Make it Homemade: Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

We happen to live in a state where the weather is nice almost year round, which is perfect since we are big on back yard grilling. One item that is a must have for a good barbecue is a tasty BBQ sauce. The shear amount of sauces for sale at the grocery store can be overwhelming and even within each brand you can find smoky, sweet, spicy, mild, home-style and the list goes on and on. Store bought sauces are great in a pinch, but we wanted a condiment that had all of the above components combined into one tasty sauce. 

To achieve what we were looking for in a great sauce, we started to make our own saucy condiments from scratch. After a bit of experimenting, we have found a couple of fantastic recipes that we have added our own touches to that have replaced any grocery store sauce you can find on the shelf. Is it more time consuming to make your own barbecue sauce then opening a store bought bottle? You bet, but you can't beat the rich and complex flavor profile of a homemade sauce along with being able to control the ingredients that go into it.

Today I'm sharing our Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce that we have been making over and over the past few years. We love serving it with pulled pork or using it as a  glaze on smoked ribs, but it is also tasty served with chicken or on a good burger. This flavorful topping has everything in it that we were looking for in a great BBQ sauce: sweetness, a hint of spiciness, a little smoke, a bit of tartness and most of all, lots of flavor.  Give it a try for yourself and see how easy and tasty this sauce can be on all of your grilled favorites and kick your grocery store sauces to the curb.

Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce 

~makes 2 (16oz.) jars~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons tomato paste
One 12-ounce can Dr. Pepper
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons ancho or New Mexican chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Sauté the onion and jalapeno pepper in the butter until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, making sure not to burn the garlic. Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the flavors have blended. Continue cooking until the sauce begins to thicken, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if desired.

Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes or until it is warm but no longer “boiling” hot. Puree with an immersion or traditional blender—this will make the sauce thicker. Let cool. Fill into cleaned jars. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes: The BBQ sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Slightly adapted from: Saveur 

Ice Cream Fridays: Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream and Giveaway Winner Announcement

Welcome to the final installment of Ice Cream Fridays for the year. All of you ice cream fans, this does not mean that I won't be featuring seasonal ice cream flavors every now and then, it just means, that for now it will not be a regular feature anymore. But don't fret, Ice Cream Fridays will be back for sure next year with new ideas and flavors. For the time being though, I'm cooking up a couple of different ideas for a new Friday feature, so stay tuned to see what I have in store.

Which ice cream did I chose to cap off my feature? It is none other than a Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream with Chambord. To break this one down with one simple word would be: Decadence. I had this flavor bookmarked in my all time favorite ice cream book, "The Perfect Scoop" for a very long time. I figured there was no better time than now to feature a flavor combination that I have loved for as long as I can remember, raspberries and chocolate.

This ice cream was another very easy, non-custard based, quick to fix recipe. Heavy cream, unsweetened (dutch processed) cocoa powder and sugar are whisked together and brought to a boil. Fresh (or in my case freshly frozen) raspberries are added and left to "steep" for a bit. The mixture is then processed in a food processor or blender until smooth, and finally strained to remove all those pesky little "get stuck in your teeth" seeds. To kick the flavor up another notch, I added a couple of tablespoons of Chambord liqueur to really enhance the raspberry flavor. After chilling in the refrigerator for a few hours the mixture is churned in an ice cream maker.

True bliss with every creamy, rich, decadent bite. On first taste you think it's just a chocolate ice cream until the bright tartness of the raspberries gets you upon swallowing - heavenly. One of my definite favorites this year. One that I will be making over and over again. Maybe next time I'll add some chopped semi-sweet chocolate to the final mix to make it even better (if possible).

In case you were wondering what my personal top 5 ice cream flavors were this season, here they are in no particular order:

- Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream with Chambord

- Nutella Ice Cream with Frangelico

- Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream

- Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

- Super Lemon Ice Cream

 And finally, here is the winner (who was generated by Random.org) of the giveaway. The winner receives the book that has brought me,

and hopefully all of you, so much joy this summer:

Congratulations to:

Carole

who said:

"I recently purchased an ice cream maker so I've been enjoying your ice cream posts. I'm a Nutella fan."

Please contact me by email with your address so I can send you the book! :o)

Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream with Chambord

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) heavy cream

5 tablespoons (40 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2/3 cup (130 g) sugar

2 cups (240 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons Chambord liqueur

Directions:

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and add the raspberries. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender. If you wish, press the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Add the Chambord.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Adapted from: The Perfect Scoop

Ice Cream Fridays: Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see.

If you are like me, there is no way to get the day started without a couple of cups of decent coffee. In fact, my family knows not to mess with me until I'm properly caffeinated. Strange thing is, I never liked coffee or anything coffee flavored while growing up. This all changed when I met my husband. He couldn't start his day without a few cups of coffee and would continue drinking coffee throughout the day. There was always freshly brewed coffee around, and I started getting hooked on the brown stuff as well. The adults take coffee serious in our home!

So, when I was looking over my list of ice cream flavors still left to make before I retire Ice Cream Fridays for the year, I realized I had yet to make a coffee ice cream. Well, I definitely knew that needed to be changed. Again, I was torn between several different recipes, but this one simply won out for it's ease of preparation. The recipe calls for only a handful of ingredients and is made in 5 minutes flat. Strong coffee or espresso is mixed with sweetened condensed milk (the nectar of the gods) and a bit of half-and-half with a pinch of finely ground coffee. That's all there is to it. I think one of my easiest ice creams to date. After a good chill in the refrigerator it is churned in the ice cream maker. Done!

Whoa, can I just say buzz! This flavor was strong, delicious, and melted in your mouth. It was like eating your morning coffee in a bowl. Definite hit, and because of the ease-of-preparation factor, it deserves one of the highest ratings. My teenage daughter, who by the way is NOT a coffee lover, thought this was one incredible flavor that should be packaged and sold (if only this was my recipe). This will go into my top 5 ice creams I have made this year for sure.
So, if you are one of those coffee addicts as well, don't wait, and make this ice cream as soon as possible, and thank me later ;o)

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream
(adapted from "The Perfect Scoop")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups brewed espresso or very strongly brewed coffee
1/2 cup half-and-half
Big pinch of finely ground dark roast coffee

Preparation:

Whisk together the condensed milk, espresso, half-and-half, and ground coffee. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
 

Grilled Panzanella Salad

In some areas of the country, summer has been quite the mixed bag. Very hot days, but also very cold and rainy days. For us it has just been plain hot and unbearable with very little rain. Summer in Arizona is unfortunately not letting up for probably another couple of months. It will hold a firm grip on us, making us wish for cooler temperatures, even if it just means to dip below 100 degrees F. Yes, most of us Arizonians should be used to it, but are fed up with this terrible heat by early August. Unfortunately, we forget year after year about the temperatures when we are sitting outside enjoying a BBQ-ed meal in January while the rest of the country is freezing.

Since summer is still here to stay for at least a while longer, I'm still on the hunt for great salad recipes to expand my repertoire. This one comes courtesy of "Cuisine at Home" yet again. I really like their approach to recipes which are fairly simple, but wonderful tasting, and most of my magazines from them are covered in sticky notes for dishes to try. Today's post had been on my to-do list for a while, and last weekend I finally got around to it. Panzanella Salad is an Italian dish that is a bread salad. It varies widely depending upon region and ingredients available, however, day old bread is always included. It is also important to use a sturdy bread when making this dish. It is best to use a chewy, rustic bread that can withstand being tossed with a vinaigrette, otherwise your bread will get way too mushy. Ripe, juicy tomatoes are another must, and while any tomato will work, the sweetness of cocktail or grape tomatoes seem to harmonize best with this salad. Cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella and basil round out this dish.

This is a fantastic salad to serve along side any kind of meat. We had pork chops with it, but steak or chicken would be wonderful as well. Since the bread is grilled on the BBQ, grilling the meat is a logical choice and with that you can leave the stove off, which is always a plus with this heat. We all really enjoyed this unique salad. It incorporated all of our favorite ingredients and so it was kind of a given that we liked it, but nonetheless, I'm surprised by the simplicity of certain recipes that just "wow" you. This is another recipe I'm keeping, and will be making over and over again!

Grilled Panzanella Salad
(adapted from "Cuisine at Home")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 a baguette or ciabatta bread, halved lengthwise and brushed with olive oil
2 garlic cloves

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high. Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together; set aside.

Toss vegetables, mozzarella, olives, and basil together in a bowl.

Grill bread, cut side down, until golden, 2-3 minutes, then rub with the garlic cloves. Slice bread into cubes, add to vegetables, and toss with vinaigrette.

Ice Cream Fridays: Honey Peach Ice Cream

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week. 

With only a couple more Fridays left after today's featured post I will be retiring the Ice Cream series for the year. I'm still left with a list a mile long of different ice creams yet to try. So, picking and choosing which one to make should have been hard, but I was getting a little help in the form of a gentle nudge from my friend Sharon and facebook follower Christy. Both of them named Peach Ice Cream as their favorite flavor when I had asked a while back. I love a good peach ice cream as well, but there was only one problem with the execution, the peaches. For the life of it, I could not get my hands on decent tasting peaches. I was looking for bright red peaches, the same ones that as you bit into them the juices are running everywhere and you'd better have a napkin handy. Nope, all I could find for weeks and weeks were great looking peaches on the outside but they were hard as rocks and flavorless on the inside. My husband (the official taste tester and critic for this blog), took it upon himself to try peach after peach in search of the perfect one. Did he ever find it? Unfortunately not, so I ended up having to use some mediocre ones that "worked" since I really wanted to make this ice cream. 

While I was looking for the perfect peach ice cream, I had a couple of criteria in mind. One, it had to be full of peach flavor (this would have been achieved with better peaches) and two, it couldn't just be a vanilla base with peach chunks mixed in. So, after looking at different recipes I had narrowed it down to one from David Lebovitz and one from Dorie Greenspan. I really liked David's concept (he adds sour cream to the mix) but ended up choosing Dorie's version since I had already made a Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream earlier in the year. Dorie's version was different by including honey and I thought it sounded heavenly in combination with the peaches.
Peeled peaches are chopped and cooked with honey until soft, then the mixture is pureed. Meanwhile a basic egg custard is cooked and the peach puree is added to the finished base along with vanilla extract. I went a step further and added ground up vanilla bean to my custard for additional flavor. After a good chilling in the refrigerator, the custard is churned in the ice cream maker, and right before finishing, more diced peaches are added.

This ice cream turned out very well, despite the sub-par peaches, so I can only imagine how incredibly tasty it would be with ripe, juicy ones. I loved the subtle honey flavor that infused the ice cream throughout. My kids were not sure about this flavor when I set out to make it, but every single one of them happily emptied their bowls. I will stay on the hunt for decent peaches, and will definitely make this flavor again. Maybe next year I'll have to have a peach ice cream throw-down between Dorie and David!

Honey-Peach Ice Cream
(adapted from "Baking: From my home to yours")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 large ripe peaches (about 2 pounds), peeled and pitted
1/4 cup honey
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla beans

Preparation:

Coarsely chop half the peaches into 1/2-inch chunks and toss them into a small saucepan. Add the honey and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are soft abut not mushy, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a  blender or food processor and whir to puree. Set the peach puree aside while you make the custard.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid - this will temper or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the back of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and our the custard into a 2-quart glass measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla and the peach puree.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream.

Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, finely dice the remaining 2 peaches, then, just before the ice cream is thickened and ready, add the peaches and churn to blend. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze it for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Ice Cream Fridays: Brown Butter Candied Bacon Ice Cream

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

I blame my husband for this flavor. He had checked out my open TasteSpotting site and this recipe caught his eye. He was sold then and there! I on the other hand, was not convinced about adding bacon to an ice cream. But hey, this is my blog, and I can at least try everything once, right? Isn't that what being a food blogger is all about? Trying new things and stepping out of your comfort zone for recipes that you might not have made normally? See, I knew you would all nod your head in agreement.

The ice cream starts by taking some bacon (I used center cut), laying it out on a foil covered baking sheet and sprinkling it generously with brown sugar. The bacon is baked until dark and caramelized. Once crisp, it is set aside to cool and firm up on a baking rack before chopping into little pieces.
Meanwhile I got started on the brown butter ice cream. I made a few ever so slight changes to the recipe to bring out more flavor. First up, butter is melted in a saucepan, I actually let it get brown (the recipe did not mention this step) before adding in brown sugar and half-and-half. Once the mixture is hot, you proceed as you do with any custard based ice cream. After the mixture has thickened, I strained it into the rest of my half and half and added brandy, vanilla, and cinnamon. This mixture is then chilled before churning it in an ice cream maker until thick. During the last few minutes, the cooled, caramelized bacon bits are added.

So, what did we think? Well, despite all of my reservations, I have to give credit where credit is due, this was surprisingly delicious! My husband loved this flavor (it doesn't get more "manly" than with bacon),  and my boys loved it as well. I thought the base was amazing with the brown butter flavor and I did like the crunch the bacon provided, but was slightly thrown off by the smokiness left after each bite. The only one who absolutely did not care for this flavor was my teenage daughter. She was totally revolted after her first and only bite. Will I be making this ice cream again? Maybe. In the right entertainment setting, it could be fun to serve, but I certainly won't be stocking it in my freezer. If you are adventurous go ahead, give it a try, and let me know what you think about this one!

Brown Butter Candied Bacon Ice Cream 
(adapted from Coolhaus Ice Cream Truck and as featured on TasteSpotting)
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients:

For the bacon:
5 strips bacon (I used center cut)
approx. 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the ice cream base:
3 tablespoons (45 g) salted butter
3/4 cup (170 g) packed dark brown sugar
2 3/4 cups (675 ml) half-and-half
5 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons brandy (whiskey or dark rum will work too)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Preparation:

For the bacon: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay the strip of bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon.  Bake for 12 -16 minutes. Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that's collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until deep brown (watch carefully during the last few minutes). Remove from oven and cool the strips on a rack.
Once crisp and cool, chop into little pieces.

For the ice cream base: Melt the butter in a heavy, medium-size saucepan. Cook the butter, watching carefully, until caramel colored. Stir in the brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups of the half-and-half.
In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks, then gradually add some the warm brown sugar mixture to them, whisking the yolks constantly as you pour. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low to moderate heat, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens. Pour the cooked custard through a strainer into a large bowl containing the rest of the half-and-half (1 1/4 cups). Add brandy, vanilla and cinnamon (if using) and whisk together.

Chill the mixture for about 5 hours in the refrigerator. Once thoroughly chilled pour into ice cream maker and chill according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the bacon bits during the last couple minutes of churning, or stir them in when you remove the ice cream from the machine.

Feta Cheese Burger

Burgers make for a great quick meal, and everyone in our house loves them. I'm always trying to find new ideas to make dinner time fun and interesting, and if I can add a serving of vegetables into the mix, even better. I love all kinds of Greek food, so when I was looking through magazines and blogs to put together my weekly menu, this Greek inspired burger caught my eye.

It comes courtesy of "Cuisine at Home", and makes for a great filling meal. Seriously, the burgers ended up being so big, we could only eat half a burger each and were completely satisfied. The burgers are made with ground chuck (I ended up using 93% fat free ground beef), but next time I will look for ground lamb instead to give it an even more authentic flavor. The burgers get a Mediterranean flair by adding garlic, oregano and marjoram to the onions, which are then sauteed before incorporating the mixture into the ground meat. The burgers are formed into a long and narrow shape (think mini meat loaf) to fit them onto a hoagie roll, but you could also serve them on a round bun. The meat is grilled on the BBQ, and right before removing, the cooked burgers are then topped with a wonderful feta sauce which is whisked together quickly in a food processor.

The sauce is a mix of feta cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, peperoncini peppers, scallions and lemon zest. The flavors compliment each other nicely and the sauce has a pleasant tartness to it. To complete each burger, red leaf lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and sliced cucumbers are added to each bun before topping them with the grilled burger. No further condiments were needed. 

The result, a great, very different tasting burger that was the perfect and quick ending to a long hot day. I simply served it with fresh watermelon and everyone left the table satisfied and happy. Definitely a recipe that I will be making again, especially since I will be making it with ground lamb the next time. If you are a burger aficionado, this recipe is definitely a must to try out!

Feta Cheese Burgers

(adapted from "Cuisine at Home")

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the Feta Sauce:

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

4 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup peperoncini peppers, sliced

3 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Burgers:

2 pounds ground chuck or lamb (I used 93% ground beef)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepared Feta Sauce

6 hoagie rolls

Red leaf lettuce

Tomato slices

Thinly sliced English Cucumber

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Process feta cheese, cream cheese, and yogurt until smooth. Add the peperoncini, scallions, zest, and seasonings. Pulse to coarsely chop, then set aside.

In a medium skilled heat olive oil. Add red onion and saute until soft. Add the garlic along with the spices and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes before adding to the ground meat.

After adding the onion mixture to the ground beef (or lamb) shape meat into 6 equal portions the size of your hoagie roll. Season with more salt and pepper. Grill burgers on an oiled grate for 4 minutes; flip and cook 2 minutes more (or cook the meat to desired doneness). 

Top each burger with a scoop of the Feta Sauce; grill another minute or until the sauce starts to melt.

Serve burgers on rolls with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.

Ice Cream Fridays: Banana Cajeta Cashew Gelato

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

Sometimes my friends get a kick out of supplying me with an ingredient and letting me "loose" in the kitchen to come up with a dish. This is how today's ice cream flavor came about. My friend Laura supplied me graciously with some Cajeta. Cajeta is sweetened goat's milk that is cooked until thick and dark in color, like Dulce de Leche, it is also very popular in Mexico. It is quite delicious by itself drizzled over the top of plain vanilla ice cream, but I knew I wanted to find something that really integrated the flavor.

This is where one of my ice cream books came to play. While my daughter was flipping through the pages one day she got very excited when she came across this Banana Cajeta Cashew Gelato. She showed it to me, thinking it would certainly fit the bill for working the ingredient into a great dessert. Boy, was she right. What made this even better was the cashews which I had received from Oh!Nuts. All I needed to do was make the ice cream base. I still had some ripe bananas left over from my banana cake so I was covered.  The ice cream starts by making a plain vanilla base. After chilling it thoroughly, ripe bananas are blended with half of the mixture until smooth before mixing it with the rest of the base. The mix is then frozen in your ice cream maker, and finally towards the end, chopped cashews are added to the Gelato. Upon layering the finished mix in your freezer bowl, cajeta is drizzled over the top and then quickly swirled in before freezing.

This was a very different but wonderful flavor combination. The kids didn't care for the cajeta by itself, but once integrated into the ice cream they went crazy for it. I'm really glad my friend introduced me to an unknown product which I ended up liking a lot. In case you can't find cajeta readily available, I'm including a recipe on how to make it yourself. However, if the thought of goat milk caramel is just a bit too exotic for you, the cajeta can be simply replaced with Dulce de Leche and you will still be left with a delicious ice cream.

Banana Cajeta Cashew Gelato
(adapted from Ciao Bella)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

Plain Base (recipe to follow)
2 ripe bananas, chilled
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted cashews
1/2 cup Cajeta, slightly warmed (recipe to follow)

Preparation:

Make the Plain Base and chill as directed.

Place the bananas, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender and add half of the base. Blend until smooth, then whisk into the remaining base.  Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the cashews 5 minutes before the churning is completed.

Just after churning, drizzle the cajeta over the top and quickly and lightly swirl in a zigzag pattern with a spoon or butter knife.

Plain Base
 


2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar


In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185 degrees F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. to cool the custard quickly, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing the bowl with the custard in it; stir the custard until cooled. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.


Cajeta
(makes about 3 cups)

2 cups goat's milk
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dissolved baking soda. When the bubbling stops, return the pan to the heat, bring back to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, for 1 hour, or until the mixture starts to thicken and turn golden. At this point the cajeta will start to thicken fast, so don't leave the pan unattended. Continue to cook stirring constantly so it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan, for another 20 minutes, or until the cajeta is a  rich brown color and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. It should cool to a medium- thick caramel consistency. If it's too thick, add a samll amount of water; if ti's too think continue to cook until thickened.

Transfer to a container, let cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Warm slightly before serving. It will keep for about 1 month in the refrigerator.

Ice Cream Fridays: Whoppers Ice Cream

 
Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

This week's flavor is a treat for kids, and those who are still kids at heart. I didn't grow up eating Whoppers. In fact, I had never even tasted anything that resembled these little 3/4 inch diameter, chocolate covered, malted milk balls, which are produced by the Hershey company before moving to the United States. Looking at the ingredient list, you'll find out very quickly that these candies are certainly no health food. However, I do like to munch on them on occasion, and they are actually one of the few candies I will pick out of my kids Halloween baskets (shhh, don't tell them).

For this ice cream, David Lebovitz takes a simple vanilla custard base and makes it special by adding malted milk powder. This, in my opinion, transforms this dessert by making it actually less sweet and more creamy. With that, this subtly sweet, malted confection is the perfect canvas for chopped Whoppers. This is certainly not a hard ice cream to make if you are familiar with cooking a custard, but I could actually see this working just as well in an egg-less Philadelphia style base. The hardest part in this recipe was cutting the difficult little suckers (whoppers), who did not want to cooperate or behave on my cutting board.

My kids were extremely happy with this frozen confection, especially since last week's Date, Rum and Pecan Flavor was definitely "adults only". While the kids went to town on this dessert along with their friends, who I assume liked it just as much, considering how fast their bowls were emptied, my husband and I were able to steal a few bites and liked it as well. While I usually prefer a smoother ice cream, it was still fun to eat and felt like being a kid again!

Whoppers Ice Cream
(adapted from The Perfect Scoop)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) half-and-half
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (90 g) malt powder (like Carnation)
6 large egg yolk
2 cups Whoppers (malted milk balls), coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Warm the half-and-half, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla, and malt powder 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 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 whisk it into the malted milk mixture. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, fold in the chopped Whoppers (malted milk balls).

Fettuccine with Fresh Corn Pesto

One thing I look forward to every summer is fresh corn. We eat corn year round, but when it isn't in season, I result to the frozen variety. It is most definitely not the same, and to me nothing beats the taste of fresh corn on the cob grilled with just a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper. Delicious! 

Since right now is prime corn season, and you can get it for fairly cheap at the local grocery stores, farmer's markets, and even road side stands, I keep my eyes open for recipes that use a good amount of it.

Looking through the newest edition of bon appetit magazine, this recipe caught my eye. Corn pesto? Now, this was a new one to me. I've made all kinds of pesto before. From the classic with basil and pine nuts, to sun dried tomato pesto and even a Walnut Pesto, which was featured on this blog before. They are all delicious, and each one lends itself to so many different applications. It is certainly one of my favorite condiments to use. So back to the Corn Pesto which had peaked my interested. It is very reminiscent of a classic basil pesto with the pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil, but also very different at the same time.

The recipe starts by crisping up some bacon. The fresh corn which is cut off the cobs (I used this gadget which works like a dream), is then sauteed in some of the left over bacon grease along with garlic. Some of the cooked corn is set aside, while the rest is added to a food processor along with freshly grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. While processing, olive oil is added through the feed tube and the mixture is blended until almost smooth.  Once the pasta is cooked, the corn pesto along with the reserved cooked corn and fresh basil is added. Cooking water from the pasta will help to achieve the desired consistency of the dish.  Finally, the pasta gets the finishing touch by adding the previously cooked bacon and more basil.

This dish was everything and more we ever hoped for. It was creamy and full of flavor, in a way it reminded me of Spaghetti Carbonara. Corn is certainly prominently featured in this recipe and shines in this dish. I served this with grilled steak and a simple side salad. This was a great meal that I will be making for sure the next time I'm entertaining. I thought it was a very unique way to take advantage of summer's corn bounty!

Fettuccine with Fresh Corn Pesto

(adapted from bon appetit)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces Fettuccine or Tagliatelle
3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Preparation:

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Saute over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to  samll bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into a food processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.