Irish Coffee Ice Cream!

Hey Folks! Since it's wintry out I decided my next ice cream project had to have a bit of  a kick in it. Nothing fruity and zingy that reminded me of our long past summer. Than it hit me Irish Coffee Ice Cream has caffeine and alcohol (whiskey)- double whammy going on! Plus I've been wanting to try out this recipe for a while. Just never got around to it until now.

Recipe

The recipe used came from the Ice Cream Ireland blog.
http://icecreamireland.com/2009/05/

Ingredients:

150g Sugar   
5 Egg Yolks                                                                                      
240ml Milk
4 tablespoons/10g Instant Coffee
3 tablespoons/45ml Irish Whiskey

1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until it thickens.
2. In a pot, bring the milk to a low simmer.
3. Slowly pour the milk into the the egg and sugar mixture whilst beating it in.
4. Than pour the mixture back into the pot and set it at a low heat . The custard should remain at a temperature between 65-70c otherwise the eggs will start to scramble!
5. Continuously stir the custard until it thickens slightly and it just coats the back of the spoon.
6. Remove from the heat straight away and stir in a small amount to the coffee until it is dissolved. Some of my coffee would not dissolve for me so I chucked the lumpy bits outs. I love coffee so my tbsps were quite heaped so I guess I ended up back with the original quantity stated in the recipe.
7. Add this coffee mix to the custard and transfer it to a container and chill in the fridge until it reaches 5c. I gave it  an hour and a half in the fridge.
8. Stir the whiskey into the mixture.
9. Whip the cream until it doubles in volume and you can see soft peaks. Try not to over whip. Since I used Elmlea, it did not form peaks but did double in volume.
10. Fold the cream into the mixture.
11. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, or cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours to break up the ice crystals. I left the mixture in my ice cream machine for 15 mins.
12. For a more solid consistency, leave the ice cream in the freezer for a few hours.

Note: I used low fat milk and Elmlea (cream alternative) because that's what I had in the fridge and because it was wet and windy out.

Verdict: Definitely strong tasting but in a good way. It so is an Irish Coffee in ice-cream form and cold. Coffee generally has a bitter taste to it but the sugar in this just makes it taste sweeeet!

Third Party Verdict: 2 of my flatmates were kind enough to test my ice cream out and both agreed it had the yum factor and they could taste the whiskey which was a plus for them.  Heey not a bad result as both flatmates don't drink coffee!

Review of Franks Diabetic Vanilla Ice Cream

 

I was in Tesco doing my weekly grocery shopping when I spied Frank's Diabetic Vanilla. One usually sees special ice creams in the health food shop. Well I was looking for vanilla ice cream to make my some more oreo ice cream sandwiches(recipe in previous post) so I decided to test it out. The €2.69 price tag is comparable to other tubs of vanilla ice cream and very reasonable indeed for a 1 litre tub.
Verdict- it's gorgeous! The texture is the soft scoop type and very creamy. It's not too sweet but it tastes no different from other vanilla ice creams. According to the label it is also suitable for vegetarians and is gluten free. I took a peek at the ingredients and fructose is in it. Fructose is a sugar found in fruit and is often recommended to diabetics because of its low glycemic index (GI). My flatmate helped test it too and he gave it the thumbs up.

My DIY OREO Ice Cream Sandwich

 

Carl's Jnr, a popular burger franchise chain in America  has recently launched an Oreo ice cream cookie sandwich to their dessert menu. A scoop of their in-house made ice-cream is placed between 2 large Oreo wafers which are 3 inches in diameter compared to the regular 1.75 inch cookie we all know.
I'm quite fond of the cookie which I mostly consume as a malt milkshake in Eddie Rockets.
Here are some interesting facts about the Oreos:

• The Oreo Cookie has been around since 1912 and is the best selling cookie of the 20th century.
• Origin of the name is still a mystery, One belief of how it got its name is from the shape of a hill-shaped test version of the cookie and so named it Oreo which in Greek means mountain. Another possibility was the cookie's name was taken from the French word for gold, "or" and this was the colour of the packaging in earlier days. Another plausible reason for the name is the combination of  "re" from "cream" and placing it between the two "o"s in "chocolate" thus making it "o-re-o."Or some believe it was so named because Oreo was simple and short to pronounce.
• There are many different variations of cookie like lemon filled Oreo, Oreo wafer sticks, sugar free Oreo,Oreo cakesters and many more.

To make your own Oreo ice cream sandwich you will need;
-Oreo cookies
-Vanilla Ice cream

1. Gently seperate the cookie  halves.
2. Using a knife, scrape the cream filling from each cookie.
3. Place a tablespoon of ice cream on one cookie half and put the other layer on top.

Et voila! Simple and delish!

Frankincense Ice Cream

One of  my eyebrows shot up quizzically as I read the article entitled 'New Taste of Oman:Sweet Frankincense Ice Cream'. Two things popped into my head.
1) Isn't that 1 of the 3 gifts presented to baby Jesus at Xmas? and
2) I didn't know frankincense was edible. 
Frankincense is an aromatic gum resin from the genus Boswellia trees. It is mainly used in perfumes, pharmaceutical preparations and is also burnt as incense. According to the Times of Oman, an American woman Trygve Harris created the new ice cream and first launched it at Oman’s Haffa Souq Salaleh (the frankincense market in Salaleh). It was a complete sell out every night.
Her new company  Enfleurage Middle East is based in Oman and her goal is to increase production of the uniquely flavoured ice cream along with frankincense candy by February of next year. Harris already has a shop Enfleurage in New York which sells scented items like oils, lotions and candles. She is currently working on developing a less strongly flavoured frankincense ice cream to better suit the American palate.

Review of New Magnum Ghana

Me and my buddy decided to indulge in a delectable Magnum last night & noticed a new flavour-Magnum Ghana with milk chocolate and hazelnut. We both agreed it was delish and you can definitely taste the hazelnut ice cream. However the milk chocolate layer was noticeably thinner. More choc ice thinness than the normal thick Magnum layer I've come to expect. Therefore I give it 8/10 marks.
Also I feel its important to mention the new Ghana Magnum ice cream is made with specially selected cocoa beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in Ghana. The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organisation who are devoted to promoting sustainable agricultural practices and improving the quality of life for farming communities. Presently Ghana is the second biggest producer of cocoa globally. Magnum aim to source all of their cocoa supply from these certified farms by 2015. 

How to Make Ice Cream in a Plastic Bag

No Ice cream maker? No problem! 2 plastic bags can create flavourful ice cream and in less time too if you don't mind the soft scoop type.  All the ingredients and utensils are listed in the video. Please note there is 1 part of the video which annoyingly reminds me of the woman in Knorrs season and shake chicken tv advert- you have been warned!

Capogiro Artisan Gelato

Ever wonder who does the best ice cream? Well according to the National Geographic magazine, gelato maker Capogiro who has 4 cafes in Philadelphia makes the worlds best tasting gelato beating countries like Argentina, Australia, Italy, Turkey. The report reads "The artisan gelatos and sorbettos handcrafted each day . . . include flavors not seen anywhere else." Their website states they are devoted to using hand picked ingredients which are fresh and seasonal. The milk is from Amish grass fed cows. Not happy with just one source, I did some more research and the food buster blogs author carried out his own taste test in January this year and confirmed Capogiro is the king of frozen treats. The gelato captures the flavour of whatever special ingredient it uses almost perfectly.
A sample of available flavours  are Madagascar bourbon vanilla, melograno (pomegranate), nocciola Piemonte (hazelnut), Saigon cinnamon, Thai coconut milk (with a dash of rum), and zucca (long-neck pumpkin). I  haven't visited America yet but when I do rest assured I'll be making a pit stop in Capogiros to make sure the hype is justified.

Camel Milk Ice Cream

Move over moo cows, the camels have come to town! Okay not quite but camel milk ice cream has been launched in the UK which means it's probably a matter of time before it arrives on our shores. Camel milk is highly nutritious boasting 10 times more iron and 5 times more vitamin B whilst being low in fat. It's a popular snack in the Middle East with consumers describing it as extra creamy with a slight texture. The camel milk is sourced from Europe's only commercial camel dairy farm based in the Netherlands. In the BBC podcast below Dutch farmer Frank Smidt explains camels do not produce milk if stressed and must be kept happy. In the UK, camel milk enriched ice cream is being marketed as a luxurious and healthy treat for grown-ups. The accompanying price tag of £4 per scoop is hefty indeed. I can't see the lil kiddies spending their pocket money on it but I reckon it will be a hit with the health/diet conscious adults including me!


http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9627000/9627103.stm

Eerie Eye-Scream

In keeping with the Halloween theme, I thought you guys would get a kick out of these vanilla scoops made to look like eyeballs.

Ingredients:

Vanilla ice cream
Strawberry syrup
M & M sweets (brown,blue or green)
Black decorating gel


1. Scoop the ice cream into balls and set on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet or greaseproof paper.  Than freeze until ready to serve (minimum 20 minutes).
2. Place two ice cream balls on a plate, an inch apart.
3. Drizzle syrup onto each ice cream ball to create a bloodshot effect. Put an M&M with the logo facing down at the center of each and top with a drop of black decorating gel to form a pupil. If you do not have black decorating gel than use black licorice instead.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Mudslides

Ever wonder what to do with all the left over pumpkin after carving a spooktacular lantern? Me neither, until now! Yea found this recipe which is a regular mudslide with a bit of extra pumpkin juice. And this Halloween tipple aint for the kids with slashings of Vodka, Kahlua and Baileys thrown in. Oh yeaa- wickedly good!

Recipe yields 2

Ingredients:

2 ounces Vodka
2 ounces Kahlua
2 ounces Baileys
8 ounces vanilla ice cream
8 ounces pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Whipped cream, to taste
Chocolate syrup, to taste

1. Blend all ingredients except the whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
2. Drizzle chocolate syrup along the inside edges of  the chilled glasses.
3. Pour the pumpkin mudslide into the glasses.
4. Top with whipped cream and more chocolate syrup.

Bottoms up!

Halloween Dirt Ice Cream with Wriggly Worms

All Hallow's Eve is fast approaching so I thought I'd dig out an icky looking recipe for you guys. It's super quick and simple.

Ingredients:
4-6 Oreo cookies
Scoop of chocolate ice cream
Scoop of vanilla ice cream
gummy jelly worms

Place the cookies in a ziplock bag and crush using a rolling pin. In a glass cup or bowl place a layer of the cookies on the bottom followed by a layer of chocolate than vanilla ice cream and top off with the cookies and stick the jelly worms into the 'dirt'.  You don't have to be exact, keep layering until the glass is full. 

Ben and Jerry's Flavour Graveyard

This wacky cemetery is located in Vermont, North America and is unlike any cemetery you've seen. It's where Ben & Jerry's defunct flavours are laid to rest! RIP 'Miz Jelena's Sweet Potato Pie' and same goes to 'Coffee,Coffee,buzzbuzzbuzz!'. The factory and flavour graveyard has become the states most popular tourist attraction with free samples being offered with the guided tours. In the graveyard, each of the 27 plastic tombstones has a rhyming epitaph and a cartoon picture of the ice cream with wings. The wings I'm guessing represent its ascent to dessert heaven. Since the company's inception 200 flavours have failed to tickle the tastebuds of their customers. But there's still hope for the deceased flavour you still fancy. If they get enough votes on their website they will happily resurrect the flavour.

Cinema & Ice Cream - Movies that satisfy your sweet tooth!

For me the big screen and snacks go hand in hand but I'll always choose a delectable ice cream treat over popcorn. As a veracious foodie, I like to feed my obsession further by watching films with enticing food scenes and if the food happens to be ice cream, even better! Here, I've compiled my top 5 movie list. If you guys can think of any great movies which involve ice cream feel free to drop me a comment.

1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Make sure you're not on any sort of a diet when you watch this movie.There is no scene sweeter than waking up to gigantic scoops of yummy ice cream covering your house and neighbourhood. In this scene, Flint discovers how much fun it is throwing snowballs made from ice cream.

2. Hot Fuzz

Simon Pegg plays a super cop who is unwillingly transferred to a sleepy, small village because he's making the force look bad. As you know in cartoons when a light bulb appears above a characters head it signifies an idea or breakthrough. Well this scene illustrates how a Cornetto replaces the light bulb analogy and goes by the name of "brainwave". This is my most favourite scene in Hot Fuzz.

3. Little Miss Sunshine

http://movieclips.com/u3EYr-little-miss-sunshine-movie-olives-ice-cream/

Here, Greg Kinnear plays a well-meaning but deranged kind of a father who informs his 7 year old daughter Olive eating ice cream will make her fat and will inevitably damage her chances of winning Miss America. I recall rolling my eyes to heaven when I watched this scene and in defiance I helped myself to a second scoop of the good stuff. But I also found it very funny and touching when the rest of  the family rally around Olive and tempt her by diving into the ice cream until she can't resist anymore.

4. City Slickers

 
In this scene, we have an ice cream mogul who brags he knows the right ice cream flavour to suit any food for every occasion. My favourite quote City Slickers “Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla, don’t waste my time” Oh to have that special skill- dinner parties will never be the same again. Certain wines complement the food it is eaten with, why not ice cream?

5. Not Another Teen Movie

Before Chris Evans was Captain America, he played a high school football star who tries to impress a girl by dressing up as a banana split. This scene cracks me up everytime.

Ice Cream Around the World

 As a foodie at heart, I tend to eat my way through any country I visit. One thing I noticed is that each culture has their own take on the frozen sweet. It's such a universal treat I thought I'd do a quick run down of the different flavours enjoyed in a select few ice cream guzzling countries.

America
It comes as no surprise that the US are the top consumer for ice cream world wide. 2011 estimates from the Helium website show that a whopping 98% of households have ice cream on their grocery list. Well known American brands are Baskin Robbins and Ben & Jerry's. Rasmussen media company reports that Americans like to keep it simple when it comes to their ice cream of choice with vanilla and chocolate ranking number 1.

India
Kulfi is India's version of ice cream and is traditionally made by carefully boiling milk until it has been reduced down to one-third its original quantity. Traditional flavours include cardamom, saffron, rasberry, cinnamon, pistachio and rose. Newer flavours are peanut and avocado.







France
When it comes to ice cream the French got it right. 'Glace' is available in a wide variety of flavours. Nice being a beach town has the widest selection. Classic flavours are nougat, cinnamon, caramel and dark chocolate. For fruit lovers they have pear, pineapple, grapefruit, blackcurrant and many other fruits. For more unusual and interesting flavours, southern France is the place to find them. To name but a few they have lavender, black olive, orange blossom,  thyme, vanilla and pink peppercorn.

New Zealand
In 2011, NZ came second to America for ice cream consumption. New Zealanders most popular flavour is the locally produced Hokey Pokey which is vanilla with bits of spongy toffee. I think it's a great name for ice cream.





 

Japan
Ice cream or 'Aisukurimu' is a popular dessert in Japan. Japanese delicacies have been incorporated into their ice cream to suit the local palette. Green tea, black sesame, tofu and sweet potato are some common flavours. However you can't fault the Japanese for lack of creativity as they have invented many unusual and unique flavours. Anyone fancy pit viper or octopus? Or how about chicken wing, beef tongue or caviar flavoured ice cream?

Turkey
The Turkish people like their ice cream or 'Dondurma' stretchy. Salep a ground orchid root is the key ingredient. Popular flavours include tangy plain and mastic (natural gum in eastern mediterranean), herbs, pistachio, strawberry and chocolate. 

Ice cream man puts on a show!

The video has become a big web hit on you tube. This actually happened in Turkey. An unsuspecting tourist gets taunted by the vendor albeit for a bit of a laugh. I think it's hilarious and the tourist just looks surprised. Though, if it was happening to me I'd probably have a grrr expression as nobody comes between me and my 99 ;0) 

Mushroom Ice Cream!!

Yes, you read it right! And if you are a foodie like me who loves mushrooms than this is perfect for fitting in one of your five a day. I do realise that the other ingredients do far outweigh the mushrooms but hey every little bit helps. According to the MorningStarr and Isle of Man website Greeba Farm and Davisons Manx dairy ice cream manufacturer have created a great tasting mushroom ice cream that was recently launched at the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival and was a complete sell-out! Apparently even the local restaurants want to start serving it in their menus. Did a search on the web and most recipes used the candy cap mushrooms which have a sweet maple syrup like flavour. Davison use the chestnut mushrooms and it's a pity they don't share the recipe on their website. However I shall keep on the look -out for a fungitastic mushroom ice cream recipe to test out and share with you fine folks.

I found this nifty instruction video on how to make ice cream using a food processor. Real handy if you don't have an ice cream maker.

Venison Ice Cream

 Venison Ice Cream

As I was surfing the web an article in Digital Spy caught my attention. A scottish chef has created the world's first venison ice cream. Julien Miran of the Cow Shed restaurant in Banchory, Aberdeenshire "We were just trying to make something different from the usual venison dish and thought about ice cream," He goes on to say it is more suited to a side dish than a dessert. I'm all for creative food but I'm not sure this ice cream would please my humongous sweet tooth. However If I did find myself in that part of Scotland and dining in that particular restaurant -why not? So what are your thoughts on this meaty new ice cream, yay or nay?

Lemon Ice cream

Today I was in the mood for something zesty and zingy and I couldn't think of anything more refreshing than ice cream made from lemons. You can serve it with hot lemon sauce, fruit and wafers. But I find the lemon rind bits enough to keep me happy. I have to admit my ice cream doesn't look like the picture on the website but as long as it tickles my tastebuds than job well done!

The recipe used comes from tesco realfood website.
http://www.tescorealfood.com/recipes/easiest-ever-lemon-ice-cream.html


Ingredients:

finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
100g icing sugar
600ml whipping cream

Mix together the sugar, lemon zest and juice and set aside. In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.
Stir the lemon mixture into the whipped cream until well mixed. Spoon the mixture into a freezable container and freeze for at least 4 hours or until firmly frozen. Remove from the freezer 10-15mins before serving to soften slightly. Alternatively if you have an ice cream maker just pour the mixture into the machine.

Custard Based Vanilla Ice Cream

It's been so hot and sunny this week which is ideal weather for some ice-cream making. The flavour du jour is the classic and ubiquitous vanilla. Earlier today I bought some roasted, chopped hazelnuts as a topping but all sorts of toppings can go on vanilla. Top it off with chocolate chips or hundreds and thousands. Wafers and fruit or how about a good drizzle of your favourite syrup. This recipe is from my Aldi ice-cream maker instruction manual.

Recipe

Ingredients

2 Egg Yolks
50g Icing Sugar
200ml Skimmed Milk
200ml Double Cream
Few drops Vanilla Essence/Extract

Place the egg yolks in a bowl and mix them. Place the milk in a saucepan over a low heat until boiling point has been reached (that is when you steam rise off the milk). Then pour the milk on the egg-mixture and then pour back the mixture into the saucepan. Now stir constantly over low heat until the mixture thickens. Do not allow to boil. I stirred the mixture until it looked like custard. Remove from heat and allow to cool down. Here I transferred the mixture to a bowl so it would cool faster. Add the cream and vanilla essence/extract. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker with the paddle running. Allow to freeze until desired consistency has been reached. This took me about 20 mins  which resulted in soft scoopable ice cream. I tend to place my just made ice cream into the freezer as I prefer a slightly more solid consistency.