Blueberry Crumble

(3-4 servings)

The blueberries here are magnificent. They are large, plump and juicy. I've gone picking a few times now and will probably head out at least one more time before the season is finished. I can't seem to get enough of them.

This is the fourth crumble I've made. Each one has been a bit different. I've experimented, adding fresh lemon zest, cinnamon and almond extract. I prefer this crumble. It's plain, with a small amount of sour cream. The sour cream provides a subtle tang, allowing the blueberries to shine.

For this recipe I used a small baking dish which holds about 3 1/2 cups.

filling
3 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
2 tsp rice flour or unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine the sour cream, sucanat and rice flour. When they are thoroughly mixed, add the blueberries and toss until they are evenly coated.

Place the coated blueberries into a small baking dish. Set aside.

crumble
2 tbsp rice flour or unbleached flour
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
2 tbsp rolled oats (gluten free, if you are avoiding the regular flour)
2 tbsp cold salted butter, cut up

Place all of the crumble ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times taking care not to over-process. The mixture should be quite coarse in texture.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the blueberries. Place the dish onto a cookie sheet to catch any drippings and place both into the oven.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until the crumble has browned and the berries are hot and bubbling.

Remove from oven and cool. Serve while still slightly warm.

Coffee Granita with Kahlua Whipped Cream

(4 servings)

Often coffee granitas, especially those made with espresso contain up to a full cup of sugar. I've added only three tablespoons of sugar to mine; start with that and add more if you prefer yours sweeter. Just keep in mind the Kahlua is sweet as well.

This easy frozen dessert is a great way to end a meal on a hot night (we are still hitting the triple digits here in Dallas).

1 3/4 cups espresso
3 tbsp sucanat or cane sugar, or more to taste
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp Kahlua

Brew the espresso and stir in the sucanat or cane sugar until dissolved. Taste and add more sugar, if desired. Allow the espresso to come to room temperature, then pour it into an 8 inch square freezer proof dish.

Freeze for about 35-45 minutes or until the edges begin to firm up. Remove and break up the ice crystals. I like to move the harder pieces from the corners toward the center of the dish. Return to the freezer for another 30-40 minutes.

Remove and break up the ice crystals again. Repeat this process a few more times until you have a nice fluffy mixture of small frozen ice crystals. This will take 3-4 hours depending on your freezer.

Just before you serve the granita, pour the cream into a small bowl. Whip until it begins to form peaks. Take care not to over-beat otherwise the cream might separate and you'll end up with butter.

Stir the Kahlua into the whipped cream. Divide the cream and coffee granita between 4 glasses or small bowls and serve immediately.

Lemon-Lime Cheesecake Popsicles

(6 x 1/2 cup molds)

These refreshing frozen treats reminded me a bit of key lime cheesecake which surprised me having used just a regular lime and one lemon. I added only three tablespoons of a local wildflower honey which was the perfect amount. The resulting pops were light and not overly sweet, yet they weren't too sour or too tangy either.

1 cup milk  (I used 1%)
6 oz neufchâtel or cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tbsp honey, or to taste
finely minced zest from 1 lemon and 1 lime (use a microplane, if possible)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice

Place the milk, cheese, yogurt, honey, zest and juice into a blender. Process until smooth. Taste. Add more honey, if desired.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for several hours, (preferably overnight) or until they are frozen solid.

Intensely Chocolaty Fudgesicles

(6 -  1/2 cup ice pops)

A few weeks ago a neighbor gave me a set of popsicle molds. They were larger than what she expected and in the meantime she's managed to find some with a smaller capacity. These hold half a cup of liquid each.

I hadn't really thought much about making my own popsicles, but since getting this set I haven't been able to stop. There have been a few times I've had a new mixture ready to freeze before I even finished eating the previous batch! Up to now, these creamy fudgesicles by far have been my favorite. They are intensely chocolaty, so much better than anything you might hope to find at the store.

2 cups milk, I used 1%
1 tbsp cocoa powder, I used Hershey's Special Dark
1 tbsp corn starch
1/3 cup half & half
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips 

Pour the milk into a saucepan. Combine the cocoa powder and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk in the half & half until you have a smooth lump free mixture. Whisk this into the milk and place the saucepan over a medium flame.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and keep stirring or whisking for about one minute. Remove the pot from the stove.

Whisk in the chocolate chips until they are completely melted. Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the molds. After they have cooled, put the handles in place. Freeze them until they are solid; at least 4 - 5 hours.

To serve, run each one carefully under hot water until you can wiggle the fudgesicle out of its mold.

Quick Frozen Yogurt

(about 3-4 servings)

A while back I came across this somewhere at BBC Food. A quick frozen yogurt which didn't require an ice cream machine, just a food processor. The idea is similar to the frozen banana dessert I posted recently, only this time you combine frozen fruit with Greek yogurt and a touch of honey.

1 cup Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
about 2 cups frozen cut up fruit and/or berries
1-3 tablespoons honey, depending on the tartness of the fruit you are using

Place everything into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth mixture.

If the mixture isn't firm enough, add a bit more frozen fruit and process again.

Garnish with fruit or berries, if desired. Serve.

A Simple Frozen Banana Dessert

(2 servings)

A year or so ago I came across a posting about a single ingredient banana ice cream. I had forgotten about it until this weekend when I had a couple of very ripe bananas on my hands.

This is really simple if you have a food processor. It might work in a blender, but I haven't tried that. I made a chocolate coating for the ice cream and topped it with roughly chopped dry roasted cashews. Boy, was I amazed by how good this was! These bananas turned into the smoothest and creamiest ice cream ever. It was sweet enough and dairy free, and it really came down to just eating a banana or so.

If fat is an issue then don't bother with the chocolate coating or nuts. Bananas do contain a tiny amount of fat naturally. I looked it up, 1 g of fat in a 225 g serving.

banana ice cream
2-3 large very ripe bananas


chocolate coating
2 tbsp bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil (the kind for medium heat and solid in the jar)


4-5 dry roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Peel the bananas and cut into slices. Place them inside a freezer bag and try to keep them in a single layer. Freeze overnight or until they are frozen solid.


Right before you remove the bananas from the freezer, make the chocolate coating.

Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil into a bowl. Set this over hot water or place it into the microwave and heat 10 seconds at a time until they begin to melt.

With either method, once most of the chocolate has melted about halfway or a bit more, remove it from the heat and continue to stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Set aside.

Remove the frozen bananas from the freezer and place the slices into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until they break up and then continue to pulse until they form a ball.

Remove the top and scrape down the sides. Break up the ball and distribute it evenly around the bottom of the bowl. Replace the top and continue to pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Divide the ice cream between 2 bowls. Drizzle each with the chocolate coating (there's probably enough coating for 3 or 4 desserts; it hardens to a super thin shell the moment it hits the cold ice cream) and sprinkle each with the chopped nuts.

Enjoy.

Grape and Cabernet Sorbet

(about 1 quart)

Two weeks ago I brought home a container of Ciao Bella's Blackberry and Cabernet Sorbet. It was amazing, so I decided to try to make something similar at home.

I wasn't able to find a blackberry juice concentrate and I was looking for something which was organic as well as 100% juice. I brought home a couple of grape and raspberry concentrates instead; both worked very well with the Cabernet.

The first batch I made was quite good, but too boozy. My second batch was a bit on the sweet side. This batch was my third try and I was very happy with it. I heated up the Cabernet, cooking off some of its alcohol. The resulting sorbet balanced the grape and Cabernet flavours nicely without being boozy, the sweetness and texture seemed just right to me.

This sorbet isn't rock hard out of the freezer because despite boiling the Cabernet and water mixture, some of the alcohol remains in it.

1 cup Cabernet
1 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 12 oz container 100% juice concentrated frozen grape or raspberry juice
1-2 tbsp light agave nectar, (optional)

Combine the Cabernet, water and cornstarch in a saucepan. Whisk until the cornstarch is well combined, then set the mixture over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about 2 minutes, whisking all the time, then remove the saucepan from heat.

Stir in the frozen concentrated juice until the juice has melted and combined with the wine mixture. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Check to see if the mixture is sweet enough for you. It should be slightly sweeter to taste, as it will become less sweet as the sorbet freezes. Stir in the agave nectar, if necessary.

Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer. Despite bringing the wine to a boil  for two minutes, there will still be some alcohol remaining, slowing down the freezing process. I left my ice cream machine on an additional 20 minutes or so.

Frozen Grapes with Sweetened Sour Cream

(about 4 servings)

Years ago a friend served this to me in Toronto, and I have been making it ever since. It's a very simple recipe and quite a wonderful surprise on a very hot day. The sweetened sour cream makes a nice contrast to the frozen and often slightly sour grapes.

Mango and Coconut Milk Sorbet

(about 1 quart)

I've always thought of sorbet as milk free and not containing any animal products, however mine does; I added half a teaspoon of gelatin.

Recently a friend was asking me about the cornstarch I used in my grape gelato, and whether I had tried using *gelatin instead. I hadn't, but I was curious to try it out.

The texture of this sorbet was wonderful; it was pretty smooth considering the lower amount of sugar and fat in it. I have never used pectin, but I intend to try that soon. Then this recipe would  be vegetarian.

Chocolate Gelato

(about 1 quart)

I have been consumed with making gelato all week. I barely finish making one when I'm already thinking about the next.

This chocolate gelato was amazing; rich tasting with a nice smooth texture. I decided to use orange liqueur for this. If you prefer to make yours free of alcohol, then add 2 raw egg whites instead.

2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dark cocoa (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
3 tbsp corn starch
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup liqueur or brandy (I used Gran Marnier)

Pour the milk into a saucepan.

Whisk the cocoa and cornstarch into the cream until smooth and add to the milk. Turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue boiling for one minute, whisking the chocolate mixture the entire time.

Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Whisk until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool. Place into the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Stir in the liqueur and process according to your ice cream manufacturer's directions.

Concord Grape Gelato

(about 1 quart)

I've been in possession of a wonderful ice cream machine for several years now and haven't yet tired of experimenting.

My preference lately has been for something low-fat and fruity. Usually I combine vanilla yogurt with frozen fruit, but I wanted something a bit different this time.

While I was shopping for frozen juice concentrate the other day, I wondered what it would be like to use that as a base for a frozen milk dessert like gelato.

This is my third batch and I'm absolutely thrilled. This gelato is intensely grape flavoured and silky smooth.. I can hardly believe I made this!

I also wanted to give raw egg white a try instead of using alcohol to see if it did indeed affect the texture. It did so very nicely; the resulting gelato didn't turn rock hard in my freezer.

* These days it's difficult to know just how safe raw eggs are. I decided to give the powdered pasteurized egg whites a try for this recipe. They worked beautifully.

Daring Baker Challenge, August 2010; Baked Alaska

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alasa or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

I really enjoyed this challenge. I had never made a Baked Alaska before. The cake was delicious!

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)

2. Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.

3. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.

4. Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

5. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Brown Butter Pound Cake,
19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) (See “Note” section for cake flour substitution)
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.

2. Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.

3. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.

5. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.

6. Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.


Meringue (For the Baked Alaska)
8 large egg whites
½ teaspoon (3g) cream of tartar
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
1 cup (220g) sugar

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form.

Assembly Instructions – Baked Alaska
1. Line four 4” (10cm) diameter tea cups with plastic wrap, so that plastic wrap covers all the sides and hangs over the edge. Fill to the top with ice cream. Cover the top with the overhanging plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, or until solid.

2. Level the top of the brown butter pound cake with a serrated knife or with a cake leveler. Cut out four 4” (10cm) diameter circles from the cake. Discard the scraps or use for another purpose.

3. Make the meringue (see above.)

4. Unwrap the ice cream “cups” and invert on top of a cake round. Trim any extra cake if necessary.

5. Pipe the meringue over the ice cream and cake, or smooth it over with a spatula, so that none of the ice cream or cake is exposed. Freeze for one hour or up to a day.

6. Burn the tips of the meringue with a cooking blow torch. Or, bake the meringue-topped Baked Alaskas on a rimmed baking sheet in a 500°F/260°C oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Serve immediately.

Daring Baker Challenge, July 2010; Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake

(1x 1 1/2 quart sized cake)

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

Mandatory

•You must make the Swiss rolls, a filling for them, two ice creams and a fudge sauce, from scratch.
•You must set the dessert in a bowl/pan etc in the order given in the recipe-Swiss roll, first ice-cream, the fudge topping and, finally, the second ice cream.

I liked this challenge a lot, and as you can see we were given quite a bit of freedom in regard to recipes. I used my own.

The chocolate fudge ended up as both a layer between the ice cream and frozen yogurt as well as the filling for my swiss roll. I had a bit of fun by colouring parts of the batter.

I revisited a dulce de leche ice cream I made a few years ago and loved, as well as a raspberry frozen yogurt.

This dessert was soooo goood! I will make it again. :) I'm not sure I will make it with a fudge sauce though, that really depends on the ice cream I use. I'd be inclined to try a vanilla sauce or something fruity in the future.

swiss roll
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
a few drops of food colouring (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cake flour

Preheat the oven to 375°

Prepare a 10"x15" jelly roll pan by spraying it with Baker's Joy, or use softened butter. Cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit, and spray the top of that as well, or butter that. Set aside.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks into a larger bowl. Let them come to room temperature, which takes about 15-20 minutes if you had just removed them from the refrigerator.

Beat the whites, gradually adding 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue beating until you have stiff peaks.

Beat the egg yolks until they thicken. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar gradually. When the yolks have become very thick and a pale yellow colour, beat in the vanilla extract.  Sift the cake flour evenly over the yolks and carefully fold in.

Carefully fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture.

If using the food colour, then divide the batter, and add a few drops of food colouring to the portions and gently fold in. Don't worry if it's not entirely even.

Spread the batter or batters evenly into the prepared pan, and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cake is done.

Spread a clean cloth towel over a flat surface and sprinkle with icing sugar. Invert the cake onto the towel and carefully peel away the parchment paper. Carefully roll the hot cake into a jelly roll using the towel and allow to cool that way.

* I thought the chocolate was a bit overwhelming for the rest of this dessert. I'd be inclined to either make a vanilla or fruity type sauce, or to half the amount here and use it more sparingly.

Chocolate filling/fudge
2/3 cup heavy cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the cream until it just starts to simmer; remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips and continue to stir until they have melted. Cool slightly.

dulce de leche ice cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1  13.4 oz can dulce de leche
1 tbsp coffee liqueur

Heat the milk until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Stir in the dulche de leche and coffee liqueur. Whisk until well combined. Cool in a refrigerator for about an hour.

Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions.

raspberry frozen yogurt
1 1/2 cups greek style yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups frozen raspberries

Stir together the yogurt and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in 1 cup raspberries. I reserve about 2/3 cup and add those towards the end, (for texture).

Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions.

assembly

Carefully unroll the swiss roll and spread about half of the chocolate filling onto it. If the filling has become too stiff, then heat it carefully for a few seconds in a microwave.

Roll up the swiss roll. Place the roll into the freezer for about 15 minutes. Remove and slice.

Place the slices in a single layer into the bottom of a bowl which has been lined with plastic wrap. Spread the raspberry frozen yogurt over the swiss roll layer. Spread the remaining chocolate filling over the frozen yogurt and finish, by filling the remaining bowl with the dulce de leche ice cream. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and freeze the "bombe".

When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a plate. Serve immediately.

Mocha Ice Cream

(less than 1 quart)

I usually make frozen yogurt in my ice cream machine, but every once in a blue moon I make real ice cream.

The last time I made some was a couple of years ago, and that was a delicious dulce de leche ice cream. This time I decided to combine two things I love; coffee and chocolate. The grated chocolate added last, gives this an interesting texture.

*I used a bit of coffee liqueur because the alcohol lowers the freezing temperature, resulting in a smoother and creamier consistency.

1/4 cup freshly ground dark coffee beans, very fine
1/3 cup boiling water

4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
*2-3 tbsp coffee liqueur

3 oz semisweet chocolate, grated

Pour the hot water over the coffee grounds, stir and set aside overnight, up to 24 hours. Strain and set aside.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Combine the cream and milk and heat until it just begins to simmer. Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture. Turn on the heat to low and cook carefully while whisking, until the mixture thickens and the custard looks like it wants to simmer; don't allow it to come to a boil - otherwise it might curdle. Remove from heat.

Stir in the coffee liqueur and the coffee.  Cover with plastic, smoothing over the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.

Stir in the grated chocolate and pour into an ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer's directions.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

(about 1 quart)

I received a gift card for my birthday from my office a couple of years ago for Sur La Table. I got a Cuisinart Supreme Commercial Quality Ice Cream Maker with it. It's been wonderful; it has a built-in compressor freezer, so I don't have to pre-chill anything.

This frozen yogurt is nice and tangy. You could use strawberries instead of the raspberries, if you prefer.

4 cups (32 oz container) whole milk vanilla yogurt
1 10 oz package of frozen raspberries (not in syrup)
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar, depending on taste

Drain the yogurt in a cheese cloth lined sieve for about 6-8 hrs or overnight.
Defrost the raspberries and mash them through a sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the sweetened puree to the yogurt mixture. Stir well.
Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.