Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Makes approximately 1 litre

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
1 cup peanut butter

Directions

Pour 1 cup of the cream into a large bowl. Set a fine mesh sieve over top.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining cream, milk, salt and sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Pour some of the warm milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Transfer the yolks into the sauce pan and stir to combine. Add the peanut butter and stir until combined. 

Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens to form a custard that will coat the back of a spatula. Stir constantly, making sure to scrap the bottom of the saucepan.

Add the custard to the reserved cream, straining it through the sieve. Stir to combine.

Refrigerate until chilled thoroughly or overnight. Transfer the custard to the ice cream maker. Freeze mixture according to ice cream maker instructions.

♥  Amy

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts - and so easy to make!

Adapted from Simple Food by Antonio Carluccio, serves four to six

Ingredients

2 egg yolks
100 grams sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
400 grams mascarpone cheese
80 ml heavy cream
400 ml espresso
4 tablespoons Kahlua
8 to 18 ladyfingers biscuits, depending on size
Cocoa powder, to dust

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, 80 grams of sugar and vanilla extract. Add the mascarpone and cream. Stir until combined.

In a second bowl, mix together the remaining sugar, espresso and liqueur. Dip the biscuits quickly into the liquid mixture and place them into individual bowls or glasses.

Spoon or pipe the cheese mixture over the biscuits. Dust with cocoa powder.

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

♥  Amy

Panna Cotta with Berry Coulis

This is an amazingly easy dessert, perfect for entertaining because it can be prepared in advance.

It is fantastic with blackberries but any berry or a mixture or berries would work. Mango would also be a great option.

Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon, serves four to six

Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 vanilla beans or 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
6 sheets gelatin or 2 envelopes powdered gelatin or 4 1/2 teaspoons

2 cups berries of choice, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries

Directions

Place the gelatin in a small bowl with 5 1/2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.

If using vanilla beans, split the pods and scrape out the contents.

In a medium pot over medium heat, stir together the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla, both bean pods and contents. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves fully, about 7 to 10 minutes, remove from heat. Remove the vanilla bean pods.

Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Stir the softened gelatine into the mixture and stir to incorporate.
once gelatin has completely dissolved, ladle mixture into small jars or cups.

Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 4 to 6 hours.

For the berry coulis, place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add sugar or honey as necessary if the berries are too tart.

Once the panna cottas have set, spoon the coulis over the top of each cup.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with berries, lemon rind or mint leaves.

♥  Amy

Paleo Dairy-Free Eggnog

David loves eggnog. It took me several trips to the grocery store to make the eggnog ice cream because the eggnog kept disappearing before I could get it into the ice cream.

Unfortunately store bought eggnog contains a long list of undesirable ingredients including modified milk ingredients, processed sugars and preservatives - a long cry from the traditional recipe of milk, eggs, spices and rum!

Needless to say I was quite happy to find a paleo eggnog recipe on Pinterest. It is not quite as creamy as traditional milk-based eggnog but still delicious.

Adapted from Allergy Free Alaska, makes 1 litre 

Ingredients

4 cups almond milk
3 whole cloves
1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sticks
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon honey or sweetener of your choice, optional
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, or more to taste, freshly grated if possible
3/4 cup rum, optional

Directions

Slice the vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise. Scrap out the seeds. Add both the pod and seeds to a medium saucepan. Add the the almond milk, cloves and cinnamon. Over low heat, slowly bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and honey. Whisk until light and fluffy.

Slowly add the hot milk to the eggs, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Return the egg and milk mixture to the saucepan. Add the nutmeg. Heat over low temperature, stirring constantly for two minutes until heated through.

Chill overnight before serving. Add rum immediately before serving if desired.

♥  Amy

Eggnog Ice Cream

I got nominated to make dessert for Christmas dinner on both sides of the family this year. We celebrated with Dave's family this past weekend and I made sticky toffee pudding with eggnog ice cream.

The cake was an epic failure since it simply refused to bake. I cooked it almost 30 minutes longer than the 40 minute recommended time and it was still molten in the middle.

The ice cream, however, was fantastic.

Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from David Lebovitz Perfect Scoop, makes 1 litre

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 cups eggnog
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon brandy
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, salt and sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pour the eggnog into a large bowl. Set a fine mesh sieve over top.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Pour some of the warm milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Transfer the yolks into the sauce pan and stir to combine with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens to form a custard that will coat the back of a spatula. Stir constantly, making sure to scrap the bottom of the saucepan.

Add the custard to the eggnog, straining it through the sieve. Add the vanilla extract, rum, brandy and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

Refrigerate until chilled thoroughly or overnight.

Transfer the custard to the ice cream maker. Freeze mixture according to ice cream maker instructions.

♥  Amy

Cream Cheese Frosting

The original recipe used this on cinnamon buns which would be heavenly... I need to try it some time... I used it as the base for the frosting on the Blackberry Swirl Cupcakes I made recently.

I will post the remainder of my Blackberry Swirl Cupcake recipe soon.

Adapted from Not So Humble Pie, makes approximately 3 cups

Ingredients

16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream, cold

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks. Remove to a separate bowl and set aside. In the stand mixer bowl, next beat the cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Fold in the whipped cream and briefly beat to combine. Do not over mix.

Frost using a knife or a piping bag with your favourite tip.

♥  Amy

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Once I made my first successful batch of caramel, I kind of went overboard... What good would it be to make salted caramel sauce with out making salted caramel ice cream to go with it?

Adapted from David Lebovitz, makes one litre

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream

5 egg yolks

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the sugar, stirring constantly. Continue cooking the liquefied sugar until it starts to darken. 

Just as the sugar starts to smoke (do not let it smoke or it will burn), add the butter and salt. Stir to combine. Add in the cream and whisk until smooth. If the caramel hardens into clumps, return the sauce pan to low heat and stir until melted.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually pour half of the warm caramel mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Transfer the egg yolks back to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens into a custard. 

Add the milk to a large bowl over and ice bath. Pour the custard into the milk, add the vanilla and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Freeze as per the ice cream makers instructions.

Serve with salted caramel sauce.

♥  Amy

Vanilla Ice Cream

We decided to test out the new ice cream maker with a good classic vanilla ice cream. This recipe is so simple and rich (and free of preservatives and chemicals), I don't think we will ever eat store-bought ice cream again.

From David Lebovitz, makes approximately 1litre


1 cup whole milk
Pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 cups heavy cream
7 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, salt and sugar. Split the vanilla bean in half and scape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the pod to the milk mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place a large bowl over an ice bath. Pour the cream into the bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Pour some of the warm milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Transfer the yolks into the sauce pan and stir to combine with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens to form a custard that will coat the back of a spatula. Stir constantly, making sure to scrap the bottom of the saucepan.

Add the custard to the heavy cream. Stir over ice until combined. Add the vanilla extract.

Refrigerate until chilled thoroughly or overnight.

Remove the vanilla bean pod and transfer the custard to the ice cream maker. Freeze mixture according to ice cream maker instructions.

Enjoy!


Amy

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

I am normally not a fan of strawberry ice cream because most don't really contain strawberries. This recipe is almost entirely strawberries and it is heavenly.


From David Lebowitz, makes 1 litre

1 pound strawberries, fresh or frozen and defrosted
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Toss the strawberries in a bowl with the sugar. Let stand for one or two hours, stirring periodically.

Transfer the strawberries and any juice to a blender. Add the yogurt and lemon juice. Blend until the mixture is smooth. If desired, pass the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds.

Transfer the strawberry mixture to the ice cream maker. Freeze mixture according to ice cream maker instructions.

Amy

Baked Ricotta Dip

I made this for a Christmas potluck and it was a huge success. Unfortunately I din't manage to get any photos.

Adapted from Inspired Edibles

500 mL container ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons Kalamata olives, finely chopped

3 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil (or oil from sun dried tomatoes)

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Transfer the ingredients into an oven proof dish.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until cheese mixture is warmed through and starts to bubble around the edges.

Remove from oven and drizzle with olive oil. 

Serve warm with an assortment of crackers, bread and vegetables.

Chèvre Goat Cheese

Fresh goat cheese or Chèvre is one of the easiest cheeses to make and only takes a day before it is ready to be eaten.

I order all of my cheese cultures and supplies from The Cheesemaker but you can also get convenient starter kits from Urban Cheesecraft.

From 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes; From Cheddar and Brie to Butter and Yogurt by Debra Amrein-Boyes, makes about 2 pounds


4 litres goat milk
1/4 teaspoon mesophilic culture
1 drop liquid rennet
Kosher salt


In a large pot, warm the milk to 77 F or 25 C, constantly stirring. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and let stand for about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon and a gentle up-down motion, mix the culture into the milk. 

Dilute the rennet in 1 tablespoon of cool water. Add to the milk and combine using the same up-down motion. Cover the pot and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours. 

After 24 hours the milk will have formed a large disk of curd that is floating on top of the whey.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curd to a draining bog or to a cheesecloth lined colander. Let the curd drain for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove the cheese from the bag and place into a bowl. Weight the cheese and add 1% of the weight in the cheese in salt. For example, the cheese should weigh approximately 2 pounds or 900 grams, therefore you would add 9 grams of salt. If the cheese is to be eaten immediately, simply add salt to taste.

The cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Amy

Cheese Sauce

Adapted from AllRecipes

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups milk

1/3 cup cooking sherry (optional)

1 cup shredded cheese - any combination of swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, etc

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add in the flour, paprika, mustard, and pepper. Stir constantly until the flour begins to brown. Add the milk and sherry, stirring constantly until thickened.

Stir in the cheeses until melted and well blended.

Serve over broccoli or your favorite vegetables.

  

Amy