Anyway, what got me started on that was the fact that yet again the sky is gray and a storm is brewing. We have had enough rain lately that the weeds in the back yard are waist high and the front needs mowing desperately. It has just been too wet.  Poor Marc has a rare Saturday off and it will be too wet to go biking.

I need to go shopping again. I have used and overused my antique and vintage dishes in my images until I am totally bored with them-you probably are too. I particularly liked the above image though.

I am gearing up for my surgery on the sixth. A little nervous but not too bad. And…certainly not looking forward to the gourmet Veteran’s Administration Hospital version of American Noveau Cuisnine. I have a lot of posts and reviews to get done this week and I am wondering where the time will come from.

So the three older kids had a lock in last night with the youth group. Since Matt is now driving they pulled in this morning without me having to go after them. Bliss! Freedom!  I notice the boys went straight to bed but Shiloh is putting makeup on Kyrie and otherwise puttering around. I suppose she is practicing to be a mom someday and learning to live on no sleep.

O.k..on this very moody Saturday let’s do a little surfing, shall we?

• Grilled Mexican Chicken with Tomato Avocado Salsa
• I am SO making these cookies soon! Jammie Bodgers
• Thai Pork Salad
• I love Lavender Shortbread cookies. This has semolina in it for texture.
• Baked Blueberry French Toast
• Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
• Penne with Roast Vegetables and Fresh Pesto
• Melon Raspberry Ice Cream
• Smore Cookies
• Crumb Peach Bread

So..that’s it for this week. Next week is iffy, unless I happen to prepost. Such a busy, busy week. I am hoping to spend a little of my recovery time planning school. Kyrie really wants to learn to read, and I think she is ready.

Have a great weekend!

images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

O.k..not that I don’t like to eat it, I do. But not as much as I like creating a perfect flavor. The thrill for me is in the challenge, not in the eating. I think I am like that with everything. I like the challenge of accomplishing something but after that? Meh.

This coffee ice cream was, quite possibly, the best we have ever had. The flavor was perfect latte, with a super creamy mouthfeel, rich and smooth. Since the coffee IS the flavor start out with something good. I used both coffee beans AND  JazzyBirdCoffee frozen espressos for a perfect, intense flavor.You can use ALL JazzyBird in this if you like..I just don’t have much left so I am hoarding.

Jazzy Coffee Bean Ice Cream

• 4 cups of heavy cream
• 2 cups of half and half cream (light cream/pouring cream)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup coarsely ground coffee beans
• 1 JazzyBird Espresso Shot

1. Heat 2 cups heavy cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add coffee beans.
2. Allow to steep for 20 minutes, depending on how strong you like your coffee.
3. Strain the cream through a strainer.
4. Whisk in half and half, Jazzy, sugar, and vanilla.
5. Beat remaining cream to soft peaks and fold in to  coffee mixture.
6. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
7. about  one half gallon

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

• 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 found a french vanilla flavoring at the store the other day, and I was writing an article for a local magazine on..ice cream.  I had all ready done the vanilla, but wondered…with some adjustments? What would triple french vanilla taste like?

Triple French Vanilla Ice Cream is NOT for the faint of heart

Triple French Vanilla.  Sensual, seductive, intense…almost chocolate in character…think of expensive ivory silk (peace silk, of course) and the way that it feels on a hot day when you slide on that luxurious silk robe after a fragrant bath.

And you can add things to it.  Jimmies, sauce, fruit, or…my personal favorite, (dirty-little-secret ) pretzels.

Marye's dirty-little-secret

This ice cream is my base for most other ice creams I make.  It is intensely rich and if you have trouble with fats you can switch the half and half for whole milk but don’t unless you absolutely have to.  This is so creamy, and silky, and amazing that you have to expience it once in awhile.  If you want to add chopped fruit or a fudge swirl do it just at the end of the freezing time.  It is important that you let it ripen in the freezer over night.  I know, but really the texture gets better and it doesn’t melt so quickly.  Trust me. Lick the dasher and stop whining.

(Wordpress refused to upload my last photo..I will try to get back later!)

Triple French Vanilla Ice Cream

• 3 cups half and half
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 2  3-inch vanilla beans, split
• 1 1/2  teaspoons pure Vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon French Vanilla flavoring
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Heat the sugar, salt, vanilla beans, bourbon, and half and half in a heavy saucepan until it is very hot and bubbles form around the edge.  Do not let it boil.  Remove from heat, cover, and allow to cool completely.  Longer is better.  Overnight will yield the most vanilla flavor.
2. Remove beans.  Scrape the seeds and pulp back into the cream mixture, discard the shell.
3. Beat the  heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Add vanilla extracts.
4. Fold into half and half mixture carefully.
5. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Makes ½ gallon

images:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

The other night Marc was out of town with our 10 year old Sean.  Sean is involved with the JBQ (Junior Bible Quiz) group at church and they had regionals in Longview Texas.  Our kids won, by the way, and will be at Nationals in Rockford, Illinois.  Anyway, when someone is out of town the rest of us try to do something different as well.

Now, I admit..I am a weird mom.  I have been known to get my kids up within 15 minutes of going to bed and bundle them into the car in their pajamas and make a *slurpee run*.  There is something fun about a clandestine slurpee in the middle of the night.  The other thing that I am well known for is declaring that it is banana splits for dinner.  No meat, no potatoes, no organic asparagus.  Nope.  Banana Splits.  Big enough that you could not eat dinner and one of these.

Unhealthy? On a regular basis, yes.  But once in awhile? Unexpected?  The perfect way to be the coolest mom on the block.  You can buy ice cream at the store or use one of the recipes from me, here at Baking Delights.  Just use the search tool at the top.

And never underestimate the power of a banana split.

Peanut Butter Banana Splits

• Hot fudge sauce, commercial or homemade
• Caramel sauce, commercial or homemade
• Whipped cream
• Ripe bananas
• Vanilla ice cream, commercial or homemade
• Peanut butter sandwich cookies, broken in large pieces
• Peanuts

You know what to do.  Place sliced bananas at the bottom of a shallow dish.  Add two scoops of ice cream.  Cover one scoop with caramel and one scoop with fudge sauce.  Sprinkle with broken cookies.  Add a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with peanuts.

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

If you remember, last week Chris Bui from Sees Candy contacted me about creating an ice cream with some of their candy.

It seemed like a great idea for several reasons.

• I love challenges
• I love chocolate
• I love free candy

Wouldn’t you know? The candy got here in the midst of a crisis.  We all had stomach flu.

Last night I had the chance to taste the candy and firm up my plans for the ice cream.

If you don’t know, Sees Molasses Chips are sort of like old fashioned sponge candy covered in either dark or milk chocolate.  If you aren’t familiar with sponge candy (you are missing out) think of a thick, airy toffee.  Sort of.

My plan had been to pair the molasses chips with homemade gingerbread but the more I thought of it the less I liked the idea.  I was afraid the gingerbread would get soggy.  I decided to use Pepperidge Farm gingerbread men.  They have a good flavor and are crispy enough to hold up in the recipe.  You could also use gingersnaps.  I suggest commercial ones rather than homemade because they are drier.

This is rich, super premium ice cream.  Yes there is cream, yes there is half and half..and there are even raw egg yolks.  If the idea of raw egg bothers you then you can use pasteurized egg product or leave it out entirely.  The results will not be the same, however.

When you chop the cookies and candy you want chunks, not crumbs.

Sees Molasses Chip & Gingersnap  Ice Cream

Makes about 1/2 gallon

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon pure bourbon vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 package Pepperidge Farm Gingerbread Men, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 box Sees Molasses Chips, I suggest dark chocolate. Chop coarsely
• 1/2 cup candied ginger, finely chopped.  Optional.

1. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.  Set aside.
2. Mix the sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg yolks.  Beat until well mixed.
3. Stir in the half and half.
4. Fold in the whipped cream, candied ginger, and half the gingerbread.  Mixture will deflate, don’t worry. Just be as gentle as you can.
5. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions.
6. When nearly frozen but still soft add in the remaining ingredients.  Finish freezing.
7. Allow to ripen at 0 degrees for at least 3 hours before serving.

Keep an eye on Baking Delights!   I will be posting details on how you can win a box of Molasses Chips so you can make your own ice cream!

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Coconut ice cream is a delicate and yet intense flavored ice cream.  It is almost like vanilla but with a little something more. I had several gallons of milk in the fridge and needed to use it up..The kids were at VBS camp all week and just were not drinking milk like normal. Unfortunately you can’t just turn goat’s mammary glands off and on as needed!

So….cheese, ice cream, puddings….you get the picture!

You can cut the amounts if you like. This makes alot.

Tropical Coconut Ice Cream 

10 cups of goats milk, half & half or a combination of cream and half & half

1 can good quality coconut milk (not the sweetened kind)

2 cups coconut, toasted

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbs vanilla

1 tsp rum flavor

1/4 tsp salt

4 egg yolks

Mix well and freeze according to the instructions on your ice cream freezer.

Image: Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

Long before vanilla beans were being imported into Europe and North America, rosewater was being included in cakes, cookies, pies, and confections. A classic combination is rose and almond but the versatility of this flavor allows for more contemporary renditions. I love rose and white chocolate, and rose and lemon, for example. Don;t expect the flavor to jump out at you no matter how much you put in, it is a nuance not a major player.

If you have never added rose petals to a salad , cake, or other food, then you are missing out. Make sure that they are unsprayed! Red ones tend to be a touch bitter, but pink and white have the delicate rose flavor.

I made over a gallon of this stuff yesterday afternoon and it was fantastic. I think it needed white chocolate chips to be perfect, though. If you allow your ice cream to ripen in the freezer overnight it will be a better texture but we can never wait that long.

Again, I used goat’s milk and cream for this, like with the Earl Grey ice cream I posted on Kettle and Cup a few days ago. If you are not using fresh goat’s milk then use half whole milk and half- half and half (that is an odd sentence!)to make up for the loss of creaminess. Yes this is high fat. That is what makes ice cream so good. If you want low fat eat jello.

Rose Vanilla Ice Cream

Yield:about a gallon

10 c goat milk or 5 c milk and 5 cups half and half

2 c heavy cream

3 c sugar

pinch salt

1 tablespoon rose water

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp lemon peel

Mix together well and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Some great additions would be:

chopped almonds

white chocolate

milk chocolate

strawberries

raspberries

Other recipes with rose that you might enjoy are:

Victorian Rose Pound Cake

Key Lime and Rose Muffins

Rose Crackle Cookies ..in fact you could make awesome ice cream sandwiches out of the ice cream and these cookies!

on Kettle and Cup:

Rose and Cinnamon Scones

Images: Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights