Strawberry Sorbet

Back to the May swing of things – baby showers, weddings, backyard BBQs, etc. For some strange reason, my graduation day marked a odd cold front. So while my mother-in-law brought tank tops and shorts to wear, it was actually fairly rainy and chilly. All that to say, it made for some interesting fashion choices for the Iroquois Steeplechase.

I love horse races. Well, it’s more like I love the idea of horse races. But the Iroquois Steeplechase is particularly nice. Instead of a dirt track, the steeplechase is English-style on a long grass track with a variety of fences depending on the race. It wasn’t raining enough for us to scrap going to the race, but it also wasn’t sunny, so I braved the drizzle with the help of my pink galoshes. We usually sit in the poor people general admission section, which works out because I like watching the races. The horses are just stunning creatures. Our happy discovery this year was wine in Tetra Pak containers, since you can’t take glass. Each container held about 3 glasses of wine and was perfect for an event like this.

Now it’s warmed back up, and the cicadas are in full swing. This strawberry sorbet is super simple and fresh-tasting. It would be the perfect addition to your Memorial Day cook-out or picnic. I attempted to infuse the simple syrup with basil I had lying around, but it didn’t come through in the final product. Another delicious addition would be some balsamic vinegar. Or it’s just great as it is.

Strawberry Sorbet
source: Joy of Baking

Ingredients

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 lb fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Grand Marnier or other liqueur (to keep it from freezing hard)

Preparation

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan, over low heat, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3-5 minutes). Boil the mixture for one minute then remove from heat. Pour the sugar syrup into a heatproof container, and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled (about an hour or so). 

Meanwhile, thaw the frozen strawberries and then place the thawed strawberries in a food processor and process until the strawberries are pureed. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and liqueur (if using), and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. (If using fresh strawberries, puree the berries in the food processor, transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and liqueur (if using), and place in the refrigerator until chilled.)

Once the simple syrup and pureed strawberries are completely chilled, combine the simple syrup with the pureed strawberries. Transfer the mixture to the chilled container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once made, transfer the sorbet to a chilled container and store in the freezer.

Chocolate Sorbet

No, I didn't mislabel this post. This is chocolate sorbet, not chocolate ice cream. Like a fruit sorbet, it's pretty much water, sugar, and chocolate with a little vanilla extract and vodka thrown in. The vanilla brings out the flavor and fruitiness of the chocolate, and the vodka keeps the texture smooth and from being too icy. The article accompanying this recipe in Wine Spectator speaks of a true chocolate-lover who dislikes chocolate ice cream because he thinks that the milk and eggs and cream take away from the real flavor of the chocolate. Keep that in mind when you choose a kind of chocolate. It's worth a splurge for this recipe since it is such a crucial ingredient. For real chocolate lovers who want a cool summer treat, this is for you!

Chocolate Sorbet
source: Wine Spectator: July 31, 2010

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped or grated
1 tbsp vodka
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Whisk water, cocoa, and sugar over low heat until combined.
2. Meanwhile, melt dark chocolate very gently in a double boiler.
3. Turn heat under cocoa to medium, stirring constantly, until the liquid just boils.
4. Remove from heat, and add melted chocolate, salt, vodka, and vanilla to cocoa mixture. Stir thoroughly.
5. Let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold.
6. Freeze mixture according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Absinthe Ice Cream

There is a bar in Houston called Absinthe. It has no sign, and you really have to know where it is. Even if you know where it is, you will drive past it several times. As one might expect, they specialize in absinthe cocktails, my favorite being Hemingway's Revenge, a combination of creme de cassis, champagne, and absinthe. So when our favorite wine store had a special on absinthe, Joe insisted on getting a bottle. And then David Lebovitz, ice cream deity, made absinthe ice cream. It was like the stars had aligned.

Most people describe absinthe has having a black licorice flavor. That's not false, but this ice cream brings out all of the herb flavors and even a hint of "vegetal bitterness" (I stole that phrase from a mixologist at Patterson House). The chocolate tempers it a bit. If you don't have absinthe, any absinthe-flavored liqueur would be a fine substitute. All you're missing is the wormwood oil. And note that the alcohol doesn't cook off, so be mindful of who you serve this too.

Absinthe Ice Cream
source: David Lebovitz

Ingredients
1 cup (250ml) whole milk

A pinch of salt

2/3 cup (130g) sugar

2 cups (500ml) heavy cream or half-and-half

5 large egg yolks

3-4 tablespoons absinthe

about 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate truffles, or chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan.

2. Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream or half-and-half into the bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

5. Strain the custard into the cream or half-and-half. Stir over the ice until cool, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.

6. Stir in 3 tablespoons of absinthe. Taste, and add another one if desired. 7. Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once churned, stir in the chopped chocolate bits.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

I tried to keep things relatively simple for Thanksgiving this year, knowing that Joe and I were going to be out of town up until the day before, so I wouldn't have a lot of time beforehand to prep. Consequently, I was a lot more relaxed than I have been in previous years. So relaxed that I ended up burning the rolls. Oh well! Before we left on our trip, I made this ice cream to go with the standard pumpkin and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pies. It was the perfect complement. The cinnamon flavor is definitely present but not overbearing, and it made the ice cream slightly more exciting and seasonal than plain vanilla. This is the perfect ice cream with which to top your apple, pecan, pumpkin, or any other variation of fall pie.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
source: Lime in the Coconut (originally from David Leibowitz's The Perfect Scoop)

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
10 3-in long cinnamon sticks, broken up (I bought mine for a very affordable price at Cost Plus World Market)
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Preparation
Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Once warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for at least one hour.

Rewarm the cinnamon-infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard. Pour the remaining cup of cream into a bowl and set a strainer on top.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrap the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping the bottom, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour the custard into the strainer set over the cream. Refrigerate until cool.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

Maple Ice Cream

November doesn't exactly seem like the best month to bust out the ice cream maker, but entries in Google Reader keep popping up with seasonally flavored ice cream like pumpkin, cinnamon, and, today's treat, maple. The maple flavor is not terribly strong, but it contains just a hint. I think maple extract would make it stronger. Like most custard-based ice creams with 5 egg yolks, this is intensely creamy and smooth. Joe and I have been enjoying our ice cream with a Maple Leaf Creme Cookie from Trader Joe's.

Maple Ice Cream
source: The Perfect Scoop via Erin's Food Files

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup dark maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Warm milk and sugar in medium saucepan. Pour cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium-low heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream to cool. Add the maple syrup, salt, and vanilla, and stir over ice bath until cool. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Freeze until solid & scoopable.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

This is the second time I've made this ice cream recipe. The first time, I made a batch to take to a dinner party with the apparently misguided assumption that there would be some leftover to bring back home and take a picture of. It was not to be. The six of us polished off the whole container. What is it about homemade ice cream that makes people go crazy? I'm of the opinion that it always tastes so good because there aren't all kinds of chemicals and preservatives in it. I just don't have any potassium sorbate in my pantry. Also, I make all of my ice cream with love, which could have something to do with it.

But really, if you were so inclined and had green food coloring, you could add some so it looked like the mint chocolate chip ice cream from the store. This is a Philadelphia-style recipe, which means no egg yolks. It's not quite as rich or creamy, but it's very simple to mix together. The mini chocolate chips seal the deal for me. The first time I made this, I think I used something like 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 cups half-and-half, and 1 cup milk, and it worked out really well, so feel free to experiment a little depending on what you have in your fridge.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
source: Amber's Kitchen

Ingredients
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring (optional)
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation
In a large bowl, stir together the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla extract and peppermint extract
until the sugar has dissolved. Color to your liking with the green food coloring.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After about 10 minutes into the freezing, add the chocolate chips. After the ice cream has thickened, about 30 minutes later, spoon into a container, and freeze for 2 hours.

Coffee Ice Cream

I know it's difficult to tell from the picture, but this is the smoothest, creamiest, most flavorful ice cream I have made to date. We are currently under contract on a condo, so in preparation for moving, I'm trying to empty out some things in the freezer and pantry. We had bought some whole-bean decaf coffee for a dinner party, and since we rarely drink coffee, it just sat in the freezer taking up space. And then I came upon this ice cream recipe. It was my first time making a custard-based recipe, and I was a little scared I would scramble the eggs or not cook it long enough, but it was a lot easier than I thought it might be. I made some breakfast tacos with the leftover egg whites.

The coffee flavor in this ice cream is pretty strong, so if you're not a fan of that flavor, this is not for you. The whole beans infuse the cream mixture deliciously, and I loved seeing the white cream slowly turn a hint of brown. By no means low-calorie, you'll only need a small scoop to be satisfied because it's so rich.

Coffee Ice Cream
source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients
1½ cups whole milk (I used 2%)
¾ cup sugar
1½ cups whole coffee beans
Pinch of salt
1½ cups heavy cream, divided
5 large egg yolks
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. finely ground coffee or espresso powder

Preparation
Combine the milk, sugar, coffee beans, salt and ½ cup of the heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture is warm and just begins to bubble, remove from the heat and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

After steeping, return the saucepan with the coffee mixture to the burner over medium heat. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Once the coffee mixture has become warm again, slowly pour the mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Return the egg-coffee bean mixture to the saucepan over medium high heat.

Cook the mixture, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula or spoon (about 170-175° F.) Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Press on the coffee beans in the strainer with a can or heavy-bottomed glass to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible, then discard the beans. Mix in the vanilla and ground coffee or espresso powder. Chill the batter over an ice bath, or in the refrigerator. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator and then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I've been a terrible blogger and cook lately. Between my mother-in-law coming to town, Nashville Restaurant Week, and going to Milwaukee for the 4th of July, I haven't been eating much at home for the last few weeks. So, naturally, one of the first things I make is ice cream.

Having seen a lot of ice cream recipes that call for all kinds of egg yolks and heavy cream, I was a little nervous how this might turn out. But it came out beautifully. The peanut butter flavor is strong and rich, and the texture is creamy. On a whim, I threw in some chocolate chips. Joe said it tasted like an ice cream version of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. This is super-easy to make. It would go great next to some chocolate cake!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
source: Smells Like Home (originally David Lebovitz)

Ingredients
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 2/3 cup half-and-half
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp vanilla
1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Purée the peanut butter, sugar, half and half, salt, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add chocolate chips 5 minutes before ice cream maker is done churning.
   

Mango-Agave Sorbet

There was a full package of frozen mango in my freezer staring me in the face every time I opened the freezer door. I adore mango and wanted to do justice to the flavor but just hadn't come across exactly what I was looking for. Then I saw this recipe several places in a few days and knew that it was what I had been waiting for. Oddly enough, we did not have tequila in our house, but that could be remedied. I found the agave nectar at Trader Joe's.

This sorbet is out of this world. The lime and mango flavors complement each other so well, and there is just a hint of tequila flavor. The agave nectar acts as a sweetener and is an alternative to sugar. I think this might be Joe's new favorite dessert!

Mango-Agave Sorbet
source: Cooking Light

Ingredients
4 cups cubed, peeled mango (about 3 lbs fresh mango)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)
1/3 cup tequila
3/4 cup light agave nectar
1/3 cup water

Preparation

1. Combine mango, orange juice, lime juice, and tequila in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the agave nectar and water, stirring to combine. Cover and chill for several hours.

2. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the ice cream maker's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container, and cover and freeze for 8 hours.

Meyer Lemon Sorbet

After hearing about Meyer lemons and never seeing them, I had concluded they were simply beyond my grasp. All of the foodies on the coasts were going nuts about them, and all I had were the normal yellow lemons. Then last week I was shopping at Publix and spotted them. Shaped like a lemon but colored like an orange. I double-checked the sign...Meyer lemons! I let them be since I had absolutely no plans for them, and I try to stick to my grocery list. But this week, I made a beeline for them, nearly pushing aside the guy restocking the produce on Saturday morning. He saw me reach for them and asked, "Do those taste more like a lemon or more like an orange?" I admitted that I didn't really know from personal experience but that I was going to use them to make SORBET. I don't think he was as excited as I was.

This sorbet is exactly what I crave after dinner -- something sweet but flavorful enough that I don't need a lot of it. In fact, a few spoonfuls of this sorbet satisfies me because the flavor is so unique. It's slightly sour but sweet. It's unlike anything I've ever tasted before. And Joe is crazy about it as well!

Meyer Lemon Sorbet
source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup Meyer lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
2 tsp zest from lemons

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan on medium high heat, make a simple syrup by heating sugar and water until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix in the lemon juice and zest. Chill, either in the refrigerator, or by placing in a metal bowl over an ice bath.

2. Once the mixture has thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can pour the mixture into a shallow pan and freeze in your freezer until semi-solid. Then take a fork and fluff it up, returning it the the freezer to freeze firm. Then put in a food-processor or blender to process until smooth.
Place sorbet in an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

3. Scoop out preferably with a melon-baller. Garnish with mint. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

The weather is still toying with full-blown spring, but I'm trying to build up a repertoire for my ice cream maker before the 90-degree weather hits. My preference for desserts tend to lead towards the fruity anyway, but this yogurt was to die for. This had such a different taste from store-bought frozen yogurt--very bright and fresh. I already had some frozen raspberries in the freezer, so I knew I would be making this right away. Look at that gorgeous color! And that's without any artificial colors or preservatives or anything! And the taste is tangy and summery but creamy at the same time. This would be beautiful served to company with a little mint leaves right on top.

My grocery store did not carry the type of Greek yogurt that I needed, so I bought regular whole-milk yogurt and drained it through a cheesecloth-lined mesh sieve over a pot for a few hours, until it was the texture of sour cream.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt
source: Rec(ession)ipes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 2.5 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 tsp kirsch (or vodka if you don't have kirsch)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation

In a blender, puree all ingredients. If you want to remove the seeds, push the pureed ingredients through a strainer. Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream

Take a look at my newest kitchen toy, bought in brand-new condition off of Craigslist for significantly lower than retail price from a woman who had received it for a wedding present and never used it. Score!
I'm so excited and would highly recommend looking at CraigsList for kitchen appliances that other people might be trying to get rid of.

In order to convince Joe that it would be a worthy investment, I promised to make him something that he would love: Heath Bar Crunch ice cream. I had seen recipes on several blogs, and both Joe and I have a major weakness for anything involving toffee. Embarassingly enough, when we weren't as health-conscious, we would finish off a pint of Ben & Jerry's between the two of us on an all-too-frequent basis.Anyway, I knew this would be a hit, and it certainly was. Nothing beats homemade ice cream and knowing exactly what is going into your mouth. As the weather warms up, I'm sure I'll be using the ice cream maker more frequently!

Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream
source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients

4 original Heath bars (1 1/8 oz. each)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Using a sharp knife, coarsely chop the Heath bars into large chunks. You should have about 1 cup (next time I’ll use 1 1/2 cups). Place the chunks in a bowl, cover, and freeze for about 1 hour.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, milk, vanilla extract, and whisk to blend.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After the ice cream has stiffened, transfer half of it to an air-tight storage container. Top with half of the Heath Bar pieces. Transfer the remaining ice cream to the container and top with the remaining Heath Bar pieces. Mix well until the candy pieces are evenly mixed throughout the ice cream. Store in the freezer until the ice cream is ready.

Note: This does contain raw eggs, so there is some risk involved if you are pregnant or otherwise immuno-compromised.