peppermint stick ice cream

This is my old friend Dani’s all time favorite.  We were lucky growing up – in that both of our families went to Vermont during the winter weekends.  Dani from NJ, me originally from MA, these were very special times.  But oh, it wasn’t just me and “Eight is Enough” that made her smile – it was the holiday season – and Friendly’s featured Peppermint Stick ice cream – her absolute fave!  She requested it a few years ago – maybe for the birth of a baby or a different event (my memory is really fading, sadly) but needless to say she was thrilled.  I think I dipped Oreos in chocolate and then crunched them into the peppermint stick.  Wow.  A friend just mentioned that Trader Joes sells a peppermint version of an Oreo that sounds perfect.  Anyway, this ice cream is really very good.  I made half just peppermint and the other half with ground bittersweet chocolate.  I love that one.  Greg loves the pure peppermint and he’s lucky because no one else in our family will eat it, and Dani is still over that bridge!  Enjoy this – it is nice for the holidays and although rich, it is quite refreshing.

peppermint stick ice cream
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks (room temp)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 peppermint candies (I used peppermint candies in this recipe because I thought they would be easier for the home cook to buy.  You can also use peppermint oil, or extract to taste if you prefer.  Just add 2 extra tablespoons of sugar if so.)

mix in –
1/4 cup ground peppermint candies (ground coarsely or to your liking)
ground bittersweet chocolate (amount to taste – and optional)
crushed Oreos (also, to taste and optional)

Prepare an ice bath – a big bowl with ice and water.  In it, place another container or bowl with a strainer.  This is where the custard ice cream base will land once cooked.

In a medium heavy weight saucepan mix the cream, milk and half of the sugar.  Bring until almost a simmer…but do not boil.

In medium sized bowl, place the egg yolks, the other half of sugar, and salt and whisk well.

Slowly slowly ladle the hot liquid into the eggs and whisk well after each addition.  Keep adding the hot liquid until you’ve added it all to the eggs (again slowly so as not to cook the eggs).

Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook, over medium low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens (reaches 175 degrees) and lightly coats the back of the spoon.

Strain the mixture into the prepared bowl and immediately add the two candies.  Mix until dissolved.  Let mixture cool in ice bath until it reaches room temp, then place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, churn the ice cream and when hard, add the ground peppermint candies (with or with out the chocolate or Oreos).

Place the ice cream in the freezer and oh, although soft, this is delicious the same day.  (If hard the following day, let sit in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to soften before you serve.)

Enjoy!

coffee ice cream (Philadelphia style)

I love coffee – coffee with milk and sugar.  This ice cream is just that – but cold.  (There is coffee ice cream hiding in this photo.)  The ice cream has a great mellow coffee taste that is perfect.  In addition, for those of you who don’t want to go through the trouble and time to make a custard (or egg based) ice cream – Philadelphia style ice cream is just right for you.  This recipe is quick and easy to make – although I should mention that it is less rich and smooth as its’ custard based counterpart.  With all ice cream – but especially Philadelphia style, it is best to really let it soften in the refrigerator 20 minutes before you eat for the best flavor and consistency – unless you eat right after you churn it which is when it is the best.  I added melted chocolate to some of the frozen ice cream which gives it another dimension and bite (which I happen to need).  I used this ice cream and the espresso brownie ice cream in the above sundae with carmalized bananas, fresh whipped cream and the glazed nutty brownie.  Amazing.  Have fun – make it Mexican by adding a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (with the coffee beans), or add other mix-ins try Oreos or chocolate covered nuts.  Yum.  Next time.  This ice cream also pairs well with the brown sugar cookies – in an ice cream sandwich.  Enjoy!

* A quick word about ice cream machines – they are so easy to use and affordable these days.  In addition to ice cream, you can make sorbets, sherbets, frozen yogurts and slush drinks.  I happen to like Cuisinart’s 2 quart model – it is on sale for 50.00 bucks.  The 1.5 quart model is also good.  And if you have a kitchen aid mixer – there is an ice cream attachment that you can purchase and your done!

coffee ice cream (Philadelphia style) adapted from The Ultimate Ice Cream  Book by Bruce Weinstein:
3  cups heavy  cream
1 cup milk
about 3/4 cup sugar (or just under…or add to taste)
1 cup whole coffee beans

mix-ins:
melted semi sweet chocolate
chocolate chips
Oreos
Grape Nuts cereal
nuts

Mix together the cream, milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan and heat until mixture bubbles around the edges.  Do not boil.  You want it to heat to the point right before it boils.  Remove from the heat and add the coffee beans.  Cover and cool to room temperature then place in refrigerator and let sit overnight (best) – or at least 6 hours .

The following day or hours later, strain the mixture and freeze the ice cream in your machine according to the instructions.

If adding a a mix in, go for it.  If you want to add the melted chocolate (it forms nice strings of chocolate throughout)…simply melt chocolate in a double boiler 0r over a pan of simmering water and then let cool a bit.  Once ice cream is churned drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the ice cream – in a bowl or container and fold it in.  Keep drizzling and adding to taste.  The chocolate will harden and form little chocolate strings throughout.

With all ice creams, place in container and cover with plastic wrap so that it touches the ice cream and then a cover and freeze.  Eat that night for best results but again, pull out and let soften in the refrigerator if making ahead.

Enjoy!

cranberry apple crisp

This is a great dessert for Thanksgiving – the cranberries make it festive and the red color throughout is visually appealing.  Oh, and it tastes great.  Forgot that nugget of information.  I really love crisps and cobblers because they are so easy to make.  One of my goals with this blog was to branch out and bake more difficult things…but that is proving to be tough for me.  Plus it seems that most people who read this are busy and love to bake but with out too much crazy effort.  I love the pecans in the topping – they add great crunch and texture that offsets the tartness of the cranberries and apples.  This is just great served warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream and freshly whipped cream – yes…both!  It is also great at room temperature and guess what…it is awesome cold!  On Saturday night I cooked this for friends and they were wowed.  Loved it.  All those fruit loving folks.  Someone placed the crisp in the refrigerator overnight (even though it does not need refrigeration) and when I found it there in the AM, I just had to take a spoonful and oh, cold heaven.  Maybe a little little bit with yogurt in the AM would turn it into breakfast??  Hmmm…

cranberry apple crisp (adapted from Jane Close – an old friend of my mothers):
filling–
8-9 granny smith apples (peeled cut up into nice sized chunks)
2 1/2 cups whole fresh or frozen (not dried) cranberries
1/2 cup sugar (you can fiddle here – taste it after 1/3 cup for sweetness then add more as needed)
lemon juice from half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)

topping–
(I like a lot of crumb topping – if you don’t,  just cut recipe in half and bake as directed)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup flour
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
2 sticks unsalted butter (cold and cut into small pea like pieces)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 9×13 inch pan.  Or split into two pans…or a pie plate.  Or three pans.  Really any shape will do.

In a large bowl, place the cut apples, cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon.  Mix and taste for sugar, lemon, and cinnamon and see if you want to add any more.  Place the mixture in the prepared pan(s).

In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and salt.  With your hands, firmly rub this mixture together.  Squish the butter and slide and spread it around rubbing your hands together – try to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients.  Keep working with the mixture until it starts to come together a bit.  You can also do this effortlessly in your stand mixer on low speed.  Add the pecans.

Place the topping all over the fruit.  You can mound this.  I make a lot of topping – so if you don’t want it all, you can bake it on the side – on a sheet pan and save it for ice cream mix ins or just a ridiculously decadent treat.

Place in oven and bake for about 55-65 minutes.  You will see the fruit bubbling and the topping will turn a nice golden color.

Enjoy-

vanilla ice cream (custard base)

Home-made vanilla ice cream is sooo very good.  The vanilla beans, cream and milk freshly churned make for an extra special treat.  Vanilla ice cream pairs well with most desserts – cookies, crisps, cobblers and pies…with chocolate cake, loaf cakes, brownies and fruits – it is one of my favorite things!  (My family is really very tired of hearing me exclaim…”that would be so good with vanilla ice cream!”)  But it is true.  It is a staple.  I cut the espresso brownies into little pieces and added some to half of the ice cream and turned it into an espresso brownie swirl (photo above).  Really good.  And to right is the ice cream with apple cranberry crisp.  Really completes the dessert.  For a new ice cream mix-in, try Grape Nuts cereal and raisins…I had a version of this at Toscanini’s (my favorite ice cream parlor in Cambridge, MA) many many years ago (and I’m so happy that I can remember).  I don’t even love Grape Nuts, or raisins, but together in vanilla ice cream…wow (seriously).

* A quick word about ice cream machines – they are so easy to use and affordable these days.  In addition to ice cream, you can make sorbets, sherbets, frozen yogurts and slush drinks.  I happen to like Cuisinart’s 2 quart model – it is on sale for 50.00 bucks.  The 1.5 quart model is also good.  And if you have a kitchen aid mixer – there is an ice cream attachment that you can purchase and your done!

vanilla ice cream (adapted slightly from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz):
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean split and seeded
6 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepare an ice bath.  In a large bowl, place ice and water.  Place a medium sized bowl (or container) on top with a strainer ready as well.  (This is where the cooked custard will land.  Strain it into this bowl, on top of the ice bath.  This is to stop the custard from cooking.)

In a medium saucepan mix together the milk, heavy cream and about half of the sugar.  Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the beans out with the back of your knife and add it to the  the mixture (including the cut bean – better yet, cut the bean up too).  Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Watch it carefully – you don’t want it to boil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar.

Now you will “temper” the eggs which means warming them slowly so that they do not turn into scrambled eggs!  With a ladle, scoop a small amount of hot cream/milk into the eggs and whisk well.  Continue slowly ladle by ladle and constantly whisking the eggs while you do this.  Keep going (slowly) until you’ve added all the milk/cream/vanilla to the eggs.

Pour the warm egg and milk/cream mixture from the bowl back into the (same) saucepan.  Over low heat, mix the custard constantly with a wooden spoon and keep the mixture moving at all times.  Make sure you scrape the bottom as you stir.  The custard should thicken so that it coats the back of the wooden spoon.  It should take about 4-8 minutes depending on the heat.  Do not boil.  Cook slowly and carefully.

Once thickened, immediately pour and strain the custard into the bowl atop the ice bath.  Be sure to mush and smush the vanilla beans into and through the strainer.  You want all of that goodness.   Let cool then cover and chill in refrigerator preferably overnight but for at least 4-6 hours.

Freeze in your ice cream maker.  Add any mix-ins.

With all ice creams, place in container and cover with plastic wrap so that it touches the ice cream and then cover and freeze.  Eat that night for best taste and texture but if frozen hard, remember to pull it out and let soften in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Yum.  Enjoy.

caramelized bananas

carmelized-banana-completeI love these bananas.  I’m not even a fan of a raw banana – but oh…a sprinkling of sugar, a blow torch – and voila – magic banana.  These are great in addition to most any dessert.  Really and truly.  I absolutely love them in an ice cream sundae.  My favorite.  The crisp topping is like a creme brulee – but underneath, a banana.  Yum!  These are a great snack when you’re craving something sweet – especially for the kids (well, me too).  The hard sugary shell entices them (us) and while we are at it – eat a whole healthy potassium filled banana!  (OK, yes, with some added sugar.)  Actually these might be good cut into hot oatmeal for breakfast – just thought of that now.  Hmmm…tomorrow.  These are relatively easy to make if you have a blow torch – but sadly most people don’t?  Blowtorches are easy to find at your local hardware store – you don’t need anything fancy – but if you want a fancy one – especially styled for pastry, then by all means purchase.  And don’t be scared – I know it sounds intimidating.  The blow torch comes in very handy for caramelizing fruits, meringues and creme brulee.  Unfortunately, unlike creme brulee – broiling these in the oven is really not quite as good.  The banana “cooks” a bit and gets very mushy – but I guess  it’s worth a shot if there is no other option.  (OH, just got a note from Robert a friend and neighbor who says he cooks bananas in a nonstick pan over high heat with balsamic vinegar and some sugar.  Yes, a pan friend banana may be the alternative way to go if you’re not daring enough for the blowtorch!)

caramelized bananas:
firm, just ripe, bananas
sugar

blowtorch–
Slice each banana lengthwise.  Place on foil or a foil-lined roasting dish or sheet pan.  For each banana, sprinkle about a teaspoon of  sugar (you can use more or less depending on the size of the banana and your personal taste) onto the cut side of the banana – and go to blowtorch town.  Take your time…hold the blowtorch about 3-5 inches away and slowly move the flame around the banana.  Keep the blowtorch moving all over and over and over again until the sugar caramelizes and turns a lovely shade of nutty brown.  Delish.

broiler–
Follow directions above (but I would try a less ripe banana) – then place in oven – and broil.  This will probably take under a minute so watch it carefully.  I tried at home – but pretty unhappy with my results – but practice and see if maybe you can do better…I will try again – just hard to waste my bananas when my blowtorch is so close by!

Enjoy-

(moms) candied bacon

OK, so this isn’t dessert – I know, I do know…but I just had to put it in here because this bacon is scrumptious!  There is sugar in it – a lot of sugar so maybe it qualifies just a little bit for this baking blog.  My friend Melissa asked me to show her how to make it.  We had a bacon making date.  My mom makes a delicious salad with spinach, hard boiled eggs, onions and mushrooms.  The addition of this bacon is seriously to die for (and I don’t even normally use that expression).  She crumbles and adds it to the above ingredients and tops it off with a mayo/olive oil/mustard dressing that completes it.  My family loves this bacon in a turkey club – I surprise the kids and put it in their lunches for a treat once in a while.  It is great next to eggs and toast and can also hold its own alone.  I’ve made an endive, fennel and blue cheese salad with the bacon and oh…equally as good as my moms.  So – enjoy this sweet treat.  Experiment.  This bacon freezes well so make a bunch!

candied bacon:
2 packs bacon – I like to use a thick slice or center cut but anything works
3/4 cup light brown sugar (or more or less depending on your taste)

Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray or grease with a little bit of canola oil.

Place bacon in a large heavy duty skillet.  Layer it all around and fill the pan – overlapping when necessary.  Over medium high heat cook the bacon, stirring occasionally.  After about 3-4 minutes, take the fat out of the pan.  Tilt the pan to the side, and with a very big spoon, scoop out all the liquid fat that has been rendered from the bacon (sounds good, right?)

Keep cooking and rendering the fat for probably about 8 minutes in total.   Cook the bacon about 2/3’s of the way through.

Add the sugar by sprinkling it all around and over the bacon.  Turn the heat to low and continue to cook the bacon and sugar together.  Continue to scoop out the fat when needed…and just keep cooking and stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes.  This is best done over a watchful eye – so that the sugar doesn’t burn.  It’s over if it does.

You can tell the bacon is done and the sugar is “candied” when you see little strings of sugar form around the bacon.  Move the bacon around and touch it (with the fork) – see if you can pull these strings to see them…you should.  (Should have taken a photo here…will add one next time I make it!)  Cook the bacon a little bit more to get it crispier and more or less well done depending on your taste.

Once cooked, transfer bacon onto prepared foil.  Let cool or serve warm.  It will be VERY hot at first so please don’t pop into your mouth right away…even though you will want to!

To freeze, let cool and wrap the bacon in foil (you don’t have to spray it now) and place in freezer.  When ready to eat, place bacon on counter for 10 minutes or in refrigerator overnight – and then reheat for about 5-10 minutes in a warm toaster oven (or oven) at about 350 degrees.   Watch it because the bacon/sugar can still burn if re-heated for too long or at too high a temperature.  I like to freeze the bacon in units of 2-3 pieces – so that I can pull from the fridge the night before I make the kids their turkey clubs.  Ready to roll in the AM.  Enjoy!