Food of the Month

Cake #2: Blackberry Naked Cake (with Lavender)

The ultimate birthday cake! This treat had the perfect balance of deliciously moderate sponge without being too sweet. The homemade blackberry jam is worth the little effort required to set this cake over the top.

Check the balance on your blade to make sure one side isn’t way bigger than the other.

I do not consider myself a fan of blackberries or lavender, but they were sweetened and worked really well together. My family likewise does not care for lavender and announced happily this was the best cake I have ever made. Everyone who came to my birthday party tried the cake and didn’t spit it out (including the gluten-free, Jewish, and dieting attendees). They all shared their compliments, however, it was my birthday so they can’t be trusted. With it being my birthday cake, I really only think my opinion matters anyway. (haha, joking! Kind of.)

It was not a challenging cake to make, but it was made easier by my new cake cutter. Instead of having to take a long knife and balance pulling that across, I was grateful for my saw which easily split each cake evenly into two (four total). If you ever plan on doing this again, I would recommend getting a cake saw. Additionally, Clare’s (from the BA test kitchen) favorite tool, the offset spatula (mini) played a valuable role in evenly smoothing the layers.

If you don’t remove the pits beforehand you can use a spoon to smash them through a slotted spoon. Not great, but helps.

Take-Home Tips: Ensuring your blackberries do not have pits in them before you make the jam, makes or breaks this cake. If you choose to use store bought or farmers market jam, definitely check to verify the seeds have been removed. The jam does not take long to make after that. If you actually like lavender flavoring, go with 2 or 2 ½ tsps of lavender. If you aren’t keen, 1 heaping tsp will work well. There is no lavender in the cake, therefore this perfect sponge recipe should be used on any vanilla cake you ever plan on making again. It did not stick in the least, it did not crack, it was the most well-behaved cake, and I performed these steps, with the addition of a few more decades of letting it sit to cool (I got distracted making banana bread in the middle, while the oven was already hot and the bananas ripe).

Scoring: 10 of 10! I really think this was the perfect cake and consider it a win that everyone even tried it. I would not change a thing about it and appreciate that it refrains from making you feel you just ate a pail of sugar. You could easily (do I speak from experience?) eat a ¼ of the cake in one sitting and not feel overly indulgent, but well TREATed.

I sincerely hope you give it a try. The flavors offer more interesting take than the classic three, while not being outrageously intricate.

If you forget the Banana Bread in the oven, it will get darker, but still taste like mom makes. Just add butter.

P.S. I spent the whole day, not rushing to make the cake and enjoying myself. I even made a pit-stop halfway through to make a loaf of banana bread as a surprised for my husband. I started around 10:40am and finished around 3:15 with everything, except the 5th round of dishes. It was peaceful and overall a lovely cake to make.

Cake #1: Cookies in Cream

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There are times when everyone deserves to treat themselves. What that means, should be determined by the individual. This cake is for the moment you decide you deserve a treat beyond the local bakery.

Cake batter, lovely color
Prepare the frosting
Knolling, what have we forgotten?

My husband and I concluded that cookies and cream is a match made in Heaven. It is hard to resist. Like grandma’s brownies and ice cream, the chocolate cookie with the sweet soft cream makes the perfect combination.

Wilton makes these great wraps to put around the cakes to keep them from building a dome. They work!

This cake is not for a weeknight, it isn’t appropriate for just any old holiday, it is too sweet and indulgent for a trifle event. This is a serious cake. The perfectly moist sponge is not what makes this cake outrageous, however. The layers and smothering of frosting pushes decadence over the edge. As a warning, you take your own life into your hands with this one. If Bruce from Matilda had eaten this cake, that story might have had a different ending.

I had to have help with this one. My baking buddy came over to keep me energized, help stir the frosting when my KitchenAid mixer could not handle it anymore, and to give advice and assistance. What are we without our friends?

Not striving for perfectly even layers.
Where did the chocolate cake go?
YOU don’t want it to be this runny – let it sit and cool down.

The Cookies in Cream cake is mostly a cream cake with a bucket of cookies crumbled into the frosting and sponge. No one can deny it is packed full of SWEET and is a bit overwhelming. Considering all this though, it is still very tempting, very yummy and visually appealing.

See for yourself. Treat yourself (or some friends).

Take-Home Tips: The frosting will take the longest to prepare, but if you want thinner layers, you don’t need to make such a quantity. For thicker layers, add up to 9 cups of powdered sugar. It is ideal to have more in the layers between than on the outside to give it height, pretty layers and structure. In this version I tried more along the outside and can attest. I might even recommend making ~50-60% of this recipe for the frosting then only stacking it in between the layers and on top, leaving the outside (mostly) naked. I did intentionally overheat the ganache, in the hopes of giving the cake a more brownie-like consistency. I wouldn’t say it worked out well, but tasted great all the same. Make sure you cool your ganache to a proper ~92F before pouring it quickly on the cake.

Scoring: 7 of 10? It is a really impressive cake. If you like chocolate it is a banger, and if you do not like chocolate it is very potent. The cement (frosting) that holds it all together was exhausting to make, and we did not end up using all the frosting because the sugar would have been too overwhelming. I have adjusted the recipe below to reflect a more reasonable amount of frosting, please increase for more distinguished layers, but only add more between the layers. Nothing wrong with the cake, it is very yummy, but I think most people will find it too sweet.

A Classic: Cake Month

Every baker should know how to create a moist and decadent cake. The real challenge is making cake light in all sense of the word. There is a shift in culture away from the sugary treats of the past to healthier options. We all still want treats, but we also go to the gym and some of us would rather not have to go for 3 hours to burn off a piece of cake.

September is cake month because it is my birthday month! I am really serious about birthdays and love having the honor of making my own birthday cake. I have found such joy and relief in making my own cake. Why? Well I don’t have to meet anyone else’s standards or expectations. Whenever I say “yes, that is cake.” then I am done and I don’t have to worry if anyone else will like it or if it is good enough. It is perfect when I say so.

For this month we have some challenges. Thankfully, for my birthday, my SWEET husband has given me lots of baking tools to make everything a little easier. We are going to explore, dive deeper, and try new types and flavors of cake. Wish me luck!

Ice Cream #7 (1-3): Chocolate (Dairy-Free/Vegan)

After much cajoling and encouraging, I was unable to convince one of my colleagues to try my ice creams. Turns out she is lactose-free. Well, of course I could not leave her out of the fun. Time for dairy-free versions! She admitted that she is not a fan of fruit. Um, excuse me? I suggested chocolate flavored, and we shook on it.

Immediately my thoughts go to the texture. The problem would be finding a good creamy texture without dairy or fruit. I decided to try the banana anyway and see just how strong the banana comes out. I was nervous when I made it because it definitely tasted more banana than chocolate, even though I only used two bananas. Disappointing. Well, if you like bananas, it is actually tasty. However, I was trying not to get a strong banana flavor. Dear bananas, if you could lend your texture without your flavor, that would be great.

Protein makes it healthy, right?
Pureed and ready to go
Smooth consistency
Best served right away.

Round two. I had to try again. This time without the banana. Maybe it really isn’t so bad. I decided to heat the chocolate in a small amount of water to make hot chocolate, which would dissolve the cocoa powder. For 7.1, I applied the solution to a blender to dissolve it entirely, but turned to the distinct hot chocolate flavor rather than a plain chocolate milk ice cream.

Take-Home Tips: If you don’t like the hot chocolate flavor, then puree the chocolate mixture in a food processor/blender and pour it in. The chocolate banana does have a strong banana taste. In order to not be looking for the chocolate flavor, add more cocoa powder than you think you will need. The only suggestion I received was to add peanut butter to the chocolate banana (7.1) recipe. I did not do this for my recipe but if you want to add a creamy (sorry chunky lovers) peanut butter to the puree, try 1-2 Tbsp. You can always fold in some nuts to the final product. Note: if you want to add any chocolate chips or similar, make sure they are also dairy-free.

Scoring: 7 of 10. As far as dairy-free ice creams go, they were all tasty. The flavors are true to their names, my critics (dairy-free and dairy eats alike) were all pleased and had little to suggest for changes. Compared to regular, creamy ice cream, this version does not imitate that consistency. It is a little icy, but not significantly so. The chocolate mixture, once prepared for the ice cream maker, is especially delicious and could be served as a drink on its own.

My mother is the worlds biggest fan of peppermint. I happened to have some candy canes, so naturally I made candy cane hot chocolate (a favorite of mine), chilled it, and added the flavor to the ice cream. What a treat!

7.1 – The Dairy-Free Chocolate Banana

Instructions:

Smash the bananas with a fork on a plate. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of sugar over the bananas, set aside.
In a blender or food processor, add 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and the chocolate milk. Puree mixture until all the cocoa powder is dissolved and not visible. Note: if you use unsweetened or plain nut milk, add the powdered sugar and 2 additional Tbsp of cocoa powder.
Allow the milk to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. This is an opportunity to clean the dishes and prepare the ice cream maker.
Turn the ice cream maker on the lowest setting and pour the chocolate drink into the ice cream maker. Allow to churn for 18-20 minutes.
Serve immediately or place in a storage container in the freezer. Allow to thaw on the counter for 15 minutes before serving from the freezer.

Ingredients:

2 medium bananas

3 Tbsp. sugar, divided

2-3 Tbsp. cocoa powder

2 cups almond & cashew chocolate milk

2 Tbsp powdered sugar [optional]

7.2 – Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate (small portion)

Instructions:

In a coffee mug, or similar, heat water for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Immediately add the cocoa powder and stir until dissolved. Then stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla.
Allow to chill in the freezer, but not freeze. Tip: pour the liquid into another bowl or heavy bottomed dish with a spout or similar. The liquid will cool more quickly while it is spread out, but you will need to be able to easily pour it into the ice cream maker.
Combine the cold chocolate milk with the hot chocolate. Turn the ice cream maker to the lowest setting and pour the liquid into the ice cream maker.
Allow to churn for 25 minutes, or until desired texture is reached.
Serve immediately or place in a storage container in the freezer. Allow to thaw on the counter for 15 minutes before serving from the freezer.

Ingredients:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp vanilla flavoring or extract

1 smidgen (1/32 tsp) salt

1 cup almond & cashew chocolate milk

7.3 is a pretty grapefruit color form the candy cane

7.3 – Dairy-Free Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

Instructions:

Unwrap the candy canes and place them into a sealable plastic bag, or similar. Using a rolling pin, crush and smash them until they are close to powder. Some small chunks are okay, but try to get them less than ¼ inch.
In a coffee mug, or similar, heat water crushed candy canes for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Immediately add the cocoa powder and stir until dissolved. Then stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla.
Allow to chill in the freezer, but not freeze. Tip: pour the liquid into another bowl or heavy bottomed dish with a spout or similar. The liquid will cool more quickly while it is spread out, but you will need to be able to easily pour it into the ice cream maker.
Combine the cold chocolate milk with the hot chocolate. Turn the ice cream maker to the lowest setting and pour the liquid into the ice cream maker.
Allow to churn for 25 minutes, or until desired texture is reached.
Serve immediately or place in a storage container in the freezer. Allow to thaw on the counter for 15 minutes before serving from the freezer.

Ingredients:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp vanilla flavoring or extract

1 smidgen (1/32 tsp) salt

2 candy canes, crushed

1 cup almond & cashew chocolate milk

Ice Cream #6: Mixed Berry Froyo

ice-cream-6-mixed-berry-froyo Download

There was a meme I saw recently that discussed things with misleading names. I refer to them as things that aren’t themselves. For example, mountain goats aren’t actually goats. It is a berry sad day when we each go through the life changing event of learning that strawberries and blueberries do not actually fall into the category of berry.

The botanical definition of the berry fruits: berry fruits are flashy fruits produced from a single flower and containing one ovary. Two common examples of ‘botanical’ berries are grapes and bananas.

If this is your first time discovering this news, then I suggest you take a moment to reflect. Then make some ice cream to drown your sorrows!

Strawberries and blueberries awaiting their ingredient friends.

At this point we’ve done strawberry with lemonade, and blueberry as a leader in its own frozen world, therefore now it is time to combine them for the ultimate treat. These seasonal fruits are a great choice for ice cream on a summer’s day.

So many people told me that frozen yogurt should only have plain whole milk yogurt rather than Greek. The reason I love yogurt as much as I do, is when it is vanilla flavored Greek yogurt. At first I wasn’t a fan of this Greek yogurt texture, but now I prefer it above others. Being the Plain Jane that I am, I will take vanilla over other flavors of yogurt (slimy fruit chunks in yogurt is not appetizing to me).

I disagree with this only plain yogurt notion and have done a test run of part yogurt, part Greek. The test was a success. There is not a texture difference between none and half Greek frozen yogurts. A healthy benefit, with the vanilla flavoring it is easy to reduce the amount of sweetener. I would recommend always incorporating the vanilla Greek for comrade flavors (e.g. lemon is likely not a comrade flavor to vanilla). I ran out of heavy cream just under the ½ cup mark, so I topped it off with some 2% milk, but I don’t think this will make a difference.

Before I could get this one into the ice cream maker, I could not stop licking the spatula and the measuring cup and scraping the sides of the food processor. The base was so delicious! It might honestly be a better yogurt drink than a frozen treat.

Try it out and let me know which you prefer!

Take-Home Tips: Feel free to add more fruit to this mix. I only included the amount of berries I had left over in my fridge. A great way to use any expiring berries that might be getting mushy. The cream mixture lightens the color of the ice cream and gives it a creamier texture, however if you don’t have any at home, don’t worry about it, and just enjoy the yogurt base. This recipe would work for numerous “berries” and I recommend trying our other misnomers.

Scoring: 8 of 10. The texture is icier than the other creamy flavors. This one is heavily fruited and resembles a frozen fruit treat. The flavor is well balanced, not too sweet, not to bitter. I was unable to think of any toppings this flavor would pair well with, but that isn’t strictly a qualification.

**CORRECTION**: Actually makes 9 servings!!

Ice Cream #5: Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble

Ice Cream #5: Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Recipe Download

I have been blessed with courageous and kind colleagues. When I dare to try a recipe that I was inspired to write and make, they ignore the warning signal altering them of danger. They flock to the breakroom and assist me in reducing the carbs and sugar in my home. I am grateful for their willingness to try my experiments and give feedback. And with all the treats I feed them, they are getting sweeter by the week.

Last week I brought in four flavors for them to all try, with surprising results. I try to not give too much input on how I feel about the ice cream flavors until they share their opinions first. This week however, I shared three flavors and my tone of voice gave away how disappointed I was with the Strawberry Lemonade. My request was that they tried that one first (I need to get it out of my freezer!) because it is even more sour after the sweeter ones.

To my surprise, no one said they hated it, and there were two who preferred the very lemony Ice Cream #4 over the other Froyos. How? They claimed the strawberry came through well and were pleased with the underwhelming sweetness. Okay, to each his own.

The Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble, remains a solid top choice for everyone else. The container was more than half depleted by 11am. It is yogurt and fruit, I can serve that for brunch, right?

The cream cheese really sets this Froyo over the top.

At the first ice cream social, I had 2 recipe requests and 2 colleagues seriously discussing using their ice cream makers or purchasing the missing parts. Today’s social escalated the notions and requests for recipes. Success!

Honestly though, they take about 20 minutes to make and how can you go wrong with ice cream?

For the blueberry cheesecake, the consistency is thicker like ice cream and rich enough while still giving the impression of a sherbert-like consistency. I hope you find as much joy as we did.

Take-Home Tips: The crumble bits can easily be substituted with almond flour to help any gluten-free friends. They are present as a texture supporter, or if you reduce the sugar in the yogurt blend, they will help sweeten the final product.

Scoring: 9 of 10. There is nothing negative to say about this star player. The texture is spot on, the flavor is solidly blueberry without being bitter, and it is true to its name. I knocked off a point because one could argue the cream cheese ruins the core of the dessert being a frozen yogurt. It is perfect though, don’t change a thing.

Ice Cream #4: Strawberry Lemonade Frozen Yogurt

ice-cream-4-strawberry-lemonade-frozen-yogurt Download

Today is my ice cream anniversary! I have been making ice cream for one year now. Looking over all the months of making frozen desserts, there are some months which are better for making ice cream than others.

The entire bowl came out with the paddle.

There is some debate on whether we experience all four seasons in the South. We might have four seasons of heat like today where it was a sweltering 105F. If you experience a similar hot environment, winter might be the best time to make ice cream. It can melt so quickly in this heat and kitchens are generally the warmest part of the home. My colleague pointed out to me that a group of people exist who don’t enjoy cold creams in the heat of the summer. There is also the argument that your body has to work harder to burn the fat and carbs in ice cream that it does not end up cooling you down.

Consuming ice cream, however, can still give you brain freeze and the illusion of feeling cooler. Holding a cold bowl of cream is the counterpart to a hot cup of caffeine on a blistery day. Making ice cream has the added benefit of a frozen ice cream maker which really bites the fingers as you scoop out the treat.

In the end, I stick to my gut. Ice cream is better in any cooler season that summer. It doesn’t melt as quickly, it doesn’t matter which fruits are in season (you can use frozen!), and it goes great with all those Christmas treats and holidays. Apple pie needs ice cream, any cobbler is incomplete without its chilly friend, and grandma’s brownies … need I say more?

Today, I helped move my sister-in-law in the heat and after 9 hours up and down from each third floor apartment, I could have eaten this whole 3 cups of FroYo. Before we headed over with our muscles (ha!) I whipped up this lemon infused strawberry yogurt. That is how quick it is to make FroYo. During our taste tests, we were surprised by how acidic and lemony the flavor was. I really wanted more of a strawberry, but this ended up being more unique and fun. Would have been great as an icy drink during lunch today.

To make my first frozen yogurt, I really wanted the strawberries to have an extra kick, and be more than they could be. I read through recipes I saw online and all the picture were very red. It did not look naturally red to me. Some did suggest using food dye. We can do without. I really like the pink color this one turned out to be naturally. Yay pink!

To start I cored the top of the fruit, diced them, and let them soak overnight (about 8 hours) in 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice and ½ tsp of honey. Maple syrup is another option, any liquid sugar solution. The next day I smashed them with a fork and stirred in the yogurt then the cream before adding it to the machine. Yum!

Take-Home Tips: I’m not sure the lemon extra is necessary. If you are concerned about the extra lemony delight, omit the extra, but keep the overnight soak. I really don’t think that contributed to the punch. Soaking the strawberries in sugar water over night helps preserve the color, sweetens them, keeps them vibrant longer, and helps provide a syrup for the ice cream.

Scoring: 7 of 10. If you want strawberry frozen yogurt, this is not going to make you smile. If you want a refreshing lemon-strawberry treat, then this the way to go. This might not be a crowd pleasure, as it is acidic. Excluding the lemon extract and adding sugar and water for the soak, would reduce the acidity.

Ice Cream #3A&B: Lychee (with or without machine)

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I was reminiscing on my first encounter with my now favorite fruit – lychee. I studied abroad in college (check out my blog post on ViewPoints blog for more about that adventure) and a few of us went to Munch, Germany for our first long weekend. There were three Russian ladies, two Aussies, and my American roommate and I. During a late night walk around Marienplatz, the two from Tasmania brought out a bag of this strange fruit I could have never imagined existed. Curious to learn more, then excitedly shared and instructed me how to open, pit, and enjoy this alien-like sweet treat. My world was forever changed. It is too bad they are hard to come by in the U.S. 😦

Night time in Munich, lychees compared to strawberries.

That was the same trip on which I was taught about Spaghetti Eis (ice cream shaped like spaghetti). Why you would be particularly interested in spaghetti shaped ice cream versus another dish, I cannot be certain. It is a really neat concept though, and I thoroughly enjoy the illusion.

Reminiscing on the ice cream bar I sponsored for a friend, the creamy lychee ice cream made without the ice cream machine was the runner up. Comparing both the lychee made with the ice cream maker and the one without drew opinions out of everyone. With a 50/50 draw between the two, I brought the same dishes to my family, then to my colleagues. The results were that everyone had a favorite. Each person knew they liked one over the other but “both were good.” My husband pin-pointed that the chunks really made the difference. If you got a bite without a chunk, the unique lychee flavor was less strong, and less fun.

This was a puzzle. Was it solely preference? Did the machine make such a difference in texture? How did the ingredients impact the choice? 3a: Made with the machine, the cream was heated, cooled, then frozen to temper the eggs.

3b: This subtly sweet cream was whipped without eggs and without an ice cream maker. In order to make the ice cream without cooking the cream, you really must use condensed milk. I did not have any on hand, so I made some. Not as easy as I thought, but the result was fine on the first go. If in doubt of your self, just make a larger batch and you will be fine.

When considering the sugar to use for your condensed milk, most not-artificial sweeteners work well for a majority of ice creams. However, I would recommend for Lychee ice, to use white sugar. Try brown sugar, maple syrup, fruit based sugars another time, or only if you are adhering to a specific diet. If you are careful and watch your milk and sugar, you can simmer on a medium-low heat for less than 40 minutes, or as little as 30 minutes. I would not recommend this for your first time. You will know it is ready when the color resembles a pale banana pudding and has the consistency of a watery, off-brand syrup. The condensed milk will cover your spoon in a thin layer but will also willingly slide right off.

(Bonus Take-Home Tip) If you are planning to make the whipping cream for anything other than ice cream, I recommend adding some cream of tartar because it will help keep it from returning to liquid as quickly. Years ago when I scoured the grocery for cream of tartar, I had no idea what I was looking for and after asking the man restocking, with no avail, I thought it must not exist. Through persistence, I did find it and just now I quickly looked to verify this wasn’t the same tin I got long ago. Cream of tartar isn’t something I find use for very often. Why did I buy it in the first place? Well if this was the same container, at least it hasn’t expired yet.

Both versions of ice cream had about the same amount of lychee puree, though 3a had a bit more of the syrup.

You’ll have to try them both and let me know what you think!

Ice Cream #2: Cardamom Matcha

Matcha ice cream with a hint of cardamom.

ice-cream-2-cardamom-matcha-recipe Download

My colleague’s husband is turning 30 (“scoring 3 perfect 10’s”) and had a birthday extravaganza today. In lieu of a present, I made 5 flavors of ice cream for his party. The ice cream bar was a hit, and this matcha green tea got the most votes for “favorite”. It wasn’t quite as strong as a true Japanese matcha, but that wasn’t considered a con. The right balance of tea, cream, and sugar.

Making tea

When making the green tea ice cream I invited my Asian friend over to make sure I am true to the original taste. Initially I only used 25g of tea, but because of the milk powder in this version, it was weaker in matcha flavor. The final result ended with doubling the amount of matcha to 50g, but if you use a powder without milk, then the 25g might be more your style.

Take-Home Tips: The color will darken slightly after it has frozen overnight, you probably won’t need any food coloring. It you want a stronger flavor, try mixing 25g of the milky powder with 25g of a matcha without the powdered milk incorporated. This will also help darken the color. Increasing the cardamom by ½ to 1 additional tablespoon will add value to the flavor without overwhelming the senses. Dare to try other spices. If you add the spices after cooking the milk, they will be visible, although probably not noticeable. The spice is typically stronger if added after the whipping process. It is possible to do this recipe with coconut milk instead of regular milk, but the other creams should remain consistent.

Scraping out the ice cream from the maker is messy.

Scoring: 8 or 10. Although it was voted #1 at the party, it was specifically mentioned that it is not as strong as the Japanese version. I would recommend using the milk powder for ice cream, it does mute the flavor. The cardamom also was not very strong and could easily have been more noticeable. Overall, a crowd pleaser. If you like tea, you will enjoy this cream.

Ice Cream #1: Vanilla Caramel Swirl (KitchenAid Attachment)

My grandmother nurtured my obsession with ice cream. When she was a young lass, they didn’t have a lot of money, but she was still allowed one bowl of ice cream every night before bed. I was not so fortunate in my consumption of cold creams. Naturally, every time we to visit grandma, there was ice cream involved. The link continued to my mom. In college, my sweet mother scored a part-time position working at United Dairy Farmers (UDF) and worked out her arms scooping the ice cream.

Now, with my blood rich in cream, I am carrying on the connection by making my own ice cream. Even when I diet, I cannot think ill of the cold cream straight from the Heavens. It’s hard to mess up ice cream. I really enjoy all the flavors. I have my favorites, like most people, but new flavors are always intriguing.

Separate the whites from the yolk then add light brown sugar to the yolks.

The caramel swirl was requested by a colleague who doesn’t eat chocolate, isn’t a huge sugar fan, and specifically asked for the caramel to be a separate component, mixed in to the vanilla ice cream.

It’s important to remember how simple this dish is to make. As with any ice cream made with an ice cream maker, the basic steps include: 1. heat cream, (temper eggs-technically only for custards), then combine; 2. thoroughly cool the cream, add any flavorings; then 3. add to an ice cream maker for ~20 minutes to incorporate air. Beyond that, the variations, toppings, and mix-ins are up to you. There is little deviation from these main steps for any such ice cream made with the machine.

You can purchase cheap caramel, if the adventure is not something you are interested in experiencing. If you make the caramel and have a thermometer, the temperature should be around 340F, but no more than 350F, according to a caramel recipe by FifteenSpatulas. The recipe makes way more caramel then you should put in this amount of ice cream. However, it is difficult to cut the caramel recipe too much because we want enough for the caramel to fit the pot and caramelize. You could cut it in half and be fine – use a smaller pot.

Only need a couple of tablespoons, three votes for caramel apples.

Take-Home Tips: Three options if you are worried the ice cream will be too sweet: 1. use white sugar instead of brown sugar in the cream, 2. reduce the amount of sugar by going down to a quarter cup or only adding a tablespoon of caramel, and 3. all of the above. Adding more salt or specifically adding salt to the caramel might help, but it also might just make it too salty. You can already taste the salt in this recipe. Substitute the maple vanilla cream for any base (why not chocolate?) for a totally different creation.

If you are separating your egg whites from your yolks, what are your plans for the whites? When you only have 1 egg, it isn’t so terrible to toss it, but when you have 5,8, 10 eggs worth of whites, there are so many recipes crying for them. [Optional] Sauté the egg whites in a skillet with 1 Tbsp. oil and ¼ cup frozen chopped spinach, and garlic salt if desired, on low heat until sizzling. Flip or turn until fully cooked, just browned.

Scoring: 9 of 10. It is my favorite ice cream I have made so far (in my life). The texture is rich, but not too rich. It is sweet, thick, the caramel isn’t stringy, but maintains its shape. The combination melts smoothly in the mouth. The only recommendation I received from my colleagues is that it could have been less sweet. The lady who requested the flavor gave the ice cream a 8 of 10 and the caramel a 10 of 10, because of the sweetness.

ice-cream-1-vanilla-caramel-swirl Download