Happy Birthday!

      Okay, so Miss Clarke, this is for you, because today is your birthday down in the little land of Kiwi's. I know the cake says "Layne" and "Kris", but you can ignore those. If you were here in TO, I would have made you one too.

         Back in October my brother asked for an ice cream cake for his birthday. We were celebrating it at Thanksgiving because that was the only time everyone would be together. Layne's birthday (my future Mother in Law), was right after Thanksgiving, so she also got her name on the cake. Unfortunately, my brother ended up having to work, so we enjoyed his birthday cake for him.

         Thanks for the back story, right? I know, here is the recipe.

Supplies
Chocolate ice cream
Vanilla ice cream
Smucker's Magic Shell (or equivalent)
Oreo's (or equivalent)
Cool Whip - optional
Hot Fudge
Gel icing (for writing)
Spring-form pan
Parchment paper


Step 1: Make your homemade chocolate ice cream (recipe here)

• Now, before you put the ice cream in a tub to freeze, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a little wider than the bottom of your spring-form pan. Press it into the bottom of your closed pan, and press it against the edge so it kind of covers the small gap between the bottom and the sides (mine leaked a little when I put it in the freezer, and then it stuck to the metal bottom, parchment paper should fix this). 
• Scoop your fresh ice cream into the pan, only going about a third of the way up. Make sure you scoop into the centre, then use an offset spatula to guide it to the edge (this will reduce the amount of ice cream you get on the top 2/3 of the pan).
• Put it into the freezer.

Step 2: Hot fudge layer

• Once your chocolate ice cream is frozen, it's time to start on the next layer.
• Heat the fudge, but don't make it too hot, you don't want to melt the ice cream you pour it onto, just warm enough to make the chocolate fudge easy to pour. 
• Pour it over the chocolate ice cream so you have a good layer.
• Put it back into the freezer.

Step 3: Chocolate crunchies layer

• Put about 2 rows of Oreo's into a plastic bag (I believe most bags have 3 rows). Using a heavy can or a rolling pin crush the cookies. You don't want them to be too fine, or it will become a paste, making cutting your cake near impossible. You want about 2.5 cups, and chunks are good, believe me. Transfer this mixture into a bowl.
• Squirt your Magic Shell chocolate into the bowl of crushed Oreo's, just less than half the bottle (remember, you can add more, but you can't take it out). You want the cookie crumbs to be coated, but not turned into a paste.
• Spread the cookie crumbs evenly over the chilled fudge layer. If you need to make more, make some more.
• Put it back into the freezer.

Step 4: Make your homemade vanilla ice cream (recipe here)

• Scoop your ice cream over the cookie crumb layer and smooth it out even with the top of the pan with an offset spatula.
• Put it back in the freezer.

Step 5: Decorating (Optional)

• Remove your cake from the freezer and from the spring form pan.
• Without letting it thaw too much, spread Cool Whip evenly over the top and sides. For extra detail, you can pipe rosettes, stars, or shells (stay tuned for a post on proper piping and  terminology, once I learn it at work)
• Freeze to solidify again.
• Write your message using a gel icing writer. This should be done just prior to serving.

Step 6: Eating

• Remove the cake from the freezer (and from the spring form pan if you didn't decorate). 
• Let it sit out for about 10 minutes.
• Using a warm knife, cut the cake and serve.
• Eat the cake (it's delicious).

           Whether you make this for your birthday, for someone else's birthday, or just because you want a homemade version of the classic DQ cake (but better), this is the cake for you. Try experimenting with different flavour combinations. I think a homemade cookie would be fantastic in it too.

                                                                                                                                                    Enjoy!

                                                                                                                                                        Mel

Chocolate Ice Cream

         We've already gone through the basics of vanilla ice cream, now, to move on to the more challenging chocolate ice cream. Maybe chocolate ice cream isn't more difficult to make, actually, my chocolate recipe is easier to make than my vanilla. This recipe makes a super smooth and chocolate-y dessert, but without the cloying sweetness found in grocery store ice cream.

          Start by prepping your ice cream maker. My Kitchenaid ice cream maker needs to be frozen solid before you turn the mixture into ice cream, so I just pop it into the freezer the day before I start making the delicious mixture.

           Now that your ice cream bowl is on its way to be frozen, it's time to start the good stuff. Here's what you'll need:

2 cups half & half
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 oz semisweet chocolate squares
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar

Cocoa powder and half & half

Here's what you'll need to do:



1.  Gradually whisk half & half and cocoa powder until it's a smooth paste.

Yolks

Yolks and Sugar

2. In stainless steel bowl whisk yolks and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Set this mixture aside.








3. Over medium-high heat, heat chocolate milk mixture to scalding or 82 °C (milk begins to foam), stirring occasionally and remove.

Melted Chocolate

4. Add chocolate squares to heated chocolate milk mixture and stir until melted and smooth.

Chocolate Mixture

5. Pour the hot chocolate milk mixture into the yolk-sugar mixture whisking constantly.

6. Place bowl over simmering water, stir it constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.







7. Remove from heat and continue stirring. Add vanilla.

Mixing up some ice cream

8. Cover and refrigerate overnight.



9. Make ice cream according to your ice cream maker's instructions








                                                                                                              Enjoy!
                                                                                                                  Mel

Grilled Apples

Ice cream is delicious on its own, but when added to enhance something you've grilled, it's like magic!

       I have grown up loving everything grilled, maybe it's because of my summers spent on Pelee Island at the cottage (we don't have an oven there, just a BBQ and a campfire) and my family was pretty adventurous when it came to creating meals. We didn't just eat the rudimentary hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausages (although those were a pretty big staple), my parents were pretty experimental when it came to what could and couldn't be grilled. Let me tell you, there isn't much that cannot be grilled. My feelings are, if you can bake it in an oven, fry it on a stove, then you can cook it on the BBQ.

      One of my favourite items to grill, other than meat, is fruit. "Fruit?" you ask, "Seriously?". Yes, fruit. You only need a few ingredients and it's super simple, and quick to prepare. Pineapple is a very popular fruit to grill, as the sweet juices caramelize quickly and it adds a nice smoky flavour, especially when added to a salad or a burger. (I've never grilled pineapple, but I've read in multiple places that this is the case). Peaches and pears are also excellent fruits to grill, (this is from experience).

How to Grill Stone Fruits
       A stone fruit (such as a peach) is very sweet and must be monitored carefully with the lid open when on the grill.

1. Wash the fruit (make sure it's a firm one. A soft fruit will have too many sugars and might get too mushy too fast.)
2. Quarter the fruit, removing the pit. Or, if you're talented, cut it in half horizontally, remove the pit and slice into rings.
3. Coat the fruit with a mixture of cinnamon and butter.
4. Preheat the grill to about 350°F (Let's be honest, you're already grilling, so whatever temperature you've got the grill at should be fine)
5. Place the peaches on the grill and leave them for about 3 minutes. DO NOT turn them or move them or check them. You want the natural sugars to caramelize, which will give you great grill marks.
6. Flip them and repeat 5 for each side. (If you've cut it into rings, you might notice them getting mushy faster, if so, flip them earlier and remove earlier)
7. Serve with ice cream or eat without and enjoy!

How to Grill Pome Fruits

      A pome fruit (such as an apple or pear) is crunchy and sweet and generally needs a little longer on the grill compared to a stone fruit. The steps to grill them are the same, but you will want to grill them for about 5-6 minutes a side rather than 3 minutes.

How to do Grilled (Baked) Apples

      Now that you've experimented with grilling fruit, you want to try something a little more adventurous. 

Grilled Magic!

1. Choose an apple that stands straight without rocking and wash your apple.
2. Core the apple, but make sure don't go all of the way through the bottom (leave about an inch).
3. In a small bowl, mix some brown sugar, cinnamon and butter together. 
4. Stuff this mixture into the apple where the core used to be. Do not rub this on the skin around the outside of the the apple, if some is on it, it's okay, but try to be neat.
5. Preheat the grill to about 350°F (Let's be honest, you're already grilling, so whatever temperature you've got the grill at should be fine)
6. Place the apple on a pie plate on the BBQ and pour about an ounce of spiced rum over the fruit, and into the pie plate. 
7. Close the lid and wait. Obviously you'll be checking whatever else is on the grill, so you can check the apples at the same time.
8. When you notice that the rum has been burned off of the pie plate remove the apple, dispose of the plate and place the apple directly on the grill.
9. Close the lid and wait. It should take about 30 minutes from the time you put it on the grill for it to be finished. If you notice that it is getting really soft, it's okay to remove it earlier.
10. Add a scoop of ice cream, and maybe some caramel sauce, and enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream

     Hmmm, so much good food in the past few days, I'm not quite sure where to start.... Ice cream, ribs, apples, chicken, popcorn... let's start with dessert.

My beautiful baby

     Mr. Pepper loves gifts that benefit him (he's sweet). So for Christmas 2010 he purchased me a Colbalt Blue Kitchenaid Mixer. You see, this benefits him because now I can bake and he reaps the rewards. And, oh how he has reaped them, between cakes, cookies, brownies, and cinnamon buns, Mr. Pepper has been my faithful resident taste-tester, a job that he eagerly accepts. Then, for Christmas 2011, Mr. Pepper gave me a Kitchenaid Ice Cream maker. See, another gift that he benefits from, so now, between all the cakes, cookies, etc, he has added homemade ice cream taster to his repertoire.

       On Tuesday I decided to make some ice cream, and it's about a 2 day project (it's tough when you want the ice cream right now). Tuesday morning I put the ice cream making bowl in the freezer. It has to freeze solidly, so make sure you remember to do this... it's horrible when you go through all this work and remember that you forgot to freeze the bowl. I made this portion of the recipe on Tuesday afternoon, and finished it off on Wednesday.

The ingredients

       So, the recipe (pretty much the one that came to with the mixer, but with less vanilla):

• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 8 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt

The mixture

1. Heat half-and-half until very hot, stirring often. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk yolks and sugar on speed 2 until blended and thickened. Gradually add hot half-and-half. Mix well.
3. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until small bubbles form and mixture is thick on the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT BOIL.
4. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in whipping cream, vanilla and salt. Cover and chill thoroughly (at least 8 hours).

The inspiration

      Wednesday afternoon I was getting ready to put it into the ice cream maker when I had a brainstorm, "What if I made it rippled?" "Rippled you ask?" "Yes, with berries." So off I went to find a recipe. Luckily the August 2012 issue of Chatelaine had a recipe.

The berry syru

1. Combine 2 cup of berries (they suggested blueberries, I used frozen 'power berries' - a combination of blackberries, cherries, raspberries and pomegranate) with  1/2  cup of honey and 4 tbsp lemon juice in a saucepan.
2. Set saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil, stirring occasionally, until syrupy, about 10-15 minutes (because my berries were frozen I found that there was  still a lot of liquid left over, so I let it simmer for longer to cook off the liquid).
4. Transfer to a metal bowl and chill in the freezer for about an hour. 

      

My gift at work

Now that the ripple was chilling, I started prepping for ice cream making.

1.   Attach the frozen bowl and dasher (that's the mix head) to the mixer and turn to "stir" (speed 1). Using  a container with a spout, pour the ice cream mixture into the freeze bowl. Continue on stir for 15-20 minutes (I generally go a bit longer) or until desired consistency.

2.   Alternate adding layers of ice cream and the syrupy mixture into your container of choice before freezing.

3.   Freeze.

Yield: 16 Servings

When serving, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 10 minutes before attempting to scoop.

Enjoy!

Mel