Ice Cream Alchemy

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream (Cashew/Almond base)

2010-08-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

After many failures, I have finally figured out what I would like to use for my base. As mentioned in my Mocha Latte post, I figured out that cashew milk is not only delicious, but a very simple substitute for dairy! After messing around with the ratios a LOT, I have finally decided to reveal the most successful one thus far.

Cashew/Almond Base

(Obviously do NOT use this if you have nut allergies!)

2c. almond milk

1c. sugar

2c. cashews

4T. kuzu root (ground to powder)

Slowly heat the almond milk and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add kuzu powder and continue to heat until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Make sure you are keeping control of the heat- not too hot! Pour the mixture over the cashews and allow to sit for 4 hours. Puree the mixture and strain. When straining, be careful not to push the cashew grounds through the sieve. You may stir the liquid in the strainer, but do not force the liquid through.

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

1qt. cashew/almond base

1/2c. vegan chocolate chips

2T. chocolate liquor

1 large brownie or 3 regular/small brownies

In a double boiler, heat chocolate chips and 1T chocolate liquor. As the chocolate chips begin to melt, add the base 1/4c. at a time. By the time you finish adding the liquid, the chocolate should be fully melted. Cool the mixture. Add remaining 1T chocolate liquor. Churn the mixture until thick. Fold chunks of brownie into the ice cream and transfer to freezer-friendly container. Freeze until firm and enjoy!

This ice cream is delicious when paired with a glass of shiraz.

Blueberry Nectarine Sorbet

2010-07-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

No, it's not baby food- while it may not look as delicious as some other sorbets, I assure you this seasonal delight is delectable! I decided to use a different method this time because I wanted to maintain the fresh fruit flavor rather than the "oooh...pie" flavor of cooked fruit.

In order to achieve this, I macerated the fruits in sugar. This created a sort of thick syrup, so all I had to do was add a little water and voila! No stovetop needed for this puppy- the simple syrup basically creates itself! I topped the ice cream with a little heated up apricot preserves for a little extra sweetness.

Blueberry Nectarine Sorbet

7ea. nectarines

1 1/2c. blueberries

1c. sugar

1c. water

1T blueberry vodka (regular works too)

Wash and carefully peel your nectarines. This is a project- sit down in front of your favorite show and take your time. If your nectarines are as ripe as they should be, you will need to be very careful- use a paring knife please! Once you have peeled the nectarines, cut the fruit away from the pit. Make sure you get as much as you can!

In a bowl, combine the nectarine pieces, blueberries, and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Add water & vodka. Puree in blender or food processor. Put through a strainer. Churn & freeze!

This is the first sorbet I've made in awhile that isn't crystal-y and has a smooth texture. I am very happy with how this one turned out! Let me know how it works out for you :)

Concept: Don't Call Me Shirley! Sorbet

2010-07-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

I have been sitting here, all morning, pouting because I want to make ice cream. Needless to say, this desire has struck the day before payday when I am unable to galavant and find interesting ingredients. So I do what every ice cream making fiend does- I rummage! What do you do when life gives you lime juice, grenadine, and cherries? Make Shirley Temples of course! And dollface, you are the inspiration for today's ice cream adventure.

Non-traditional (aka fruitless) sorbets are quite difficult because you are basically manipulating sugar water to not taste like...well...sugar water. These NTS are usually best accomplished if you are working with a concept that will not be achieved by adding dairy. Teas, extracts, herbs, and spices are usually what work best with the NTS but can also wind up being terrible.

I currently would much rather be playing around with the reactions of non-dairy yogurts in ice cream, but alas, that will have to wait. For now, it's Temple-Time.

Don't Call Me Shirley! Sorbet

2 1/2c. water

1c. sugar

1/4c. lime juice

2T. grenadine

2T. liquid from maraschino cherries

cherries for garnish.

Dissolve sugar in water over heat. Add lime juice, grenadine, and cherry liquid. Cool & Churn. Freeze until firm and serve with cherries as garnish.

All in all, it's a summer treat that's fun for kids. It's a cool twist on a favorite drink that can be served as a scoop on a cone or in a glass filled with lemon-lime soda. If you're looking for simple-stick with a regular Shirley Temple, but if you want to have some fun with it this is for you. Please keep in mind that there is no nutritional benefit to this NTS or to Shirley Temples in general- Grenadine, Soda, and Maraschino Cherries are literally all sugar. Please be sure to limit how many Shirley's your kiddo has, especially if they are still losing teeth- don't want to rot them out before they have a chance to grow!

Coconut "Key" Lime

2010-07-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that this is my first Alchemy post I have made since getting my new macbook! Woohoo! No more angry posts because my stupid laptop died, or Blogger didn't autosave because my compy is so old that it can't run the most efficient internet. It's time to celebrate! Double celebrate in fact because it's 4th of July weekend! And no one says "independence" quite like Will Smith!

Or, for that matter, Key Lime Pie! I decided to attempt making this delicious summer-time dessert into a dairy-free ice cream. I approached it with two concepts in mind:

1) a scoopable ice cream

2) a frozen "torte" of sorts

So I did both. The scoopable ice cream was okay. I wish the graham cracker would have been chunkier, but instead it kind of speckled the ice cream. The torte, however, was amazing. I loved the consistency and I felt that it was a very good representation of the real deal.

Now onto the composition. I originally wondered how well coconut milk would do for the milk base...and then I remembered...

Of COURSE they go together! I also wished there were a whipped cream substitute (without being whipped soy cream) which is why I came up with the coconut glaze. I feel like the original base was just barely too icy, so I revised the recipe and cut out some of the water. The recipe below is the altered version, so you should not need to make any changes.

Coconut "Key" Lime

1c. canned coconut milk

1 1/2c. water

2/3c. key lime juice (fresh is best, but bottled with do)

1c. sugar

1 drop green food color (optional)

graham cracker crust mix (click for recipe)

Combine everything except the crust mix. Churn in ice cream maker until desired consistency.

For scoopable ice cream: Turn off machine, and fold in crust mix. Transfer to freezer-safe container and freeze until hard.

For torte: Line a small cake pan with parchment paper. While base is churning, press the crust into the bottom of the cake pan. Make sure to cover it completely. Once ice cream is finished churning, spread evenly into the pan. Cover with plastic and freeze overnight. Before serving, remove plastic and carefully run a knife around the edge between the ice cream and the pan. Flip onto a piece of plastic and give the bottom one nice "knock" (firm...but pound sounded too harsh). This should release the ice cream from the pan. Carefully peel the parchment from the crust. Cut into pieces and serve

For Coconut Icing: Take 1c. of canned coconut milk and mix with 1c. confectioner's sugar. Whisk until smooth. Icing should be thick. Drizzle over ice cream or slice of torte before serving. Garnish with toasted coconut or lime supremes if desired.

Infusion: Lemon & Olive Oil Sorbet

2010-06-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

Mmmm, sorbet, it has been quite some time since I devoted time to the fresh and fruity cousin of traditional ice cream. I've even made granita since I last made sorbet! Jeez, what is this!? Well, my Mocha Latte triumph inspired me to continue my experimentation using household ingredients. Of course, my household ingredients aren't always as convenient as others. For example, not everyone has a bowl of kuzu root in their pantry, but I do! If you do not have any of this, I recommend getting some.You can get it at Asian markets, and I actually got mine at Whole Foods. It was $1.99 for quite a lot. Especially since you only need 1 tablespoon at a time- and you never know when it will come in handy. Basically, I use kuzu root as a stabilizer and emulsifier since I do not use eggs in my ice creams or sorbets. I know, you think I am a crazy person, "there are no eggs in sorbet!" Correct, however, stay tuned because I will explain this in a moment.

If you've ever made a vinaigrette, you know that oils tend to separate from other liquids. I know, ice cream addicts like us tend to avoid our leafy lunch options, but bear with me. What would make the oil act any differently in an ice cream or sorbet than it would in a salad dressing? It wouldn't! So let's dig a little deeper- when you are making an emulsified dressing, you need to add...an emulsifier...you see? Generally this is egg yolk or mustard...buuut since we don't want either of those in our sorbet, we will use our good old pal kuzu. He will do the very same thing that the egg would do, but will 1) be vegan and 2) actually has a lot of medicinal qualities.

Kuzu or "Kudzu" has actually shown to help with allergies, nasty hangovers, and migraines. In addition, long term use of this root has proven (in mice, idk about humans) to significantly decrease the effects of postmenopausal hypertension and type II diabetes. Of course, all the sugar in the sorbet won't really help you, but it is always good to know when your alternative ingredients are actually beneficial rather than detrimental. To the recipe!

Lemon & Olive Oil Sorbet

12 lemons- juiced (or 1c. lemon juice...I discourage this)
1c. sugar
1c. water

1T tequila or vodka

1/4c. olive oil

2T kuzu root

I'm going to take a minute to talk about these ingredients. 1) I recommend using Meyer Lemons...they are delicious and will have a more powerful flavor than using bottled lemon juice. 2) I used powdered sugar because I did not have any real sugar in the house (which makes it no longer standard vegan). I recommend making a simple syrup out of your usual sugar and water and using that. 3) I typically try to use alcohols that will be beneficial to the flavor of my product. You can always substitute them with vodka, but the alcohols I list are the ones I feel will impact the flavor best. The alcohol is used to keep the product from overhardening. 4) I would not use a strong or expensive olive oil for this. While you do want the flavor, you do not want it to overpower the lemon.

the instructions: Combine the first four ingredients, and set aside. In a blender, puverize kuzu root until it is a powder. Add the olive oil and blend until homogeneous. slowly add the lemon juice and blend just until emulsified. Churn immediately and then freeze until firm. I would serve a big scoop of this with some fresh or frozen fruit. Yum!

Experiment: Caramel Mocha Latte (vegan!) with homemade cone

2010-06-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

First off I'd like to thank everyone for voting for my Matcha Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream in the Foodista book contest! Still a couple of months left of voting, and since I have recently left the world of social media I could really use your help! If you could just follow the directions on the sidebar, I would love you foreverrr!

Now onto the important stuff!

Having not purchased groceries in about a month, I have been having ice cream experiment withdrawals again. With all my business planning for the future Zoey's Ice Cream Cafe I have been in major research mode trying to find the very best recipes for vegan ice cream base. Of course, I can't remember where I found this information (if I did I would credit, I promise!), but in the midst of all my searching I found a beautiful concept: Cashew based ice cream. What? Uh..yeah. Basically, you soak cashews in your desired liquid (coffee, tea, juice, milk, fake milk, whatevah) 1:1 ratio, add some sweetener, additional flavoring, allow to soak for 4 hours, and blend. It makes this amazingly milky base that is absolutely incredibly. No joke. Luckily, I happened to have everything I needed right in my cupboard!

Of course, when I get an idea in my head, I can hardly wait more than 10 minutes before I do something about it, so my ice cream had a slightly different texture...however, being so minor of an issue, I have zero doubt that the texture would be been amazing had I given the cashews the full 4 hours to absorb the liquid. Don't be an anxious-Agnes like me, give it the full four, you won't regret it.

Even though cashews don't have a tremendously overpowering flavor, I still wanted to try out one of my more powerful ideas on this base. What is more intense than coffee and chocolate, right? I manipulated the original 1:1 ratio to suit my needs- because I wanted to get the milky aspect of the "latte" into the ice cream.

Caramel Mocha Latte "Ice Cream"

2c. whole cashews
1c. brewed coffee- hot
1c. sugar (add this to the hot coffee, especially if using raw sugar)

stir together until sugar has dissolved and whisk in the following ingredients

1c. almond milk (this would be amazing with soy creamer or hazelnut milk as well!)
1/2c. cocoa powder
1T chocolate liquor (you may use vodka if you don't have chocolate liquor handy)

cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

While the base is soaking, you can make the caramel. I recommend using the caramel recipe at A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise , however, for convenience sake I just used the almond milk (or whatever milk you plan to use) and I also left out the arrowroot. Allow to cool.

After the base has soaked for four hours, put in blender and puree until cashews are full pulverized. You should hardly be able to see little specks of cashew- this could take a few minutes. Strain the mixture, but do not push the grounds through the strainer- simply allow the liquid to pass through (you may stir the contents of the strainer to allow liquid to pass through, just don't force the cashew pieces through the strainer). Churn for about 15-20min or until relatively firm. Turn of your machine and gently fold in your chilled caramel. Freeze overnight or until firm.

I really wanted to serve this one in cones, but have never had any luck with them. I found a recipe at Cupcake Project and decided to make it my own by veganizing it

Vegan "Pancake" Cones

1 C almond milk (or other milk substitute)
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t ground cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice
1 T cornstarch

Whisk all ingredients together and allow to sit for about 15-20min.

For the actual cookery of the cones, I didn't have the spare funds to invest in a waffle-cone-maker so decided to make a "pancake cone," if you will, by pouring the batter into a very hot cast-iron pan. I know it would turn out better in a real waffle iron, but this certainly worked fine! If you choose this method, just make sure you spread the batter as thin as humanly possible, and be careful not to tear the cone when you flip it. They are a little thicker than the standard cone but they are also mighty delicious.

All in all, I would consider this a major "check" in the success column! I think I will conducting a lot more cashew-based expirements this summer! AND! I officially have my first recipe for Zoey's :D

Inspiration: Cucumber Mint Icy

2010-05-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

With, what feels like, an early summer in our midst, I have been drowning in a sea of iced treat inspiration. I have been wanting to try this one out for awhile because I feel like cucumber and mint are both rather refreshing, cool-you-down ingredients.

I didn't want this to be an ice cream or a sorbet so I played with a few different options; the mold, the Popsicle, and the granita. All three used the same recipe, the only difference was the way it was presented. I call this an "icy" because I was aiming for the crystallized texture that I usually hate having in my other recipes. While I think this flavor combination would work well as a smooth sorbet, when I first came up with the idea I imagined it as a cold, crystallized treat that would take significantly longer to thaw in the summer heat.

Cucumber Mint Icy

4 cucumbers
3 sprigs of fresh mint
4 T agave nectar
1 t tequila

Peel the cucumbers (if desired, reserve a few strips of the skin for garnish). Cut peeled cucumbers in half - the long way - and scoop/discard the seeds using a spoon. Cut into chunks and blend until there are no chunks. Strain the mixture completely (there will still be some pulp on the bottom of the strainer- this is fine to use...you just want to break up the bigger chunks). Chiffonade the mint leaves and add to cucumber liquid. Mix in agave and tequila.

For Popsicle: Add to Popsicle mold and freeze - Don't forget the sticks!
For Mold: Pour mixture into desired mold and freeze...be sure to let it freeze long enough for the middle to be solid!
For Granita: Pour into freezer-proof bowl and freeze. Agitate mixture with a fork approximately every 10 minutes until ice crystals are firm.

Garnish: Julienne strips of cucumber skin and stick in bowl of ice water until they begin to curl. Toss in sugar and place on top of icy!

If you would prefer a sorbet to the harsh iciness of the icy just add another 1/4c. of agave, another 1/2 teaspoon of tequila, and churn in an ice cream maker.

Vegan Experiment: White Chocolate Almond Ice Cream (Coconut Milk Base)

2010-05-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

My frustrations with soy milk bases drove me to choose another dairy-free option: coconut milk. I had never worked with it before, so while shopping I wasn't sure if I should use pure canned coconut milk or the drinkable coconut milk beverage. I could see the advantages to both:
Canned Coconut Milk: Essentially as pure as I'd be able to get it, naturally thick, cheapcheapcheap
Coconut Milk Drinking Beverage: Closer consistency to real milk, less coconut flavor
So I got both. This is an experiment after-all! After much conversation with folks, I decided on white chocolate-almond as the flavor.

I melted the white chocolate and folded in the canned coconut milk. It still tasted a LOT like coconut so I added another bag of white chocolate. It. Was. GOOP. Slimy, sticky, tasty goop. Goop that refused to freeze. It wasn't til I looked over my equation that I realized what had happened....my white chocolate content was DOUBLE that of my coconut milk! Oh, the embarrassment! AND the frustration! I had finally gotten it to the point where I could actually TASTE the white chocolate! For that reason, I decided to thin it out using the coconut milk beverage. That way I could get it to the proper consistency without compromising the white chocolate-y flavor I was aiming for. The third churn was finally a success resulting in a relatively creamy (yet still mildly ice-y...I blame the drinking beverage) final product.

In the future, I think I will stick with just the canned coconut milk and create a flavor combination that will either a) better mask the coconut flavor or b) compliment the coconuttiness. I have a feeling that if I had used dark chocolate I would not have run into this problem.

Here is the post-goop recipe (with some edits upon taste-test):

White Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

2- 12 oz bags White Chocolate Chunks
2 cans Coconut Milk
1 quart Coconut Milk Drinking Beverage
1/3 cup Agave Nectar
2 c. Toasted Sliced Almonds

In a double boiler, melt white chocolate with agave. Mix in coconut milk and coconut drinking beverage. Cool. Churn. During the last 3 minutes, add the cooled toasted almonds. Freeze until firm and enjoy!

Experiment: Vegan Carrot Cake Ice Cream

2010-03-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

The past few days my mind has been a-flurry with ice cream inspiration. Flavor concepts, plating ideas, scoop & sweet pairings, I even drew out a potential logo for my future ice cream shop! All in all it has been the brain-waves that I have been dying for lately. I was in a super rut, and now it feels like I'm in four-wheel drive and gettin' outta the mess!

I began my come-back with two experiments. The first was an all-vegan version of my Matcha Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Please remember to rate my recipe!) which actually did not turn out well at all. The mint overpowered everything and for some reason it came out very gritty. My second experiment was a new concept for me: Vegan Carrot Cake Ice Cream. I had it all worked out in my head...The base would be freshly grated carrots soaked in soy milk, mixed with date paste, agave, cinnamon, and fresh ginger. The final product would be round balls of ice cream coated in crushed walnuts...YUM!

The flavor turned out spot on...the texture, however, could use some work. I found out the hard way that soy milk is pretty much water. It makes the ice cream incredibly icy and impossible to scoop even WITH stabilizers and alcohol! What stabilizer did I turn to, you ask? Well...I made my own! I was disappointed in all of the options presented to me, so I decided to use my BFF science to my own advantage. Of course there is no way for me to tell if it worked yet because the soy milk pretty much nullified any chance, but here was my theory.

I blended fenugreek seed, kuzu root, and flax seed together in a specific ratio until it created a powder (each of those ingredients has emulsifying and thickening qualities while also being incredibly healthy for you) and mixed it with enough water to create a paste. For the sake of this recipe I am leaving the stabilizer out and switching in soy creamer. Of course, I do not know yet if that will help with the texture, but if it is still super hard- just leave it out for a little bit :P

Vegan Carrot Cake Ice Cream

1qt soy creamer
4 ea. dates (blended to a paste)
1/4c. silken tofu
1/4c. agave
1t. cinnamon
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
2ea. peeled carrots (freshly shredded with microplane- separated)
1t rum
1/2c. chopped walnuts

In a blender, combine silken tofu, dates, and soy creamer. Over very low heat, mix together date mixture and agave until combined. Add spices and 3/4 of the shredded carrots. Allow to sit overnight. Strain carrots out of mixture, add rum, and churn until thick. During the last 5 minutes, add the remaining shredded carrot. Store in a freezer proof container. When serving, scoop ice cream into balls and toss in chopped walnuts. Top with some dairy free whipped cream or vegan cream cheese frosting for extra authenticity!

My thoughts on stabilizers.

2010-03-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I decided to dedicate a bit of time to the research of ice cream stabilizers. I have been wanting to incorporate them into my projects so that I can create natural vegan ice creams, but I also didn't want to pump my product full of foreign substances I know nothing about. So I did the research, and I'm breaking it down for you. If you have anything to add, I HIGHLY encourage you to let me know. I will not take offense, please, please share your knowledge with me. Stabilizers are added to ice cream to keep them soft and let them keep their texture over a longer period of time.

Locust Bean Gum: gum extract that comes from Carob trees. Sounds natural enough, right? Well, in order for it to be used as a thickener, it must first be turned into a gel. This is done by adding sodium borate (Borax) to the extract. What else is Borax used as? Anti-fungals, insecticides, fire retardants...remind me why I would put this in my ice cream? Not to mention if it's consumed for 5-10 years you could develop liver cancer. If you ever want to get your skull mounted after death, Borax is the ingredient used to hollow out your brain cavity. Interesting.

Xanthan Gum: Just another polysaccharide doin' it's job. However, xanthan gum is sometimes created by a particular bacteria that is feeds on corn. This causes a lot of people who are allergic to corn to have allergic reactions to the gum. I don't know about anyone else, but I am fed up with the amount of corn-control today. I don't want it anywhere near my ice cream or my future consumers...not when I'm sure I can find some sort of natural stabilizer. Not to mention the diarrhetic affects.

Sodium Alginate: Alginic acid is created from brown algae. Ferran Adria of El Bulli actually uses it a lot in his gastronomic creations. For some reason, it is the least used stabilizer in ice creams...whether it's because it is just too rare/expensive/difficult to come by...it is a shame because it is not only natural, but healthy.

Carrageenan: Do not get me started on the tragedy that is carrageenan. An extract of red seaweeds, it is used in an abundance of products. Pet food, shampoos, ice cream, air fresheners, sexual lubricants. Heck, carrageenan has actually been proven to help prevent the spread of HPV, HIV, and HSV. What's my beef with this ingredient? Well, it's the part where it provides it's consumers with gastro-intestinal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and increases risk of developing Crohn's Disease.

Guar Gum: Probably the least processed of the stabilizers, guar gum is the ground endosperm of guar beans. While it is sort of a laxative, it can actually work to reverse the effects of the above mentioned carrageenan. It absorbs toxins in the bowel and helps to promote good colon health. While it did cause several hospitalizations and one case of death when used as a dietary supplement, you would ideally not be consuming radical amounts of this product via ice cream. In theory, this is probably one of the safer options (along with the sodium alginate)...but I still kind of wish I could find something more natural and basic to use.

Gum Arabic: Simply, Gum Arabic is the dried sap of Acacia treas. It is actually a really great source of dietary fiber. I have yet to find negative effects of Gum Arabic which makes it the most promising in my eyes...but we'll see what you all have to say!

Before I use any of these, I am going to do some more research. I want to see if I can find a loophole- something simple that may have been overlooked by others. Wish me luck, and if you want to...let me know what you do to keep your ice creams soft?

Concept: Chocolate Trail Mix "Gelato"

2010-02-28T07:08:00.000-08:00

To start, please vote for my original recipe: Matcha Mint Chocolate Chunk on Foodista. If I get a high enough rating, my recipe will be published in their book. This would be incredible, so I encourage you to please participate and forward the link to your friends. Thanks in advance guys! (Click with button to be directed to the page)

Last week I was given the amazing opportunity to try some free gelato down at OTHERS! Gelato and Coffee in Portland, ME. Those who know me well know that I hope to one day open an ice cream/tea shop...so to see a business who does close to what my dream is (and does it sucessfully) was amazing. The owner took the time to speak with me about his gelato, why he preferred it over the standard ice cream, and gave me some information about emulsifiers. After trying his Nutella Gelato, I practically died inside...the texture was unbelievable, and the flavor was magnificent. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to vote for them as Portland Phoenix's Best Ice Cream Parlor 2010.

With that, I have broken out the ice cream maker and am on my way to churning up some more ice-cream-goodness. I use the terms "Ice Cream" and "Gelato" loosely, because I think that my product is sort of a different beast altogether. At the moment I primarily use soy milk as my base and egg yolks as an emulsifier...this makes the fat content closer to that of gelato, but my lack of actual dairy product sort of throws it into a completely different realm. Ideally, I would like to work with some different emulsifiers and create a variety of all-natural vegan ice creams...but it might be awhile before I try those, and even longer before I have some perfected recipes.

I started thinking about springtime...snow still flurries every once in awhile here, but that hasn't been stopping me from breaking out the winter coat and going for a nice long hike. One great thing about Portland is the numerous amounts of trails, I honestly don't think I could count them all! Looking around my pantry I decided to pay homage to the hiker/backpacker/outdoorsman in all of us (sure, it might be hiding in some of us...but it's there!) and make a Chocolate Trail-Mix "Gelato." The texture isn't as creamy and thick as most kinds of gelato, but it tastes fabulous. The chocolate flavor isn't heavy and overpowering...it tastes more like chocolate milk. Plus, the combination of sweet and salty when you get a piece of dried fruit or nuts is just great. It's like a Rocky Road spin-off with dried fruit and nuts. It is important to rehydrate the fruit in the soy milk before adding it in at the end, otherwise you'll end up with what feel like pebbles all through your ice cream!

Dairy-Free Chocolate Trail Mix "Gelato"

1 quart vanilla soy milk
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
7 egg yolks
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup shredded coconut (reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish)

Soak raisins and dried cranberries in soy milk. Let set while making the custard. In a double boiler, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, and cocoa powder. Be sure to whisk constantly to ensure that the eggs don't scramble. Heat the mixture to 140* and remove from heat. Add soy milk to mixture and strain. Rinse the rehydrated fruit, and set aside. Churn the chocolate soy milk base until it starts to thicken. Add fruit, nuts, and coconut during the last 5min. Transfer to a freezer proof container and chill until firm. When serving, sprinkle remaining coconut over the top.

Great Ice Cream Minus the Acesulfame K

2010-01-11T18:26:00.001-08:00

Throughout my entire childhood, it was common for my family and I to each consume a half-gallon of ice cream per week. This tradition traveled with me to college, and is something I still practice to this day. In my opinion, there are few things better than handmade ice cream. As a culinary nerd, I have jumped on the bandwagon of farmer's markets, organic foods, sustainable agriculture, and all-natural products, which means that I practically broke out my happy dance when I heard about Haagen-Daz Five. The world famous ice cream producer has broken the mold by eliminating artificial flavors, preservatives, corn syrup, or odd named items you have never heard of. For example:

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Ice Cream

Cream, Water, Skim Milk, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Inulin, Polydextrose, Sorbitol, Glycerine, Egg Yolks, Guar Gum, Sucralose (Splenda Brand), Carob Bean Gum, Acesulfame K.

Haagen-Daz Five Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
Skim milk, Cream, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Cocoa Processed With Alkali

With my allergy it is a hassle looking through ingredient lists to see if, by chance, they use chocolate liquor or cocoa butter in their product. I always have to search through a lengthy list, and wonder what all the extra stuff is. However, if more companies followed Haagen-Daz lead, it would be easier for people with allergies to things like lactose and eggs to know if they can purchase the item. Aside from the simplicity of the Five label, the taste of this ice cream is out of this world. After a few days of searching I found this product at Whole Foods Market. I spoke with customer service, and was informed that they were only carrying the mint flavor in order to see how well it would sell. I expected it to taste like mint-chip ice cream, and was surprised when it hardly resembled my bright green expectation. However, this was not a disappointment, for the flavor and texture blew my mind. I will definitely be purchasing this again, and cannot wait for more flavors to arrive.

Citrus Trio

2010-01-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Concept from Ice Cream Galore by Caroline Barty

Citrus Trio
Lemon curd ice cream, grapefruit sorbet, and clementine granita

same ice creams, different plating

Out of the three, the lemon curd was my least favorite. I had to make homemade curd, which was essentially a cold hollandaise sauce, therefore the ice cream tasted like a frozen one. The grapefruit sorbet was super smooth and had the tartness of a fresh grapefruit. However, combined with the super sweetness of the clementine granita, the create a wonderful harmony.

The photos didn't turn out especially well...both were taken at night with poor lighting, and the first picture was spur of the moment without any sort of garnish. I would like to make this a successful dish, but the lemon curd ice cream has got to go. I could potentially replace it with a lemon gelato or perhaps a lime semifreddo.

Discovery: Vegan Peanut Butter Gelato

2009-11-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

I found what seemed to be an intelligent and simple recipe peanut butter gelato and decided to try it out. I have been finding it incredibly odd that peanut butter cannot be used as a fat in the ice cream process, because that's quite literally what it is. Instead, peanut butter commonly makes ice cream hard and annoyingly difficult to scoop.

The recipe tastes awesome, but you have to wait like 15 min before scooping...not my favorite situation. I would like to be able to make a peanut butter ice cream that it just as smooth and soft as any regular vanilla ice cream. In order to do that I am going to have to utilize more fat in a way that will offset the odd chemistry of the peanut butter. Which will be incredibly difficult if I still want to make it vegan.

Vegan Peanut Butter Gelato
2c. soymilk
1/4c. brown sugar
1/4c. peanut butter

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and strain. Freeze mixture for about 10 min before churning. Pretty. Freaking. Easy.

I'm wondering if maybe it would be softer if I made peanut butter banana or some other combination instead. Maybe the addition of other ingredients would cancel out the awkward peanut chemistry...though realistically I think it would just make the desired outcome more difficult to achieve. I've seen a few recipes that add cream cheese which must soften up the peanut butter, but that wouldn't work in a vegan recipe. This is one that I'm going to have to play with a bit, but I definitely don't think it is going to be impossible. I also have a few more raw/vegan ice cream recipes up my sleeve to try out at a later date so you might wanna stay tuned.

Inspiration: Vanilla Bean Wasabi Ice Cream

2009-11-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

In my mission to raise money for my new ice cream machine, I was given an idea. One of my donators, Zach, and I were talking about strange and unique flavor combinations, and he suggested that I try making a vanilla wasabi ice cream. I couldn't get the idea out of my head. Sweet and spicy are two flavors that practically exist for the sole purpose of making magical, tasty love together. With that, I purchased some vanilla beans and wasabi powder and went along my way.

The texture was smooth, but the flavor was..weeeeell...interesting. I think I underestimated the power of wasabi when I was adding it, so it definitely overtakes any of the vanilla flavor. In attempt to balance, I sprinkled vanilla sugar over the ice cream when I served it. It did allow me to taste more vanilla bean; however, the wasabi still gave me a kick in the throat that I wasn't too fond of.

I think if you like horseradish and/or wasabi (because they are essentially the same thing) you would like this a lot...but just for safety I cut back the amount of wasabi in the recipe below.

Vanilla Bean Wasabi Ice Cream
5 yolks
1/4c. sugar
2c. milk
1 vanilla bean pod
1.5 T wasabi powder

Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape seeds into milk. Simmer. Meanwhile, heat eggs in a water bath with the sugar until eggs reach 160*. Cool, and add wasabi. Strain, and rinse of the vanilla pod. Dry it off and stick in a small jar. Cover in sugar and allow to sit. Once the base has cooled, churn and freeze.

Wasabi

Apple Cider Sorbet

2009-10-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's fall, so along with all the pumpkin-y goodness it is almost mandatory that everyone has a little apple cider around. Sure, the four gallons we have in our refrigerator might be overkill, but 1) hello, free 2) hello, tasty. I froze half of it to break out later for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I saved some of it for sorbet.

Apple Cider Sorbet

6c. apple cider
1/2T. cinnamon
1/2c. sugar
2 apples - quartered

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 15 min. Chill. Remove apples and churn for about 25min. Freeze overnight.

Cider already has so much sugar that it doesn't require much. While a few more mulling spices probably would have rounded out the flavor a lot more, I think it was fine with just the cinnamon and extra apple. To serve, I cut some apples in half and hallowed them out with a paring knife and scooped the sorbet into them. The texture wasn't at all ice-crystal-y like I expected...it was actually pretty smooth.

pg. 164 Baby Alaskas with Liquered Apricots

2009-10-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

When I began this ice cream conquest, I foolishly neglected to consult with Auguste Escoffier on the matter. You know Escoffier, right?...One of the forefathers of the whole "culinary arts" thing? Well, I finally decided to look through the English translation of Le Guide Culinaire and discovered his ratio for making ice cream. It honestly blew my mind.

Auguste Escoffier said to use 2/3 # of sugar and 10 egg yolks with 1 quart of milk (as opposed to the 4 yolk/1/4c. sugar/pint of cream I'm finding everywhere else). How the heck had I never thought to increase the fat via egg yolks rather than heavy cream?! This way, my product would still be creamy but without being overpowered by the "whipped cream" flavor. Not only that, but Escoffier's method involves cooking the yolks and sugar together to start...similar to the process of a Hollandaise sauce...which also means that I wouldn't have to reheat the eggs in the custard (aka decreasing my chances of curdling the milk). Why did we change these methods? How come, on every website and in every book I find, people have ended the traditional ways and made it so much more difficult to work with? Well, no more heavy cream for me! I will be creating custard by Escoffier's standards from now on.

I used Escoffier's method to make some vanilla ice cream with immense success. Beautifully rich, smooth vanilla ice cream that doesn't even need to sit out before scooping. I decided to use it in the Baby Alaskas recipe from MICID book I have been coking from, and it held up quite well. Here's how it works:

Baby Alaskas with Liquered Apricots

3T Sugar
4T H2O
1/2 c. dried apricots- roughly chopped
2T Cointreau or other orange liqueur
1 pint vanilla ice cream
6 large ginger snaps (I used oatmeal cookies...you want something big enough to cover the top of a muffin tin)
3 egg whites
1 c. sugar

In a small pot, dissolve 3T sugar in water. Add the apricots and simmer for 5 min. Take off heat and add the orange liqueur; set aside. Put a set of muffin tins in the freezer for 15 min, and remove ice cream from freezer for same period of time. Pack ice cream around the sides and bottom of each tin, leaving a cavity in the middle. Once each tin is lined with ice cream, return to freezer for 5 min.

Add apricots to the middle of each tin and cover with more ice cream. Apricots should be sealed in. Return to freezer until firm. Place a cookie on the top of each tin (bottom facing up). Submerge the bottom of the muffin tin in hot water quickly and turn the tin out onto a cookie sheet. Each little ice cream tower should be sitting on top of a cookie. Place cookie sheet in freezer with ice cream on top.

Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly add the sugar 1T at a time until meringue is glossy. Using a palette knife, spread a thick layer of meringue over each ice cream, making sure to seal where the ice cream meets the cookie. This is important, because you do not want the ice cream to melt and seep out. Return to freezer.

15 min before serving, preheat oven to 450*. Bake the Alaskas for 2 min or until the meringue is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Imagination: Caramel Apple Ice Cream

2009-09-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

So it's fall and with an abundance of fairs and sweets, why not transfer them into different mediums? I love caramel apples, but they are practically impossible to eat....and then they have those caramel apple lollipops and damn they are not even remotely the same. So I figured, why not transpose this marvelous concept into ice cream?

I immediately made the decision to not cook the apples. I am looking for a fresh taste, afterall, not one of an apple pie. So why not let the fresh apples infuse the custard, huh? I only used 5 apples, but I changed the recipe to 7 because it just wasn't apple-y enough.

Caramel Apple Ice Cream

ice cream base
3c. whole milk
1T. vanilla
4 egg yolks
1/4c. sugar
7 peeled apples (skins reserved)

caramel
1c. sugar
2T oil or butter
1/4c. milk or soy milk

garnish
reserved apple skins- julienned
1c. canola oil
salt and sugar to taste

In a saucepan, heat milk and vanilla until simmering. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together until fluffy. Temper dairy into yolks and return to heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Transfer to a bowl and chill. Peel the apples and reserve the skins. It is easiest if you peel them with a chanelling knife or you can simply use a peeler and julienne the skins after peeling. Using a box grater, grate the peeled apples and add them to the chilled custard. Set mixture overnight.

In the meantime, add 2c. sugar to a saucepan. Set burner to high and allow the sugar to caramelize. Once all the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture is a golden brown, shut off heat and add oil stirring constantly with heat-proof spatula or whisk. Add the milk (I use soy milk to prevent curdling) and stir until fully incorporated. Put in heatproof bowl and cool. You want the mixture to still be syrupy, but not enough to harden.

The next day, put mixture in a blender or food processor and puree. Strain ice cream base through a seive or cheesecloth and add to ice cream maker. Churn until mixture begins to thicken. In the last 3 minutes, add the cooled caramel. You may not need all of it. Only add enough to create a swirl. Immediately transfer ice cream to freeze-proof containers and allow to freeze overnight.

In a pan, carefully heat the canola oil. Toss the strips of skin in sugar and fry them in the hot oil. Once they begin to caramelize, remove from oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. set aside for garnish.

Challenge: Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

2009-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

When Heather challenged me to a Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream duel, I had to accept. She had mentioned how last year she had tried to make the concoction with coconut milk rather than dairy, so I figured I should abide by the same general rule. I immediately ruled out coconut milk due to her previous research, and knew that my recipe would not contain milk, cream, or eggs.

I used Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix (I have literally had it sitting in my pantry for a year now) and soy creamer as my base ingredients. Since the pumpkin itself is already thick, I wouldn't have to do much to change the thickness. In retrospect I wish I had added some rum to the mix to make the outcome softer...but then again it would have effected the overall flavor. I'll definitely try this one again, but I think it was a great first start.

In the end my recipe went a little something like this:

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

1c. pumpkin pie mix
2c. soy creamer
2T brown sugar
1/2t. cinnamon
gingersnap cookies for garnish

Whisk all ingredients together and churn in ice cream maker until thick. Freeze until solid.

Tastes magnificent with gingersnap cookies to go with it....crumbled on top or used as an ice cream sandwich!

pg. 147 Chocolate and Brandied Fig Torte

2009-09-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

I welcome you back to my laboratory with a little dish called "chocolate and brandied fig torte." Or, as I had to rename it "chocolate and red wine rehydrated fig frozen pie." Equally as delicious, I'm sure...but it wouldn't be right if I called it something it's not.

This was something I literally made off-hand because I had most of the ingredients kicking around my pantry. I didn't have any brandy, but I still had some red wine around from previous experiments so I decided to utilize this in my project.

Chocolate and Brandied Fig Torte

1 1/2c. dried figs
4T brandy (or in my case, red wine)
7oz gingesnaps
1/2c. melted butter
1/2c. milk
9oz plain chocolate
5T sugar

Chop figs and place in bowl. Pour liqueur over the figs and allow to absorb until most of the liquid is gone. Put cookies in food processor and pulse until crumbs. Mix with 1/2 of the butter until moist. Press crumbs into a metal or other freeze-proof pan to form crust and chill. In a saucepan, slowly heat milk and chocolate. Stir continuously until melted and smooth. Put into a bowl to chill. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining butter and sugar until fluffy. Fold in figs and chocolate, and pour into chilled crust. Freeze overnight. Serve with a garnish of whipped cream, cocoa powder, or fresh figs.

I unintentionally made this vegan by using vegetable oil instead of butter, and soy creamer rather than milk. I also substituted leftover dark chocolate chunks and red wine for the plain chocolate and brandy. Still tasted fabulous! I think I have found my first success in Making Ice Cream and Iced Desserts! Just when I was about to give up on 'em ;)

pg. 233 Pomegranate and Orange Blossom Water Creams

2009-09-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

Oh internet, how I have missed you! My scientific musings have been on the fritz ever since my internet decided it no longer wanted to be a part of my life. But here we are, back with more beautiful iced treats, and botched experiments from beyond the freezer.

My favorite part of this project has matching my experiments with seasonal ingredients. For example, it's pomegranate season, so why not go for it? I thought that this would be a great recipe. But alas, I was proven wrong again. This book thoroughly enjoys making a fool of me, it seems. I mean the recipes just mock me, Biggest gripe? Not enough pomegranate. The heavy cream just mutes everything. And when I added an extra 4 tablespoons of pomegranate juice, all it did was increase the acidity, not the flavor. A little bit of orange blossom water goes quite far, but has a perfume-y flavor that does not work well with the recipe at all.

Pomegranate and Orange Blossom Water Creams

2t. corn flour
1c. milk
2T sugar
2 pomegranates (juiced)
2T orange blossom water
5T grenadine
1c. heavy cream

Simmer the corn flour, milk, and sugar. Chill. Add pomegranate juice, orange flower water, and grenadine. Fold in heavy cream just before churning. Freeze in freezer proof container or silicone muffin tins for a better shape. Garnish with leftover pomegranate seeds.

Frustrated with this failure, I decided to try it again my own way; as a sorbet. This way I wouldn't have to worry about the fat of the cream masking all my flavor, and hopefully my two main ingredients would get their time to shine. When formulating sorbets, I generally try to keep it to a 2/1 ratio of fruit juice or puree to agave or simple syrup.

Pomegranate and Orange Blossom Sorbet
2 pomegranates - juiced (makes approx 1c. juice)
1/2 T. orange blossom water
1/2 c. agave nectar
1/4t. red wine

I whisked everything together and threw it in the ice cream maker. While the flavor was stronger, the combination was still..well..disgusting. I won't lie. It tasted like a perfume, or like I decided to nibble on a flower or something. The texture was fine...and even drizzled with some honey it was bearable...but I would not recommend this recipe or my revision.

Discovery: Vegan Triple Chocolate Ice Cream

2009-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

With my recent addiction to soy milk, I wanted to try making dairy-free ice cream. Again, being big on utilization, I tried to find the recipe that had most of what I had at home. I ended up finding Ice Cream Freaks' chocolate soy ice cream recipe, and played around with it.

My theory was that the thickness of my dairy-free organic chocolate syrup (which is MUCH thicker than Hershey's) would partially make up for the thinness of my vanilla soy milk that had replaced the soy creamer called for in the recipe. Sure, it might be a ridiculous assumption, but this is science...you try it out, and if it doesn't work? Try again!

While checking my ingredients to be sure that they were dairy-free (and...as it turns out...vegan!), I took a glance at my dark chocolate chunks that I had purchased for my Matcha Mint ChocoChunk experiment. I literally shouted because GUESS WHAT? I can eat them! For those who don't know, I have an obscure, ridiculous chocolate allergy that means I can't eat cocoa powder, but CAN have chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. I think I might revise this recipe at a later date to incorporate more Kelly-friendly chocolatey goodness :) Also, while one might thing it would be more beneficial to use chocolate soy milk, I think it would have over-chocolatafied the recipe.

Vegan Triple Chocolate Ice Cream

ice cream base
1 pint vanilla soy milk
1/8 c. brown sugar
1/8 c. raw sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/4 c. dairy-free organic chocolate syrup
3/4 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. dark chocolate chunks

chocolate ripple
1/2 c. dark chocolate chunks
1/4 c. vanilla soy milk

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients except chocolate chunks. Blend until fully incorporated. Churn in ice cream maker until thick, approx 30 min. While ice cream is churning, cook soy milk and chocolate chunks in a double boiler until the chocolate is completely melted and thinned by soy milk. Set aside to cool. Once ice cream base has gotten thick, add chocolate chunks and allow to incorporate. Stop machine, and fold in chocolate sauce until swirled into ice cream. Put in freezer proof containers and freeze until solid.

I paired this ice cream with a raspberry coulis (made with agave instead of sugar) which balanced the sweet and bitter quite nicely. I think that without a berry-centered sauce, the ice cream might be too bitter for some people.

Infusion: Matcha Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

2009-09-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Let's bring a little science back into this, shall we? All this cooking out of cookbooks is making me antsy and frustrated. ESPECIALLY since I find myself holding grudges against the authors for their recipes. Don't get me wrong, I understand the effort and skill it takes to formulate recipes...but damn, these formulas cannot seem to get on my good side. The thing of it is...they are great concepts. The flavor combinations are spectacularly unique and beautiful, but the recipes themselves are just "meh." So I'm going to take a break to fulfill a request.
Gennyfer brilliantly suggested Green Tea Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream as my next endeavor. It seemed less intense than the Chocolate Jalapeno that Heather had suggested, mostly because I already had most of the ingredients in my home....so I gave it a go. I decided to combine two recipes. Fer Food's Green Tea Mint Chocolate Chip and Ma'Ona's Matcha Ice Cream recipe. This would take my love for custard base ice creams and infuse it with the flavors I desired to be in my ice cream. Butterflies in belly, I began the process. I was quite nervous because my ice creams have mostly felt like failures lately, and I had such high hopes for this one.

Matcha Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

7t. Matcha Green Tea
4t. dried peppermint leaves
4c. half and half
4 egg yolks
3/4c. sugar
1/2t. peppermint extract
3/4c. chocolate chunks

In a heat-proof bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until thick and fluffy. In a heavy based saucepan heat half and half, matcha, and mint until almost simmering. Temper dairy into yolk mixture and return to pan. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and allow to cool. Strain repeatedly until the ice cream base no longer has herbs in it. Spin in ice cream maker until thick. Add chocolate chunks in during the last couple minutes and allow to churn until incorporated. Transfer to freezer-proof dish and freeze until firm.

"How'd it turn out?" You ask? Phenomenal. The texture is PERFECT. The matcha is rather subtle because the mint intensified while I let my base chill overnight...but because I used dark chocolate chunks, my cocoa counterpart put up quite a fight against the peppermint avenger. What I like most about it is that there isn't much separation in flavor. Like with the Peach Cardamom, it literally infused into one new flavor compound rather than "Oh, here's the mint...And now I taste the chocolate...Oh! And there's the matcha flavor!" I think the recipe would be just fine with a more mellow chocolate, but the dark was certainly no problem. I am very excited to share these samples for some feedback :)

pg. 174 Syrupy Brioche Slices with Vanilla Ice Cream

2009-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

I just happened to have brioche rolls hanging around the apartment, and thought that this morning was simply made for this recipe. The book shows the slices to be very thick, but I made them about 1/4" thick and I thought they were perfect. I feel like if they were any thicker, the treat would be too bread-y. The syrup is awesome, and when it caramelizes into the brioche it is just...marvelous.

Syrupy Brioche Slices with Vanilla Ice Cream

butter for greasing
zest and juice of 1 orange
1/4c. sugar
6T water
1/2t cinnamon
4 brioche rolls
1T confectioner's sugar
vanilla ice cream

Grease a gratin dish and set aside. Put orange zest, juice, sugar, water, and cinnamon into heavy saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then boil for 2 min without stirring. Remove syrup from heat and pour into shallow heatproof dish. Preheat grill. Cut brioche into slices. Dip one side of each slice in the hot syrup and arrange in gratin dish, syrupy side down. Reserve remaining syrup. Grill brioche until lightly toasted. Turn over and dust with confectioner's sugar. Grill for 2-3 more min or until caramelized. Top with scoops of ice cream and serve immediately.

I cheated quite a lot...I didn't grill, I pan seared. I also didn't bother with a gratin dish because it seems like it is only there as a transport tool. Very tasty, and would probably try again if I ever had some more brioche rolls kicking around, but it's nothing I would go out of my way to serve.

pg. 80 Classic Vanilla Ice Cream

2009-09-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Why not make it a little simple today, huh? Making Ice Creams and Iced Desserts has quite a few recipes that require vanilla ice cream as the base...so why not make a batch? Two birds, one stone...you know what I'm saying.

I'm used to using traditional custard bases for all my ice creams (especially vanilla) which is basically the simmering of dairy tempered in with eggs, sugar, and added flavoring. This book, however, is continually keen on simmering the milk separately, tempering, re-heating, and folding in the cream. I think that it is a way more difficult process, especially when they expect you to start fooling around with "single cream" and "double cream."

I had asked my pastry chef at work what it meant and he said the reduction of heavy cream by half. Well...my cream failed to reduce so I Googled "what is heavy cream?" and discovered that it is something ONLY available in the UK. Thanks, Ms. Farrow & Lewis...I don't live there! I can't just get imported double cream whenever I feel like it! However, regular heavy cream is the closest I can get so I had to deal. I also couldn't get my grubby hands on any vanilla beans, so I had to sub for a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Classic Vanilla Ice Cream

1 vanilla pod
1 1/4c. milk
4 egg yolks
6T sugar
1t corn flour
1 1/4c. double cream

Using a small knife, slit the vanilla pod. Pour milk into heavy saucepan, add vanilla pod, and bring to almost boiling. Remove from heat and leave for 15 min to allow flavors to infuse. Scrape seeds out of the pod and into the milk. Whisk yolks, sugar, and corn flour together until thick. Temper milk into egg mixture and return to pan. Cook until thick, then chill. Fold in cream, and churn until thick. Freeze overnight or until ice cream holds a scoop shape.

I decided I'd also try making spun sugar baskets on page 48. Basically, you put foil around some fruit (I used apples) to use as a mold, grease the foil, and drizzle caramel over it. However, the caramel hardened wayyyy too fast, so by the time I finally got to drizzlin', it hardened to the spoon! I think I'll have to try it with a bigger batch of caramel next time, because I literally only ended up with some random caramel shapes. We'll see what happens with the next couple recipes.

pg. 225 Saffron, Apricot, and Almond Cream

2009-09-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Allow me to begin this with a resounding BOO! to this recipe. 1) I hate using cornflour in recipes. It alters the flavor, screws with the texture, and just...yuck. 2) Saffron? No. Not in ice cream. Never again. I didn't use the 1/2 tsp it called for because saffron sells for $85/oz. My chef let me snag a pinch of saffron from work, which was enough to flavor the ice cream but not really to color it. Thank God, because it is just not okay. The apricot, however, is amazing. Somehow the flavor was completely saved by favorite dried fruit, and all was well.

The one good thing about this recipe was that I accidentally curdled my cream. "How the hell is that a good thing?!" you may ask, BUT this book happens to say how to rescue curdled cream! And it works! All I had to do was plunge my bowl of custard into an ice bath and whisk until it stabilized...which only took like 30 seconds. I was quite fearful that the texture would not turn out okay, but I think it be the best texture I've discovered yet.

Saffron, Apricot, and Almond Cream

2/3c. dried apricots
4T Cointreau or other orange liquor (I used Patron Citronge)
1/2t saffron strands
1T boiling water
3 egg yolks
6 T sugar
2t corn flour
1 1/4c milk
1 1/4c heavy cream
3/4c unblanched almonds (lightly toasted)

Chop apricots into small pieces and put into bowl. Add orange liquor and allow to sit while making custard. In a small bowl, add saffron to the boiling water. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and corn flour together in a separate bowl. Pour milk into a pan and simmer. Temper milk into egg mixture and return to pan. Cook until thick, being careful not to boil. Add saffron and chill until very cold. Stir in heavy cream and churn until thick. Add apricots and almonds and churn until incorporated. Spoon into plastic container and freeze overnight.

While I still hold a bit of resentment for this ice cream, it is not as wretched as I expected it to be.

Imagination: Mojito Granita

2009-09-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

When making ice cream, one scientifically awesome fall-back is alcohol. Unlike sugar, which chemically alters ice cream differently than sorbet...alcohol makes both treats gloriously smooth. In most situations it can also strengthen the flavor quality of the ice cream or sorbet. In those cases, however, it's better to cook out the alcohol to keep the flavor without effecting the texture of your product.

Some great flavor combinations are port wine & plum, amaretto liquor & cherry, and rum & banana. Another very obvious combination would be rum & mint. I had rum in the cabinet from my banana-bread-ice cream experiment (which I shall post about once I get pictures), a mint plant growing in the window, and some lime juice in the fridge (it's seriously one of those things that will just stick around the fridge for months...like ketchup or maple syrup!) so it seemed pretty clear...Time to attempt a granita!

Granita is a Sicilian ice dessert that is essentially the consistency of a snow cone. This is achieved by continually freezing and scraping flavored ice. It takes some time, but is definitely worth it.

Mojito Granita

3c. water
1c. raw sugar
1/4c. Meyer's dark rum (better for cooking/baking)
2 bunches of mint
3/4c. lime juice

In a pot, combine the water and sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar is disolved. Add the rum while the syrup is still hot (this will cook out the alcohol, while still leaving the flavor). Allow to cool. Put mint and lime juice in blender, and add cooled syrup. Pour into metal cake-pan and freeze. Scrape mixture with a fork every half hour for 4 hours. Scrape into bowls to serve.

pg. 109 Pineapple Crush

2009-09-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

I was standing in Whole Foods wondering what the heck I was going to make for ice cream today, and decided to just flip open the book to help narrow it down. The first recipe I come to? Pineapple Crush. To my right? Extra Sweet Pineapples: 2/ $5. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. I looked at the ingredients and saw that I only required ONE other ingredient; heavy cream. Easy, enough, right?

Let me just say that I am not a fan of how this recipe was written. It jumps back and forth between "by hand" and "with an ice cream maker" so many times that it gets confusing and the very simple recipe becomes a puzzle. It would have been much easier if they laid out all the instructions for "by hand" on one side and all the "with an ice cream maker" steps on the other. Maybe then I wouldn't have made glorified whipped cream. Again, the steps and ingredients are the same, but I have simplified the steps you take to create this ice cream.

Pineapple Crush Ice Cream

2 extra sweet pineapple
1/4c. sugar
1 1/4c. heavy cream

Cut one pineapple straight through the middle starting from the leafy green top. Use a spoon to scoop out the fruit, working around the core. Once hollowed, cut the core out, drain the juice into fruit, and refrigerate shell. Remove the top and bottom from the second pineapple. Use your knife to cut away the skin, making sure to cut away the eyes as well. Once peeled, cut fruit away from the core. Discard the core and cut the pineapple into small pieces. Puree 11oz of the pineapple (setting the remainder aside) and combine with sugar. Churn until firm, but still too loose to scoop. Add the cream and churn until fully firm. Fold in remaining pineapple and freeze until hard enough to hold a scoop shape.

Unfortunately, I did not follow these instructions. Due to the confusion, I pureed ALL the pineapple. The flavor was quite plain, and quite tart. With pineapple and cream as the only two ingredients, I'm sure you can imagine what it tasted like. The texture was atrocious. It was...flakey. Not like a granita, but just...unpleasant. Overall I am not a fan of this recipe at all.

I already knew that I wanted to accompany it with something sweet...so I mentally selected a Macadamia Lace Cookie recipe that I have had taking up space in my recipe binder for years. The great thing about this project is I'm finally trying out recipes that I discovered ages ago. These cookies are sent from whatever fire-y deity exists. I tried, and tried, and tried some more and could NOT get them to even resemble the gorgeous picture. Of course, I was missing parchment paper, but I didn't think it would be that big of a deal!

Macadamia Lace Cookies

1/4c. butter
1/2c. sugar
1/2c. macadamia nuts- finely chopped
1/4t. salt
1/2t. vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350*. Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a small pan, melt butter and cook until it begins to brown. Remove from heat, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Slowly add brown butter, and stir until blended. drop batter by teaspoons onto baking sheet- roughly 3" apart. Bake until golden brown (approx 6-8min). Allow 5 min to cool on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack.

Perhaps you will have more luck with these recipes than I did!

Imagination: Blueberry Thyme

2009-09-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I was reading through Culinary Artistry trying to figure out some new and unique pairings that have probably not been done. One combination that I came across was blueberry and thyme. Well, I love both so why not! Based on some previously conducted research, I threw together an equation and began creating the sorbet base.

Blueberry Thyme Sorbet

4 pints of blueberries
1/4c. raw sugar
2c. water
2c. agave nectar
8 branches of thyme

Cook the berries, sugar, and water together until berries are soft. Puree in blender until smooth, and put in a bowl. Add the branches to the warm puree and chill for approx. 10 hours (or overnight). Strain sorbet base until smooth. Spin in ice cream maker according to maker's instructions. Freeze until firm and scoopable.

When I originally made this recipe, the sorbet was too soft. This was a result of too much sugar, and not enough water. I easily altered this by lessening the sugar in the original recipe (it was originally 2 1/2c. agave). Generally, people use simple syrup and water to alter the density of their sorbet base, but I prefer to use agave nectar in place of simple syrup. I find it to be more simple when creating the recipe, and I'm also kind of a sucker when it comes to natural sweeteners (I once tried making caramel with raw sugar...an ultimate fail). It's usually a lot easier to create recipes and execute sorbet recipes if you have a refractometer. That is a tool to help you measure the density (and therefore whether you need to add sugar or water) of the base rather than guessing.

I think that the flavors go quite well together. Unlike the peach cardamom, you can distinctly taste the separation in flavor, but it's definitely not a bad thing.

What do you think would pair well with this?

pg. 107 Peach & Cardamom Yogurt Ice

2009-09-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

I thought this recipe would be an interesting place to start. I have made peach sorbet in the past, but didn't add enough sugar so it over-hardened. You see, one main difference between ice creams and sorbets is how sugar effects the texture. While too much sugar will make your ice cream hard as nails, it will make your sorbet super smooth and delightful. I thought that using yogurt would be an interesting and welcome change, and would give me the opportunity to see what exactly it does to the chemistry of the ice cream.

I think that this recipe may have been the easiest I have ever tried. There were a few occasions, though, where I think some handholding would have been appreciated. For example, it wasn't until I referred to the spices section that I knew whether or not to add the cardamom shell in addition to the seeds...nor was I positive that I should leave the skins on the peaches. I know that it probably would have said to peel them if that's what it meant...but I still like to see some reassurance in there.

I found it intriguing that rather than creating a custard as I do with my other ice creams, I instead made a sorbet base and folded in the yogurt once it was spun. It does mean, however, that if I messed up during the spinning process I can't just melt it and start over. I would literally have to start from the beginning again. The following recipe is not written the same as it was in the book. While the ingredients & measurements are the same, the exact wording in the instructions is different.

Peach & Cardamom Yogurt Ice
8 cardomom pods
6 peaches - stoned and quartered
6T sugar
2T water
1c. natural yogurt (it called for BIO but I could only find Greek)

Crush the cardamom pods. Combine both pods & seeds with peaches, sugar, and water over medium heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until peaches are softened. Puree in blender and put through strainer. Chill. Spin the puree in ice cream maker until thick. Scrape into a bowl and gently fold in yogurt until incorporated. Freeze until firm enough to hold a scoop shape.

The flavor is very light. Rather than tasting the peach and cardamom separately, they sort of infuse to make a new flavor altogether. The texture is kind of weird, though. This isn't really an ice cream that you can sit on the couch with and eat right out of the tub...it's perfect for melon-balling or artistic looking scoops. I am wondering if adding more dairy would have made it smoother, but am concerned that more yogurt would have taken away from the unique flavor.

It didn't take too long for me to decide what I would like to make as an accompaniment to this ice cream. There is a biscuit recipe that I photocopied in 6th grade that I have never, ever made. What always stopped me? Yeast. Well, actually it was the laziness...but I was always put off by the fact that I would need to use yeast in the recipe. I just so happened to have a packet laying around and found it to be the perfect occasion to make these.

Angel Biscuits

1 pkg (2 1/4tsp) dry yeast
1/2c. lukewarm water
5c. AP Flour
1/4c. sugar
1t. baking powder
1t. baking soda
1t. salt
1/2c. shortening
2c. buttermilk
1T butter - melted

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water & bloom 5 min. In a large, separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, powder, soda, and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add yeast water and buttermilk and stir until just moist. Cover and chill for 1 hr. Preheat oven to 450*. Turn dough onto heavily floured surface; knead 5 times. Roll dough to 1/2" thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment or pan spray. Brush the melted butter over the top, and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar. Bake at 450* for 12 min.

Making Ice Creams & Iced Desserts by Farrow&Lewis

2009-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

The first book that I have chosen for my never-ending experiment is called Making Ice Cream & Iced Desserts by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis. Out of every ice cream book at Border's, this was the only one that had unique recipes. Yes, I get it, people like basic chocolate ice cream...but how do you expect me to grow as an ice cream artist with traditional flavors alone?! Give me some weird shit like lamb chop & trout sorbet or cow's tongue gelato! Sure, it sounds disgusting and would probably never sell, but that's what science is! Experimenting, playing with the compounds and molecules that make up every single thing in existence...the epitome of "you don't know 'til you try it."

Making Ice Cream & so forth is really great because the first few pages are actually educational. Information on the history of ice creams, flavors, methods...and have you ever realized that most cultures have some sort of "iced" dessert? Back when there weren't machines, people found ways of cooling off and enjoying food at the same time. It's said that back in Ancient Rome, Emperor Nero sent his slaves to collect snow that would be combined with fruits and honey before its inevitable consumption. Brilliant! The development in ice cream technology transformed as modern cooking and appliances did. Who knew that there was such history behind that silly iced-custard!

In addition to the history, there is information about spices and flavorings to use in ice cream, storage, equipment, and tips on the processes themselves. What probably hooked me most is the section on garnishes. I think that trying to create accompaniments has been one of my greatest struggles in this project. I anticipate that I will attempt all of them before I move to the next book, and hopefully many, many times after.

Defining "Alchemy"

2009-08-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia defines alchemy as both the philosophy and a practice with the goal of achieving ultimate wisdom and immortality. These sciences, or "magics," were conducted through inorganic chemistry (something I cannot even begin to fathom) and other hoop-la that I would need all day to explain. I bring you this brief definition so I don't look like a complete imbecile for naming my blog after this ancient and mystical practice.

While I am striving to reach ultimate wisdom in the ice cream realm, and..well...it would be nice if I could create "immortal" desserts that never suffered freezer burn or melted during transport, I understand that I cannot call myself an Alchemist for many reasons:

1. I'm just not
2. Although I tend to gravitate toward magic skills in video games, it would never quite transfer to real life
3. I deal only with organic compounds rather than the inorganic ones used by my chemistry-altering predecessors.

Regardless, I bring you this. A new project I have thrust upon myself with all the angst, anxiety, and desperate passion of a high school romance; I will cook, strain, and churn my way through a variety of ice cream cookbooks and blogs to form an elite list of treats that will inevitably become the best ice cream menu ever. This could take days, months, but more than likely years to accomplish but I am ready.

With my whisk and one hand, and a fistful of recipes in the other I challenge you to a duel! Anybody with suggestions, requests, ideas, or simply just challenges for recipes...comment if you dare and let the freezing commence!

-Kelly