balsamic strawberry mascarpone ice cream

I am not a large strawberry ice cream fan.  I think it has a lot to do with I like strawberries when I have been able to pick them straight from the plant.  But most purchased strawberries need something.  Like sugar to make them have any flavor.  It is about how I feel about strawberry ice cream but my Beloved likes strawberry ice cream occasionally.  I thought I would play with it.  

This is very balsamic strawberry mascarpone ice cream is very rich.  The fat from the mascarpone actually leaves a film on the spoon when you eat it but it is soooooo good.  

Balsamic Strawberry Mascarpone Ice Cream

2 cups sliced (chopped) strawberries

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whole milk

a pinch of salt (about an 1/16 of a teaspoon or less)

3/4 cup sugar

16 ounces mascarpone cheese

5 egg yolks

Put the strawberries, vinegar, and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl.  Let sit at least two hours.

Meanwhile, over low heat, heat the milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.  

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

 Strain the custard and let cool.

When the custard is cool, pour into the mascarpone and mix well.  This may take a bit of work.  

Pour into a large coverable pyrex and put in the freezer.  AFter two hours, stir with a wooden spoon.  If it is the consistency of a very thick milkshake, stir in the strawberry  mixture.  If not that consistency, stir again in two hours.  Once you have reached the thick milkshake consistency, mix in the strawberry mixture.

I did not stir again after adding the strawberry mixture but you could.  If you were using a regular ice cream machine, I would put the strawberry mixture in about half way through the freezing process.

This is just goodness.  I would make this again (coming from the person who is not fond of strawberry ice cream!)

peanut butter balls

The peanut butter bits in yesterdays ice cream are actually made separately.  I modified another recipe from David Lebovitz.  Okay, so I did the exact opposite of his suggested ingredients but soooo  good.  

My one suggestion:  Do not tell anyone the peanut butter balls are in the freezer!  Why do you say?  Because my Beloved and myself had a hard time not eating these by themselves!

I really like moose tracks ice cream.  Moose tracks is vanilla ice cream, fudge and peanut butter cups swirled through.  I was thinking on my bicycle ride home from work I could make my own peanut butter cups with this as the middle.  And then make my own moose tracks ice cream.  Yes, I am that person.

Peanut butter drops or balls or patties

2/3 cup peanut butter (I used fresh ground peanut butter)

2 - 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (if you use Skippy's or Jif, use less.  if you use an old fashioned style, more)

In a bow, put the peanut butter and powdered sugar.  Mix together.

Drop on a plate in the shape you wish.  Freeze.  

Once frozen, put into ice cream or put in a ziploc bag for other creations.  

See those light colored bits?  Those are the peanut butter drops.  OMG!  

I cannot tell you how long they last in the freezer because we did not have any leftovers.

Moose tracks, here I come!

peanut butter chocolate ice cream

One of my favorite ice creams is peanut butter chocolate, a chocolate ice cream with peanut butter in it.  Baskin and Robbins carries one that is not bad.  Tillamook Dairy makes one that is quite good but you cannot find it where we live.  You can find it in Oregon.  After my success with the vanilla, I decided to give it a try.  I got The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz from the library and used his chocolate ice cream recipe as a base.  Then I used his ideas of peanut butter patties for the peanut butter bits.  I think this is the best peanut butter chocolate ice cream I have had and the chocolate is much better then Blue Bell!

I think the only issue was the number of bowls it used and how fast it disappeared!  Very happy bellies!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

Note:  Adapted slightly from David Lebovitz The Perfect Scoop

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa power

5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (you can use bittersweet but I thought this was plenty rich enough), chopped or chips

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/16 teaspoon salt

5 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

One recipe peanut butter bits (tomorrow)

Warm 1 cup cream with the cocoa in a medium sauce pan.  Whisk throughly to blend the cocoa.  Bring to a boil and keep at a boil for 30 seconds (I counted), whisking constantly.  

Remove from heat and add the chocolate.  Stirring until smooth.  Add the remaining cup of cream.  Pour into a large bowl, scraping the as much out of the pan as possible.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Slowly, pour your warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.  Pour back into the saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  The mixture will thicken and remove from heat when it coats the back of the spoon.

Pour the custard (yolk) mixture through a strainer into the chocolate in the medium bowl.  There will be bits of cooked egg probably that you do not wish to be in your ice cream that you are straining out.

Mix together.  Stir in the vanilla. Pour into a large pyrex, cover, and stick in the freezer.  Stir with a wooden spoon every couple hours until frozen.  After about four hours, when the ice cream is about the consistency of a milk shake, mix in the peanut butter patties.  I waited another two hours and gave it one more good stir an left it alone.

This makes for happy tummies!  I did not give the peanut butter bit recipe today because we were eating it like candy.  Not just for ice cream.  I will post it tomorrow.

because we got spoiled on vacation

While on vacation, we stumbled upon an ice cream shop in the Pearl District of Portland.  Cool Moon Ice Cream.  The ice cream is so good that it left us speechless and it raised the bar for what we are willing to eat.  This happens in our life.  For example, I do not order anything off a menu that I make at home because it will not be as good as what I make at home.  Every.  Single.  Time.  It can be frustrating when you wish to go out or when you are out, nothing is appealing on a menu.  

When we got back home, I decided I needed to start making vanilla ice cream again.  I am sometimes sensitive to eggs but I find it is the commercially raised chicken eggs I have problems with.  If I pick them up from Mr. Hatterman, the egg man at the farmer's market, I can eat them.  

I did some research on line, knowing I liked David Lebovitz The Perfect Scoop.  I actually went to his web site and there was a vanilla ice cream recipe.  I tweaked it just a touch and I will have to say the ice cream I made was very close to Cool Moon's.  The recipe on his website and in his book (finally got it from the library) are just a bit different but both will work.  This is something that will need to be a staple around here.  I will also have to experiment with different flavors.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Adapted from David Lebovitz's website.

1 cup whole milk

a pinch of salt (about an 1/8 of a teaspoon or less)

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

2 cups heavy whipping cream

5 egg yolks

Over low heat, heat the milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.  

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

 Strain the custard into the heavy cream.  Pour into a large coverable pyrex and put in the freezer.  Stir with a wooden spoon every couple hours until frozen.

Welcome to yumminess.  It is good plain, in a malt, and with chocolate sauce over the top.

My Beloved liked the pattern he made when he scooped the ice cream!

red beans and rice

The Wednesday we left for Oregon, there was an article in the Food section in the New York Times about cooking beans.  It was just a good homey article about the soaking, bubbling, and eating.  I usually use a slow cooker but I did not have a slow cooker with me while we were camping.  So I boiled beans.  I  made red beans and rice.  On a Monday.   Way too New Orleans there but there are times I miss that town.

Red Beans and Rice

Note:  I would start with the smaller amounts off all the spices.  I have add beans to dishes to calm them down and it is much easier to start out slower.  If you ever wish to hear that story, just let me know.....

2 cups small dried red beans

water

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 to 1 onion, chopped

1/2 to 1 bell pepper (colors are cool), seeded and chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ancho chile ground (optional)

1/4 teaspoon chipolte chile ground (optional)

1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

4 sausages, I prefer Italian

cooked rice.

The day before you wish to eat, put your beans and rinse.  Get all the dirt, stones, and debris off.  Cover by a couple of inches with clean water.  Let soak over night.

The next morning, pour the water off the beans.  Pour more water over the beans and cover by an inch or two.  Turn the heat on under them and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat to low and simmer.

In another pan, add olive oil and heat.  Add the onions.  Let the start to get brown.  Add the chopped peppers and let brown.  Add to the beans.  Add all the spices but the salt to the beans.  Cover and let cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Turn the heat off and let the beans sit.

About a half hour before you wish to eat (or when you start the rice), put the beans over a medium heat and add the salt.  Let simmer gently.  

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, start browning the sausage.  I find it helps to cover the sausage while cooking.  It also saves cleanup due to splatters.

To serve, put some rice on a plate or bowl.  Put the sausage next to it.

This is just simple good food.  A bit slow because it just bubbles away but nothing fancy.  I tell my Beloved it is easy and he laughs and says "for you!"