Chocolate Brownie Chunk Ice Cream With Caramel

One of my favorites (along with many of my friends') thus far.  An ultimate chocoholic's fix.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of this one :(

I used No Pudge! Brownie mix for the brownies.  I usually make everything homemade, but this brownie mix has all great ingredients and you only add yogurt. The caramel sauce is homemade and very easy.

Chocolate Ice Cream

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vailla extract
2 cups frozen brownie chunks (mine were not frozen, but next time I will do that so that they keep their form better)

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of the cream to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until completely melted. Whisk in the remaining 1 cup of cream. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

2. In the same saucepan, heat the milk and sugar over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and salt until well blended. Pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture, then return the entire mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the melted chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool.

3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. While the base is chilling, make the Caramel.

Caramel 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar becomes dark golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully add the heavy cream. Stir until smooth (if there are lumps, you may need to heat the mixture over low heat until they dissolve). Stir in the salt and vanilla. Cool completely. 

Putting it all together

Process the base in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a large bowl and mix in the brownie chunks with a rubber spatula.

 

Scrape ice cream into an airtight container. Drizzle Caramel on top. Repeat layering, and then top with remaining ice cream.

Cheesecake Ice Cream

 Just as you hoped, this is basically frozen cheesecake filling.  Super rich, super thick and super good!  This can be the base for plethora of your favorite cheesecake flavors.  This round I threw in some Teddy Grahams to mimic cheesecake crust.  I thought that maybe the Teddy Grahams would be frozen chunks, out to break teeth, but they softened and were delicious.  Things to try next with this base: balsamic roasted strawberries.

6 oz. cream cheese, soft but still cold
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cold sour cream
1 cup cold heavy cream
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


Chill a medium mixing bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer. In the bowl, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and smooth. Gradually add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and then the heavy cream. Add the salt, lemon juice, vanilla and beat the mixture just until thick and smooth. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or until very cold. Wash and dry the mixer beaters and chill again. 

Using the chilled beaters and gradually increasing the mixer speed from low to medium, beat the cold ice cream mixture until loose and creamy, about 3 minutes. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Add Teddy Grahams with about 5 minutes left to go. Serve immediately, or pack the ice cream into a covered container and freeze for up to 24 hours. Allow the ice cream to soften in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. 

Don't forget to let others enjoy!

Maple Caramelized Walnuts in Maple Ice Cream

Maple walnut ice cream has always been a part of my family.  Not only is it my dad's all time favorite, but also brings up nostalgic feelings.  I remember birthday's, so long ago, when I would wake up to warm, homemade waffles with melting maple walnut ice cream on the top.  The heat of the waffle and the chill of the ice cream was a wonderful combination, yum.  OK, so enough of the walk down memory road.  All I'm trying to say is, maple walnut ice cream is a freakin' good ice cream!

So, like I do, I tired something new and mixed it up a bit.  I caramelized the walnuts and tried a custard base for the first time.  It takes longer and it is a lot harder to make, but oooooohhh boy was it worth it!

Maple Custard Base

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
4 egg yolks (save the whites for your roommate so she can make an egg white omelet)
1 cup Grade A Maple Syrup (reduced to 3/4 cup)
      *every review I read said to use Grade B (richer, darker) but I couldn't find any
1/4 teaspoon salt
thermometer

Simmer Maple Syrup on medium heat until it is reduced to 3/4 cup and put aside.  Make sure you watch the pot so it doesn't overflow (may have had a bad accident...I blame Facebook!).

Prepare an ice bath.  Fill a bowl with two trays of ice and some water.  Put a slightly smaller bowl inside that bowl.  The water and ice should come up the sides a bit.

Put cream and milk in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat.
While the milk mixture is heating, separate eggs into a bowl and beat yolks until pale yellow (3-4 minutes).

Once the milk and cream have started to steam, add the syrup and salt, stir well.  Heat and stir the mixture until thermometer indicates 175 degrees.  Remove saucepan from the heat.

Take a shot glass amount of the mixture and slowly pour it into the yolks, stir continuously and vigorously.  Pour egg yolks into the cream/milk slowly while stirring continuously.  Place saucepan back over medium heat and continue to stir until thermometer indicates 180 degrees.  Immediately remove it from the stove and pour into the bowl in the ice bath.

Stir custard until it is room temperature.

Pour through a mesh net (if you have one, I didn't so I just used a strainer).  Strain into a new, clean bowl.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Place in the freezer for 5 minutes before putting into the ice cream machine.  Freeze in machine for about 25 minutes.

Caramelized Toasted Walnuts

heaping 1/2 cup of raw walnuts
tablespoon butter
about a tablespoon maple syrup

Toast the walnuts under a broiler for about 5-10 minutes.  Heat maple syrup and butter over low heat.  Coarsely chop nuts.  Throw them into the maple syrup.  Stir until nuts are coated and crusted with maple syrup mixture (about 5-8 minutes).

Add nuts to ice cream machine a couple minutes before ice cream is done freezing.

Next time:

  I thought it was a little too sweet (but I'm kinda a sissy when it comes to sweet).  Next time I will reduce the amount of maple syrup and put in caramelized walnuts or not caramelize the nuts.

  The custard base was well worth the work.  Next time I will try more recipes with the custard base and not be so scared of the work involved.

I also found these great freezer cups.  They are easy to close and are a serving size (if you are me!).

Mocha Chip Gelato

I am moving in with my new roommate at the end of the month and since she is on a diet I need to start making things we can enjoy together.  I love mocha chip ice cream and I loved gelato when I had it in Italy, so I didn't think I could go wrong with this recipe....I was wrong.

First recipe fail, it called for cornstarch instead of eggs (which I later found out was an important ingredient in gelato, thanks to my mom who has been to Italy many times).  The second fail, it calls for instant coffee instead of espresso.  These fails lead to the strange thick texture and a weak coffee flavor.

I am still going to post the recipe so I know never to try it again!

1 3/4 cups 1% milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant-coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate

Stir together 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch.

Whisk together sugar, cocoa, and remaining 1 1/2 cups milk in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Whisk in coffee. Stir cornstarch mixture again and whisk into coffee mixture. Return to a boil, whisking, then remove from heat. 

Add vanilla, a pinch of salt, and half of chocolate to saucepan, stirring. 

Set saucepan in a large bowl of ice water to cool, whisking frequently. 

Freeze chocolate mixture in ice-cream maker. When nearly frozen, add remaining chocolate and churn until blended. 

Serve gelato sprinkled with almonds. 

If anyone has a good gelato recipe, I would love to try it.

Next time I will be looking for a recipe that calls for eggs and NOT cornstarch...gross!

Pumpkin Pie

Since I only love Fall for two reasons, and it is way too soon to dress up for Halloween, I decided to start making pumpkin everything to get into the spirit of the season.

1 can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups packed light brown sugar (recipe called for dark but didn't have any)
5 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
sprinkle of nutmeg
1 tablespoon bourbon (I didn't have this on hand. It was great without it but I would definitely advise using it if you have it around!)

Mix pumpkin and vanilla in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.  Whisk all the ingredients together.  Make sure the sugar is dissolved.  Whist in the pumpkin and blend very well.  Dump into the ice cream maker.

Now fill a glass with this ice cream and pour your favorite pumpkin beer over it for a Pumpkin Pumpkin Float.  Enjoy it with your friends during sunset on a roof deck, if possible!

Balsamic Roasted Strawberry

The next kind I tried was a little more creative.  I was very happy I tried something wild!

I just started off with a basic vanilla base (but this time I tried one with a couple eggs because it freezes better).  You can grab any recipe for this.

Now for the good part:

Large package of strawberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup

Toss the berries in the vinegar and sugar.  Place them on a nonstick baking sheet with sides.  Place it in the oven, turn to 300F.  Slowly roast them until they have given up their juices, look mushy and have a darker color.  This can take 30-45 minutes.
Place the berries and the juice in a bowl.  Add the corn syrup.  Mash with a potato masher.


Now, I mashed them with the potato masher but they got stringy.  Next time, I think I will throw them in the food processor for a second or two.

Try the ice cream on peach pie...it is delicious!  (Note: the ice cream is thawing in the background)

Andes Mint Chip

This was the first batch I made.  It is very simple, just the way I like it.

2 cups 2% milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
a couple drops green food coloring
1 cup Andes mint baking chips


Mix everything together (except baking chips).  Make sure the sugar is dissolved.  Dump into the ice cream maker and blend for about a half hour.  About ten minutes in to the freezing, add chips.

Done and done!

Hi Fans!

I just started making homemade ice creams.  My friends keep demanding bowls full and the recipes.  Therefore, this is a place for me to share and store the recipes I try...so stop screaming!