Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

Oxymoron?  I think not.  First of all, if you haven't met my mom.  Do so.  She has a little blog that she updates from time to time and I must let you know that when she writes, you wont want to miss it.  She is a librarian, an ex-english teacher.  She belonged was a Kappa Kappa Gamma in college, she wore red shoes when I was growing up.  She schools me in the kitchen every time.  Her french fries are amazing, but they don't hold a candle to her chocolate cake.  And that chocolate cake is in a tight race with her hot chocolate. And because I live in a summer all year round climate, I went ahead and made her hot chocolate into ice cream.  This is Mom's Hot Chocolate Ice Cream.  Trust me.  It's different than regular chocolate, and it's creamy, and if it melts, then heat it and it's like your'e drinking a bit of my childhood.

And friends, this would be the perfect addition to my Vanilla Bean Cake.  And that's that.  Like my mom, this post is better left to be experienced.  Please enjoy, and enjoy fully.  What color shoes are you wearing?  It makes a difference when you eat ice cream, I promise.

Pass the marshmallows please.


Mom's Hot Chocolate Ice Cream


1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 egg yolks


Place heavy cream, milk and brown sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Heat while stirring continuously until sugar has dissolved completely.  Pour coco powder in mixture and whisk briskly until all powder is not mixed into milk, cream and sugar mixture.  Mixture will turn brown.  Remove from heat, and whisky in egg yolks at a very rapid pace.  The egg yolks should be poured into pan at a slow and steady stream, taking time to mix well.  If you need to break up the mixing, go ahead, it's worth it otherwise you will get eggs in your ice cream.   Place back on heat and let small bubbles form around the edges.  Remove from heat and let cool by placing mixture into bowl and put that bowl over ice.  Once cooled to room temperature, pour into ice cream maker that has been frozen according to manufacturer's instructions.  Serve immediately or store in an air tight container until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Roasted Corn Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Salsa Swirl

I do really believe that most anything delicious is even more delicious when frozen and churned to perfection with heavy cream and sugar.  This ice cream, well, is no exception.  Although I have learned something about gourmet flavors: a little goes a long way.  People love bowls and bowls of vanilla ice cream. Not you? Must just be me.  But when it comes to unique flavors, I think small doses really does the trick.  You want your guests to appreciate the flavor. Enjoy the richness of the dessert.  I mean after all, dessert should be rich. Savory. And enjoyed. So here's to a unique flavor made in a small batch so your guests will come back next time expecting something even more outrageous and delicious.

Oh, yes. I forgot to mention where I got this crazy idea.  Being a Foodbuzz Featured Publishers means you can be a part of their Tastemaker's program and opt in for samples from companies to come up with interesting recipes.  This month it was Pace Picante Sauce to make a great Super Bowl dish.  There are so many salty things at Super Bowl parties, I want to throw a little sweet curve ball in the mix.  So I mixed an entire jar of Pace Picante medium salsa (choose your desired spice level accordingly) with about 1 tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper (again, your taste buds will be the judge here) and an entire bar of dark chocolate.  Melt this all together over medium heat, and you have yourself a rich, spicy, dark chocolate sauce that has an after bite that hits you in the back of your throat.  And does so just in time for the creamy Roasted Corn Ice Cream to sooth the spice.

Sounds crazy right?  It might be. But it. is. good.  My husband suggested to dip chips it.  Might be too far.  I am gong to suggest to serve it on it's own, or maybe another addition like churros for garnish.  I'm going to make that this weekend and I'll let you know how it goes.  In the meantime, give this a try.  It's fun, easy, and will make your Super Bowl servings stand out from the rest of the block.



Roasted Corn Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Salsa Swirl (Makes 1/2 quart)


1 ear of corn
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 jar Pace Picante Salsa (your choice on spice level)
1 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1 bar 70% Dark Chocolate


Cover ear of corn with butter, so that it looks like you have put frosting on the ear of corn.  Roll buttered corn in brown sugar.  Place buttered, brown sugar ear of corn on to baking sheet and place in 350 degree preheated oven for 14 minutes, rolling the ear of corn around in melted butter and brown sugar half way through heating time.  Remove and let cool, set aside.  Heat milk, heavy cream, and sugar in saucepan over medium-low heat until small bubbles form around the edge of pan.  Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks.  Be sure to whisk fast and pour in egg yolks in small doses, otherwise you will end up with scrambled eggs.  Once egg yolks are mixed in, place back over heat.  But corn kernels off the cool cob, and place kernels into milk mixture.  Continue to heat over medium to low heat for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and place entire saucepan into freezer for quick cooling, about 1 hour.  Take mixture out of freezer, and stir to mix up ice formations that may have formed on top.  Pour cooled mixture into ice cream freezer bowl that has been frozen according to manufacturer's instructions.  Churn full cycle, usually about 30 minutes.  While churning, pour the Pace Picante salsa into saucepan over medium heat and add Cayenne Pepper according to your desire.  Break up dark chocolate and place into heated salsa.  Stir constantly until chocolate is melted completely.  Taste and add more spice if you so desire.  Remove from heat and leave in saucepan until churn cycle of ice cream is completed.  Remove ice cream from freezer bowl and place in layers into small airtight container.  Place a medium to thin layer of ice cream on bottom, followed by the cooled salsa chocolate sauce on top.  Repeat with layers, ending with ice cream.  You may have extra sauce, depending on how much spice and chocolate you want in your ice cream.  IF you do, keep it and use it as a cooking sauce for a chicken dish, or in burritos.  I'm telling you, it's yummy!  Serve immediately or place in freezer and serve when ready! Enjoy!

Toffee

I look back at 2009 and I see pieces of things that fell into place and I see pieces of things that have yet to fall to where they belong.  Isn't life just like that?  And so is cooking.  Sometimes I have no idea why certain recipes call for certain ingredients, and sometimes my learning mind desires to research and find, and other times, I am so content in knowing that the recipe just. needs. every component. to. work.

I've been a bit under the weather lately, and I've been spending all my time resting, watching movies, sleeping, and going to the doctor.  Oh, and eating. No exercise, no healthy food, and that was ok.  We all need a bit of rest, and we all need a bit of recovery.  I'm looking forward to being well again and starting on my favorite things: baking, running, and school but in a new light.  It will be balanced.  It will be ok when it doesn't all fit together, and when the plate is empty and there are still pieces left.  Because, who knows what pieces will go into the next day, week, month, or year.

2010. Piece away.  I welcome your unpredictable nature, yet comforting pieces.  Bring it, and thank you in advance.


Dad's Christmas Toffee


2 sticks of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
6 oz. of chocolate {your choice: dark, milk, semi-sweet}
Large handful of nuts {your choice: tradition calls for almonds, I used pecans}




Melt Sugar and butter in medium saucepan until reaches 300 degrees.  This is the 'hard cracking point" for sugar.  Stir in vanilla and salt after the 300 degrees is reached, but before 320 degrees.  This is hard to "guess" so be sure to use a candy thermometer.  Pour mixture on cookie sheet that has been covered with wax paper.  Spread evenly and create a medium to thin layer, but be aware that it will not cover the entire cookie sheet.  It will only cover about 1/4-1/2 of the sheet.  Immediately place chocolate chips (or if you got it from a bar, then chocolate pieces that you have cut up in small pieces) on top of hot, poured mixture.  Wait about 30 seconds to one minute, and the chocolate will have begun to melt.  With a spatula or backside of spoon, spread the chocolate over the mixture, creating a thing layer.  Sprinkles nuts on top.  Place entire sheet into refrigerator and let cool completely for about an hour and a half.  Remove from fridge and break candy into pieces.  Enjoy!

S'mores Ice Cream

Who doesn't love a good camp fire?  I know that these usually happen during the summer, but there are a few methods to my madness for this craving:  First of all, I live in Southern California.  Do you know that its summer all year round?  I'm serious, it's wonderful. Beach. Sunglasses. Windows down. Doors open. Campfires.  Secondly,  there is something about familiar tastes that can transport you to a certain time and place.  The scent of a certain perfume can remind you of an old flame {my mom says things like that, or refers to people having a "main squeeze"} or tasting something that you had in your school cafeteria can take you back to the good ol' days.  And s'mores my friends, does the same thing.  Campfires. Camping. Scary Stories. Truth or Dare. The whole bit.  So, yes, I am aware it's winter, but make up a cup of hot coco with this bowl of ice cream and have your own little campfire, Christmas edition.

Of course you are going to need some Marshmallows.  How you cook them is going to tell me, and yourself, and others about how you generally cook your s'mores.  Do you cook them slowly and throughly?  Do you let them catch on fire and burn?  I am the latter, so I cooked mine a bit longer than the former may like.  However, you must know that it gave the mallows a "toasty" flavor, which is the point of campfires after all.

Absolutely you need the grahams and chocolate.  Honeymaid is where it's at.  I mean, it's classic, right?  And Hershey's is usually my go-to. And it was for this ice cream, but alas, as usual I ate it all before I could photograph it, so this is the Trader Joes' variation.

And yes, it is as creamy, delicious, beautiful, and wonderful as it looks.  Am I the only person to describe food in this way?  Seriously, I'm making this again. And having a fire via a million candles, hot coco and telling my favorite scary story.  Or tear-jerker.  Or sentimental heart-warmer.  Or favorite song. Or...you get the point.  The question is, what will you share?


S'mores Ice Cream (makes 1/2 quart)


1/2 package marshmallows
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 bar Hershey's Chocolate
3 Honeymaid Graham crackers


Place Marshmallows, cream and milk into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mallows are melted, and the liquids blend nicely with the mallows.  The texture will be thick, gooey, and wonderful.  Remove from heat and let cool for only one minute, stirring occasionally to make sure the marshmallows do not cool too much, making the mixture sticky.  Pour mixture into ice cream maker that has been frozen according to manufacturer's instructions, and churn for about 30-35 minutes.   While the ice cream is churning, cut chocolate into chunks about 1/4-1/2 the size of a regular s'mores piece.  This is different for everyone, so choose accordingly.  Break graham cracker pieces inso larger pieces, you want them to stay in tact so that they will freeze well, and still resemble graham cracker pieces after the freezing process is done.  After churning is completed, turn off ice cream maker, and fold in chocolate pieces and then graham cracker pieces.  Be gentle when folding in the graham cracker pieces, or they will break.  Of course a little break here and there is fine, but you want to have a few, good strong pieces in there; just like men in your life.  :)  Serve right away or store in an airtight container.  If the ice cream is a bit softer than you want, it's because the mixture was added when it was hot.  So just place in the freezer for an hour or so before serving. Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Sometimes you have guests who are vegans.  Sometimes you just don't have eggs or milk, and you pretend that you always cook vegan.  Either way, this cake did the trick.  I got the recipe from Joy the Baker.  She is so very creative, and although they look delicious which usually means hard and complicated, they are not that bad.

To grease a pan, I always use butter.  I love butter.  When people skip the butter, it baffles me. You are right, butter is not vegan.  So if you want to make this truly vegan, then please grease the pan with something vegan approved. Your choice.

My mom got me these measuring spoons.

She is a librarian, that's how cute she is.

Oh.  Oops. Did I forget to tell you that the thing that makes this cake so moist, and the main ingredient in the frosting was avocado?  Yes, yes I did.  I apologize.  But would you have kept reading?

Probably not. I tricked you.

But if the green is too much for you, just dye the frosting.
You know, season specific.

And I added a bit of garnish with the chocolate chips.  Not to mention the flowers courtesy of my husband, and the vintage cake stand really adds a bit of charm.

Thank you Joy the Baker. This was de.li.cious.

Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cake (Via Joy the Baker)

3 cups of flour (called for all purpose, I used wheat)

6 tablespoons of unsweetened coco powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups of granulated sugar

1/4 cup of vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1/2 cup soft avocado

2 cups water

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch rounds.  Set aside.

Sift together all of the dry ingredients except the sugar.  Set that aside too.

Mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl, including the super mashed avocado.

Add sugar into the wet mix and stir.

Mix the wet with the dry all at once, and beat with a whisk (by hand) until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased cake tins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting with avocado buttercream.

Avocado Butter Cream Frosting

8 ounces of avocado meat, about 2 small to medium, very ripe avocados

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and pit the soft avocados.  It’s important to use the ripest avocados you can get your hands on.  If the avocados have brown spots in the meat, avoid those spots when you scoop the meat into the bowl.

Place the avocado meat into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment.  Add lemon juice and whisk the avocado on medium speed, until slightly lightened in color and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat.  Add vanilla extract until combined.  If not using right away, store in the refrigerator.  Don’t worry.  It won’t turn brown!


Note: Clearly, butter is not Vegan.  I know this.  I called it Vegan because it is the official title of where I got this from.  As the comments suggest, if you want it purely Vegan, please do not use butter.