TWD: Burnt Palm Sugar Ice Cream

It has been way too long since I've made ice cream. Every time I make it, I wonder why I don't do it more often, it's really so easy! I was really happy that the TWD bakers were tasked to churn some this week, because it forced me to pull out my ice cream maker for the first time in a very long time.

This is basically a caramel ice cream. First you make a simple caramel out of sugar and water, then add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, resulting in your ice cream base. Couldn't be easier!

This is a delicious, rich, deeply flavored creamy treat. One that even my little ones got to enjoy, since I used palm sugar in place of cane sugar.

Thanks so much to Becky of Project Domestication for this fun pick, the recipe can be found on her blog.

Also, my business is having a great giveaway on our Facebook page, enter here!

Ghee

Ghee is also known as clarified butter. It is an oil that is used quite a lot in Indian cooking. I grew up eating vegetarian Ayurvedic - the ancient Indian system of health - food, and ghee was something we always had on hand. It is quite pricey to purchase in a store, but you can make your own easily and much more affordably!

You can use ghee in place of any oil you normally cook with, and it is also a great alternative to butter, as it doesn't burn as easily. I use it for everything from stir-fry to toast, and it is just wonderful. My relatives were all very happy to receive a jar of it for Christmas this year.

It has a very distinctive, though mellow flavor, and a soft and creamy texture. You can store it in an air-tight jar at room temperature for months. Try some, won't you?

Ghee

butter (any quantity you desire)

Place butter in a pan that is about 4 times the capacity of the amount of butter you are using. Over the lowest heat possible on your burner, cook the butter until all of the solids have sunk to the bottom of the pan and the melted butter is completely clear - not cloudy in the least. It can take over an hour to reach this point, so don't be alarmed if it seems to be slow-going. You don't want the butter to be simmering vigorously, because the milk solids will get toasted, and you'll have a big pot of brown butter. After the butter becomes clear, gently ladle through a fine mesh sieve into a jar. Let the ghee cool to room temperature before putting a lid on the jar to avoid condensation. The amount of ghee you'll end up with will be slightly less than the amount of butter you started with.

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de Leche is everywhere these days; in brownies, on ice cream, in ice cream, as a filling for cookies, on cake - you name it. Unfortunately, though the store I shop at (an enormous locally-owned health food store) does sell pre-made Dulce de Leche, they don't sell organic Dulce de Leche. Though I don't know if this is exactly a downside, as homemade is always better.

I finally bit the bullet a few weeks ago and bought a can of sweetened condensed milk to make my own. When I saw that ever reliable David Lebovitz had a recipe on his site for it, I tried it out. It was simple enough - pour can of sweetened condensed milk into a glass pie plate, place that in a water bath, cover pie plate with aluminum foil and leave it in the oven at 425 for 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Well, the result was tasty, but it wasn't smooth. The final instruction was to whisk until smooth, but I could have whisked until my arm fell off and it wouldn't have made a difference. It had chunks. Small chunks, but chunks nonetheless. It was also a little chalky. I was slightly horrified that I was unable to execute such simple instructions...

A couple of weeks went by, and I was sent this wonderful box of goodies from an acquaintance at Heavenly Organics (as I was doing a tasting for them in a local store). Including sweetened condensed milk. I was determined to try again. With a different technique. The result was pure heaven. Smooth, rich, creamy Dulce de Leche. Lick-the-bowl-clean Dulce de Leche. I don't think there is anything it wouldn't be delicious on. The perfect addition to your holiday table.

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to make.

Dulce de Leche

Pour can of sweetened condensed milk into a heat-proof bowl, and place over simmering water. Leave it for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so with a whisk. Check the water periodically, adding more when necessary. The longer you leave it, the darker and thicker it will become. If you want it to be a sauce, pull it off the heat at around 1 1/2 hours. For thicker, scoop-able Dulce de Leche, it will be more like 3 hours. When your Dulce de Leche has reached your desired consistency, whisk it until smooth (though it should be nearly smooth already). Remember, it will thicken some as it cools, so keep this in mind when deciding how long to cook it for.

TWD: Vanilla Ice Cream (one week late)

First of all, my apologies to Mary of The Food Librarian she chose Dorie's classic banana bundt cake for this week's recipe, but after my husband's birthday party this past weekend - where I made a sweet and salty cake, an agave-sweetened ricotta cheesecake, blondies and browned butter shortbread (recipe tomorrow), I just couldn't make any more sweets. I will make this cake at some point, but for now, I have the vanilla ice cream from last week's TWD.

I wasn't able to make this for last tuesday, but after reading rave reviews on so many blogs - many said it was the best ice cream they had ever had. I was anxious to give it a shot.

I finally had a chance to make it one night last week. I started to heat my cream, I had all of my other ingredients ready, all was going well. I looked over at my pot to check on my cream, and what should be floating there but a moth, its wings disintegrating into the liquid. I had to toss it all, and I had no extra cream to start over with.

A few nights later, I tried it again, and this time I was successful!

The only change I made to the recipe was to sweeten it with agave. I used 1/2 cup for the full recipe of ice cream, and it was plenty sweet.

This was really yummy ice cream, but not the best vanilla I've ever had. Actually the brown sugar vanilla we made for SMS several weeks ago was probably the best. This wasn't nearly as creamy, and I honestly felt it was a bit of a waste of a vanilla bean... Vanilla extract would have worked just as well (which is actually what I used for the SMS ice cream). I'm sure it's a great base for all kinds of fun add-ins, though.

Thanks to Lynne of Cafe LynnyLu for selecting last week's recipe, and thanks to Mary of The Food Librarian for hosting this week. I promise I'll give the bundt a chance soon! I'll be out of town next week, but I'll try to bake in advance so I can keep up with the group.

Basil Ice Cream

As promised, here is my post on basil ice cream.

I wanted to love it. I love basil, I love ice cream, so I should love basil ice cream, right???

After seeing a couple renditions here and here, I knew I had to give it a try, but honestly I was disappointed. I thought it the basil flavor was too strong, and I liked it best when it was served with things such as a blueberry compote. I may try it again with less basil - I think it should be more of a subtle flavor rather than in-your-face. That could have been the fault of my basil, though, because it was rather strong. I think it is also a bit of an acquired taste, as I did like it more over time, but I never loved it. I'm fairly determined to love this ice cream, so I will probably take another shot or two at it.

I used the recipe from Baking Obsession as a reference, but tweaked it here and there. Actually, looking at that recipe again, I tweaked it a lot. The recipe was more of a loose guide. I also see that there was a tablespoon of lemon juice that I omitted - I think I just forgot to add it, because I almost always have lemons around. Maybe that would have made a difference in my opinion of it, I don't know. Here is what I did:

Basil Ice Cream

15g basil (about 1 cup, pressed down, but not tightly packed)

1/3 c agave syrup

3 c heavy cream

3 large egg yolks

1/8 tsp salt

Blend basil and agave in food processor until the basil has been chopped into very small pieces.

In a large saucepan with the burner on medium, heat the heavy cream until it is almost boiling. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and salt. Using a measuring cup, pour the hot cream 1/4 cup at a time into the eggs to temper them, whisking constantly. When you've poured in about 1 1/2 cups, return it all to the saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Immediately pour into a quart-sized jar with lid, and leave out to cool to room temperature. Then, place the jar in the refrigerator for several hours - or overnight - to chill completely. When mixture is chilled, blend with immersion blender for about 1 minute, then pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to churn.

SMS: Brown Sugar Vanilla Affogato

Affogato is one of my all time favorite desserts, and it is a wonder that it isn't served in more restaurants. Given the simplicity of it, perhaps the various pastry chefs feel that it doesn't showcase their talents enough... 

Affogato means "drowned in coffee" and is simply a scoop of ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over it. Heaven...

Not the easiest thing to photograph successfully - as you can see from the soupy mess above -but what it lacks in beauty, it more than makes up for in taste.

For Sweet Melissa Sundays this week, Karen of Karen's Cookies Cakes & More chose the brown sugar vanilla ice cream for all of us to make this week. 

Honestly, I wasn't excited. I've never been much of a vanilla ice cream person, and I put this off until the last possible minute. 

The recipe contains nonfat dry milk which is something I would normally skip if I saw it in a recipe - we drink raw milk fresh from the farm, so dehydrated dairy isn't really my cup of tea - but in the recipe notes, Melissa says that this is the secret ingredient. She states that it absorbs some of the moisture in the mixture and allows the ice cream to be extra creamy. 

I don't know if it was the dry milk, the 5 egg yolks or something else, but this was some of the most unbelievably creamy ice cream I have ever had. I even loved it on its own, which says a lot about how amazing it is. I think it would be a great base for all kinds of flavors.

I was going to post a few scoops of this creamy goodness naked in a bowl, when I noticed some coffee from breakfast still sitting in the French press, and I knew exactly what was to become of the ice cream.

Thanks to Karen for picking this surprisingly amazing recipe, please visit her blog for the recipe, and visit the SMS bakers page to see everyone else's yummy ice cream.

Roasted Plum Ice Cream

I was reading a blog not long ago that mentioned roasted plum ice cream, and I was intrigued. I bought plums in anticipation of making it, but I couldn't find the post for the recipe when I looked for it again. Then a week or so ago, Nancy of the wonderful blog The Dogs Eat the Crumbs posted plum ice cream, based on a David Leibovitz recipe, so I got right to work. 

This ice cream was fantastic. Slightly tart from the plums, light, so creamy and delicious. It was so easy to scoop even after being in the freezer for several hours. Unlike the peach ice cream I made a few weeks ago, which was quite difficult to scoop. 

I can see using this recipe for all kinds of fruit, and I will certainly be trying many out over the coming sweltering weeks. 

Best of all, this recipe is so easy because it isn't a custard base, and there is very little actual work involved. Also, it is free from refined sugar. My son loved it. 

The original recipe that Nancy linked to is here, but I made few changes. This is what I did:

Roasted Plum Ice Cream

8 plums, quartered with the skin on

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Rub oil into 8x8 baking dish, just so there is a light coating. Place plums in baking dish and pour 1/4 cup maple syrup over them. Toss with your hands until all plums are coated and place baking dish in oven. Keepp plums in oven for 30-35 minutes - stirring every 10 minutes - or until they have softened and the edges are browned and slightly caramelized. Remove from oven, cool for 15-20 minutes, then pour entire contents of pan into a 1 qt jar. Place lid on jar and refrigerate overnight or until completely chilled. When chilled, pour cream, water and the remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup in the jar, and blend with an immersion blender until plums are completely pureed. Put back in fridge while you ready your ice cream maker. Pour mixture into ice cream maker, and follow manufacturer's instructions. When churned, transfer to container with lid and place in freezer for at least 2 hours before eating. Enjoy! I know we did!

Food blogger in the making?

TWD: Honey-Peach Ice Cream

I was pretty excited to see this recipe in the June TWD line-up. Peaches are just coming into season, and it gave me a chance to pull out my all-too-infrequently-used ice cream maker.

Luckily, I planned ahead for this recipe better than I did for the cobbler of a couple weeks ago, and bought peaches early enough in advance so that they would ripen in time to make this ice cream. I am so glad I did. The ice cream is amazing.

Peach is not a flavor of ice cream that I ever buy at the store, or order at an ice cream parlor, but it is so delicious when homemade, so quintessentially summery. It was one of my grandfather's favorite flavors, so making and eating it made me think about him, wish he could be eating it with me... 

I made a few changes to the recipe:

- I cooked the peaches in maple syrup instead of honey - I grew up ascribing to the ancient Indian system of health called Ayurveda, in which the heating of honey is said to have negative health effects.

- I pureed all of the peaches after reading the P&Qs - people commented on the chopped peaches becoming icy chunks that weren't too pleasant

- I omitted the sugar from the custard and used a couple tablespoons of maple syrup. After tasting the peach mixture, I felt it was sweet enough, and without the sugar my 2 1/2 year old - who has never had sugar - would be able to eat it. 

I loved this ice cream. It was smooth, creamy, fresh, light, subtle, refreshing, amazing. Seeing as this is just the beginning of peach season, I think this ice cream will be making a few more appearances this summer.

Thank you to Tommi of Brown Interior for picking this wonderful recipe. Visit the TWD blogroll to see everyone else's ice creams.

- 

Tiramisu Cake

This week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe for Tiramisu Cake was chosen by Megan of My Baking Adventures. Tuesday's with Dorie has finally opened up its membership, and I've emailed to join (twice) but no word yet, so for now I'm still unofficial - though not for long!

Tiramisu is a traditional Italian desert that is made by soaking ladyfingers in espresso and topping them with a whipped mascarpone mixture. Dorie's version is a yellow layer cake soaked in espresso and topped (and filled) with a whipped mascarpone mixture. 

This was a fun cake to make, though incredibly time consuming - it took me 4 hours from start to finish. Of course, I do most of my baking while wearing my 6 month old in a baby carrier, so everything takes a little longer that it would normally. 

I substituted almond extract for the liqueur, and I made half the recipe in one 8" pan and cut the cake horizontally to make my layers. Other than that and topping it with finely chopped chocolate instead of cocoa powder, I stayed true to the recipe. 

I wish the layers of the cake were more evenly soaked with the espresso syrup, so if I make it again, I'll use different proportions on the layers than Dorie calls for. I really appreciate the addition of chocolate between the layers - without it the cake would be all one mushy texture.

I thought this was a very delicious cake, and though it has been a very long time since I've had tiramisu, the cake tasted exactly how I remember it. 

All in all I really loved this cake. I can't believe how many cakes I've been making lately, and enjoying - cake is not usually my thing... 

Great pick from Megan, please visit her blog for the recipe. 

Mascarpone

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe - tiramisu cake - mascarpone is one of the ingredients. Mascarpone is a rich creamy soft cheese used in Italian cuisine. I have been wanting to make it for some time, so this cake gave me the perfect excuse. 

I found two different recipes in cookbooks I have. One called for 2 cups heavy cream and 6 cups skim milk with a yield of 2 cups, the other called for 2 cups of cream and 1/4 cup of buttermilk with a 1 1/4 cup yield. The decision was obvious. 

It couldn't have been easier to make, and the result was heavenly! (though not terribly easy to photograph)

Mascarpone

adapted from Heaven's Banquet by Miriam Hospodar

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

Stir together cream and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Heat to lukewarm - 90 degrees. Careful not to overheat, as this will cause the mixture to curdle. When it reaches temperature, pour into glass jar, cover with a towel, and leave in a warm place for 24-36 hours, until thickened. Mine was about the consistency of a thick yogurt after 24 hours. Line a sieve with 2 layers of cheesecloth, place in a bowl so that the sieve is not touching the bottom of the bowl, spoon cheese into cheesecloth, cover and leave in refrigerator for several hours or over night. Remove cheese from cloth and store in an airtight container. Mascarpone will keep for a few days, but is best eaten the day it is made. 

Broccoli and Panir Wontons

In exploring new ways to use panir, I came up with these. I had egg roll wrappers in my fridge left over from my Vegetable Egg Rolls, so I had the idea for a kind of Chinese-Indian fusion recipe. I was very happy with the way they turned out, they were quite tasty, and very quick and easy to make.

Broccoli and Panir Wontons

2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

1 cup panir, cut into small cubes

1 cup chiffonaded spinach

1/4 cup roasted salted pistachios

1/4 cup thompson raisins

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil + more for frying wontons

1 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar

egg roll wrappers

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Lay out egg roll wrappers on dry surface - parchment paper works well - so that the points are facing up and down and to the sides, and prepare a small bowl of water to seal wrappers. When oil is hot, add cumin and stir until aroma is released, and a sort of paste has formed. Add broccoli and stir until well coated. Place lid on pan and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until broccoli begins to brown and soften. Remove lid, add raisins, coconut and pistachios, stir and cover for another 3-4 minutes. Remove lid and add spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. In another pan, pour 1/4" of olive oil, and place on medium heat. While oil is heating, spoon filling onto bottom half of egg roll wrappers (about 2 heaping tablespoons) making sure to leave 1/2" inch of space on the sides. Dip your fingers in the water and spread around the entire perimeter of wrapper. Fold empty side over filling so that edges meet up and press together. Fold edge over all the way around the two sides you just brought together. Place in hot oil. Fry until well browned. Turn over and repeat. You could also deep fry these. Place wontons on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately with basmati rice. Enjoy!  

Curried Kale and Panir

Here is a simple recipe using the panir from the previous post.

Curried Kale and Panir

2 cups cubed panir

1 1/2 large bunches of kale (lacinato or red russian are best)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Add oil to pan and turn on medium heat. When pan is hot, add spices and salt stir for a few seconds, until spices are well mixed.

 Add panir, stir and turn until all sides are well coated. 

When panir is browned on bottom, turn with tongs, and add cashews. When second side is browned, turn again and add kale. Put lid on pan. After a couple of minutes, when kale has wilted enough, turn so that kale is all coated with oil and spice mixture. Replace lid and cook kale until tender. Serve immediately with basmati rice.

Fresh Panir (Indian Cheese)

Mmmmm..... One of my favorite foods is panir, especially when it's homemade. It is a delicate, creamy Indian cheese that is really easy to make, and incredibly delicious. I usually make some kind of curried vegetable dish with it - see next post - but I'm planning on branching out a bit and making a veggie and panir tart later this week - watch for it!

Panir    

adapted from - you guessed it: Heaven's Banquet by Miriam Hospodar. I really do own other cookbooks...

3/4 gallon of whole milk 

3/4 quart of plain full fat yogurt

Prepare a large sieve lined with cheesecloth, place in sink (or large bowl if you want to save the whey. 

Bring milk to a boil - be careful of scorching and overflowing! Immediately add yogurt. Do not stir. Let mixture come back up to a boil - no need to worry about it overflowing at this point, the curds and whey will have begun to separate. Let it continue to boil for ~ 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, put lid on and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. 

Carefully spoon out curds into prepared sieve, breaking them up as little as possible. When you've spooned all you can, pour whey and remaining curds into sieve. Wrap curds with edges of cheesecloth and place weights on them to drain excess whey. 

I like to place a plate on top of the cheesecloth, then put jars of grains on top as the weights, making sure the weight is as evenly distributed as possible. Let sit for several hours or overnight. The longer it sits, the firmer the panir will end up. Unwrap the panir and cut portion you're using into cubes. Put the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep there for several days.