Roasted Apple Bourbon Praline Ice Cream

Who has two thumbs and is really excited about the onset of Fall (even though she spent all last weekend at the beach)? This gal!

Overused phrases aside, I've been wanting to make this ice cream for ages but had to wait until the temperature dipped below 80 degrees to justify turning on the oven. #CaliProbs

This week my prayers for cooler weather were answered and I was finally able to roast up a delightful spiced apple concoction to swirl into my boozy bourbon ice cream. Boozy ice creams are the best for a couple of reasons:

1. They have booze in them! 

2. Alcohol doesn't freeze, so adding a bit of booze ensures a luxurious, velvety smooth and easily scoop-able texture to your ice cream (I always add about a tablespoon or so of vodka to my sorbets for this same reason). Just be sparing, lest you wind up with a melty, un-freezable mess on your hands. Less is more.

A smattering of chopped candied pecans rounds out the recipe perfectly. I tend to enjoy my ice creams without a lot of bits and bobs; call me a purist but normally I'm of the belief that ice cream should not need to be chewed. Rather, it should melt languidly in your mouth, you know? But in this case the pecans add a lovely toasted note that I would miss otherwise, and the finished product is the stuff that Fall inspired ice cream dreams are made of.

A little part of me thinks that I should lock up this recipe in a vault, package it and sell it for $11 a pint and build an ice cream empire on the foundation of this Roasted Apple Bourbon Praline Ice Cream - it's that good. But honestly, it's too yummy not to share, so here you go, my friends. Have at it. I suppose my dreams of world domination via ice cream can wait...

makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

for the roasted apple:

1 large or 2 medium sized apples, peeled cored and finely diced

1 Tbsp. bourbon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

for the ice cream:

2 cups half and half

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick

Pinch of salt

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

3-4 Tbsp. bourbon

1/4 cup candied pecans, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add diced apple, bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a medium sized bowl and mix to combine. Transfer to a small baking dish and roast for about 45 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring mixture once or twice throughout cooking process. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a small food processor and puree until smooth but slightly chunky in texture. Set aside.

2. Bring half and half, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick and salt to a simmer in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a medium sized bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk warm cream mixture into yolk mixture, then transfer mixture back into saucepan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until custard thickens and temperature reaches about 170 degrees. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and stir in heavy cream and bourbon. Transfer into a bowl set over an ice bath or place in the refrigerator for a few hours to chill.

4. Freeze in an ice ream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. After about 10 minutes or when ice cream has partially frozen, gradually add roasted apple mixture and candied pecans, little by little, for a swirl effect. Transfer to a container and freeze until solid.

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Heart Bonbons with White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Since the start of the New Year I've been on a pretty mean health kick. My body needed a break from all the holiday sweets so I've been eating lean and green and sweating it out in the gym nearly every day. Not too shabby, right? But with Valentine's Day around the corner that's kind of gone out the window because I've had a bad case of chocolate brain the last couple of days. I'm not even all that crazy about chocolate, but yesterday I somehow found myself in the candy aisle at Target holding two giant bags of the stuff (Dove Hearts and Hershey Kisses, thank you), completely unable to resist the pretty pink and red foil wrapped beauties. Once I got home I experienced some serious buyer's remorse and sent the majority of them packing off to John's office and safe from my clutches...

Naturally I just had to make something heart shaped and pretty and chocolatey myself. It's been quite awhile since I've broken out my ice cream maker, I kind of missed it. So I thought:

ice cream+chocolate+hearts=  Heart Shaped Chocolate Bon Bons!

I made these over the course of two days: the white chocolate raspberry swirl ice cream and the raspberry sauce were prepared the night before to ensure proper freezing, and I melted the chocolate and assembled the bonbons the following morning. It got a little messy, I'm not going to lie. But what do you expect when dealing with dipping things in melted chocolate? I'm not kidding when I say that this recipe is a true labor of love...the steps definitely require some patience, but that's what makes it all the more fitting as a special Valentine's Day treat for your loved ones.

makes about 18 bon bons
Ingredients
for the raspberry sauce:
1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water

for the white chocolate raspberry swirl  ice cream:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
4 oz. white chocolate
1/4 cup raspberry sauce

for the chocolate shell:
12 ounces dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. heavy cream

Special Equipment: heart shaped candy molds (or silicone ice cube trays, which is what I used)

Instructions
1. To make the raspberry coulis, bring raspberries, sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool and transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth, then pass through a mesh strainer pressing with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible Discard seeds and set sauce aside for later use.

2. To make the ice cream heat the milk in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt together in a separate bowl until mixture turns thick and pale yellow. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolks, continuing to whisk, then place the entire mixture back into the saucepan. Simmer over medium low heat, stirring constantly until custard thickens and temperature reaches about 170 degrees.

3. Place white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot custard through a mesh strainer over the white chocolate chips. Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until the white chocolate has completely melted. Add vanilla extract and place over an ice bath to chill the custard to room temperature. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

4. When the ice cream has frozen transfer it to an airtight container, layering the scoops with spoonfuls of the raspberry sauce and swirling it throughout the ice cream. Fill candy molds or ice cream trays with ice cream, cover and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

5. To assemble the bonbons, melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from pan, stir in butter and heavy cream and let sit for about 20 minutes, until chocolate is cool but still melted. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and place in the freezer.

 6. Working quickly, remove one heart shaped mound of ice cream from the mold, (leaving the others in the freezer) and dip it into the melted chocolate, using a spoon or your fingers to quickly coat the ice cream in the chocolate. Transfer to the baking sheet in the freezer. Repeat this process until all the bonbons have been dipped in chocolate, then freeze for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm. If the chocolate begins to harden simply reheat and allow to cool slightly once more before continuing. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

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Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Jam Swirl

 I'm anxious to transition to the Fall season with all of its deliciously comforting recipes, but I wanted to share one more fun recipe to celebrate the end of Summer...a last hurrah of sorts.

This ice cream highlights two of the season's peak ingredients- corn and blackberries- and although the pairing is a bit unexpected, the end result is simply fabulous. The essence of ripe, sweet corn in this silky ice cream is punctuated by bright berry accents from the jam. What grows together goes together, as I like to say!

For the blackberry jam swirl I reached out to Arian and Chris Blanco, proprietors of Sweet Lady Cook. They produce small, artisanal batches of seasonal jams and share a passion for good food made from quality ingredients. The produce that goes into their products is all locally sourced from farms in Santa Barbara County, allowing them to create preservative-free jams from premium organic fruits. Current seasonal flavors include Lane Late Navel Marmalade, Orange Lavender Jelly and Strawberry Habanero Jam- I'm dying to try them all! Arian was kind enough to make me a custom batch of this blackberry jam especially for this recipe, and I was so impressed by the intense fruit flavor that I have yet to taste in any other jam. Most other jams and jellies are overpowered by a cloying sweetness, but these have an unmistakably fresh quality that is just wonderful.

Sweet Lady Cook jams are available for sale on their website (as well as locally at Isabella Gourmet Foods, Rori's Artisanal Creamery and Crazy Good Bread Co.) and they are just as delicious spread on a slice of buttered toast as they are swirled into your last homemade ice cream of the season!

makes 1 quart
Ingredients
3 ears yellow corn, kernels removed from cobs and cobs reserved
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar, divided
6 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 jar blackberry jam

Instructions
1. Place corn kernels, corn cobs, cream, milk and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 1 hour.
2. Remove cobs and puree mixture in a blender. Strain through a mesh strainer, pressing on solids with a wooden spoon, and return to saucepan. Bring to a boil, taking care not to scald mixture, and remove from heat.
3. Combine egg yolks, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl and whisk until mixture is thick and pale yellow.
4. Slowly add 1 cup of hot cream mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly, then add egg mixture to saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until mixture reaches 160-170 degrees. Add vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.
5. Chill custard in refrigerator or an ice bath, then freeze in an ice cream mixture. When frozen, transfer ice cream to a quart container, adding dollops of blackberry jam intermittently throughout and stirring gently to create swirls.

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Swirl Ice Cream

The other day I was preparing a gluten free strawberry-rhubarb crumble for my clients, and I got to thinking about what else I could create with this magical duo besides the standard baked confections we are all used to seeing. Well, whenever I think of pies, crisps and crumbles my mind automatically wanders to it's perfect partner: ice cream! I don't know why it had never occurred to me to take the fruit filling and swirl it into an ice cream, but I sure am glad that the inspiration finally struck. This ice cream is a heavenly marriage of sweet, creamy custard mingled with bright, fresh fruit. A wonderful dessert to usher in the warmer days of Spring!

makes 1 quart 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup rhubarb, sliced
1 cup sugar, divided
5 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
 1 tsp vanilla extract

  Instructions
1. Bring strawberries, rhubarb and 1/4 cup of sugar to a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until fruit is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Whisk egg yolks and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar in a bowl until mixture is thick and pale yellow.
3. Add milk, vanilla seeds and vanilla pod to a saucepan and bring to a low simmer (do not boil). When small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan remove from heat and discard vanilla pod (or reserve for another use!).
 4. Very slowly and gradually add the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return combined egg mixture to the pan and heat custard over medium-low heat to 160 degrees (custard should coat the back of a wooden spoon). Remove from heat.
5. Add heavy cream and vanilla to the saucepan and stir to combine. Pour entire mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes or until mixture has cooled completely, then freeze in an ice cream maker.
6. To add the strawberry-rhubarb swirl, alternate layers of ice cream and cooled fruit mixture into the ice cream storage container. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

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Cardamom Ice Cream

I was looking for an ice cream flavor to compliment peach pie for the dessert course of a recent dinner party I catered. Cardamom came to mind as something exotic and elegant- the perfect thing to elevate a humble peach pie. Once I had decided on the ice cream flavor I added a subtle note of cardamom to the pie filling to bring the whole dish together, and let's just say I went out on a high note!

Homemade ice cream can sometimes prove to be a tricky endeavor, but as long as you invest the proper care and attention, the reward is always well worth the effort. In other words, don't try to manage eight other things at the same time, as I will admit to doing in the past- this avid multi-tasker has had to learn the hard way that some things deserve your full attention. So, after a period of trial and error, my best ice cream advice is this: keep a close eye on your custard mixture as you bring the eggs up to a safe temperature. Never let the custard come to a boil, and stir often until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Then use a mesh sieve to strain out any solid bits for the creamiest, most decadent texture imaginable.

makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp ground cardamom

Instructions
1. Add milk, cream, vanilla bean and crushed cardamom pods to a heavy saucepan and heat gently until mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and scrape seeds back into the liquid. Remove the crushed green cardamom pods.
2. Meanwhile beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture reaches a thick, pale yellow consistency.
3. Gently reheat the milk or cream and whisk a small amount into the egg yolks. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the cream, whisking constantly over low heat. Stir until the custard reaches 160 degrees on a thermometer; it will take several minutes. Do not let it boil, or the eggs will begin to scramble.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl set over an ice bath. Stir in ground cardamom and allow mixture to chill before freezing in an ice cream maker.

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