Tiramisu

I am proud of this one. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good, and my best effort so far. I made it for Shannon's birthday, as it's her favorite dessert. And it's made from scratch. That's right, I made my own ladyfingers, or savoiardi. Although this gives me a little smugness, I would only recommend it for die-hard from-scratch cooks. Not that they are that difficult to make (they are not), just that store-bought will save you time and probably hold their texture better. My ladyfingers came out a little soft.

Start by either brewing or obtaining some strong hot espresso - you will need about 1 cup (8 fluid ounces). Add to this 1 tbsp sugar and 1 miniature (50ml) of Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur. Stir to mix and set aside in a wide bowl - you want a shallow pool of espresso.

You will need to make a double boiler for the next step (or, if you have a double boiler pan, you can use it instead - just put the yolks, sugar and wine in the top insert). This is simple - you find a metal bowl that will fit over a small-medium saucepan. Put a little (1/2 inch) water in the saucepan. The bowl must be the right size to fit over the pan without touching the water. Set the bowl aside and bring the water to a gentle simmer (be careful - if the yolks get too hot, they will scramble, and you will have to start again). In the metal bowl go 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) sugar and 1/3 cup Marsala wine. Set the bowl on the double boiler and whisk the yolks. You will need to do this for about 10 minutes, until the yolks expand in volume and get hot to the touch (when you dip in a finger). At this point, remove the bowl from the heat, and whip the mixture until it cools down. If you have a stand mixer, use it (with the whisk attachment). A hand-held electric whisk would also be useful here.

Meanwhile, beat 1 lb mascarpone cheese with a fork or spoon until soft. Set aside. Whip 1 cup heavy cream just until it gets to stiff peaks (if you are using a stand mixer, pour the yolks into a new bowl, wash mixer bowl and whisk, and use it for the cream).

Now fold the cooled yolk mixture and cheese into the cream until mostly combined. Take a 11 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish and set it aside. You will need some ladyfingers. How many you will need depends on their size. I used about 16 of mine. Now you are ready to assemble the tiramisu. Take the ladyfingers and dip them quickly, one by one in the espresso bowl. The goal is to get them a little wet but not soaked. After dipping, use them to line the bottom of the baking dish in one layer. Next, spread half of your cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and make it nice and flat and even. On top goes another layer of dipped ladyfingers, and then on top of them goes the rest of the cheese mixture. Flatten and smooth the top, then dust it with cocoa powder and sprinkle with chocolate curls (I used dark chocolate and a vegetable peeler). Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for several hours.

Pull the tiramisu out of the refrigerator half an hour before you serve it. Dust the top with cocoa again, if desired (it will look better if you do this), slice and enjoy!

Metric Info: 1 cup = 240ml; 1/2 inch = 1cm; 3.5 oz = 100g; 1/3 cup = 80ml; 1 lb = 450g; 11 x 8 x 2 inches = 28 x 20 x 5cm.

Chai Spiced Poached Pears

It was time to make poached pears again. This time I didn't have any red wine to spare (we drank it all), so I poached them in a simple syrup. To make it a bit more interesting, I decided to use some spices, but I wanted a theme, so I decided on chai spice (I guess I was in an Indian kind of mood).

To start, make your simple syrup. Put 7 oz sugar and 2 cups water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once at a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, add your spices and prep your pears.

The spices I used were: a slice of fresh ginger, a few cardamom seeds, a small piece of cinnamon stick, 2 or 3 cloves, a few black peppercorns and a pinch of fennel seeds.

I poached 2 Bartlett pears, but you can use any type of pear, and as many as you like, although the more you want to poach, the more syrup you'll need to cover them. Peel the pears, cut in half and remove cores, stem and tail. Once prepped thusly, put the pears in the simmering syrup, return to a simmer and cook until tender (a knife slides into the pear easily). Remove from the heat and cool in the syrup.

To serve, remove the pear halves from the syrup and enjoy with vanilla bean ice cream. The syrup can be saved and used again to poach more pears, as a base for sorbet, or even as a base for lemonade. Alternatively, you can strain out the spices and boil it down until thick and serve it with the pears.

Metric Info: 7 oz = 200g; 2 cups = 470 ml.

For red wine poached pears, click here.

Bakewell Tart

This one is an English classic - half tart, half cake, with jam, almond-flavored sponge and simple white icing. My mother used to make this quite often when I was a child, and it brings back memories.

There seem to be two schools of thought on how to make the cake. You can make a sponge cake, or you can make a pound cake. The ingredients are the same; what matters is exactly how you combine them. I made a sponge, but I'll detail how to do it as a pound cake at the end.

First, you need a tart shell, and it should be baked blind (this means empty; baked without filling). Find a recipe for the tart dough here, and you should barely need half of the recipe. Or you can use any other suitable pie/tart dough recipe. Roll it out fairly thinly and use it to line a greased 9-inch tart pan. I used a shallow 9 inch pie pan, as it is all I have, but I would recommend something deeper, as it will allow for a thicker cake layer (I was left with some extra sponge mix that wouldn't fit in the pan). Put the pan in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill the dough.

Next, top your dough with a piece of foil, and top that with some oven-safe weights (e.g. baking beans - dried beans reserved for baking). Bake at 350 F until it begins to brown (maybe 10-15 min), then remove the foil and weights and bake another 5-10 minutes to brown the base. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once your tart shell is cooled, brush the base with 1 egg white, beaten (save the yolk), then top with a thick layer of jam. I prefer raspberry, but the type of fruit is not set in stone. Set the pan aside while you make the filling.

For the filling, start by putting your yolk into a mixer bowl. Add 3 more eggs and 6 oz sugar, and set up like a double boiler - get about 1 inch of water simmering in a small saucepan, and set the mixer bowl in the top of the pan, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl is clear of the water. Whisk the eggs constantly while they are over the heat. Keep going until the eggs are very warm (you do not want them to get real hot, as they will eventually curdle). At this point, put the mixer bowl on your mixer and whisk the eggs until they triple in volume.

Meanwhile, melt 6 oz butter (and then allow to cool at room temperature) and sift 6 oz almond flour (aka ground almonds) or a mixture of almond flour and flour, or all flour if you prefer, with a pinch of salt.

Once the eggs are done, carefully fold in the flour mixture, the melted butter and a few drops of almond extract (use more if you did not use almond flour), just until blended. Pour into your tart shell and put straight into the oven (at 350 F) for about 30 minutes, until set and just starting to brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack.

Once the tart has completely cooled, you can ice it. Combine 2 floz milk and 4.5 oz powdered sugar and whisk until fully combined. Pour over the cake and spread into an even thin layer with a spatula or knife. Transfer the tart to the refrigerator to chill.

Once chilled, you can decorate the top of the tart with glacé cherries (candied preserved cherries; I could not find them so I substituted drained maraschino cherries). Slice; serve; enjoy!

Note 1 - Pound cake variation (this should yield a firmer cake filling): Keep quantities and ingredients the same, but begin by softening the butter (just leave at room temperature for about an hour; do not melt) and creaming it with the sugar in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Keep going until it is very light and creamy. Stir in the eggs (and yolk) and almond extract on low speed, then fold in the flours, pour into the prepared tart shell and bake until cooked through (toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean).

Note 2 - Metric Info: 9 inches = 23 cm; 350 F =175 C; 6 oz = 170g; 2 floz = 60 ml; 4.5 oz = 130g.

Poached Pears

Pears are my second favorite fruit, after dates. While there is little better than a ripe pear, an unripe pear can be poached and will taste great. I got hold of some Anjou pears from the store for this recipe, but you can use pretty much any kind, so long as they are not too soft.

Pears can be poached in a simple syrup (water and sugar) or in a wine or port syrup. Port is my favorite, but I didn't have any on hand, just 2 cups of red wine left over from making the beef stew. You could also use white wine if you like.

Start by boiling 2 cups red wine, 1 cup water and 10 oz sugar and some whole spices until the sugar dissolves. The spices are your choice. I like to use any or all of the following: clove, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom (remove from pods), black peppercorn. Once the 'mulled wine' is hot and the sugar dissolved, peel 3 pears. Cut in half and scoop or cut out the cores, stem and base. Immerse the pear halves in the wine mixture and return to a simmer. Cover your pan and cook gently until the pears are tender (soft but not mushy). Remove pears (chill in refrigerator) and strain out spices, then return the liquid to the pan and boil it down into a heavy syrup.

Serve the pears cold with warm syrup and ice cream (I used cinnamon ice cream - see variations here) or custard sauce. Any leftover syrup makes a great accompaniment to ice cream. Enjoy!

Note - Metric Info: 2 cups = 470 ml; 1 cup = 240 ml; 10 oz = 280g.

Banana Bread with Caramel Ice Cream

I love banana bread, and it's easy to make. It's perfect for when you have some bananas that are getting a little soft, and you need to use them up. The recipe is from 'The Good Housekeeping Cookbook'.

Start by softening the butter by pulling it out of the refrigerator and leaving it at room temperature for an hour. In a bowl, combine 2.5 cups (11 oz) flour with 2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda. In another bowl, mash 3 bananas and combine with 1/4 cup milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract.

In a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer, or even with a whisk if you need to), beat 4 oz softened butter with 1 cup sugar until creamy. Beat in 2 eggs, then reduce the mixer speed and add about 1/4 of your dry mix. Once combined, mix in 1/3 of your wet mix, then keep going until the last 1/4 of your dry mix is in. Pour your batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 F for at least an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, and allow to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil and keep at cool room temperature overnight. It tastes better the next day. Enjoy!

To make the caramel ice cream, start by setting up a medium metal bowl on ice, with a strainer in it. Next, measure 7 oz sugar and enough water to make it wet in a heavy pan. Heat on medium until the sugar caramelizes (I like it to get golden brown, but no darker) to the desired point. Carefully (it will boil furiously) and slowly, add 1 pint half and half, stirring. Allow to return almost to a simmer, stirring regularly. Do not allow it to boil. Meanwhile, whisk 5 egg yolks. Ladle some hot half and half into the yolks. Whisk quickly and pour back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. When this point is reached, immediately pour it through the strainer into the cold bowl. Once the mixture has cooled a little, chill in the refrigerator and then churn in an ice cream machine. Transfer to the freezer for a few hours. Enjoy with the banana bread.

Note 1 - If you like walnuts in your banana bread, stir in 4 oz of chopped (preferably also toasted) nuts just before pouring the batter into the loaf pan.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 11 oz = 310g; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 4 oz = 110g; 1 cup = 240 ml; 350 F = 175 C; 7 oz = 200g; 1 US pint = 470 ml.

Pumpkin Pie

It's almost Thanksgiving here in the U.S., and pumpkins have been available for a little while now. Time to start thinking about making pumpkin pie! First, a few words about the pumpkins themselves. There are several different kinds of pumpkins available on the market. Most are Jack pumpkins, which are ideal for carving, but are very bland when it comes to eating. The first pumpkin pie I made, shown above, was made with Jack pumpkin (although it was advertised as a 'pie pumpkin') - see below:

The next one, I used kuri squash for - a red squash, very good for soups and, it turns out, 'pumpkin' pies:

This resulted in:

For my Thanksgiving pie, I am going to use a Cheese Pumpkin. These are supposedly very good for pumpkin pie:

Anyway, whatever kind of pumpkin you end up using, the process is pretty much the same. First, you half and deseed the pumpkin and bake it until the flesh is soft. You puree the flesh and set it aside. Next, make pastry for the crust and pre-bake it (blind). Lastly, you make the filling with the puree, fill the pastry shell and bake until set. The following recipe is adapted from 'The Art of Simple Food' by Alice Waters. It makes one 9 inch pie.


Pumpkin Puree
Cut your pumpkin in half with a heavy knife and scoop out the seeds (save, clean and roast for a snack if desired). Put both halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F until tender (a butter knife slides into the flesh easily). Allow to cool, then scoop the flesh out, leaving the skin behind. If you have a food mill, put the flesh through to puree it; otherwise you can mash it with a potato masher or fork.
You will need 15 oz of your puree for one 9 inch pie. A small pumpkin should yield about that much, but a big one may result in a lot more. The cheese pumpkin above will probably be enough for 3 pies! Extra puree could be used to make pumpkin ravioli, soup, pumpkin bread, pancakes etc.


Pastry
(9 oz flour, 8 oz cold butter, 1 egg, cold water)
Follow the instructions here, allowing for the fact that you will have at least twice as much dough as you need. You can stop at 'Now put the pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.' This will leave you with half the dough in the refrigerator, wrapped, a pie shell in a pie pan, also in the refrigerator, and some dough scraps that you cut away from the pan. Combine the scraps with the wrapped dough, press pretty flat, wrap again, tightly, and either freeze or keep in the refrigerator to use for another tart or pie. Let the pie shell rest in the fridge for a total of 1 hour, then remove, prick the base of the shell with a fork, line with foil, cover with pie weights (I use uncooked dried beans, reserved for this use) and bake for 15 minutes at 375 F. Remove foil and weights and bake another 5 or so minutes until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you make the filling.


Filling
In a small saucepan, whisk 1/4 cup cream and 2 tsp flour together and boil until they thicken. Whisk in another 3/4 cup cream and boil again. Allow to cool a little. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together 15 oz pumpkin puree (see above), 3 eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (a mix of ground spices - usually cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice or clove), a pinch of salt and a glug of maple syrup. Lastly, whisk in the cream mixture.


Finishing
Pour the filling into your shell. Bake at 375 F for about 45 minutes - until the center of the filling is almost set. Cool on a rack, then cut and serve with whipped cream (I flavored mine with nutmeg and a little powdered sugar). Enjoy!


Note 1 - If you do not want to use fresh pumpkin, you could substitute canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling - it should only contain pumpkin). Use the same amount. It should work OK.


Note 2 - Metric Info: 350 F = 175 C; 15 oz = 425g; 9 inches = 23 cm; 9 oz = 255g; 8 oz = 225g; 375 F = 190 C; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 3/4 cup = 180 ml; 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Apple Pie

'Tis the season for apple pie. Plenty of good apples available from local orchards. I went with a lattice pattern (by request) instead of a solid top. It was a bit more work, but I think it was worth it.

Start by preparing the pie dough. Put 9 oz (about 2 cups) flour into a medium-sized bowl, and add 8 oz cold butter, cut into thin slices, and a good pinch of salt. With your hands, rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until only a few large flecks are visible. Now add 1 egg, beaten, made up to 1/2 cup in volume with ice cold water (I use cold water and put the egg-water mix in the freezer for a few minutes while I rub in the butter). Knead the liquid into the flour for no more than a minute. The dough will be wet. Sprinkle over some flour and pat into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or as long as a day if you like; you can also freeze the dough for months).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the rectangle in two. Replace one half in the fridge, and roll the other out into a thin round (use as much flour as needed to avoid it sticking to your work surface). Make sure it is big enough to line your pie pan. I used a 9 inch pan. Grease the pan with butter first, then lay the pastry in it, cutting around the edge to get rid of any overhang. Now put the pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

You will need a bunch of apples. I used 3 lb of Gala apples. You can use whatever kind of apple you desire, but you may not need as much as 3 lb - my pie was a little stuffed. I think it would have worked with just over 2 lb of apples.

Peel, core and slice your apples. Work quickly to avoid browning. I put the slices into a bowl and sprinkled them with a little lemon juice, then added about 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and a few grindings of fresh nutmeg (or a shake of ground). You could also add a small pinch of salt. If the apples are too juicy, add more flour; if they are too tart, add more sugar. Pile the apples into the pie crust and set aside. Roll out the rest of your dough (add your scraps from the shell also) to about the same thickness as you did the shell and cut long strips of roughly equal width. Using a finger dipped in water to 'glue' the strips to the pie shell, make your criss-cross lattice over the apples by alternating the directions of the strips. I started by going across the middle and worked my way towards the edges but it doesn't really matter which order you do it in.

Once you are finished assembling the pie, tidy up the edge of the crust and set your pan on a cookie sheet or similar (to collect any juice that might leak from the pie). Bake at 425 F for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F for another 30 minutes or so, until the pastry is nicely golden and the apples are soft. Allow to cool most of the way to room temperature before serving, with cream or ice cream. Enjoy!

Note 1 - This is my favorite pie dough recipe. It is based on one in 'A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes' by David Tanis. An awesome cookbook.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 9 oz = 260g; 8 oz = 225g; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 9 inches = 23 cm; 3 lb = 1.4 kg; 2 lb =  900g; 1 cup = 240 ml; 425 F = 220 C; 350 F = 180 C.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

It was time to make ice cream again, so I asked my significant other for a suggestion. She decided on this one - butter pecan. This was the first ice cream I have made with stir-ins (not that they were difficult, but...).

Start by getting together 7 oz brown sugar. Split roughly in half so that you have 2 batches.

Take 2 oz (1/2 stick) butter and melt it in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Continue to heat over medium heat until it turns golden brown (do not allow it to get dark brown!). Turn down the heat a little and stir in 1 batch of brown sugar. Next, add 2 cups of half-and-half, stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Continue to heat, but keep an eye on it, and do not allow it to boil.

Meanwhile, whisk the other batch of brown sugar with 5 egg yolks in a medium bowl. Set up another medium-large bowl on ice, with a strainer sitting on top of it. Once the half-and-half mixture is close to a boil (you can see tiny bubbles forming around the edges of the pan), ladle some of this mixture onto the yolks and whisk in. Tip the entire contents of the yolk bowl back into the saucepan, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, continuing to heat the mixture, until it coats the back of your spoon (a line drawn in the mixture on the back of the spoon does not fill in). Once you reach this point, immediately pour the mixture through the strainer into the chilled bowl. Stir it a little to help it cool down. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill once it has cooled a little.

While your 'base' is cooling, toast 1/2 cup of pecans (I prefer to buy whole pecans, but you can use pieces - just check them sooner in the oven). Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Once the 'base' is chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and churn. Once almost solid (or as close to this as your ice cream maker gets), transfer into a bowl. Stir in the nuts, trying to distribute them evenly through the ice cream. Transfer your ice cream back into a freezer-suitable container (I use plastic quart size yogurt containers) and freeze until hardened. Enjoy!

Note 1 - For those outside North America, half-and-half is half milk, half cream.

Note 2 - Be careful not to let your half-and-half mixture boil, even before adding the yolks. Mine did the first time, and it curdled, so I had to throw it out and start over.

Note 3 - Metric Info: 7 oz = 200g; 2 oz = 55g; 2 cups = 475 ml; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 350 F = 175 C.

Peach Tart

Went to Shelburne Orchards the other day to pick peaches and apples. The apples were Paula Reds - not my favorite eating apple, so I made apple sauce out of them, but the peaches were delicious - the best I have had in quite some time. They blew store-bought peaches out of the water. While amazing freshly-picked ripe peaches are probably best eaten out of hand, if you have plenty or can only get the store-bought kind, try making a tart!

Start by making your dough. I made a pretty small tart (I only used 1 peach, but I would recommend 2), so I started with 2/3 cup flour, 2 oz (half a stick) of cold butter, diced, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Put 1/6 cup cold water in the freezer for a few minutes to get really cold. Take out the water and pour it in through the pour spout while you pulse the dough. Only mix until it forms a big lump, then stop. Remove from the bowl of the food processor and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

After an hour (you can leave it in the refrigerator for a while if you want, but you'll have to give it a few minutes at room temperature before you roll it), remove from the refrigerator. Flatten the ball a little to form a disc. Unwrap and place on a floured counter top. Flour the dough and your rolling pin. Roll out into a 1/8 inch thick round (this made for about a 7 inch diameter tart). Place on a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate again for a few minutes to firm it up.

Meanwhile, peel 2 peaches. If they are very ripe, you should be able to remove the skin easily with your fingers. If not, score a very shallow 'x' in the skin and plunge into boiling water for 20 seconds, then into ice water. It should now come away easily. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, and slice fairly thickly. Set aside for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp flour, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Remove your dough round from the refrigerator and place in or on a greased (with butter) pan. Sprinkle your flour-sugar mixture on the dough, starting at the center and working out towards the edges. Leave a 1/2 to 3/4 inch border of dough empty. Arrange your sliced peaches on top of the flour-sugar mixture. They do not need to overlap but try not to leave gaps in between them. Fold the dough border up over the fruit. Brush the pastry edge with a little melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Sprinkle sugar over the fruit (you will not need much if they are ripe, but use more if not).

Bake your tart in a preheated 375 F oven on the bottom shelf until the base of the dough is golden brown - at least 45 minutes. Once out of the oven, you can brush the top of the tart with melted jam if you wish (I used redcurrant jelly) - this is called a 'glaze'. Allow to cool a little, slice and serve. Enjoy!

Note - Metric Info: 2/3 cup = 160 ml; 2 oz = 55g; 375 F = 190 C.

Chocolate Mousse with Cointreau

This I made for dessert last weekend. It is very easy to make, but is much more convenient if you have a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, as there is a lot of beating to be done.

Start by melting 1/2 oz butter with 3.5 oz good-quality dark chocolate in a double boiler. If you do not have an actual double boiler, you can make one with a metal bowl and a small saucepan. Put about an inch of water in the pan and set the bowl on top with the chocolate and butter in it. Bring the water almost to a simmer and stir the mixture until it melts and blends together. Once you reach this point, carefully remove the bowl from the pan (it will be hot) and set it aside to cool slightly.

Next, separate 2 eggs. Measure out 2 oz sugar. Put the 2 yolks in the bowl of your mixer. Pour in most of the sugar (reserve a small amount for the whites) and add a splash of Cointreau. Beat with the whisk attachment until light and creamy. Remove to another bowl; clean your mixer bowl and beaters. Add the melted chocolate mixture slowly to your yolks, folding it in with a spatula.

Put your 2 whites in the clean mixer bowl. Beat until they start to firm up, then stream in the remaining sugar and continue to beat until you see stiff peaks. Pour a little of the chocolate mixture onto the whites, folding it in. Next, fold the whites back into the rest of the chocolate mixture. Clean your mixer bowl and beaters.

Put 1/2 cup cold heavy or whipping cream into your mixer bowl. Beat until thickened (but do not go too far or you will make butter!). Fold the cream into the egg-chocolate mix. Pour into small glasses or bowls and chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours until set. Enjoy! Serves 2.

Note 1 - This is a raw egg product. Use the best freshest eggs you can get your hands on and keep them clean. The very young, the elderly and the immunocompromised should avoid this.

Note 2 - Grand Marnier or Triple Sec can be substituted for Cointreau.

Note 3 - Metric Info: 1/2 oz = 14g; 3.5 oz = 100g; 2 oz = 55g; 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Lavender Honey Ice Cream

I have been really enjoying making cold food recently. Maybe it's the 90+ degree weather?! Anyway, this is not an original ice cream flavor, but the inspiration came to me at City Market in the tea section. I had already decided to do green tea ice cream, but I felt like making another flavor too, and, next to the loose teas was a tub of dried lavender flowers. And across the aisle was honey.

Start by bringing 1 tbsp dried lavender flowers and 2 cups half-and-half to just below a boil in a saucepan. Switch off the heat, cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the flowers and bring the half-and-half back to the boil. While it is heating, whisk 5 egg yolks with 2.5 oz sugar until light and creamy. Set up a metal bowl on ice (or in ice water) with a strainer in it. When the half-and-half is about to boil, pour a little onto your yolks. Mix quickly, and tip back into the saucepan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon (a line drawn with your finger does not fill back in). Immediately pour through the strainer into the cold metal bowl, and stir in 4 oz honey. Continue stirring to dissolve the honey and help the mixture cool. Once cooled, transfer the base to the fridge to chill.

Once your base is cold, remove from the fridge and churn in an ice cream machine (make sure to get all of the honey out of the bowl and into the machine). Freeze. Enjoy! This is my favorite ice cream that I have made so far.

Note 1 - For those outside North America, half-and-half is half milk, half cream.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 2 cups = 480 ml; 2.5 oz = 70g; 4 oz = 110g.

Chilled Peach Soup

As I mentioned before, I love making soup. I haven't made many cold soups, but the temperatures are high (around 90 F) and I don't feel like getting hotter.

The recipe is based on this one, credited to Chef Bill Luker, which I found, and thought looked interesting.

You can use a stand blender or a food processor to make this soup. If you have both, I would suggest the blender.

Start by thawing 2 cups (10 oz) frozen peaches. Place them in your blender with 2 tsp Cointreau, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp almond extract and a pinch of salt. Process or blend until smooth. Add 2/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream and 2 tbsp honey. Blend again until combined. Taste and adjust flavors if needed. Chill in refrigerator until cold.

Serve garnished with a little yogurt or sour cream and some mint leaves, as an appetizer or dessert. Makes two generous servings.

Note 1 - If you have fresh peaches, remove the skin and pits, chop coarsely and measure out 2 cups-worth or scale the recipe accordingly.

Note 2 - If you don't have Cointreau, you can substitute Triple Sec or Grand Marnier.

Note 3 - The original recipe called for more almond extract, but I found it to be overpowering, so I scaled it back a little.

If you feel like making your own yogurt for this soup, click here.

Note 5 - Metric info: 2 cups = 480 ml; 10 oz = 280g; 2/3 cup = 160 ml.

Coffee Ice Cream

I'm back! No, I didn't stop cooking; I just stopped blogging. So, now I have some catching up to do...

This is one I made a while back, around the beginning of the month. I was intending to incorporate cardamom into it, a kind of 'Turkish coffee' ice cream, but forgot (I was going to toast the cardamom lightly and add it with the beans), so here's how it went (recipe from 'Second Helpings of Roast Chicken' by Simon Hopkinson):

Take 3.5 oz whole coffee beans (use any kind you like - I used Starbucks Italian Roast), and put in a saucepan with 9 floz milk and 1.5 oz brown sugar. Stir to help dissolve the sugar and bring the milk to a boil, then switch off the heat, cover the pan and allow to sit somewhere warm for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr.

Strain the beans out of the milk and scald it (bring to just below a boil). Meanwhile, whisk 5 egg yolks with 2 oz brown sugar vigorously until pale yellow. Once the milk is ready, set up a metal bowl over ice (or in ice water) and pour a little hot milk into the yolks. Stir with a wooden spoon and quickly pour the egg mixture into the hot milk in the saucepan. Keep the heat on and stir constantly until the mixture coats the back of the wooden spoon (you should be able to draw a line in it with your finger). At this point, remove immediately from the heat and pour into the cold metal bowl, stirring in 7 floz heavy cream. Once cooled a little, chill in the refrigerator, then churn in an ice cream maker.

Enjoy!

Note 1 - This was not the first time I made this ice cream. The first time, I used different beans and the milk curdled as it came to a boil. I had to wash the beans and use fresh milk. This time, it worked fine though.

Note 2 - Metric info: Use 275ml milk, 100g beans, 50g sugar with the milk, 65g sugar with the yolks, and 200ml cream.

Coconut Ice Cream

I don't know if it's been the same where you are, but here it has been hot. Unseasonably hot. We live in a third floor apartment, so it has been really hot. Time for some ice cream...

Empty 1 can (13-14 fl oz) coconut milk into a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1 cup of toasted unsweetened coconut flakes (toast your flakes by putting them on a baking sheet under the broiler, but keep an eye on them or they will burn!) and a few pieces of lime peel (remove with a vegetable peeler - be careful to avoid the white pith) and bring to a boil. Switch off the heat and cover the pan. Let it sit for 30 minutes (this is called steeping), then pour through a strainer into a bowl and then back into a clean pan (leaving the flakes and peel in the strainer).

Beat 4 egg yolks with 2/3 cup of sugar until they lighten in color. Meanwhile, bring the coconut milk mixture to a boil. Pour a little of the mixture onto the yolks and stir vigorously to combine. Then pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining milk mixture. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon while heating. As soon as a line drawn in the back of the spoon with your finger stays (the custard does not run back into the line - this point will be reached quickly), pour the contents of the pan through a clean strainer into a chilled bowl (preferably on ice or in ice water). Stir the mixture in the bowl to help it cool down.

Chill your ice cream base in the refrigerator and churn in an ice cream maker. Freeze.

This recipe is based loosely on one in 'Ice Cream: The Perfect Weekend Treat' by Susanna Tee.

Note 1 - If you cannot find unsweetened coconut flakes you could substitute sweetened flakes or shredded coconut. If you use sweetened product, you may need to cut back slightly on the amount of sugar you use.

Note 2 - The original recipe suggested leaving the soaked flakes back in the ice cream. I didn't like their texture, so I left them out. You can decide if you want to keep them or throw them out. The original also suggested adding a little Malibu or white rum, which might be interesting...

Note 3 - A friend pointed out how much saturated fat there is in a can of coconut milk - 70 g (almost 2.5 oz). If this is a concern for you, consider using half coconut milk and half milk (about 9 fl oz of each), which would cut the fat content down a little...

Note 4 - Metric info: 1 can = about 400 ml; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 1 cup = 240 ml; 2/3 cup = 160 ml.

Strawberries and whipped cream

I picked up some fresh local strawberries from Adams Berry Farm, and decided to serve them for dessert with some homemade whipped cream. This whipped cream is called Creme Chantilly, but is a lot simpler to make than it sounds.

Take 1/2 cup cold heavy cream and pour into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or you can do it by hand, which takes a little longer and requires more effort). Add a splash of vanilla extract and 2 tbsp powdered sugar and whip on high speed until the cream thickens noticeably. Careful though - if you whip for too long, it will turn to butter (if whipping by hand, do not worry - this is unlikely). Serve the cold cream with the strawberries. Enjoy!

Note 1 - If you find that 1/2 cup of cream sits too low in the bowl for the mixer's whisk to reach. just add a little more.

Note 2 - Metric info: 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Fresh home-grown mint leaf!

There's nothing quite like vanilla ice cream...

Start by whisking 5 oz sugar into 5 egg yolks in a bowl until everything is nicely blended and the color lightens a little. Set up another, metal bowl on ice (or even better, in an ice bath - ice cubes in water) with a fairly fine strainer set in it. Have a wooden spoon on hand.

Now bring 2 cups half and half to a boil in a pan. Watch it carefully, because if it boils over you will lose liquid. As soon as it boils, pour a little (maybe 1/2 cup) half and half onto your sugar-yolk mixture and whisk vigorously to mix. Do not switch off the heat. Now pour the whole mixture back into the remaining half and half and continue to heat on the stove, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon. Check the back of the spoon as frequently as you can. Draw a line in the liquid on the back of the spoon with your finger. When the line stays and no liquid runs back into it, you are ready (and this will take only a matter of a minute or two). Remove the pan from the stove immediately and pour the contents through the strainer into the cold metal bowl. Stir constantly until the liquid cools down. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, chill in the fridge and churn in an ice cream machine, at which point you can serve it or freeze it. This has been a favorite in our house since I made it...

Variations

Using the basic recipe as a starting point, omitting the vanilla extract and adding other flavors, you can make other ice creams.

Mint ice cream - Add a big bunch of mint leaves to the cold half and half. Heat almost to a boil, then remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes (preferably even longer) before straining out the mint and continuing with the recipe.

Cinnamon ice cream - Add a cinnamon stick to the cold half and half. Proceed as for the mint, above. If you like it to be a little stronger in flavor, add some ground cinnamon after cooking. Whisk briefly and strain before churning.

Vanilla bean ice cream - Add 1 split vanilla bean to your cold half and half (cut in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds out with a knife, and add seeds and bean). Bring almost to a boil, remove from heat, leave for 30 minutes, covered, then remove the bean halves (but leave the seeds in), then return to a boil and continue with the recipe. Make sure that you do not use a fine strainer at the end, as you want the seeds to stay in the mix.


Note 1 - This is one recipe where everything has to be on hand before you start. As soon as the half and half boils, you have to work quickly. The mixture must not overcook or the eggs will scramble. A tiny bit of scrambling is OK - the strainer will get rid of it - but if the whole mixture scrambles, then all is lost.

Note 2 - The heat on the stove should be at least medium, or the whole process will take a while.

Note 3 - (For readers outside N. America) Half and half = half milk, half cream.

Note 4 - Metric info: 7 oz = 200g; 2 cups = 470 ml.