Mint and Chip Ice Cream eggless

Happy Star Wars Day!
May the Fourth be with you...

"Waa Waa You never make the flavors I want", ring in my ears again!  OK!  since discovering the eggless recipe ice cream is a snap, "What do you want?"  "Mint and Chip like you made for my birthday."  Fine, whipped it up and in walks another one..."Waa Waa, You never make the flavors I want...Cherry Garcia!"

I found the secret to making mint ice cream is Do Not Cook the Mint in the cream base.  Cooking the mint causes an overwhelming mint flavor like toothpaste mint.  Allow the mint to seep like fine tea.

Years ago, I eagerly started my garden planting herbs, no one told me only plant mint in pots or it will take over everything.  Today, we pull mountains of mint every month - peppermint, spearmint,...I promised myself to start making my own tea so what better flavor? 

Mint and Chip Ice Cream 

sans eggs
{note if you prefer a richer ice cream reduce milk and increase cream}

2 cups whole milk 

1/2 cup  cream

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch [non gmo I used Rumford]

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh mint

chocolate – chips or broken pieces add to suit your taste a lot or a little

1. Mix milk and cream together
2. Pour all but 1/2 cup into saucepan along with sugar and salt over medium-low heat [I used my stirchef for a constant stir]
3. Cook until mixture begins to steam
4. In a bowl, blend cornstarch and remaining milk mixture - there should be no lumps
5.  Add cornstarch mixture to pot
6. Cook, stirring, until it starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil
7. Stir in vanilla extract
8. Remove from heat
9. Cool mixture slightly
10. Blend careful since most blenders can not handle hot liquid
11. or
12. If mixture has lumps, strain it into a bowl
13. Add mint
14. Cover and refrigerate after an hour
15. Remove mint after 2 hours
16. Return to refrigerator until cold
17. Remove from refrigerator and blend in blender [lucky me I used my vita-mixer] for optimum smoothness
18. Option one melt chocolate // option two leave chocolate as is
19. Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions
20.  Right before ice cream is done for option one using a fork flick chocolate on to churning ice cream for option two throw chocolate in
21. Enjoy

Yield: 1 generous pint.

Egg less Coffee Ice Cream

I really do not like eggs, so I decided after days, weeks, months of begging for ice cream to find an egg less recipe.  Lo and Behold, a recipe by Mark Bittman via the New York Times caught my eye.   The harshest critic in the house gave rave reviews to this recipe and I am so so happy because it is so easy.  Although the recipe states you can use lowfat milk and half and half, I stuck with regular milk and cream.  By the way, the ice cream stays soft in the freeze akin to soft serve.

I am a gadget freak and one of my newest and favorite is the "Stir Chef".  It stirs so I don't have to!  Mixed reviews on Amazon but, I love it.

Egg-less Coffee Ice Cream

by Mark Bittman
adapted

2 cups whole milk 

1/2 cup  cream

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch [non gmo I used Rumford]

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

coffee to taste - freshly ground

1. Mix milk and cream together
2. Pour all but 1/2 cup into saucepan along with sugar and salt over medium-low heat [I used my stirchef for a constant stir]
3. Cook until mixture begins to steam
4. In a bowl, blend cornstarch and remaining milk mixture - there should be no lumps
5.  Add cornstarch mixture to pot
6. Cook, stirring, until it starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil
7. Stir in vanilla extract and freshly ground coffee [I used Trader Joe's French Roast]
8. If mixture has lumps, strain it into a bowl
9. Cover and chill until cool, a couple of hours
10. Remove from refrigerator and blend in blender [lucky me I used my vita-mixer] for optimum smoothness
11. Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions

Yield: 1 generous pint.

S'More Bon Bon

Executive Pastry Chef Ben Roche at Moto in Chicago creates the most amazing S’More Bombs.  So of course when I got my hands on his recipe, I had to give them a try the amateur way … without all of the necessary tools (I hang my head in shame considering my kitchen is overflowing with gadgets but not one sphere ice cube tray, ugh).  Time to pull out my brand spanking new Vitamixer, love it!  Everyone thought these were the bomb!  Even though they were wickless.  Next time suggestions from the peanut gallery – add some toasted marshmallow either under the chocolate (ha, that should make the chocolate stick better) or on the outside of the chocolate

I scooped my spheres or I should say oblongs.  You must use a Vitamixer and because the graham cracker emulsifies with the milk and becomes one.  The flavor is cool graham cracker richness.

 

Then attempted to dip in chocolate (fail)  I must seek out cocoa butter – but where?  Google and you will get 100’s of hits for lotion.  I need to call local health food stores.

S’More Bon Bons

Inspired by Ben Roche

His recipe follows

 

Graham Cracker Frozen Ice Milk

30 Servings

1 packs (120g) graham crackers

1 1/2 cups (350 ml) whole milk

1 T (15 g) dark brown sugar

salt

~ place all the above into high speed blender, blend 1-2 min. until puree becomes warm so the fat from the graham crackers can emulsify with the milk.

~ chill puree in an ice bath or covered in the refrigerator.

~ make in ice cream maker according to manufacture

~ freeze overnight.

~ scoop out into rounds and place on parchment paper

~place back into freezer several hours or overnight

and here is where it went wrong for me…

the chocolate dip so read below

S'MORE BOMBS

From Food Arts Magazine

Ben Roche

50 Servings

Graham cracker puree:

2 packs (240g) graham crackers

3 cups (700 ml) whole milk

2 T (30 g) dark brown sugar

salt

~  place all the above into high speed blender, blend 1-2 min. until puree becomes warm so the fat from the graham crackers can emulsify with the milk.

~ chill puree in an ice bath or covered in the refrigerator.

~ pour into ice cube trays, preferably a 2 part ice cube tray that makes spheres for the 'bomb' like look.  Freeze overnight.

~  remove frozen graham spheres from trays.

~  reserve in freezer.

Chocolate Covering:

6 1/2 T (100 g) cocoa butter

17 1/2 oz (500 g) dark chocolate

~  heat cocoa butter and chocolate together in your microwave to approximately 100 degrees F or until completely melted (stir occasionally so cocoa butter doesn't separate from the chocolate.)

~  press a wooden skewer (I used lollipop sticks but a pointed skewer would probably work better) into each frozen graham cracker ball.

~ dip in chocolate coating.  Tap each ball a few times to remover chocolate and get a thinner and crisper chocolate shell.

~  place on a plate or try lined with plastic or a non-stick baking mat.

~ remover skewer when chocolate has set. (a few seconds).  Make sure to leave a hole for the 'wick.'

~ reserve in refrigerator a minimum of three hours for the frozen graham crackers to melt back into a liquid

back into a liquid state. 

Marshmallow "wicks:"

12 Dried cellophane noodles (thicker varieties work best)

~  heat oil in medium saucepan over medium low heat to 350-400 degrees. 

 ~  deep fry cellophane noodles until the pull and crisp up (about 10 seconds); remover from oil.

~ set on paper towels to drain and dry.

~ break into 1 1/2 to 2 inch long 'wicks' by hand; reserve in a dry place.

Assembly:

~ insert wick in ball.

~ plate a single ball on each plate

~ light the wick; once it burns out eat the bomb and wick all in one bite!

roasted marshmallow ice cream - s'more ice cream sandwich

Summer is coming to a close...eighteen days till school starts, hee hee hee!  Ah, the sweet smell of backpacks, freshly sharpened pencils and new tennis shoes.  

They cry, "I want s'more summer vacation".  I reply, "s'mores you want s'mores?"  I just happen to see a fabulous s'more pop on the blog 52 Kitchen Adventures but, for you I will concoct an ice cream sandwich with roasted marshmallow ice cream and chocolate covered graham crackers. 

The smell wafting through the house wakes them up.  “mmmm smells like cotton candy.”

The youngest taste tester comments, “yum I want more.  I taste the marshmallow and a bit of caramel in the burned pieces”.

As we are spreading the chocolate on the graham crackers my youngest says to me, “you know I don’t like graham crackers”.

My gelato maker some how blending all of the burned bits into the ice cream so it is smooth with tiny flavor bursts of toasted marshmallow.

S’more Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream
10 ounces marshmallow fluff more or less depending on your preference
1 cup whole milk
1 cup 1% milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
1t vanilla

~ spread marshmallow fluff on foil covered baking sheet and toast until brown
~ in a heavy bottom sauce pan combine milks, cream and toasted marshmallow fluff
~ place over medium-low heat
~ stir occasionally until temperature reaches 170 degrees  and tiny bubbles start to form
~ meanwhile put egg yolks in a round medium size pyrex and whisk until smooth
~ add sugar to yolks and whisk until thick and pale
~ IMPORTANT PART
~ temper your egg yolks by taking about 1/2 cup of hot milk/cream mixture and slowly pour into yolks while whisking yolks...keep it moving or you will end up with scrambled eggs
~ continue adding about 1/2 cup at a time slowly until you have added about 1 1/2 to 2 cups
~ pour egg mixture into remaining milk/cream mixture in pan
~ cook over low heat stirring frequently until mixture reaches 185 degrees (do not boil)
~ remove from heat and add vanillia
~ cool and place in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight
~ pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to ice cream makers instructions

Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers

from Paula Deen

adapted

4 ounces white chocolate chips

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

3T heavy cream

1T 1% milk

graham crackers

~ place chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl

~ heat in microwave at 50% power for 20 seconds

~ stir and heat again at 50% power another 20 seconds

~  my microwave is a wimp so I had to repeat another 20 seconds at 50% power followed by 10 seconds.  Microwave will vary.

~ remove from microwave stir and add milk

~ break graham cracker in half and dip one side of half in chocolate

~ take the other half and sandwich the chocolate side and slide to coat other half

~ set on baking sheet

~ repeat until you have desired amount

~ place in freeze until ready to use

 

assembly

~ remove graham crackers from freeze

~ place a good size dollop of ice cream on one side and top with other side

~ eat and enjoy

blind ambition part one: hand dipped drumsticks

Another birthday party and of course we must break the cupcake trend and tickle the young pallets with a cool treat.  I plowed through my cookbooks and came up empty handed and resorted to the internet.  I found my pot of gold on  Baking Bites blog.

I still remember my first cone in Europe, so different then the American version.  The chocolate inner coating and plug delighted me.  How ingenious!

So I come up with these wacky ideas and truly think I can throw them together quickly and they will be easier then the tradition cake.  After all don't they do just that on all of the cooking shows?  However, what we do not see are all the people behind the scenes prepping. Ummm, something to do over the summer make my kids sous chefs and dish washers.  I will buy them fancy aprons and dish washing gloves.

Fun, yum, fantastic...I would like to make the outer shell thinner and had some difficulty getting the chocolate to stick after the first dozen (add more butter to the chocolate).  I made three dozen.  The biggest feat was making room in my freezer (junky french door refrig.).

Hand Dipped Drumsticks

from Baking Bites

adapted

1/2 gallon ice cream (any flavor), slightly softened
8 sugar cones
1 1/4 cups semisweet/dark chocolate chips (trader joes are great!)
5+ tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted/salted peanuts, almonds, nerds, sprinkles........any thing your heart desires

~ melt about 1/4 cup of chips in microwave working in 30 second increments
~ using a mini tiny whisk plop a chunk in the bottom of the cone and swirl chocolate around inner cone (see most fabulous picture)
~ use a butter knife to fill each of the cones with ice cream, then top off with a rounded scoop of ice cream ~ ~ place each ice cream cone in the freezer as you finish, either placing them inside the narrow glasses (or other stand) to hold them upright or laying them on the parchment-lined baking sheet
~ freeze for at least 3 hours.
~ melt the remaining chocolate chips with 3 tbsp of butter in the microwave, working in 30 second increments
~ choose a small bowl because it makes dipping easier
~ stir in remaining butter
~ chocolate should be smooth and relatively thin
~ working with one ice cream cone at a time, dip the frozen ice cream scoops in chocolate, rotate to coat quickly dip chocolate into topping
~ return to freezer
~ chill at least 1-2 hours before serving
~ store in airtight bags.

 everyone loved them 

Happy Birthday B

I -- Scream!

I looked at the recipe.  I printed the recipe.  I read the recipe.  I was distracted with a million questions while attempting to make the recipe. ACK!  The sugar gets mixed in the the eggs and not cooked with the cream base.  Too late to separate the sugar from the cream, if that was even possible.  Not to worry, this kind of error has happen a million times to me.  Balancing act needed as well as ear plugs!  Add a few splashes of milk, a bit more vanilla in paste form and sugar to the yolks this time and hope it all comes together.  To the despair of the critics the creaminess needs to cure in the fridge over night, but not without a taste test.  The spoon goes into the mouth and comes out clean and the thumb goes up.  Confetti falls from the sky...not really.  Twenty four hours passes and it's time to rev up The Delonghi Gelato Maker (Happy Birthday to ME).  Twenty minutes later and rich creaminess delights the eyes.  Sorry kids bedtime (insert evil laugh here!)  I dish a bowl to the man who cries, "Give me Hagen Daz or give me nothing".  Comments include rich but not as rich as Hagen Daz, creamy, could use more vanilla and more refreshing then Hagen Daz.  What was that again?  Did I hear right?  Refreshing, better and you would rather have mine, score!

Vanilla Bean Gelato My Way

5 eggs yolks at room temp, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar (bit less then 1/4 c to balance)
2 c organic whole milk (1/2 c more to balance)
1 1/2 cup organic heavy cream
1 whole vanilla bean, split and seeded  (1/2 t vanilla bean paste)
pinch of sea salt


In a medium, deep sauce pot combine milk, cream, salt, vanilla seeds/pod (I added the sugar here 1/2 c and vanilla paste) and bring to a scald.  Let steep covered for 20 minutes then bring back to a scald.  Pour your hot cream through a fine strainer to remove the pod and any skin that may have formed as the cream steeped.   In a large metal bowl combine eggs and sugar (only less then 1/4 c in the other went in cream base) thoroughly with a whisk.  Pour cream into eggs very very very slowly to avoid overcooking and "scrambled" egg.  Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (low heat) and cook 8-10 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides continuously for even cooking.  Strain again* and cool completely in the fridge about overnight.  Churn in your machine according to the instructions until you have the consistency of thick soft serve.  Place in a freezer safe container to set overnight.

*after make this I realized I should just refrigerated the custard in the gelato machines metal bowl.  If you are lucky like me and transitioned from freezer bowl to compression machine, you might want to give this a whirl.

* I always strain after completion of egg custard. Who wants egg lumps in their gelato/ice cream?