Or something  like that.

Basically, we are talking about a butter cookie crust, filled with rich bittersweet ganache, topped with a cloud of delicately flavored lime cheesecake, and then embellished with the ripest of ripe raspberries, with a quick raspberry coulis poured over the top.

Did I say over the top?

This was better than good. The main problem was that the kitchen was hot and by the time I got the pictures taken the slice I was shooting had begun to look a little droopy. After all it was a good 95 degrees in the kitchen, and I was losing light fast.

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By now you know about the ice cream addiction around here, right? I swear, every time I turn around I am pulling out the ice cream maker. Marc loves ice cream… the kids love ice cream..and I like playing with the flavors.

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

I obviously have been on an ice cream kick lately.  In fact, one day last week Erin and I fired ice cream flavor ideas back and forth.  There were flavors like:

• 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.

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I love ice cream.  Nope, that isn’t the secret at all…that is coming up..but…I love ice cream.  Vanilla did not used to be a big hit with me.  It seemed to me that vanilla ice cream was an empty canvas, or a plate to hold the good stuff like hot fudge sauce.  When I started making homemade ice cream, though, I decided that vanilla…real vanilla …was a flavor to be reckoned with..and not one to ignore.

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?

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That is an amazingly long title..but Vanilla Caramel Truffle Tea Tart is harder to say than it is to make, seriously.  First of all nothing mysterious about the flavor.  I made it with a Lipton Vanilla Caramel Truffle tea infusion.  The flavor is absolutely amazing …I am almost at loss for words to describe it.  Almost.

Rich caramel with a vanilla midnote melting into black tea flavor on your tongue.  It is very complex, very sweet, very rich, and very good.  The filling is light and creamy, just the way a mousse should be, meltingly rich texture to compliment the flavor of the filling.  There will be filling left, you can make tart shells, put it in the chocolate cups, or just eat it.

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I am literally on my way out the door for another appointment, and will post when I get back.  I realized I never posted the recipe for Vanilla Caramel Truffle Tea Tart!  So…I will be doing that this afternoon.  In the meantime..have a look at these images, and drool..

images:(c)maryeaudet 2009

Archer Farms is a Target brand that I really like alot .  Recently I found that Target was carrying several different types of Belgian chocolate cups in the baking aisle and I wanted to give them a try.

I mean, how can you go wrong with edible kitchenware?

They are small, and bite sized and make great containers for almost any sort of sweet that you can think of.  Personally I am envisioning a lemon mousse next, maybe a ginger cheesecake filling..and the list goes on and on.

I made a puff pastry tart the other day and I filled it with a light mousse made from Lipton Vanilla Caramel Truffle tea.  It was very caramelly and sweet…and yeah, I will be posting the recipe maybe tomorrow…but after I filled the tart I found that I had some left over.  I had wanted to try these cups anyway…I am thinking about them for Erin’s baby shower May 30th.  I have been working on menus for that and I am thinking a tea theme with sweet amuse bouche….in several varieties….

Sorry..back on track..

So I put the left over chilled mousse in the cups…each holds about two tablespoons. I dropped a drop of leftover ganache on each one..and as you can see they are cute and they were really…really ..really good.

The nice thing about them is that they look really cool so even if you just filled them up with Cool Whip you would have something on the special side!  You will more than likely see these again on the blog.

Oh, and they are not outrageously expensive.  About 3.99 for 16 of them.

images:Marye Audet

When I was a kid one of the best desserts that we ever got at school (yeah at school) was called a fruit whip.  I loved the stuff.

When I started collecting old cookbooks I found recipes that were similar.  Some were called fruit fluffs, and some were called fruit whips, but nothing was quite what I remembered.

Is it ever?

The other day I found that I had a plethora of egg whites and decided to attempt the elusive fruit whip of my childhood.

Well, I have to tell you that I was not successful.  This was nothing like what I remembered.  It was better.

Light and mousse like, this was fresh and sweet and creamy and light all at the same time.  I could think of a ton of ways to serve it including in meringue shells or a shortbread crumb crust.

You can vary the flavor by using different fruits as well.  Serving it after chilling for 30 minutes results in a smooth, mousse while freezing it overnight results in something amazing.

This would be perfect for a spring dessert but don’t wait until spring. 

Boysenberry Whip

6 egg whites

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar divided

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup boysenberry jam, or fruit puree

1 tablespoon lavender or violet syrup (optional)

Whip the egg whites and salt until frothy.  Continue beating while slowly adding 1/4 cup sugar.  Beat until glossy, stiff peaks form.  Set aside

Whip the heavy cream, add the sugar slowly and beat until thick and soft peaks form.

Warm the jam until it is liquid.  Fold it and the lavender syrup into the egg whites.  Fold in the  heavy cream until mixed thoroughly.  Be careful not to deflate.

Chill for at least an hour, or freeze overnight.  Serve with grated chocolate if desired.

Makes about 6 servings.

image:marye audet (c) 2009

A few weeks ago when I was in Home Depot I picked up a small butane torch with the idea that it would be great for meringues and creme brulee.  Plus, you know…playing with fire is fun.

I have been intrigued since I found out that Honey Baked Ham does their glaze with a torch, and I used one at the restaurant to help finish dishes.

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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. Read more