Candy Corn Ice Cream

I love the onset of autumn for a number of reasons. The chill in the air becomes a welcome reprieve from the summer's humidity, the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red, and stores stock the shelves with Halloween candy. I love candy corn, but rarely purchase it because it is so hard to not eat the whole bag in one sitting, which invariably leads to a stomach-ache (not to mention a giant leap off the Clean Eating wagon).

This year, I couldn't resist picking up a bag when I saw this recipe. How could candy corn ice cream be anything short of fantastic? Not surprisingly, this creamy dessert is super sweet, and is thankfully easier to portion control! The original recipe is even simpler than what I have posted here, but I had some egg yolks to use and decided to make a custard base, rather than a simple Philadelphia style ice cream.



Candy Corn Ice Cream
Yield: about 4 cups
Adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
I found that 11-ish ounces of candy corn was more than enough - next time I might reduce that a little because it is so sweet!

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream or half and half
2 cups (16 oz) half and half or whole milk
4 egg yolks
11 ounces candy corn (give or take a few )

Add the cream/half and half/milk to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks to break them up.  Working two tablespoons at a time, add about 6 tablespoons of the heated cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs.  Add tempered eggs to the saucepan with the heated cream mixture.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (approximately 160 degrees F).

Add candy corn to thickened custard, stirring until the candy corn is mostly dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Transfer to a container and chill mixture at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.  Freeze in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Apple Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream

One of the things I love most about our new town is the Farmer's Market. There is one five days a week, each time in a different location in the surrounding area. It makes it so easy to get fresh local produce - if I can't make it on Saturday, I just go on Thursday or Monday.

Palazzi Orchard is a local farm that always has an abundance of apples in many varieties. I was so excited a few weeks ago to see that my favorite - McIntosh - were finally here! I've been snagging a bag of them each week, and I finally decided it was time to get creative and use up some caramel that was cluttering up my refrigerator.


I started with a base of cinnamon ice cream that I have made before, and added the apples and caramel, originally envisioning a beautiful swirl.  I didn't get quite the swirl effect that I wanted, but I promise myself someday I will get it figured out. In the meantime, beautifully swirled or not, this is some really fantastic fall inspired ice cream!

Apple Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream
Yield: About 4-5 cups
*I find that I can still make decent ice cream without needing a ton of heavy cream. When making it for company, I'll always go the full fat route, but for just me and my husband, I usually cut it down a little. If you are unsure of what you will like, start with the cream and half and half, working your way down on subsequent batches to see how much of a change in texture you are willing to take.

8 ounces heavy cream or half and half*
14 ounces 2% milk, whole milk, or half and half*
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
about 3 cups chopped apple, preferably McIntosh (4 medium large apples or about 1.5 pounds)
2/3 cup honey (can also use sugar)
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup caramel


Heat cream, milk, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until simmering, but not boiling. Turn off heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice apples. Add to a saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook down until soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove cinnamon stick from cream mixture. Return cream mixture to heat, bring back to a simmer, then add honey and whisk until dissolved. Add 2 tablespoons of heated cream mixture to beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Repeat 3 more times, then add tempered eggs to the saucepan with the heated cream mixture.

Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (approximately 160 degrees F). Strain mixture, if desired.

Puree half of the cooked apples and add to cream mixture. Add caramel to the remaining half of cooked apples and stir to combine. Cool both mixtures thoroughly, at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Add cream mixture to your ice cream maker and churn for about 25 minutes, or until it is about soft serve consistency. Add caramel apple mixture, then turn off ice cream maker, having let it just lightly swirl the caramel apple mixture into the ice cream. Alternatively, swirl in the caramel apple mixture by hand.

Butterscotch Pudding Pops

Fudgsicles have been a bit of an obsession for me this summer.  Perhaps it's the unusual heat we've had, but I have been drawn like a magnet to this frozen treat.  Well, my world came crashing down this past weekend when I went to the store and they were out of fudgsicles. 

I thought, hey, this is no big deal.  There is a store brand fudge pop, so I'll just get those.   BIG mistake.  The store brand fudge pops are inedible.  Completely disgusting.  They are almost... salty.  I was very upset by all of this.


Thankfully, I didn't have to be upset for long.  I was putting away some cookbooks, and among them was the small booklet that came with my ice cream maker.  A quick flip through the book presented a possible alternative - make my own fudgsicles!  I immediately went to the pantry in search of pudding mix.  I didn't even care that this was basically a semi-homemade/convenience recipe; I wanted my fudgsicles.  All I ended up having in the pantry was a package of butterscotch pudding, but I figured that butterscotch pudding pops sounded good, anyway.  I mix up the batter and churned away.  20 min later I filled my popsicle molds and put them in the freezer, hoping for the best.



My fears that they would come out rock hard or icy were unfounded.  They are perfect!  Cool, creamy, delicious.  Next up?  Skip the pudding mix and go straight to my favorite chocolate pudding recipe.  I hope it turns out just as well!

Any Flavor Pudding Pops
Source: Slightly adapted from Cuisinart ICE-20 Recipe booklet

2 packages (3.4-3.9 ounces each) of your favorite instant pudding flavor
3 cups cold 2% milk

Place ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until well blended.  Freeze according to manufacturer's ice cream maker instructions.  Transfer to popsicle molds, and freeze until firm.

Watermelon Sherbet

Oh, how I love sherbet! This reminds me of those watermelon cakes from Friendly's, especially if you include mini chocolate chips. Very cool and refreshing for a warm summer!


Watermelon Sherbet
Source: Norfolk Cooking Examiner; Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

¾ cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup agave nectar)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 ¼ cups watermelon juice
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 drops red food coloring (optional)

To make the watermelon juice, process about 5 cups of seeded, chopped watermelon in a food processor until pureed. Strain puree through a sieve catching watermelon juice in a bowl until required amount is reached. This took about ¼ of a large watermelon for me.

In a food processor, combine sugar, salt and lime juice. Pulse until the sugar looks like wet sand; about 6 times. While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the watermelon juice. Process for about 1 minute to ensure that the sugar has been dissolved. Strain the liquid through a sieve, pour liquid into a bowl, and place in the freezer for about 1 hour. The mixture should be very cold but not frozen.

In a chilled bowl, whisk heavy cream until it reaches the soft peak stage. Slowly pour the cold watermelon liquid into the cream while continuously whisking. Add in the food coloring if using. I used it to make it look more like watermelon because the cream lightens up the color dramatically. Immediately pour into an ice cream maker and churn for about 30 minutes, or until it’s the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

Pour sherbet into a container, I like to use a loaf pan, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of it. Freeze for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream

Do you love cinnamon Teddy Grahams? If so, this ice cream is for you!  It tastes exactly like the cinnamon Teddy Graham snacks I remember from my childhood.  I think that's all there is to say here!

Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream

8 ounces heavy cream
14 ounces 2% milk, whole milk, or half and half (Depending on your preference)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup honey
2 egg yolks, beaten


Heat cream, milk, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until simmering, but not boiling. Turn off heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and return cream mixture to heat.

Bring back to a simmer, then add honey and whisk until dissolved. Add 2 tablespoons of heated cream mixture to beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Repeat 3 more times, then add tempered eggs to the saucepan with the heated cream mixture.

Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (approximately 160 degrees F). Strain mixture, if desired. Cool thoroughly, at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker.

Cranberry Ice Cream

Ice cream is just one of those things I can't give up. White sugar and white flour have been no big deal for me, but ice cream (and all it's heathen saturated fat) will never leave my diet. Instead of eliminating it, I just try to find ways to reduce the amount of heavy cream while still keeping a reasonably palatable final product. I've recently started using agave nectar in ice cream, in place of sugar, and realized that the agave really keeps the ice cream soft. It was an unexpected, but very welcome, bonus.

So, what to do about the cream. I don't like to use more than 8 ounces (1 cup) of cream (in a batch that yields 4-5 cups of ice cream). I try to keep it down to 4 ounces. Previously, I made up the remaining volume with fat free half and half, and whatever milk we had, either 2% or skim. Fat free half and half, I've decided, has too many chemicals for me to using it on such a regular basis, so that ingredient had to go. But making up the rest with milk would yield some very crystal-y (yes that is now a word) ice cream.

Enter: tofu. Firm silken tofu, to be exact. I started this time with 4 ounces, blended up with 1 ounce of milk. I was reserving the remainder of the package for another dish, so 4 ounces was all I had to spare for the ice cream experiment. I also decided to make it part custard by making an egg yolk base with 4 ounces each of cream and milk, and two egg yolks.

The comparison of the nutritional information from the original recipe to mine is startling. The calories per serving were cut in HALF! Total fat was reduced by over 15g, saturated fat by over 11g. Even the cholesterol was reduced! On the plus side, I increased the potassium, fiber, and protein content. All around, a huge win for ice cream!


I almost forgot - how does it taste?  It's pretty awesome.  There is a perfect balance between tart cranberry and sweet agave nectar!

Cranberry Ice Cream
Yield: 5 cups

1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ounces heavy cream
18 ounces milk (I used 2%), divided
2 egg yolks
4 ounces firm silken tofu
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1.  Heat cranberries and water in a small saucepan until boiling. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, until the cranberries pop and become soft. Let cool 10 minutes.  Pour into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed.  Add cinnamon and set aside.
2. Scald cream and 4 ounces of milk in a small saucepan.  Place egg yolks in a small bowl.  Add 4 tablespoons of heated cream, 1 tablespoon at a time while whisking constantly, to warm up the yolks.  Add yolks back to pan with heated cream.  Stir gently with a wooden spoon until custard thickens, coating the back of the spoon.
3.  Blend tofu and 1 ounce of milk in food processor until smooth.
4. Combine cranberries, custard, tofu, salt, agave nectar and remaining 13 ounce of milk in a large bowl and blend well.  Chill at least 4 hours, or overnight, then freeze in an ice cream maker.

Nutritional Information, per 1/2 cup serving:

	Reduced	Original
Calories:	153.4	310.7
Total Fat:	6.5	22.2
Sat. Fat:	3.8	15.4
Poly Fat:	0.1	0.0
Mono Fat:	0.4	0.0
Cholesterol:	62.5	88.0
Sodium:	66.8	22.0
Potassium:	3.8	0.0
Carbohydrate:	20.3	23.3
Fiber:	0.9	0.0
Sugar:	14.7	19.2
Protein:	3.3	0.1

Pumpkin Ice Cream

I love pumpkin. I love ice cream. This was clearly a match made in heaven!  This ice cream is perfect with chopped pecans sprinkled on top.

Pumpkin Ice Cream
Source: Slightly adapted from The Novice Chef / Ben & Jerry's

• 2 large eggs (I used the equivalent amount of eggbeaters)
  
• 3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup agave nectar
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup fat free half and half
• 1 cup low fat (1% milk)
• 1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, and continue whisking 1 minute more, until completely blended.  Pour in the cream, half and half, and milk and whisk until blended.  Pour 1 cup of the mixture into a separate bowl. Add the pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon to the mixture. Stir until blended. Return the pumpkin mixture to the cream mixture and whisk to blend. Refrigerate mixture for at least 4 hours.  Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions.

Pineapple Sorbet

I've definitely been on a sorbet kick lately, and thought pineapple would be a good one to make next, since pineapple is my favorite fruit! This was probably the easiest one to make, and SO good! It's very refreshing, and though I only had vodka on hand, rum would be great in it as well!


Pineapple Sorbet
Makes about 4 cups

1 whole pineapple
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp vodka or rum

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan, heat until the sugar dissolves. Peel and core the pineapple, then cut the fruit into rough chunks. Puree the fruit and sugar syrup in a blender of food processor, then pour into a bowl. Stir in the vodka or rum. Chill for at least 4 hours, then freeze in an ice cream maker.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato

For our three days in Florence, Italy, it was clear that an afternoon gelato was what all the cool kids (and adults) were doing. Who was I to go against the tide? I had the same combo every day: bacio e stracciatella, or chocolate hazelnut and chocolate chip. Now that we are back home, I am craving my favorite: bacio. Lucky for me, I only need to turn as far as the Food Network and Giada De Laurentiis to bring back that wonderful experience.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato
Source: Giada De Laurentiis
Makes about 4 cups, adaptations in italics

2 cups 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
2 teaspoon hazelnut liquor (Frangelico)
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed, for garnish

Directions
In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla, liquor, and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

After making waaaay too much whipped cream frosting for the oreo cupcakes, I decided what better thing to do with extra whipped cream than make ice cream? Since the cream already had bits of oreo in it, cookies and cream was a no brainer. I even still had some oreos leftover for crushing and putting in. This turned out great, just like the classic, and I found out that whipping the cream before you add it to the batter isn't a half-bad idea, no matter what ice cream recipe you are making. :-)



Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Base ice cream recipe adapted from Doc Wilson, see my note on adjusting fat content here.

~8 oz milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole is fine)
~8 oz heavy cream, whipped
~8 oz fat free half and half
~1/4 cup eggbeaters
~6 tablespoons sugar
~7 oz fat free sweetened condensed milk
~1 tablespoon vanilla extract
~1/4 cup finely ground oreos
~1/2 cup roughly chopped oreos

Directions:

Whisk together the egg beaters, sugars, and sweetened condensed milk. Add the cream, milk, half and half, vanilla, and finely ground oreos, mix well. Chill a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight. Freeze according to ice cream maker directions. In the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the roughly chopped oreos. Place in the freezer to cure.

Orange Sorbet

After my success with pear sorbet, I found some ripe oranges on sale at the grocery store and decided to continue my foray into the world of sorbets. I based this recipe on one from Cook's Illustrated, but omitted the zest, increase the alcohol, and went with simple syrup rather than straight sugar. Sorbets are wonderful because they are so light, with a fresh and bright fruit flavor... this is no exception! It's such a nice break from ice cream (my all time love). Now, I'm eyeing that pineapple on the counter... maybe pineapple sorbet will be next!



Orange Sorbet
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (I peeled 6 seedless oranges, ground them in a blender, and pressed the juice through a seive because I don't have a juicer)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons vodka or orange flavored liquor

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan, heat over meduim low heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine sugar mixture with orange juice, lemon juice, and vodka. Chill until completely cooled, preferably 4 hours. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Pear Sorbet

On a trip to Las Vegas, I enjoyed a wonderful trio of sorbets for dessert at a wonderful restaurant: concord grape, coconut, and pear. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the pear sorbet. I've been thinking about it for months, wanting to make some at home, and I finally got the chance last weekend. I should have made this sooner! It has such a wonderful bright, fresh, pear flavor! I'm not sure if it was because of the alcohol, the sugar, or living on the door of my freezer, but mine has stayed soft even days later! I chose to only strain a portion of the puree, I kinda of like having the texture of a pear in the sorbet.



Pear Sorbet
Yield: about 2.5 cups

3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp pear brandy

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine sugar/water, lemon juice, brandy, and pears in a food processor or blender and puree. Strain half of the puree through a sieve, pressing to extrude all the juices. Mix well with remaining unstrained puree. Refrigerate mixture until well chilled, at least 4 hours. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Samoas Ice Cream

I am SO excited that it is that time of year again. My order is in. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of.... Girl Scout cookies! My all time favorite is thin mints, but samoas are a close second (caramel delites for you ABC bakers folk). This year, I decided to make an ice cream based on the samoas.


What are samoas? In case you live under a rock, I'll explain. Vanilla cookie, layered in luscious caramel, sprinkled with coconut, and drizzled with stripes of chocolate. YUM is what samoas are! There are probably many ways to create an ice cream based on the samoas cookie. Of course, I have to be inventive, since I don't have any cookies in hand yet and this prohibits me from making some vanilla ice cream and adding chunks of samoas. I decided to go out on a limb and start with a base of coconut ice cream, swirled with rich homemade caramel, and chock full of vanilla shortbread cookie bits dipped in chocolate. The result? Grown-up version of a favorite childhood cookie.

Samoas Ice Cream
Coconut ice cream adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini
Caramel and (adapted) shortbread from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

~ 1/2 cup egg beaters
~ 1 can (13 fl. oz.) reduced fat unsweetened evaporated milk
~ 1 can (13 fl. oz.) coconut milk
~ 1 to 2 tablespoons light rum (optional)
~ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
~ 3/4 cup sugar or 1/3 cup agave nectar
~10 chocolate covered shortbread cookies (store bought or homemade), crushed
~1/2 cup caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg beaters, evaporated milk, coconut milk, rum, vanilla, and sugar until blended. Refrigerate at least four hours, or overnight. Whisk again before using, and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions. In the last 5 minutes of churning, add the chocolate covered cookie bits. Layer 1/2 the ice cream in a freezer container, then smooth over 1/4 cup of completely cooled caramel sauce. Repeat, then freeze container to cure ice cream.

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
Yield: about 10 cookies

~1/2 cup all-purpose flour
~1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
~pinch salt
~5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
~1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
~about 1 cup chocolate chips, for dipping cookies

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and cloves. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9×10-1/2-inch rectangle that’s 1/4-inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-1/2 inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale - they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

When cookies are cool, melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Dip the cookies in chocolate and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, then break up into chunks.

Caramel Sauce
~1 cup sugar
~3 T water
~1 T light corn syrup
~3/4 cup heavy cream
~1 T unsalted butter

Put the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat without stirring, until the caramel turns a deep amber color, 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat, stand back from the saucepan and add the cream and butter. Stir to smooth and calm down the caramel. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the caramel into a heatproof jar and cool until it is slightly warm-for about an hour. The sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week. Just reheat in the microwave.

Orange Sherbet

I've been looking to branch out from our usual mint chocolate chip or peanut butter ice cream, and orange sherbet came to mind as a past favorite of mine. I started with the basic ice cream recipe I've been using from Doc Wilson (sadly the site has been down for some time now), and after googling to get an idea of what goes in sherbet, I set out to mix up the base. At first, it wasn't sweet enough, but after a quick melting and re-chilling I was able to fix the problem! This turned out great - it's very refreshing with a bright citrus taste. My favorite way to serve is with jimmies (chocolate sprinkles for you non-New Englanders).




Orange Sherbet
Adapted from Doc Wilson's Old Time Vanilla Ice Cream

~1/4 cup egg beaters
~1/2 can of fat free sweetened condensed milk (7 ounces)
~6 Tablespoons white sugar
~juice of 4 oranges, about 10 ounces
~4 ounces heavy whipping cream
~6 ounces fat free half and half
~4 ounces skim milk (or 1%, or 2%, whatever you have)
~zest of 1 orange

In a large mixing bowl whisk together egg beaters, sweetened condensed milk, and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Add heavy whipping cream, half and half, skim milk, orange zest and orange juice. For the very best results (who wants anything less?), let the mix chill in the refrigerator for about four hours (or overnight) which allows the mix to age before freezing according to the directions with your ice cream freezer. Makes about 4 cups.

Eat to the Beat: Nutella Ice Cream

Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I've tried
And your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here know how to fight
...
Your love is better than chocolate
Better than anything else that I've tried
Oh love is better than chocolate
Everyone here knows how to cry
This song from Sarah McLachlan was always one of my favorites... namely because I could live off of ice cream, it is my absolute favorite food! The song embodied what I was looking for in a relationship... a love that was better than ice cream. Naturally, I believe I found that in my husband, and this is a timely post as we are nearing our first anniversary!


Still, I wanted to create an ice cream that would be pretty hard to beat... so for this installment of Eat to the Beat, I give you Cinnamon Nutella Ice Cream!
Well, I've just taken it out of the ice cream maker. Oh my. Oh my! This is roll-your-eyes-back-into-your-head good. (gosh, now I feel like a yogurt commercial!) The cinnamon ice cream ALONE is fantastic, but add the nutella and toffee chips... wow. Just wow! Yeah, I could, um, spend more time making coherent sentences but the pull of another bite is too strong and I'm going to give in. Just trust me and make it!



Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlan

Cinnamon Nutella Ice Cream with Hazelnut Toffee Chips
Base ice cream recipe adapted from Doc Wilson, see my note on adjusting fat content here.
If you don't like cinnamon, feel free to omit it, it will still be fabulous!

~4 oz milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole is fine)
~8 oz heavy cream
~16 oz fat free half and half
~1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
~1 cinnamon stick
~3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
~1/4 cup eggbeaters
~3 tbsp brown sugar
~3 tbsp sugar
~7 oz fat free sweetened condensed milk
~1 cup hazelnut toffee (recipe follows)
~1/2 cup Nutella

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk, half-and-half, cream, vanilla, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon. Whisk occasionally. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not boil), remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Whisk together the egg beaters, sugars, and sweetened condensed milk. Add the cream mixture by straining to catch cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Chill a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight. Freeze according to ice cream maker directions. In the last 5 minutes of freezing, add hazelnut toffee chips. Place 1/2 of ice cream in container. Add 1/4 cup nutella and swirl gently with a spatula. Add remaining 1/2 of ice cream, and swirl in remaining 1/4 cup of nutella. Mine behaved almost like that magic shell ice cream topping, it started to freeze up and break into bits rather than make a proper swirl, but I am still happy with it! Place in the freezer to cure.

Hazelnut Toffee from About.com

~1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
~1/2 cup granulated sugar
~1 tbsp water
~1.5 tsp light corn syrup
~1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
~3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the sugar. Once the sugar is mixed in, add the water and corn syrup and stir until well-incorporated.

Place the pan back on the heat and insert a candy thermometer. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the candy reaches 290 degrees. Watch it carefully near the end, as it can easily burn at high temperatures. Once the candy reaches 290 degrees, remove it from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon and the chopped nuts, and immediately pour the candy onto the prepared baking sheet. Tilt the sheet several times to spread the candy in a thin layer. Allow the toffee to sit at room temperature until it is completely cool.

Place the chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave until melted, stirring after every minute to avoid overheating. Spoon half of the melted chocolate on top of the toffee, and spread it in a thin, even layer over the top. Place the toffee in the refrigerator to set the chocolate for about 15 minutes. Remove the toffee from the refrigerator and lift it from the baking sheet. Flip the toffee over so that the chocolate side is now resting on the bottom of the baking sheet. Spoon the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the toffee and spread it evenly. (If necessary, re-warm the chocolate briefly so that it is spreadable).

Refrigerate the toffee again to set the chocolate. Once set, break the candy into small pieces with your hands. Store the toffee in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in a cool room.

Butterscotch Ice Cream

I've been pretty devoted to Mint Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip ice cream lately. My husband exclusively eats the PB ice cream... faster than I can keep it in stock, it seems. I, of course, keep tabs on the mint. I decided it might be time to branch out again, and I came across a recipe for butterscotch ice cream.

This definitely sounded great, but the ingredients included 1.5 cups of heavy cream, and 6 eggs yolks - neither of which I want to use. I took the vanilla recipe I've been using and modified it to incorporate the butterscotch flavor so it would be 1) easier and 2) less damaging to my hips. I certainly think I achieved that and this ice cream has a fantastic taste to it!! I can't wait to make it again (especially since I think I may have burnt the sugar, oops)!

NOTE: I could live on ice cream alone, so I try to find a balance between not-loaded-with-fat and still-pretty-creamy-and-yummy. To that end, I play around with the amount of cream vs milk. The arrangement below is what I use most often. I assure you it won't turn into a rock hard block (the PB ice cream did once, and I realize it was because I had forgotten the sweetened condensed milk!). But, since it may feel icy to some, I want to mention that you are certainly free to go the full fat route, and do 16 oz of half and half with 12 oz of heavy cream. Feel free to play around in between that, too, as long as the total comes to 28 oz.
Butterscotch Ice Cream
Adapted from Sunset Magazine and Doc Wilson
(Normally I would link to the original vanilla recipe, but *tear* Doc Wilson's site appears to be down)

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (I use unsalted)
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 7 oz fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup egg beaters
  
• dash of salt
  
• 4 oz heavy cream (See note above for alternate volumes)
  
• 20 oz fat free half-and-half
• 4 oz skim milk
  

Directions

In a 1- to 2-quart pan over medium heat, stir brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and mixture is bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in 4 oz of warmed heavy cream until smooth; remove butterscotch mixture from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, egg beaters, and salt. Whisk in the half and half and milk. Finally, add the butterscotch mixture and stir with the whisk to combine. Chill until cold, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours; or cover and chill up to 1 day (recommended).

Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve softly frozen, or transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Mint choc chip is my absolute favorite flavor of ice cream. When I got my ice cream maker, that is all I wanted to make! I originally was using the recipe that came with my ice cream maker, but before long I decided I didn't want to be making a recipe that used 2 cups of heavy cream all the time. After stumbling upon the Old Time Vanilla recipe that I love, I tried their mint version but something was... off. We didn't love it. I put mint on the back burner while vanilla and peanut butter became the mainstays in the house. This week, I knew it was time to get back to mint and work out the recipe. I am so glad I did!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Adapted from Doc Wilson

~1/4 cup egg beaters
~1/2 can of fat free sweetened condensed milk
~6 Tablespoons white sugar
~4 ounces heavy whipping cream
~16 ounces fat free half and half
~4 ounces skim milk (or 1%, or 2%, whatever you have)
~1/8 tsp salt
~1/2 teaspoon mint extract
~2 tsp vodka OR mint schnapps OR "The Good Doctor" (optional)
~1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I prefer small amounts of chocolate in my ice cream, feel free to load it up if you prefer more!)

In a large mixing bowl whisk together egg beaters, sweetened condensed milk, and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Add heavy whipping cream, half and half, skim milk, salt, vodka or schnapps, and mint extract. For the very best results (who wants anything less?), let the mix chill in the refrigerator for about four hours which allows the mix to "age" before freezing according to the directions with your ice cream freezer. Add the mini chips in the last 5 minutes of freezing. This recipe makes the perfect amount to fit in a 1.5 quart ice cream maker. Makes between 4 and 5 cups of ice cream.


yes, that's wrapping paper

Cherry Limeade Sour Cream Ice Cream

As promised, I played around with the idea of making cherry sour cream ice cream. It took a few trials to get right, because I decided... what would be better than cherry sour cream ice cream? Cherry LIMEADE Sour Cream Ice Cream! The amount of lime juice/zest took some tweaking, but thanks to the goddess, I got it figured out.
Cherry Limeade Sour Cream Ice Cream
Adapted from Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream, Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

~20 cherries, pitted and halved
~1/3 cup sugar
~pinch of salt
~grated zest of 1 lime
~juice of 1.5 limes
~3/4 cup heavy cream (or, if you are like me and trying to slim things down, 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup fat free half and half)
~1/2 cup sour cream

Put the cherries, sugar, salt and lime zest and juice into a medium nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils and the cherries soften, about 4 minutes. Turn the cherries into a blender and whir until you have a fairly homogeneous puree, about one minute. (It will never be completely smooth, and that's just fine.) Add the heavy cream and sour cream and pulse just to blend. Pour the custard into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning it into ice cream. (I recommend at least 4 hours) Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

This is a spin on the Old Time Vanilla Ice Cream, and is from the same website. It is, perhaps, not as peanutty as I'd like, but it is still OH so delicious and my husband absolutely loves it! Here I topped it with some caramelized peanuts leftover from Snickery Squares - yum!

Having made this recipe so many times, I've worked how to lower the fat content a bit. The resulting ice cream is still SO creamy and wonderful that you'd NEVER know you were missing anything!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Adapted from Doc Wilson's Ice Cream page

~1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)
~1/2 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
~1/2 cup peanut butter (I use chunky)
~1/8 cup sugar
~1/8 cup upacked brown sugar
~4 ounces heavy cream
~4 ounces skim milk
~8 ounces fat free half and half
~1/8 tsp salt
~1 Tbsp vanilla extract
~1/8 to 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I go by eye!)

~In a large mixing bowl whisk together egg and sweetened condensed milk. Add sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter, mix thoroughly. Then add heavy cream, milk, half and half, salt and vanilla extract.

~For the very best results (who wants anything less?), let the mix chill in the refrigerator for about four hours which allows the mix to "age" before freezing according to the directions with your ice cream freezer. In the last 5 minutes of mixing, add the chocolate chips.

Tasty Tools: Strawberry Mango Frozen Yogurt

This round of Joelen's Tasty Tools has us utilizing the mighty blender. Channeling some Platinum Chef inspiration, I decided I wanted to make some Strawberry Mango Frozen Yogurt. I had not yet crossed the frozen yogurt bridge with my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, so I figured now was the time! I started with a recipe from David Lebowitz for Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and doctored it up (read: added some mango) :-)

This has a wonderful flavor to it... not overly strawberry and not overly mango - a perfect blend! I did have the typical homemade frozen yogurt issue of it basically solidifying in the freezer instead of ripening to a nice creamy dessert, and I may play around with greek yogurt for the next batch, or drain the regular yogurt for a while before using it. Either way, it is a cool yummy treat perfect for the... almost summer days!

Strawberry Mango Frozen Yogurt
Adapted from: David Lebowitz
Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

~1 pound (450 g) strawberries, rinsed and hulled
~2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
~optional: 2 teaspoons vodka or kirsch
~1 cup (240 g) plain, whole milk yogurt
~fruit from 2 mangos

1. Slice the strawberries into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch (if using) until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every so often.
2. Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and mango. Pulse the machine until the mixture is almost smooth. If you wish, press mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds.
3. Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.