• chocolate chip mocha Irish cream
• caramel apple with chopped peanuts
• white chocolate blueberry pecan
• vanilla apple pie

Eventually you will probably see all the flavors end up here.  One of the cool things about Erin and my relationship is that we can bounce those flavor ideas off each other..Lots of fun, and if you add the rest of the kids..well we can sit around and toss flavors back and forth the way some families talk about sports scores.

The peach, tea, and ginger just appealed to me.  I thought it would be refreshing like sweet tea but also creamy,  rich, and satisfying.

There are a few things I will do differently next time.  I will make the tea infusion stronger…MUCH stronger next time.  I will chop the candied ginger more finely.  I will add about a fourth of a cup of peach schnapps for more peach flavor.  On the up side this was a fantastic and unusual flavor combination.  Just need to kick it up a bit.

I used Reeds crystallized ginger. It is natural, rolled in raw cane sugar, and has by far the best flavor of any I have tried.  You can get it at health food and natural food stores.  I did use half french vanilla and 1/2 vanilla but you can use all plain vanilla.

I took these pictures right after I made the ice cream.  If it had been left overnight in the freezer it would not be so melty.

This would be a great flavor for an Asian fusion type grill meal.  Put it in almond flavored tulles? YUM.

Peach, Tea, and Ginger Ice Cream

• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger
• 4 black tea tea bags
• 1 cup pureed peaches

Heat one cup of the half and half to a boil.  Add the teabags and set aside.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and set aside.

Mix the sugar, remaining half and half, salt, and vanilla.  Add the peaches and the cooled tea infusion.

Fold in the whipped cream.

Add the the ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Just before the ice cream is done add the chopped ginger.

Allow to ripen overnight for the best texture.

Yield: 1/2 gallon

image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I will post pictures of this in a bit. You see, there has apparently been a mutiny in techni-land and my computer is not speaking to my camera. Even my husband, who is the computer fixer in our family, has been unable to mediate between the two. He has graciously and wonderfully volunteered to take my camera to work and load the pictures on his laptop when he has time and then emailing them to me. As soon as that happens pictures will magically appear on today’s recipe. Life is good.
Anyway. In my shopping the other day I found a nice, slightly overripe papaya that had been marked down. I snagged it and was thinking about what I would like to use it in…the different flavors, etc. I came up with this tropical fruit tart which has a summery/vacation in the Bahamas type of flavor and is very easy and relatively quick. The presentation is beautiful, as you will see when the pictures come up, and the pastry was buttery-crumbly perfection and held up well out of the tart pan. The rum glaze added a faint pina colada type flavor which complimented the fruit and filling nicely. I would not add the fruit to this more than about 2 hours ahead and, as the glaze got a bit cloudy as it chills, I would glaze the tart right before serving. If you are making ahead and not glazing brush the bananas with lemon to prevent browning. This should serve 8-10 depending on the generousity of your slices.

Tropical Fruit Tart with Rum Glaze

Tart pastry

1 1/4 c flour
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1/4 c organic shortening
about 4 tbs ice water
Bowl of ice water

Mix together dry ingredients.
Blend butter and shortening well and chill a few minutes in freezer.
Put fingers in bowl ice water, shake off excess water and cut butter mixture into flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs, keeping fingers cold by dipping into the bowl of ice water as needed.
Add the 1/4 c ice water and toss together until dough holds together well.
Turn pastry out on a floured surface and roll to size.
Place in tart or pie pan, and, using a small ball of leftover dough, press gently into pan.
Prick with fork all over.
Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 until golden..about 10 minutes
Set tart pastry aside to cool completely. you may remove it completely from the pan when it is cooled or finish in the pan. I removed mine.

Filling
1 lb cream cheese at room temp
1/2 c cream of coconut ( Coco Lopez)
1/3 c sugar
1 c toasted coconut
1/4 c finely chopped crystallized ginger

Beat cream cheese and cream of coconut together until fluffy.
Add sugar, beating until smooth and not grainy.
Add coconut and ginger and mix well.
Spoon into cooled crust and smooth.

May be refridgerated at this point and finished later.

Topping
I/2 ripe papaya
1 banana
1 ripe strawberry, hulled
3 mint leaves

Slice papaya thinly in a horizontal (across the narrow) direction to make petals.
Lay the papaya petals around the edge of the tart, overlapping slightly.
Slice the banana about 1/2 inch thick on a sligh diagonal.
Lay the banana slices around with tips overlapping the papaya row, just slightly.
There should be a small space in the middle of the tart at this point.
Take the strawberry and carefully with a sharp knife cut oval *petals* without cutting through the base..continue as long as you can, 4 around the outside and then some in the middle.
Gently peel back the petals to open up the strawberry flower.
Place in the center of the tart.

Glaze

1/3 c cream of coconut
1 tbs butter
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp rum extract..
cook first three ingredients, stirring, until sugar is no longer grainy and butter is melted.
Add extract.
Cool slightly and brush over fruit.
Garnish Tart with mint leaves before serving.

Post from: Baking Delights