Week 31: Salty and Sweet

So I'm finally catching up, last week I made Pretzel and Chocolate Gelato. The recipe in the book called for a vanilla base with chocolate chips and pretzels. I favored a chocolate base with pretzels so that's how I did it. I may go back and try it her way sometime. One strong opinion I have to make on chocolate based ice cream ( since its been almost a year of making ice cream) is to use Baker's brand chocolate. I think it has a stronger chocolate flavor like what you would get from using cocoa powder but doesn't have a chalkiness that I find occurs with using chocolate chips. Even good Ghiradelli chips do leave some chalkiness. I also think it dissolves into the milk mixture better. It probably has a higher fat content that makes it a bit creamier too. All around I think it makes a superior chocolate base. From there you can add anything you want into it. I put pretzels in this  batch. Now there comes a texture choice. If you like the pretzels to be crunchy, which I prefer, you add them as a topping or mix them in yourself right before you eat the ice cream. If you like them soft, mix them into the batch as it churns. Words of wisdom: You may think you like the pretzels soft but after a few days they really get too squishy. It changes the texture and you don't enjoy the chocolate flavor as much. I should have put them on separately, but that's how I am able to give you such good advice. The other great thing about the crunchy pretzel on top is that you really get the good salt flavor. Its a great contrast to the rich creamy chocolate. When the pretzels sit in the ice cream the salt just sort of mixes in and you don't get that yin yang. I'm toying around with the idea of using chocolate covered pretzels in hopes that they might stay crisp and deepen the chocolate flavor. Any thoughts?

You just can't go wrong with chocolate and pretzels!

Week 28: Cocoa Sorbet

So I had better hopes for this one. The recipe was so simple I thought what could go wrong. Well it turned out more like fudge than sorbet. 3 ingredients, cocoa powder, sugar syrup and vanilla extract. I used agave syrup and a bit of water to thin it out. I'm not sure if that created the problem or if the thickness of the mixture was the issue. Maybe if it had more liquid, i.e. water in it, it would have gotten frozen like sorbet should instead of being still soft and fudge like. Don't get me wrong it was still good. And it was good on top of the white chocolate ice cream. But it wasn't sorbet.

I will keep it in mind when I want a good fudge or chocolate sauce recipe.

Week 26: Espresso Gelato with Biscotti

We're halfway there! Week 26, WOW! I have to let you in on a little secret. I am not great at committing to projects. I get excited in the beginning but then I either don't finish something or get burnt out it the end. Its one of the flaws I hate about myself and I'm working on it. I was afraid I would do that with this blog. I have slowed down periodically but haven't lost enthusiasm yet about making ice cream. I am more excited about coming up with my own recipes once this 52 week adventure is over. But about this weeks flavor. Its espresso and there's no denying it. If you need a good wake-me-up at 9:00 or pick-me-up at 2:00 have a scoop of this. I am strange but not that strange, I like the smell of coffee and the taste of coffee flavored items but not the taste of real coffee. This gelato is appealing to me but not something I could have all the time. But for you extreme coffee fans this is amazing. Its one of those ice creams you can't hide making. The smell of the espresso is so strong and wonderfully rich. It perfumes the kitchen. The biscotti are a great addition to this because they add some body to the mixture and an extra sweetness. I used chocolate biscotti with almonds. When I tried it they were crunchy but the longer they sit in the gelato the softer they will get. I am excited to try it today again and see what the texture is like. Its only flaw - possibly not being sweet enough. I doubled the recipe and cut back a bit on the sugar because I thought the biscotti would make it sweet but it isn't as sweet as I thought it might be. It may be good to add a little chocolate sauce on top if you are serving it as a desert. If you don't like your coffee or espresso too sweetened than this would be perfect for you.

Cheers to a good pick me up to start the week off right! Happy Monday!

What Would You Do-oo-oo?

So I'm stepping it up a notch this week with homemade Klondike bars. But not just any Klondike bars, Triple Coconut Klondike bars. They have great coconut flavor and crunch from toasted coconut, sweetened flakes coconut, coconut milk, and I added cream of coconut to make it even more rich. So if you want to be technically correct its Quadruple coconut. Once I thought about the process it was really easy to make. You make the ice cream as usual, when it's still soft you spread it into a baking dish lined with wax paper (so the ice cream doesn't freeze to the pan). I used a 9x13 pan but if you had more ice cream you could use a deep cookie tray or sheet cake pan. I would just suggest that the mixture fill the container at least an inch high. Let it freeze until it's set enough but not too hard. Remove from pan with wax paper an cut into squares. My mom suggested that the new brownie pans that have inserts to make them precut would work great. I dont make brownies that often to need a pan like that, but they do seem neat. Once they are cut you can return the pan to the freezer if they thawed out too much, if not it's time to dip them in chocolate. I used magic shell! I love this stuff. I've used it before to make carvel-like ice cream cake. This stuff is amazing. I read online that you can make your own (see recipe below) by melting chocolate with coconut oil. Coconut oil is rather expensive, but maybe I'll try it sometime. You coat the bars in magic shell and then refreeze. It takes more magic shell than I thought, but it didn't solidify as quickly as I imagined. You have a little time to top it with nuts or cookie crumbles if you wish to add more texture or flavor. I meant to top some with almonds but forgot in the process of making them. You have to work somewhat quickly because if the bars get too soft the chocolate doesn't stick as well to them. The melted ice cream sort of seizes up the choclate a bit making it harder to get an even coating. But they're handmade, they don't have to be perfect. Mine certainly aren't but they sure taste like it. This is a great thing to try with any store bought ice cream too. You can come up with lots of different flavor combinations. The one benefit to making your own magic shell would be that you can make it with any type of chocolate. White chocolate would be beautiful with mint ice cream for Christmas. This is too easy and too good a treat not to try. It's one of those simple but fancy things that wow people. There's not much I wouldn't do for a Klondike bar, how about you?

Magic Shell Recipe:

1 1/4 Cups Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (measured when solid)

Melt the coconut oil over very low heat. Slowly stir in the chocolate until completely melted and blended. Add a dash of salt. Store your topping in a jar or squeeze bottle. You don't need to refrigerate it, but if it does solidify, just nuke it for a few secs to make it all melty again.

Week 22: Or-eo-eo Ice Cream

Perhaps the hardest thing about making this ice cream was scraping the cream filing off the cookies. Yes, I said it! I was shocked that the recipe said to do so, but I think it would have made it too sweet. And I get what she was trying to do here, the ice cream is the cream filling. I hated throwing that filling out but really couldn't stand eating it. I'm not really into eating frosting, and thats basically what it is. This ice cream was so easy to make, you could make it for any late night craving. You just make a simple syrup ahead of time (one cup of sugar and one cup of water, simmered till the sugar dissolves). It lasts for a couple months in the fridge. Equal parts whole milk and heavy cream, and you could really add the sugar syrup to taste. The recipe called for 1/4 cup for the 3 cups of heavy cream and milk together, and a dash of vanilla extract. Put this into a maker and then five minutes before its done churning, add the crushed oreo cookies. You could try it with the filling if you want it more sweet but I went for what the recipe said. If you do try it with the whole oreos, I'd like to know how it comes out. I wonder if Nabisco has thought of selling just the cookies. They would be great for desserts or people like me who just love the cookies. I'll have to make my dad a batch of this sometime, he loves oreos! I'm attempting to eat healthier and cook more at home, besides ice cream, but its hard to have the leftover sweets in the house. I still have most of the package of oreos left. I think I'll bring the cookies into work tomorrow so as not to tempt me.

I decided to make an oreo ice cream sandwich when I tasted it. It was delicious. Most people like oreos - they are the cookie of your childhood. They're nostalgic and comforting. This is a perfect combination of chocolate and vanilla. Its so easy you have to try it.

Week 17: Willy Wonka's Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Factory.

If Willy Wonka had started an ice cream shoppe, this would have made the list. I am so pleased that this came out so well. Sometimes it's hard to determine how sweet it will be when it's done, but this is just sweet enough. There is a nice slightly bitter taste that dark chocolate should have and this has it without being too overpowering. There is a good chocolatey flavor that's aided by adding kahlua. The recipie called for grand marnier which I didn't have, so I made due with what I did have. It's smooth and rich, defiantly an indulgent treat. I used more leftover ghiradelli chocolate and mixed semisweet with bittersweet to add depth to the chocolate flavor. I've been bad with taking pictures lately. I intend to, then it gets too late by the time I blog and then I don't want to bother with getting the camera out. I should put more effort into doing that. I feel like sometimes I need a blog assistant. Someone to force me to do more with this blog than I am. I can't fault my co-workers for not posting when its not that exciting to read. I need to do more research into what makes a good blog and what other people are doing when it comes to blogging about food. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!?

Week 15: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Heaven

I love peanut butter in pretty much anything. So it goes without saying that I was going to love this from the start. I liked that it had bits of mini chocolate chips in it. The chocolate gives it some depth of flavor but the chip size isn't an overpowering texture. I strayed away from the original recipe a bit. Instead of making a vanilla based ice cream with gobs of peanut butter, I opted for a peanut butter base. I had made peanut butter ice cream once before with a different recipe. That one didn't have eggs nor did it require heating or refrigeration prior to mixing. It was very easy but still tasted amazing. Although this tastes amazing and much like peanut butter mousse, I think the taste isn't that different from the other (easier and faster) peanut butter ice cream. That recipe was in the book that came with the maker. I tried other recipes from that book and they weren't as good as that one. Finding good recipes is half the battle. If I didn't have this book I would be scouring the Internet for recipes that may not have been tested. I will say this: most of the duds I have made were due to my lack of following the directions correctly. She is very exact and I am not. I use the cooking method to ice cream making (a little of this a little of that) while she the baking method (measuring everything!) Some recipes have worked out in my favor. Others not. This one was on my side. I made it how I wanted to and it worked. Deliciously!

There is a really cute blog out there called the chocolate peanut butter gallery. So if you love this combo check it out!


This ice cream was Anne's choice. She loves peanut butter as much as I do, perhaps even more! Let's hope she loves it!

Two Roads Diverged in a Scoop

So the official Rocky Road chocolate vs. vanilla taste test starts tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what the outcome is. Even though I thought the chocolate was going to win me over, somehow the vanilla has more "rockiness to it". Adrian! Yes I went there.

I like to root for the underdog but I realize that the purists may like the chocolate just because it's familiar. Maybe another taste will swing my vote.

I had to come up with my own recipe this time. It wasn't sweet enough or chocolatey enough at first so I added Magic Shell to it because that was all I had. That did make it harder but at least it gave it the much needed sweetness. The chocolate I used must have been semisweet.

On another note, I watched a biography on Ben & Jerry's today. It made me want to drive up to their plant and try to eat a whole Vermonster my myself! I don't know anyone whose tried it. That is a bucket list item for sure. My one regret while on vacation... I didn't eat enough ice cream! I'll have to make up for it this week:) Ha Ha

Week 9: I Love Rocky Road

I was surprised to see that this flavor wasn't chocolate but vanilla based with chocolate chips. While I like this version, I think would have preferred the chocolate base. Maybe I'm a purist. But it was still very delicious. The rough "rocky" texture of the chips, coconut and almonds contrasts nicely with the soft marshmallow pieces. I will admit my jaw was a bit tired of chewing after this one. This made for some thick ice cream that had to be mixed by hand because the maker couldn't hold half of the final ingredients.

This one definitely warrants a chocolate vs vanilla taste test. Since I have left over ingredients I think I will see if I can make it happen for Tuesday. Since I'll be away next week on vacation maybe this can take the place of next Sundays post. I can declare the winner of the taste test on Sunday instead of starting a new flavor. We'll see what the ice cream gallery has to say at work.

a fork in the road

The title for this post came from the Wierd Al song, I Love Rocky Road, sung to the classic 80s anthem I Love Rock and Roll by Joan Jett.

I hear those ice cream bells and I start to drool
Keep a couple quarts in my locker at school
Yah, but chocolate's gettin' old
Vanilla just leaves me cold

There's just one flavor good enough for me, yah me
Don't gimme no crummy taste spoon
I know what I need

Baby, I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me, ow

They tell me ice cream junkies are all the same
All the soda jerkers know my name
When their supply is gone
Then I'll be movin' on

But I'll be back on Monday afternoon, you'll see
Another truck load's comin' in for me, all for me
I'm singin'

I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me, ow

(oh, make it talk)

When I'm all alone, I just grab myself a cone
And if I get fat and loose my teeth that's fine with me
Just lock me in the freezer and throw away the key
Sing it

I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me

I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me

Week 5: Deutsch Schokolade | German Chocolate

This week Caroline picked the flavor. Chocolate ...check, coconut ...check, nuts ...check, yep its going to be good!

I am constantly trying to perfect my technique with each recipe. I made sure my eggs were room temperature, got the milk up to the proper temperature before and after tempering the eggs. I let it thoroughly cool before putting it in the fridge overnight. With all this I expected the mixture to come out of the fridge with a medium bodied consistency, thin enough to then get thickened in the maker. Instead I ended up with soft serve before I even put it in the maker. This is a scary outcome as it is only going to get thicker once the mixture freezes. But fears aside I proceed with getting it churning in the mixer. It goes for half an hour then its time to put the coconut and nuts in. The minute I do, the motor stops. I'm thinking now I have to work fast before I end up with a melted mess. And is my machine broken?

I handle the first fiasco - getting this mass of ice cream out of the maker and into a bowl so I can mix it. Because the mixture got so hard in the maker, a lot of it froze to the sides of the cylinder and was soft in the middle. I was nervous about having chunks of hardened ice cream mixed within the soft base but the coconut and nut texture hopefully hide that. I get the mixture the the freezer as quickly as possible and check the maker. Motor starts up fine! It will live to see another week of ice cream making. I actually think its designed to shut it off if the cylinder cant spin, so you don't blow the motor. Lets hope anyway.

This whole process was a labor of love. The ingredients were somewhat pricey and more so because I doubled the recipe. This is definitely a treat worth spending money on. The richness of the chocolate is the star in this ice cream, and the Bakers's German's Chocolate is creamy and smooth, and just sweet enough. The coconut gives a a great flavor as well, I might even add some coconut extract next time to amp up the coconut flavor. The original recipe called for pecans but Caroline asked for macadamias. They add a rich, buttery crunch that makes this even more decadent. They are salted so you get the contrast in flavors which balance each other well. That seems to be the big thing in baking right now. You see salt topped cupcakes and pies with caramel and salt. I'm glad that people are looking at savory items for baked goods. I'm getting a bit off topic but. herbs go really well in sweet dishes too.

I think the only thing wrong with it is wanting to eat the entire batch in one sitting. I would advise against doing this, as it is so rich. This is the type of ice cream that is a delicacy, to be savored. It will be the perfect way to start a short week after this holiday weekend.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

Week 3: Sundae School

I am posting today from possibly my favorite place in the world, Cape Cod. I am here for a birthday getaway, even if it is just for the weekend, and I can't think of a better spot for ice cream than Sundae School in Orleans. Today after kayaking out to the beach, then a long walk down the shoreline and return trip, we were beat (well I was!). The best reward for all our hard exercise was the smooth creamy goodness of black raspberry ice cream in a crunchy chocolate dipped cone. Having tried some of their other flavors, black raspberry is the one I go back to every time. No other ice cream shops' has come close. I only hope I can someday. The creamy texture is perfection and it has amazing rich flavor, which doesn't taste fake like most others I've had. I've been told that black raspberries actually grow here, so it could be made with real fruit flavor. I'll have to ask next time. Had we not been saving our appetites for dinner, Rob would have gotten 3 scoops and I 2. We downsized for 2 and 1, but it was just enough.

There is no other place that reminds me of summer than here. It's too bad I don't live here and that they are only open seasonally or I would be here every day!

I am sad to report that our late departure this evening means no new ice cream for Monday. Sorry, Caroline! But there is still peach raspberry sorbet in the freezer. Don't make me boycott making new ice cream if the previous weeks isn't finished! But I'll be a girl with a plan for next weeks creation. I need to get more prepared to blog by giving myself more time to write and take pictures of the process and finished product. That will be my goal this week.

Birthday (Ice Cream) Cake!

So since I've started this blog, most of what consumes me lately (or should I say what I consume) is ice cream. So because its my birthday I thought what better to have than ice cream cake. The king of store bought ice cream cake is Carvel, so I thought I would see how close I could come to that. I will admit for lack of time and energy I cheated, yes I CHEATED and bought Breyers ice cream because it was on sale. And I also searched various forums to find out how to accomplish the famous crunchy cookie layers. Most recipes called for oreos but I thought that would be way to sweet so I stuck with Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies made by Nabisco. By the way these cookies make awesome ice cream sandwiches when store bought or homemade ice cream lays between them. They aren't picky! I digress, so I made the cake yesterday and am bringing it into work today.

My birthday wish is that everyone laughes at some point in the day, because when you're laughing you forget about what was going on just for a second. Thats how I feel when I'm eating ice cream.

Since I'm going away this weekend I will be posting from the Cape on sunday. I'll be sharing my favorite ice cream shop in the northeast with you, Sundae School! See you then!