Ice Cream Sundays - {rocky road}

Little Dude just turned 6 recently, and when asked what kind of ice cream he'd like on his big day, he said rocky road.  I'm not sure where that came from, since I don't think he's ever had rocky road before, but hey, rocky road it is.  I used the excellent chocolate ice cream recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.  I usually make it with half bittersweet and half semisweet chocolate, and it's always perfect!

There are instructions beneath the chocolate ice cream recipe on how to make rocky road ice cream, and it couldn't be easier: add chopped up toasted nuts (I used almonds) and mini marshmallows (I had big plans to make homemade marshmallows, but ran out of time and figured a little person just turning 6 wouldn't mind either way).

This rocky road rocks!  Little Dude loved it - I have a feeling it will be requested again soon, way before his next birthday.

Speaking of birthdays, Ice Cream Sundays has been up and running for a year now (a whole year of delicious ice cream!).  And it's been a blast sharing my favorite ice creams with you.  Starting next week, Sundays will take a slightly different direction, one that I hope you'll enjoy just as well.  I hope you'll stop by then!

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {basil ice cream with honey pine nut pralines}

When I went to the Worthington Farmers Market a week ago (here's the link to the post), I brought home a big bunch of basil.  It was so fragrant and plentiful, I used it in a couple of recipes, but still had a ton left over.  What to do, what to do?  Make ice cream, of course!

The basil ice cream recipe is from David Levobitz's The Perfect Scoop.  When I first saw the recipe, I thought I should give it a try when I'm feeling a little adventurous.  Then, I saw a basil ice cream recipe in Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home that added honey pine nut pralines in the mix.  I just had to try it!

So, the basil ice cream recipe is from The Perfect Scoop and the honey pine nut pralines are from Jeni's.  They go fabulously well with each other: the ice cream has a hint of lemon, which pairs nicely with the basil, and the honey pine nut pralines add wonderful sweetness and texture (I loved that the pine nuts were sort of soft, too).

The pairing was so delicious, that DH insisted on taking some to a colleague at work (and they do culinary research & development, so they know their stuff).  His colleague liked it so much, he took some home to his pregnant wife.  Pregnant women know their stuff, too!

Now, I must get back to get to the Farmers Market to get some more basil while it lasts....so that I can make more ice cream!

 
-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {brownie sundaes}

Brownie sundaes are the ultimate treat, aren't they?  If I found myself stranded on a desert island, this is the one food I'd want with me (or at least, the one food I would daydream about most).  Tropical location and brownie sundaes?  I think I'd be pretty content to stay there.

For the ice cream, I made the Philadelphia-style vanilla from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop - oh, I love that ice cream!  It's a perfect compliment for sundaes or milkshakes, any recipe where the ice cream needs to share the stage.  I also had some leftover praline sauce, also from the same book, sitting in the fridge, just in case anyone else wanted praline sauce (I did share my brownie sundaes, although it was difficult).  I didn't use the praline sauce on my sundae however, because brownie sundaes are only proper brownie sundaes (in my humble opinion) when generously drizzled with hot fudge sauce.  Alas, I tried a new recipe for hot fudge that wasn't up to par, so I won't share it here.  I'm still on the lookout for the best hot fudge sauce ever, so please let me know if you have a great recipe you'd be willing to share!

I topped the sundaes with a big plop of homemade whipped cream (beat heavy cream in a bowl - when it's close to being done, add some powdered sugar and a little vanilla extract.  Beat some more & taste, adding more sugar or vanilla if necessary).  And, in a nod to Peanut Buster Parfaits from Dairy Queen (love those), I added Spanish peanuts.

Oh, the brownies, I can't forget about them......I love the fudgy chocolate brownies from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook & have made them many times (often for the purpose of brownie sundaes).  This time, I used half semisweet and half bittersweet chocolate, as opposed to all bittersweet as the recipe calls for.  The brownies were much sweeter and still heavenly.

Pile it all together, and you have a sundae that is the stuff of daydreams, no matter where you are.

   
-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {peanut butter milkshakes}

I woke up this morning, and as I groggily made my way downstairs, a thought jolted me awake: "oh no, I forgot to do my blog yesterday!"  Yikes!  I can't think of a time that has ever happened on my regular Sunday or Monday posts.  And I know exactly why I forgot (2 reasons actually): I have been fighting a nasty cold the past week, so my brain is a little slushy right now.  And also, DH just discovered a new computer game, so my time at the computer has been minimal (ok, nonexistent.  He really likes this new game).  My apologies, dear friends!

Better late than never, right?  "Sundaes" (or, in this case, peanut butter milkshakes) are just as enjoyable on Mondays.  And this recipe, I hope you'll find, is worth the wait.  It's not really a recipe per se, but more of an experiment or concoction.  But before I go into the details on making it, I want to tell you about how I learned to make them.

When I was tween, I had a few steady gigs as a babysitter.  A couple of families started calling me to babysit all the time, and then they would pass my number along to their friends.  It was a fun job, but didn't pay very well (if I remember right, I only got a few dollars per hour).  One time, I had just watched the 4 kids of a family that I babysat for often.  The mother started to make the kids peanut butter milkshakes, and this is how I got the recipe.  I remember it was summer, and how quickly she made them, and how quickly the kids drank them.  I have a vague memory of getting paid, not in cash, but in peanut butter milkshakes that day.  At the time, for a skinny tween with a wicked sweet-tooth, this was totally acceptable.  Of course, reflecting back on it years later, I'm completely outraged.  Oh well, at least I got a really great recipe out of it!

Peanut Butter Milkshakes
1/2 cup milk
5 generous scoops vanilla ice cream
2 heaping tablespoons creamy peanut butter (I used Jif)

Put all ingredients in blender, starting with the milk.  Blend them together, adding more milk if it's too thick.  Taste - add more ice cream or more peanut butter, as needed.  Makes about 3 cups.
*All measurements are approximate - this is what I used when I made them last.  Think of it as a starting point.

That's it!  These milkshakes are so simple, yet the ingredients blend together to make this divine treat.  I've never tasted anything that compares to them - the sweetness of the ice cream somehow mellows out the peanut butter and they sort of work together (I know that sounds strange, but that's the best way to describe it).  These are the best milkshakes ever, hands down!  Definitely worth giving up a fair wage for.  And I hope you'll find, worth the wait.

 
-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {chocomole sundaes}

I'll admit it: part of the appeal of making chocomole sundaes was, for me, the name.  Chocomole just sounds like a beyond-cool, beyond-delicious sundae.  The idea for it came from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home.  The recipe consists of Jeni's Queen City Cayenne ice cream topped with praline sauce, Frito crunch, cinnamon sugar sprinkle coating and a dollop of whipped cream.

Of course, I changed things a bit.  Since I'm not very keen on cayenne/Aztec chocolate ice cream, I made our chocomoles with chocolate ice cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop.  I also made the praline sauce from Lebovitz's book (and it's very tasty).  The Chocolate Frito Crunch was from Jeni's, but next time I think I'll use a semi-sweet instead of bittersweet chocolate - just a personal preference, but I thought it could use a little extra sweetness.

I really loved the turbinado sugar/cinnamon crunchy sprinkles.  These were a lovely surprise.  The sugar was just right for adding a little crunchy texture without being too overwhelming.  Grown up sprinkles, if you will.

I also adored the whipped cream.  Now, I know whipped cream atop a sundae is not a new idea.  But I rarely enjoy sundaes, and the fluffy whipped cream alongside the ice cream made a nice pairing.  I think any scoop of ice cream could benefit from a plop of whipped cream, making it a quick little sundae.  I use my own concoction (it's really not a "recipe") for whipped cream - whip up some heavy cream, when it's almost done, add a dusting of powdered sugar and a bit of vanilla extract.  Whip it a bit more & taste, adding extra sugar or vanilla as needed.  So easy!

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {heath bar crunch}

The idea for this ice cream started when the Bachs all went out for ice cream recently and I ordered a very yummy concoction of coffee ice cream, chopped up Heath Bars and caramel.  It was my introduction into the delicious world of Heath Bars, and I knew I wanted to try to make a homemade ice cream with Heath Bars in it at home.

At the same time as our ice cream outing, I had Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book at home, probably waiting for me on the kitchen counter.  It was kismet!

The recipe I used was Philadelphia-style vanilla from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz (except I omitted the vanilla bean).  I love that recipe, it's so easy to use in many ways - it's a very flexible vanilla!  So, I combined the vanilla ice cream with the quantity of Heath Bars recommended by Ben & Jerry & voila!  Perfection.

I did the photoshoot on a very, very, very hot day.  All five of us pounced on it when I was done shooting - there was nothing left to put back in the freezer.  And, that's the way it goes with an ice cream as delicious at Heath Bar Crunch.

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {drumsticks}

I never thought of recreating Drumsticks, those summertime (ok, anytime) treats that everyone loved as a kid - vanilla ice cream in a sugar cone, topped with a hard chocolatey shell and chopped peanuts.  I'm not sure why this never occurred to me, but I'm grateful that Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams thought of it.

The recipe for Jeni's chocolate bombe shell couldn't be simpler: bittersweet chocolate and coconut oil melted together (just as easy - and much healthier - than bottled versions you get in the store).  I made the bombe shell, then brushed the mixture in the sugar cones, and set them in the freezer.  Once my ice cream was churned and thoroughly frozen (I used the Philadelphia-style vanilla from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop), I scooped some on a cone and quickly drizzled the melted chocolate on each.  Then, I sprinkled chopped peanuts on each cone, and gently pressed them to help them stay put.  I let them rest for about 10 minutes in the freezer, and then let 3 little Bachsters, and 1 DH, enjoy a homemade Drumstick on a hot June afternoon (don't worry, I had one too, after the photoshoot - of course I did!).

 
-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {balsamic strawberry}

With all those strawberries from our last strawberry picking venture, I figured it would be a good time to try a new recipe (we also made strawberry milkshakes - here's the post).  And I had just the recipe waiting: balsamic strawberry from one of my favorite books, Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones.

I think it was meant to be, because not only did we go a little crazy with our strawberry picking & ended up with a ton, but our grocery store had just put a bunch of unique balsamic vinegars on clearance.  I love it when a recipe just comes together like that!

Anyway, this was a very easy recipe: cook the strawberries, cook the base, mix it all up and churn.  I like that the recipe calls for you to puree the cooked strawberries: that's really important because the tiny chunks are much less likely to get icy and if they do - they're so tiny you won't notice.

One thing I will make sure to do next time is to taste the strawberries before cooking them, or during cooking.  In our enthusiasm at the strawberry field, we just might have picked a few pink strawberries, and those slightly underripe berries just might have made it into the recipe because I just might have been thinking that the added sugar would help.  But, lesson learned, taste as you go because our ice cream is not-so-sweet.  Which, for some, that might be a nice change of pace.  For us, we would have preferred a little bit more sweetness.

I've been making lots of salad dressings with balsamic vinegar lately, and now I know how well strawberries and balsamic vinegar compliment one another.  I think I'll throw in some sliced strawberries into my salads from now on.  And then I'll have balsamic strawberry ice cream for dessert!

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {strawberry milkshakes}

I've been reading Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & there is a great quote in the book about not overdoing sauces and toppings: "remember it is the homemade ice cream that is starring in this show."  I think the same idea goes behind other ice cream goodies as well: ice cream cake, sundaes and milkshakes, even  birthday cake & ice cream.  I usually like my ice cream in a big bowl, all by itself.  Flavors and toppings just take away from the ice cream.   (Caveat: as long as it's homemade ice cream - I love toppings & such on store-bought ice cream.)

Despite this philosophy, I found myself with an overabundance of local pick-your-own strawberries & wanted to try some different ice cream options with them.  Since I almost never make milkshakes, that seemed like a good starting point. 
 
For our strawberry milkshakes, I used this strawberry ice cream, which is probably the best strawberry ice cream ever.  The milkshake recipe is from Martha Stewart & is super easy - ice cream, milk and frozen strawberries.  I had some doubts about diluting perfect strawberry ice cream with milk and strawberries - let's just say that I found out that I do still prefer my ice cream as-is.  But if you are a milkshake kind of person, this is a good recipe to try.  The shake is not as sweet as ice cream- for some, that might be a good thing (as Martha would say).

 -Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {cherry crisp}

Cherry crisp ice cream.....what a brilliant idea!  After all, if you make cherry crisp, chances are you're going to top it off with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, right?!  Why not just make it all at once?  As soon as I saw this combination in Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, I had a "why didn't I think of that" moment.

I made the roasted cherries according to the recipe in Jeni's, as well as the crisp streusel (which seemed way too buttery at first, but turned out perfect).  I cut the streusel recipe in half, and only used about half of that, so it makes way more than you need (but the extra streusel is great topped on other ice creams - believe me, I know).

The vanilla ice cream recipe is from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop.   I made the Philadelphia-style ice cream with both heavy cream and whole milk - it always turns out great.

Once everything was roasted, baked, cooled and churned, then I layered all the components together.  And it really is cherry crisp - sweet cherries in their syrup and buttery streusel with the perfect complement - vanilla ice cream.

  
-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {chai-spiced milk chocolate}

I can't decide whether I like chai-spiced milk chocolate ice cream or not.  It's very exotic tasting, and the spices really make their presence known, especially in the first few bites.  But it might be a little too much, especially if you're expecting sweet-and-familiar milk chocolate. 

The recipe is from one of my favorite ice cream books, Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones.  Since I love chai (the drink), I was excited to try this recipe.  Peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and star anise are all infused in the base - you can detect hints of each as you eat the ice cream.  And the milk chocolate imparts a wonderful texture.  After eating several bites, the spiciness mellows; but even so, I'm on the fence about whether I like it or not.  If you try it, let me know what you think!

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {turtle cheesecake}

When I saw the picture of the cheesecake ice cream pie in the book Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones, I knew I had to make one.  But the one featured in the book was topped with blueberries, which got me thinking, what's my favorite way to top a cheesecake?  For me, not blueberries.  But what?  I gave it some thought for a day or so, when I was hit with inspiration: turtle cheesecake!  Oh yes!

I made a single batch of the cheesecake ice cream recipe, which was very straightforward and easy to do.  The only change I might make would be to eliminate or reduce the amount of lemon juice added at the very end - it gave the ice cream a lemony flavor that would be a perfect match for a berry topping, but was a bit much for what I had planned.  Note to self.

I followed the instructions in the book for ice cream pie with a cookie crumb base.  I used Newman-O's, which made the perfect crust.  The authors call for sugar added to the crumbs, but I only added half of what was called for, and could probably get away with not adding any of the sugar at all next time - the Newman-O's were plenty sweet.  Another note to self.

Once the crust had cooked and cooled, I added the just-churned ice cream and let it sit for a day in the freezer.  Then, for the toppings I toasted some pecans and chopped them.  I melted a few ounces of semi-sweet chocolate over a double boiler.  And I made my absolute favorite, creamy caramel sauce from The Perfect Scoop (which I think is my all-time favorite food).  When we were ready to eat it, I sprinkled and drizzled everything on top.  It was heavenly.

Must make this again - note to self.  

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {honey}

In celebration of my new beekeeping endeavor, I thought it would be fun to make honey ice cream.  I used honey from our favorite local beekeeper, Conrad's Honey, and I was amazed how the flavor of the honey came through.  The honey really takes center stage here, so if you make it, make sure to use a honey that you love.

The recipe is from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop - I modified the lavender-honey recipe by just omitting the lavender.  Some books say that simple honey ice cream is too delicate on its own, that it needs another flavor profile, but I disagree - I loved that honey was the prominent flavor. 

I can't wait to make it again using honey from our own bees!

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {chocolate-peanut butter}

The recipe for chocolate-peanut butter ice cream (from David Lebovitz's excellent book, The Perfect Scoop) appealed to me because of its simplicity: warm up some cocoa, sugar, half and half and a pinch of salt, then mix in some peanut butter.  Easy peasy, and my 5 year old actually did most of the work!

However, I have learned over the past year of making countless ice cream recipes one very important thing: I prefer custard style ice cream.  There's nothing wrong with Philly style (meaning, no egg yolks) and I've tried some really tasty kinds.  But, I really do like the traditional, custard style ice creams best, and this one is no exception.  I thought this was a good ice cream, but not super-sweet (for some, that might be a big plus).  I actually whipped up some hot fudge to try to amp up the sweetness, but it just didn't pair up well with this ice cream.  Now, I'm stuck with a bunch of extra hot fudge - what to do, what to do..............

 
-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {brown butter}

I have long been wanting to make brown butter ice cream from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco.  Her ice cream recipes are outstanding, and this one sounded particularly intriguing.

The first thing you should know: cook your butter carefully!  I burned 2 sticks of butter on my first attempt.  On my second attempt I turned the heat down to medium and that worked great, so lower heat and keeping a close eye on it is the best way to go.  This recipe has a few steps, so you really need to start a day or so before you want to serve it.  The first step is mixing the brown butter with milk and cream, and letting it infuse for 8 hours.  Then, you make the ice cream mixture, and let it sit for 8 hours.  Then you churn the ice cream, and let it sit (I always give it at least a day).  So you can see, you'll have to time your brown butter ice cream cravings accordingly.

But once you've had this ice cream, the cravings won't ever let up.  It is sooo good.  It's a very sweet ice cream (not a problem at all for the Bachs).  The wonderful flavor of the brown butter makes this a unique ice cream, and we just gobbled it up (I foresee some requests for this one on birthdays and other special occasions).  DH and I seemed to like it a bit more than the Bachsters, and the two of us could not stay out of it.  I begged DH to save me just a little bit, enough for a decent shot.  Thankfully, I managed to get this tiny scoop before we polished it off:

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {honey thyme}

Honey thyme ice cream makes me think about.....context.  Yes, context.  You see, the recipe is from The Cook and The Gardener by Amanda Hesser.  In this wonderful book, Hesser works as a chef in a chateau in the French countryside.  She develops a friendship with the chateau's curmudgeonly gardener, Monsieur Milbert.  I can't help but think if I were at Chateau du Fey, dining on Hesser's gourmet dishes made with the freshest fruits and vegetables from M. Milbert's ancient garden, I think every meal I ate would be magnifique.

But, in the context of my little non-French non-chateau kitchen, well, I'd have to say honey thyme ice cream is just different.  The thyme is definitely the predominant flavor; in fact, you could go so far as calling it thyme ice cream.  After the first several bites, the thyme tones down a little and then the flavor is sweet creaminess (the honey isn't very discernible).

It's an interesting ice cream, and after the right meal it would be a nice surprise.  If I'm ever lucky enough to find myself at Chateau du Fey, I would love to sit outside on a terrace and enjoy the views of the countryside while savoring honey thyme ice cream.  There, it's absolutely splendid.

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {dog night}

I'm cheating a little with this post, because it's not about any homemade ice cream that I've made.  But, our local Graeter's Ice Cream had their first Dog's Night Out last week, and we couldn't resist taking our pup out for a treat (and I couldn't resist sharing this adorable picture):

Graeter's was very sweet and gave Ranger and his doggie cousins Ernie and Abu special dog ice cream.  However, Ranger far prefers my own homemade ice cream (I'll admit to giving him a little scoop every now and then).  Over the weekend, I was bringing some ice cream up from our basement freezer, and he met me at the top of the stairs, licking his chops and wagging his tail!

We might take Ranger back to Graeter's for another Dog Night, but if we do, we'll just order him his own scoop of vanilla.  After all, he's an ice cream connoisseur...just like his family.

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {mounds}

When I saw the recipe for toasted coconut ice cream in The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, I knew I had to make it.  But marbled with mango sorbet, as it's shown in the book, just didn't excite me.  Then, I got a great idea (because, apparently I sit around and daydream about ice cream...a lot).  How about swirling dark chocolate throughout and making an ice cream version of a Mounds candy bar?  Doesn't that sound delicious?!

And it is.  I made the recipe (and was surprised that there is no coconut in the finished product - the ice cream is only infused with the flavor of the toasted coconut).  Then I drizzled bittersweet stracciatella into the layers of ice cream (the stracciatella hardens into chunks).  It was perfection, way better than the candy bar that inspired it.  So glad I made a double batch.

You could also top it with toasted almonds, or swirl them in the ice cream - and you'd have an Almond Joy version!

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {lemon-buttermilk sherbet}

I usually try to tell you all about my ice cream adventures right away, so that everything is fresh in my mind.  However, this one slipped through the cracks: lemon-buttermilk sherbet.  I made this ice cream last August (please note the Queen Anne's Lace in the shot).  Do I remember anything about it?  Not a single thing.  I'm pretty sure it was lemony.  And buttermilky. 

Actually now that I think back on it, I remember that I didn't quite care for the creamy caramel sauce together with the sherbet.  Even though this was a recommended pairing, I distinctly recall wanting them separate.  I've made the caramel many, many times since then and I can tell you that's it's the best caramel sauce ever.  And the instructions, from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop are super easy.  Too easy, in fact: if I have heavy cream and sugar just lying around my kitchen, I usually can come up with some excuse why I need to make caramel sauce.  It's a dangerous recipe.

Poor lemon-buttermilk sherbet.  I can't remember anything about it, and then I go on to rave how great the caramel sauce was.  I'll definitely give it another chance, probably in the heat of August with a vase full of Queen Anne's Lace on the table.  It will be a sweet deja-vu.

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {green tea}

Some people celebrate St. Patrick's Day by going to a parade.  Some people celebrate by going to their favorite pub.  Me?  I celebrate by making green ice cream!

There are several "green" ice creams in The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, but green tea ice cream sounded the most palatable (parsley ice cream, anyone?).  This was a really simple ice cream to make, the only challenge is finding the matcha tea powder - I found mine at Whole Foods.  The flavor is very mild - I could barely taste the matcha; and the green color is subdued.  The Bachsters weren't concerned about those things - they just wanted to know if they could have seconds.

 
So, I mustache you.....are you doing anything fun to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

-Cheryl