Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Maple Bourbon with Bacon Praline Ice Cream

6 large organic egg yolks
1 cup organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons organic flour
1 cup organic half-and-half
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 1/2 cups organic cream
1 cup Praline of Bacon

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the maple syrup, and flour. Set aside.

Bring half-and-half to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Slowly beat the hot half-and-half into the eggs. Pour the entire amount back into a clean saucepan and place on low heat.

Stir with a wooden or rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly. Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a bowl. Allow custard to cool, and then stir in cream, bourbon and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Stir the chilled custard, and then freeze in your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's directions.

Add Praline of Bacon when ice cream is semi-frozen. Allow the machine to mix in bacon and continue until finished.

Praline of Bacon

1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 pound cooked and diced bacon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray sheet pan. In a mixing bowl, add the sugar, Worcestershire sauce, butter, red pepper and cinnamon. Whisk well.

Pour mixture on sheet pan, and toss cooked bacon in to evenly coat. Bake turning every 5 minutes for 20-25 minutes total.

Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup (100 grams) white granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 10 x 15 inch (25 x 38 cm) rimmed baking sheet. Then line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch (5 cm) overhang on the two shorter sides.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until combined and smooth. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cake is dry to the touch and the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Using the paper overhang, gently lift the cake onto a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut the cake in half crosswise. Place one half of the cake, top side down, on a large piece of plastic wrap. Spread with the softened ice cream, smoothing with an offset spatula. Top with the remaining half of cake, top side up. Place the assembled dessert back into the baking pan and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer until firm, about two hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the dessert from the freezer, unwrap, and with a serrated knife, cut into eight rectangles. Wipe the knife with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel between each slice. Can serve immediately or wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and place back into the freezer. Can be stored in the freezer up to one week.

Makes 8 ice cream sandwiches.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Stout Floats with Cocoa Syrup

Stout Floats with Cocoa Syrup Bon Appétit | February 2011

by Alice Medrich

Slightly bitter beer, ice cream, and bittersweet cocoa syrup make for the perfect adult treat. Any leftover syrup will keep in the fridge for up to one month.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes (includes baking and cooling time)
ingredients
Cocoa syrup:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
2/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Floats:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur
Chocolate ice cream
3 12-ounce bottles or 2 pints (about) chilled stout

Special equipment
6 iced-teaspoons
6 straws
preparation
For cocoa syrup:

Whisk sugar, cocoa powder, and pinch of salt in small saucepan. Pour 2/3 cup boiling water into heat-resistant measuring cup. Whisk just enough boiling water from cup into cocoa mixture in saucepan to form smooth paste (about 3 tablespoons), then whisk in remaining water. Bring to simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer syrup 1 1/2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Cover; chill.

For floats:

Using electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla in medium bowl until peaks form. Cover; chill. Pour 1 tablespoon KahlĂșa and 1 tablespoon cocoa syrup into each of six 10-ounce glasses. Place 1 scoop of ice cream in each glass. Add stout, pouring gently down side of tilted glass to prevent too much head from forming. Spoon dollop of whipped cream into each glass. Drizzle with cocoa syrup, place spoon and straw in each, and serve immediately.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

From Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted if there are clumps)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
3 tablespoons soymilk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream together margarine and shortening until well combined. Add cocoa powder and incorporate well. Add confectioners sugar in about 1/2 cup batches and beat well, adding a little splash of soymilk after each addition. When all ingredients have been well incorporated, add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes with a hand mixer, 7 minutes if mixing with a fork).

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake

Adapted by smittenkitchen.com, only barely, from Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes

This cake is INTENSE. Serve it in the thinnest slices possible, and keep a glass of milk handy.

Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16 (the book says, I say a heck of a lot more)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Friday, October 1, 2010

La Pampera

recreated from Hibiscus in Oakland
2 oz Pampero Anniversario Rum
juice of 1/2 lime
4 tsp simple syrup
~ 1/16 tsp cardamom