had some dear friends over for dinner. We split up the dinner responsibilities and decided that ice cream would be the perfect choice for dessert. I decided to make two different kinds of ice cream and this was one of them.

I have been holding onto this recipe since last fall because you can't make cherry ice cream without fresh cherries. Summer was the only logical time for me to make this ice cream. This is a no-custard needed ice cream, so it is fairly easy to mix up.

I didn't get to taste it because I am not eating sugar at all this month, but my daughters each had a small spoonful right after it was done churning and they declared it delicious. It might have something to do with the beautiful pinkish color of the ice cream, but I'm pretty sure it is mostly the flavor. :)

Have a good weekend!

Here is the recipe for Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
* I used semisweet chocolate
* I didn't add the Amaretto, but added 1 1/2 tsps of pure vanilla extract

S'mores Ice Cream

My siblings begged me to make this sweet treat while they were visiting. I had mentioned a couple of things that I had been wanting to make and when they heard S'mores Ice Cream- that was it. I like s'mores anything since graham crackers are a serious problem food for me, so I decided it would be better to make this ice cream when I had extra mouths around to eat it.

I had a couple of issues getting my ice cream to the right consistency because my countertop Ice Cream Maker couldn't handle the hot ice cream mixture. I wrote more about it below the recipe.

Once we got a couple of problems worked out and we added more toasted marshmallows, we were in business. This ice cream was delish. A friend who tasted it a couple days after it had churned said it was the best ice cream he had ever tasted. If you like s'mores or any or all of the flavors involved in s'mores, I'm positive you will love this ice cream.

Here is the recipe for S'mores Ice Cream
* I used Jet Puff marshmallows
* I tried to make this recipe the way it said to, but my ice cream maker couldn't handle the hot mixture, so I put it in the freezer to thicken up a little bit and then rechurned it. The marshmallow flavor wasn't very pronounced so I toasted a bunch more jet puffed marshmallows under the broiler and just stirred them into the ice cream. This was fabulous- it left some larger chunks of marshmallow in the ice cream that were soo yummy.

* I added more graham crackers than called for

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

For this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club, Sandi decided that we should get out of the kitchen and have a BBQ!

Sandi started us off with Scallops Grilled on Rosemary. Sounds like a pretty great way to get the menu going to me. We have a few appetizers to add to that- Roz picked Grilled Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms and Val decided on Barbeque Chicken Sliders with Pickled Onions.

We've got some great sides to round out the rest of the meal as well. Jerry prepared a Grilled Vegetable Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing and Jamie made Thyme Potatoes.

Once again, after looking at this menu, I am trying to decide which of these dishes I want to try next. They all look and sound amazing!

This time I chose a dessert. Ice Cream is something that I associate with summer and grilling out. I have many memories of having special homemade ice cream to go along with something that my dad would fix on the grill. I decided to finish off our meal this month with Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Blueberries are in season and really, who doesn't want something as decadent as ice cream and cheesecake combined into a lighter dessert?

This ice cream has a few steps that require the stove top, but they only take a few minutes. They you can churn your beautiful purple custard into creamy, dreamy ice cream.

A few thoughts about this ice cream. I didn't really think that it had a strong cheesecake flavor, so if you don't like cheesecake, don't let that scare you off.
I also felt like it was just a little bit too sweet- next time I would reduce the amount of sugar that goes into the cream cheese/sugar/egg yolk mixture. I think you could take out about 1/2 cup and probably still be ok. Other tasters thought it was perfect, as is. But my preference would be to make it a little less sweet. It was still mighty delicious. The perfect afternoon treat to cool us down after day at the pool.

Make sure you check out what the other members of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club prepared for this month's BBQ and get inspired to step out of the kitchen!



Here is the recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream from Cooking Light

Mint Brownie Ice Cream Pizza Pie

This is the last thing I baked before my brother left. It's a crazy concoction that we decided to call Mint Brownie Ice Cream Pizza Pie.

I'm not sure how this idea came about but my kids started talking about Ice Cream Pizza and I wanted to make the idea come to life. When thinking about it in my mind I decided that brownies would be the "crust", ice cream would be the "sauce", whipped cream and Peppermint Patties would be the "toppings" and sprinkles would be the "cheese". This was a thick pizza.

First, I made a batch of Thin Mint Brownies, but with Grasshopper Cookies instead of Thin Mints, in a 9-inch springform pan.
Then, I mixed chopped Cool Mint Oreos into some vanilla ice cream that we had in the freezer. I prefer lots of mix-ins when it comes to ice cream, so this ice cream was loaded.

I let the brownies cool and then I spread the ice cream mixture on top of the brownies and put the whole thing back in the freezer so the ice cream could firm up. This was not a good idea.

When I was ready to serve a piece of this pizza thing and top it with the whipped cream and sprinkles, cutting through it was an absolute joke. The brownie was rock hard.
So, I did what any person might do to save the dessert and scrapped off the ice cream layer from the brownie base. I put the ice cream back in the freezer and let the brownie thaw for a little while.
When the brownie was unfrozen and cut-able, I cut wedges of it and topped them with ice cream by spoon.
Then I piped the whipped cream on top of the ice cream, sprinkled sprinkles and put a Peppermint Patty on top.

Here is a diagram.
This dessert was quite decadent. It was a complete hit with my brother, my husband and my son. One of my daughters just ate the ice cream, whipped cream and sprinkles/candy. I thought the brownie was a little too much with all the other elements. I would've been just as happy with just the ice cream and a Peppermint Patty, but it was fun to create and certain members of our family ate more than one piece (I don't know how they managed it, because this was one heck of a sugar overload). Thank goodness we had a healthy dinner (just the vinaigrette over lots of mixed salad greens) before trying this dessert.

There isn't really a recipe for the entire thing, just a method to the madness. If nothing else, at least it will be a fun experiment!


Here is the recipe for the Thin Mint Brownies via the Food Librarian
* I used Grasshopper Cookies
* I baked my brownies in a 9-inch springform pan

I mixed 1/2 pkg of chopped Cool Mint Oreos into some Vanilla Ice Cream and returned it to the freezer until needed

I topped it all off with sweetened whipped cream- a tsp of vanilla extract and a few Tablespoons of powdered sugar- to taste- beat into heavy cream until stiff peaks form

Sprinkles and York Peppermint Patties were the final topping

Peppermint Ice Cream

There are so many delightful holiday flavors and I love almost all of them.
One of my favorites right now is Peppermint.
I made a Cooking Light version of Peppermint Ice Cream last year, and while it was pretty good for a lighter choice, with ice cream, I think that the real, full fat version produces better results. My family definitely agreed with me on that when I made this ice cream.
This recipe came from Simply Recipes, which happens to be the place where I found one of our favorite ice cream recipes earlier this year-Mint Chocolate Chip.

I happened to have 8 egg yolks in my fridge, leftover from my daughters birthday cake, so this recipe was the perfect way to use them.

This ice cream was silky, smooth and perfectly peppermint-y.
My husband loved it. He ate most of it. And whenever he loves the ice cream I make, I consider it a huge success.
This ice cream was so creamy and delicious. The perfect peppermint treat!




Recipe for Peppermint Ice Cream
* I used 2 cups whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream
* I used 2 tsp Peppermint extract

Candy Corn Ice Cream

Happy Halloween!!!


Recipe for Candy Corn Ice Cream
from
Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Pumpkin Pie Shake

I had a little bit of pumpkin in the fridge, leftover from some sort of baking adventure and decided it would be fun to make a shake out of it.
I remembered seeing a Pumpkin Pie Shake in Cooking Light many years ago, so I looked it up and decided to go for it.
I used a combination of vanilla frozen yogurt and vanilla ice cream in this shake. I didn't have pumpkin pie spice, so I just sprinkled in some cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
I don't ever use Cool Whip, so once I poured this into glasses, I just added a tiny scoop of ice cream to top it off.

This was really good! It had great flavor and was so simple to throw together.
I love that it really did taste nice and pumpkin-y.
My family loved this shake.

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie Shake
* I used a combination of vanilla frozen yogurt and vanilla ice cream

Lemon Ice Cream with Lemon Curd Swirl and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies

It seems like I always have either leftover egg whites or egg yolks that I need to do something with. The whites usually go in the freezer until I accumulate lots of them because then I can make angel food cake.
I use the yolks within a few days and ice cream or pastry cream seem to be the easiest way to use them up.
I had some leftover lemon curd that I had made for some mini cupcakes and since I really don't like to waste things like that, I was hoping I could incorporate it into whatever ice cream I decided to make. I also had tons of lemons, so lemon ice cream won out.
This recipe makes a deliciously tart and bright lemon ice cream. The lemon juice, zest and sugar are combined first and chilled. Then the egg yolks are tempered with the hot milk. After both of those components are thoroughly chilled, they are combined with the cream. The technique makes for a very smooth finished product. I swirled my leftover lemon curd into the ice cream base, after it was done churning.
I thought this ice cream would be great for an ice cream sandwich so I searched until I found a chewy cookie that I thought would make a good base. I found this recipe on My Baking Addiction and Jamie said herself that she liked the lime version of this cookie better than the lemon, but I was willing to take my chances.
These cookies were perfect for the ice cream.

My son could hardly wait for the pictures to be taken because he really wanted to eat this ice cream sandwich.
He begged me to take some photos of him "posing" with the dessert, so I did.

He was not disappointed by this dessert in the least!

Ultimate Lemon Ice Cream from Tartlette
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar or 2/3 cup agave nectar
4 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream

In a non-reactive bowl, mix the lemon zest, juice and sugar (or agave nectar). Refrigerate one to two hours to blend flavors.

In a large bowl, slightly beat the egg yolks to break them up. Heat milk to barely boiling in a large heavy saucepan.
Whisk 1/4 of the milk into the egg yolks to temper them and then whisk in the rest of the milk. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and gently heat (do not boil) until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Combine milk mixture with heavy cream and lemon mixture. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies as seen on My Baking Addiction

adapted from Rock Recipes

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of one large lemon, finely minced
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.
4. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest.
5. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Makes approximately 24-30 cookies depending on size

Fig Giveaway! and Fresh Fig Ice Cream

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Cristina, who asked me if I was interested in receiving a shipment of figs from the California Fig Advisory Board.
I thought it was very interesting that she contacted me just 1 day after my father-in-law left some fresh figs from his backyard at my house and the same day that I had used some of them in this delicious Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. That was my first experience baking with fresh figs.

I jumped at the chance to receive more figs and was excited when they arrived in the mail last week.
I had spotted a recipe for Fresh Fig Ice Cream in David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop and that was the first thing on my list to make with my figs.
It couldn't have been easier to make either. I just cut up some figs, put them in a saucepan with a little water, let them get tender, added a little sugar, then let the mixture become soft and jam-like. Then you let the fig mixture cool a little bit, put it in the food processor with a little cream and lemon juice, puree and the only thing left to do is let it cool and churn it in your ice cream maker.
Because figs have such a beautiful color and flavor, this ice cream is unbelievably delicious. I think it is my new favorite.

We have been eating them fresh, adding them to salads, pairing them with a little cheese and enjoying them quite a bit. I even received some dried figs, which I can't wait to use.
I have been given the chance to giveaway a case of fresh figs!
If you are interested just leave a comment on this post, making sure to leave a way for me to contact you. This giveaway will close on Saturday, August 28th at 12 am, midnight.

Here are some interesting "Fig Facts".

Did you know?

· There are five varieties of California figs; each with distinct flavor profiles.

· The fig tree is the symbol of abundance, fertility, and sweetness.

· Figs provide more fiber than any other common fruit or vegetable.

· Although considered a fruit, the fig is actually a flower that is inverted into itself.

· Figs contain natural humectants – properties that extend freshness and moistness in baked products.

· Figs are fat-, sodium- and cholesterol-free.

· California fig growers produce 100 percent of the nation’s dried figs and 98 percent of the country’s fresh figs.

To learn more about California fresh and dried figs, visit www.calfreshfigs.com or www.californiafigs.com.

Fresh Fig Ice Cream
From David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

2 lbs fresh figs (about 20)
1/2 cup of water
1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed, lemon juice, or more to taste (I added the juice of 1/2 lemon)

Remove the hard stem ends from the figs, then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium, nonreactive suacepan with the water, and zest the lemon directly into the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8-1o minutes until the figs are tender.

Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook until it reaches a jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Blend together with cream and lemon juice, chill in the fridge and then put in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions.

TWD- Quick Classic Berry Tart and last week's Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

This week's TWD recipe, Quick Classic Berry Tart, was chosen by Cristine- who blogs over at Cooking with Cristine. You can find the recipe on her blog.
When I saw this pick my first thought was - Easy. Wierd, how Dorie's book has completely transformed me into a baker who thinks making pastry cream and a tart crust is a piece of cake. We have done it so many times with TWD that it is easy.

I took my girls to a local farm to pick strawberries, so I knew that strawberries would make an appearance on our tarts. I also found blackberries & blueberries on sale, so we had all three.
I decided to make mini tarts and give them away. I made 1/3 recipe of the pastry cream, using a combination of skim milk and half&half (I didn't have any whole milk) and the whole tart dough recipe. I made 3 mini tarts- pressed the dough into the pans and then pressed the rest of the dough into a larger tart pan. I put them all in the freezer. The next day, I baked the mini tart shells, filled them with cream and decorated them with berries. I used Simply Fruit (raspberry & blackberry) as the glaze on my tarts. The amount of pastry cream I made filled the 3 mini tarts perfectly.

I took one to my neighbor across the street who gives me fresh eggs from his chickens- since I used his eggs. And the other 2 to my in-laws.

Of course all those who tasted the tarts raved about their deliciousness. Who thought anything else would happen?

Go check out the other beautiful tarts that my fellow TWDer's made this week!
Since I had the eggs out and was making a mess in the kitchen anyway, I decided to mix up the custard for the Burnt Sugar Ice Cream that was chosen by Becky last week. It was the most fun I have ever had making ice cream. Watching the caramel seize into a big blob when you add the cold milk/cream (I used 1 cup of skim milk & 1 cup of half&half instead of 2 cups whole milk) and then having it come together into a smooth mixture was so fun to experience. Everyone raved about it last week and rightfully so- It is one of the best ice creams I have ever tasted. My husband was amazed by the silky texture and delicious taste.
The recipe is HERE. If you need more encouragement to make it, check out the links from all the TWD members who made it.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream and my mom's Rhubarb Cake

Okay, I know someone is going to argue with me on this next one, but it is absolutely the truth- I have the best Mom that has ever lived on this planet. Hands down. No competition.
Sorry folks, it is just a fact.

My mom is amazing. She is awesome. She is nice. She is my best friend. Sometimes I wish she could raise my kids because she would probably do a better job of it.
She listens, she cares, she is soft-spoken and she is my hero. I can only hope that I will turn out as great as she is.

I feel lucky that she always made healthy food for us to eat. I remember when she weaned us down to skim milk. We ate lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, a little meat/poultry and minimal sweets.
I feel so blessed to have grown up eating this way because I really think it has made a difference in my own family's way of eating.
We were lucky to live close to my grandparents who had a huge garden and my dad had one too, so we always had tons of fresh things to eat. We canned them too, so they would last all year.

Rhubarb was one of the items we grew up eating. I remember this cake and when I bought rhubarb and was debating what to make with it, the final thing I thought about was this cake. I was also very curious about the Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream in Cooking Light Magazine, so we made both.
First, the ice cream. It was really, really good. I was surprised because sometimes lower fat ice creams don't taste great, but this one used egg yolks and actually was made with a custard, so I knew it would probably turn out yummy. It did. I used cran-raspberry juice instead of wine to cook down my rhubarb (a suggestion included in the recipe) and my girls helped me make all the different parts.
I made the cake that afternoon and we invited some friends over to play, with this being our little treat. It was enjoyed by everyone. The little bit of ice cream that survived, was devoured by my girls the next morning for breakfast. (Fruit + dairy + eggs =Breakfast. Right?)

The cake originally called for shortening, but I don't use that, so I have adapted it to use butter instead. It is more like a coffee cake or upside down cake than anything else and sometimes the cinnamon-y topping sinks to the bottom. It is so delicious. I think it might be passed down from my grandma, but just call it my mom's cake because she always made it for us. You should give it a try- you won't be sorry. I promise.

Happy Mother's Day!


My mom's Rhubarb Cake
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup +2 Tbls buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped rhubarb
Topping:
2 Tbls butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 or 11x7-inch pyrex/glass pan with baking spray (with flour).
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl, until fluffy and well combined. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Add half of the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add half the buttermilk and beat until combined. Add remaining flour and then remaining buttermilk. Gently fold in the chopped rhubarb.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl with your fingers, until mixed. Sprinkle evenly over the batter.
Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden and the middle is cooked through.
Serve immediately or let cool and serve later.
This cake is good the next day too.


Recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream from May 2010 Cooking Light
*Note- I did not strain the strawberry-rhubarb puree before I stirred it into the custard
and I used cran-raspberry juice instead of the wine