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Scoop Your Own Olive Oil and Pine Nut Ice Cream

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:15:32 -0700

On the hot days of Summer, there is nothing like a scoop of ice cream to cool down. While I've enjoyed my fair share of store-bought ice cream, it was finally time to start making my own, so I recently purchased the ice cream attachment for my Kitchenaid. I was nervous about making ice cream (the custard can quickly curdle) and unfortunately, my nerves got the best of me: when I turned up the heat too high my first batch curdled at the very end of cooking!While I was disappointed with my first go, I had to give it another shot and I am glad I did. With a little more patience, I kept the heat lower and the second custard batch was a complete success. Intrigued by David Lebovitz's interesting ice cream combinations in Fine Cooking, I decided to make his unique roasted pine nut and fruity olive oil ice cream. The flavor definitely caught my guests off guard, but once they took a bite, they loved it! The pairing of olive oil and pine nuts is actually reminiscent of the more traditional butter pecan. If you are screaming for ice cream this Summer, keep reading.

Yummy Link: Candied Peanuts

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:01:33 -0700

If you only learn one party snack recipe, you might as well make it these killer candied peanuts. - David Lebovitz

Summer of Sandwiches: Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Ice Cream Cone Cookies

YumSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:58:19 -0700

When I think of summer, I think of hot nights and cool delicacies such as ice cream sandwiches. That's why we've decided to go all out this summer and post a recipe for a different one each week. That's right, it's officially the summer of ice cream sandwiches! We'll do fully homemade versions with homemade ice cream (like today's), as well as ones you can whip up in a snap (think semi-homemade). To get things started, I've taken yet another page out of David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. This time it's fresh mint ice cream paired with crisp ice cream cone cookies. To try it out for yourself, get the recipe - read more

Note: Since the cookies are quite crisp, you may want to decrease the amount of ice cream placed between layers.

For the cookies:
I used the basic ice cream cone recipe, only I made them smaller (about 3 inches across) and instead of rolling them, I cooled them flat on a wire rack.

Fresh Mint Ice Cream
Reprinted with permission from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz. Copyright 2007. Published by Ten Speed Press.

1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
pinch of salt
2 cups (80 g) lightly packed fresh mint leaves
5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) of the cream, and salt in a small saucepan. Add the mint leaves and stir until they're immersed in the liquid. Cover, remove from the heat and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
Strain the mint-infused mixture through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Press on the mint leaves to extract as much of the flavor as possible, then discard the mint leaves. Pour the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream into a large bowl and set the strainer on top.
Rewarm the mint-infused mixture. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mint liquid into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture throughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Note: I actually ended up using 4 eggs instead of 5 and it came out a little cream heavy, but was delicious nonetheless.

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52 Weeks of Baking: Ice Cream Cones

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:01:18 -0700

With the weather heating up, my thoughts keep turning to ice cream and other frozen treats. So when it came time to bake something, I didn't know where to begin. Luckily in his new book, The Perfect Scoop, the amazing David Lebovitz included a recipe for homemade ice cream cones. He recommends purchasing specialty cone molds, but said it was completely do-able without them. If I can make something without having to buy special equipment, then I'm all for it. They turned out a little rough around the edges, however they were relatively simple and had a nice delicate vanilla flavor - and bonus you can tell your friends you made them yourself! If you fancy giving your own ice cream cones a try (and I suggest you do), then get the recipe now, read more

Ice Cream Cones
Reprinted with permission from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz. Copyright 2007. Published by Ten Speed Press.

1/4 cup (60ml) egg whites (about 2 large egg whites)
7 tbsp (85 g) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup (90g) flour
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the salt and half of the flour, then mix in the melted butter. Beat in the rest of the flour until smooth.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread 2 level tbsp of the batter into a circle 6 inches (15cm) across. Try to get the circles as even and smooth as possible (you're likely to get 2 rounds on one standard baking sheet).
Put the baking sheet in the oven and begin checking the cones after about 10 minutes. Depending on your oven, they'll take between 10 and 15 minutes to bake. The circles should be a deep golden brown throughout (some lighter and darker spots are inevitable so don't worry). Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use a thin metal spatula to loosen the edge of one disk. Slide the spatula under the disk, quickly flip it over, and immediately roll it around the cone-rolling form [Note: If you don't have a cone-rolling form, you can try to roll by hand, they will probably not be as tightly formed. Also, you may wish to wear clean rubber gloves, as the cookies will be quite warm to the touch.], pressing the seam firmly on the counter to close the cone and pinching the point at the bottom securely closed. Let the cone cool slightly on the mold until it feels firm, then slide it off and stand it upright in a tall glass to cool. Roll the other cone the same way. (If it's too firm, return the baking sheet to the oven for a minute or so until it's pliable again.)
Repeat, using the remaining batter. You'll find it easier to spread the batter if you slide the reusable parchment paper off the baking sheet; any heat from the baking sheet will make the batter fussy to spread.

Storage: The batter can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Let the batter come to room temperature before using. Once baked and cooled, store the cones in an airtight container until ready to serve. They're best eaten the same day they're baked.

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The Perfect Scoop of Strawberry Sorbet

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:45:18 -0700

I've had this great book, The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, on my desk for a few weeks now. I've been drooling over it every day, but it was either too cold for ice cream, or the ice cream machine wasn't ready, or I was just too lazy. Lucky for me, I saw that Eat Drink Live was hosting a sorbet challenge and it was enough inspiration to whip up a batch of David's strawberry sorbet. The result was a delicious sweet treat with just the right amount of tartness. The best part was that it came together with very little effort. In fact, it was so easy, I decided to make an alternate version with balsamic vinegar and basil added in. If you've never made your own sorbet, stop reading and start creating! But first you're going to need the recipe. To check it out, read more

Strawberry Sorbet
Reprinted with permission from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz. Copyright 2007. Published by Ten Speed Press.

1 pound (450 g) fresh strawberries, rinsed & hulled
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 tsp kirsch (optional)
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt

Makes about 3 cups (750 ml)

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and kirsch, if using, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve.
Cover and let stand for 1 hour, stirring every so often.
Purée the strawberries and their liquid with the lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Press the mixture through a strainer to remove seeds if you wish. [I decided to leave them].
Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Enjoy!

Variation: I decided to go ahead and make a 2nd batch of my own variation. In Step 1 I substituted kirsch with 1 tbsp of good quality balsamic vinegar and added 4 large leafs of chiffonaded basil. I also omitted the lemon juice in step 3. The result was a refreshing strawberry balsamic basil treat. To me it tasted like summer, although Jimmy thought the basil was overpowering and the balsamic vinegar not prominent enough. I guess next time I'll add less basil and more balsamic, but I was really happy with my results!

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Yummy Links: From Mark Bittman to Three Desserts

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:03:49 -0700

One of my favorite food personalities, Mark Bittman, is getting a new show. It should start this week on PBS stations near you. - Serious Eats
If you want to eat locally, why not start with a garden in your own lawn? You won't be the only one, urban gardening is on the rise. - Chow

Remember how I told you about the state egg debacle? Looks like I really should have clicked on them all, apparently I missed artist Penny Smith's Louisiana's egg featuring a miniature Emeril. - Food Network Addict
Warm weather is arriving and that means it's time for ice cream! Don't miss out on this sweet/salty Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream. It's not even 11am here and I am drooling. - David Lebovitz
You might want to pay more attention when reading nutrition labels. The math doesn't always add up when counting fat and trans fat. - The Ethicurean
And finally, here are a few desserts for you to try: Berry Brioche Pudding (beautifully put together by La Tartine Gourmande - Arborio Rice Pudding (scroll down to the end of this Smitten Kitchen post) - Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake (a treat for us from Tartelette).

Yummy Links: From Rye Pudding to Fried Hot Dog Experiments

YumSugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:25:21 -0700

I have a thing for rye bread. I also have a thing for pudding. Put them together? Oh man, now you're talking. Be sure to check out this Rye bread with Cream Pudding. - Nami-Nami
The nominees for the James Beard Foundation Awards and the International Association of Culinary Professions Awards have been announced. For those of you that don't know, this is pretty much like the Oscars of the food world. - Slashfood
Want to make your own wines but can't figure out where to start? Pick up this home wine making kit or skip all the mess and open up a virtual winery instead. - Cheap Fun Wines
Get ready folks, Easter candy is here! Be sure to check out all of this great Easter candy coverage. - Candyblog

Stephen Colbert has his own Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but oh looky look, so does Willie Nelson. - BuzzSugar
Sorry folks, another Bay Area related link, this time it's for the Off the Menu series hosted by the Asia Society, blogger Chez Pim will be there cooking up too! - Chez Pim
As I mentioned earlier, asparagus is the true sign of spring. I can't wait to get my hands on some and try this recipe for Tagliatelle with Asparagus sauce.- Serious Eats
Think you know coffee? Think again. Here are 10 things you might not know about coffee. - David Lebovitz
This is revolting. Two dozen hot dogs hollowed out and stuffed with cheese whiz. Oh and then wrapped in ridiculously long bacon and fried. And then beer-battered and deep fried. Oh god my artery clogged just typing that. - The Stranger

Chocolate Challenge Recap

partysugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:36:11 -0800

On Monday I told you about my adventures in the food blogging challenge Sugar High Friday (edition 27). David Lebovitz, a food blogger, cookbook author, and chocoholic stationed out of Paris, invited food bloggers to submit a recipe and picture incorporating chocolate for this week's Chocolate By Brand test. I used Ghirardelli chocolate to make dunk-able, delectable espresso double chocolate chunk cookies. There were over 100 recipes submitted to David and here are a few of my favorites.

Trinigourmet used chocolate from her native Trinidad to whip up a absolutely heavenly looking upside down chocolate pudding with crispy top.

Hallo at Cook (almost) Anything made a fashionable, frothy white chocolate mousse with poached cherries (using Lindt chocolate) that I'm dying to try in my kitchen because I love white chocolate.

For a scrumptiously sweet breakfast treat, Suzy Not a Homemaker made chocolate hazelnut scones using a bar of chocolate she bought at Starbucks. These are definitely a must make for my next brunch.

Check out the rest of the competition and read the comments at David's (mostly) chocolate website.

Olive Oil Roasted Pine Nut Ice Cream

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:14:23 -0700

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Food Section Sampler - May 20, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:50:41 -0700

The economic recession has been a good thing for the outdoor grilling industry. - Chicago Tribune
Sriracha, the Asian hot sauce with the cult following, turns out to be a bona fide product of the USA. - New York Times
Star blogger David Lebovitz on what foods Americans do better than the French. - Boston Globe
Learn which wines pair best with barbecuing and grilling. - San Francisco Chronicle
For up-to-date, relevant terms in the current world of wine, refer to this wine glossary. - Wall Street Journal
Urban restaurant gardens have sprung up in some of the most unlikely places. - Los Angeles Times
Trade associations say Sam Adams has grown too big to be considered "craft" beer. - Washington Post

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