TWD: ICE CREAM!

When I tell you it has been HOT outside I mean it’s been HOT outside. The heat index has been in the low 100 degrees for the last two weeks. And the rain keeps going around us. I don’t remember it EVER being this hot at this time of the year for so long. And I’m 70+ years old!

I am sure the ice cream companies have been selling a lot of the cold stuff. I was glad I made the coffee cake as my first TWD choice two weeks ago because Dorie’s S’Mores Ice Cream Cake has been real popular for the last two weeks. I wish it had lasted longer.

This cake is layers of three types of ice cream (Chocolate Chip, Vanilla, and Oreo Cookie), fudge sauce, and Peanut Butter Fluff filling. There is a graham cracker crust on the bottom and toasted marshmallows on the top. I had to pull out my little torch for this one.

It does take a long time to put together because it has be frozen between putting the layers together. And then it has to freeze for about 6 hours. But, believe me, it is worth it!

With the heat I bet a lot of the bakers with TWD made the ice cream cake. You can check them out HERE

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{SRC} Gourmet Cooking IS Possible

I like to cook. No, I LOVE to cook. Good thing since I need to feed my family. But I only really learned to cook about 10 years ago or so. Beautiful Daughter used to come home and ask me what I was burning for supper that night. I know. But I love her anyway. Cooking was just something I did. NOW it’s something I DO!! And thanks to blogs like Living the Gourmet, which was my Secret Recipe Club ‘assignment” this month, it gets easier all the time.  Catherine, Tammy, and Michael Pappas are the people behind the blog.  Catherine is the founder who wanted a way to leave recipes for her children.  Tammy, her daughter, is the photographer (and her photos are beautiful).  Michael, her son, is in charge of interviews and product reviews.  The three of them are quite a team.

As usual it was hard to find just one recipe, so as is my habit I narrowed it down to three. (Why three?  Once I get my assignment I take a week to read and then try to cook one recipe each week until the reveal.  Makes it easier.)

The first recipe I tried was

ASIAN STYLE MARINATED SALMON FILET 

A wonderfully flavored salmon fillet marinated in

3 tbs. teriyaki sauce
2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. orange marmalade or apricot sauce
¼ cup of Italian parsley – chopped
1 large clove of garlic – chopped

1 inch piece of fresh ginger – chopped
1 tbs. sesame oil
2 tbs. soy sauce

then baked grilled until the fish is flaky. I’m glad I made two fillets because it was delicious.

Next came

YELLOW SQUASH WITH SAUSAGE AND PASTA

A delicious mix of pasta, Italian sausage, yellow squash {I subbed in a zucchini}
Catherine’s recipe called for Italian sausage, yellow squash, lots of garlic, red onion, Italian parsley, fresh basil, red pepper flakes and dried oregano for flavor. There is no way you would not like this one.

And THEN there’s dessert….

This is no-churn HONEY VANILLA AND BROWN SUGAR ICE CREAM.

I love making no-churn ice cream. I’ve made ice cream in a table top churn for eons but sometimes you just want something easier. And these no-churn definitely are. If you have made this you know it is super simple. Whip together 2 cups of heavy cream with 1 can sweetened condensed milk and a 1 tsp vanilla. Catherine added in ¼ cup brown sugar and 3-4 tbs. honey. Catherine garnished hers with mini cookies but I didn’t have any so I used turbinado sugar.  The honey definitely adds an extra layer of flavor.

I think this one just became my favorite one.

Thanks, Living the Gourmet for some great recipes still to come.

There’s more for Secret Recipe Club.  Click on the frog.

 

{SRC} With a little bit…

..of luck…

you get assigned to a blog for Secret Recipe Club that has lots of simple, and tasty, recipes. And that is what happened this month when my Secret Assignment was A Little Bit of Everything which is written by Julie WAY up in the plains Nebraska. And I mean way way up because I am WAY down in the Deep South of Louisiana. She has been blogging since 2009 and has a collection of recipes to prove it.

As usual, and we are all in the same boat each month, it was hard to find JUST ONE recipe for SRC so I tried several. And they were all good. And all simple.

It has FINALLY turned cool here which means I could enjoy a nice bowl of oatmeal {I don’t like oatmeal, or soup, in the summer. Just too hot! I know, I’m weird.} and lucky for me Julie had a Pumpkin Oatmeal on the blog.

It is full of all those wonderful pumpkin pie spices, pecans, and maple syrup. It was just right. I wish I had made more than just 1/2 of the recipe.

There was also a recipe for Butterscotch Pumpkin Muffins

Talk about tasty. Ditto on the pumpkin spices and then add in the butterscotch chips and it was a definite winner.

1 3/4 cup flour, sifted
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Create a well in the middle of the mixture.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin and butter. Stir in the butterscotch chips. Pour into the well of the dry ingredients. Fold together just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not ove rmix.
Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tins.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Place on a rack to cool.

Oh, yeah, and then I drizzled some with caramel. MAYBE a little over the top, but hey….

We eat a lot of ice cream year round. Or at least The Hubs does. So I had to make Julie’s Cake Batter Ice Cream.

Okay, it wasn’t completely her recipe. I have fallen in love with the No Churn ice cream so I used her amount of cake batter {3/4 cup} in the no churn. What a great Idea!!! You can have your cake and ice cream at the same time. Add some sprinkles and it’s a party in a bowl!!

So here it is the weekend before the reveal and I still have about 10 items on my list from Julie’s recipes:

Breakfast Pies
Butternut Risotto
Taco Bake

Which just happen to be the next three on my list. I cannot put my whole list so you bettr just jump on over to A Little Bit of Everything and check them out your self. AND, when you click on her lists they come up in PINTEREST!! Now why didn’t I think of that?

And for the rest of the SRC delights you can find them by clicking below:

 

{BCM} Panna Cotta

This is one of those desserts I have been wanting to make but just haven’t. No reason. I see recipes all the time but just never have followed through. Imagine how excited I was to see if on the August list for Baking Chez Moi/Tuesdays with Dorie. FINALLY!!!

This one, and there are a couple of more, is made with mango as the base. And it is lovely when it is all put together. Full of the sweet/tart taste of the mango puree on the bottom and the sweet vanilla panna cotta on top.

I can see this with lots of other variations – blueberry, strawberry, lemon.

The recipe is on page 270 of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Chez Moi. We don’t print the recipes but if you buy her book you can join in the baking!

And check with the other Doristas for their Panna Cottas. I am sure there will be some lovely variations.

 

{SRC} What’s Cooking with Sara?

If Quiche is one of your fave dishes, like it is mine, you need to visit this blog soon.
If Dessert is one of your fave dishes, like it is mine, you need to visit this blog soon.
If Ice Cream is one of your fave dishes, like it is mine, you need to visit this blog soon.

Cause if you do, you will find TONS of recipes in each of those categories, plus TONS more in chicken, pizza, pasta just to name a few of the types of recipes you will find on SARA’s Blog – Cooking with Sara. Sara was my ‘assignment’ this month for Secret Recipe Club. SRC is a monthly cooking group where we cook from different blogs each month. The blogs are new to us and a great way to find new fellow Foodies.

Sarah is in the Midwest and loves to cook. She says her Mom was her inspiration…

“Much of my love for cooking comes from my Mom, who demonstrated (almost!) every day that an attractive and delicious meal on the table shows love for those around you. I learned much from watching her, and continue to be inspired by her ministry of hospitality.”

Sarah, she taught you well because there are WAY too many recipes to choose just one from, so I didn’t. But even choosing just a couple was very difficult.

I started out with Sara’s…

…. Asparagus and Shrimp Quiche

I like quiche for lunch more than any other meal. It is light, quick, and you can often tailor a quiche to your own tastes, as I did Sara’s.

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound medium cooked shrimp, cut in half
2 tsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
6 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 pound asparagus, washed and trimmed
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan gruyere cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. bread crumbs

{I made a small sized quiche so I cut all the ingredients by about 1/3}

Cut 6 asparagus spears into equal length and blanch them in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes or until bright green. {I actually did this with all the asparagus.} Remove and set aside. Chop the remaining asparagus into bite sized pieces.

Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a pan and add the garlic and onion and saute for several minutes until the onion gets soft. Add the chopped asparagus and saute for 2-3 minutes or until it turns bright green. Add the shrimp and red pepper flakes and mix well to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Whisk the eggs together with the half and half, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Grease a pie plate or quiche pan with non stick spray, then add the bread crumbs, tapping the pan to distribute them evenly across the bottom of the pan. {I would probably leave this out next time.}
Pour the asparagus and shrimp mixture into the prepared pan, and top with the egg mixture.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top and arrange the reserved asparagus on top.
Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

This was as good as it sounds. The asparagus were soft but not mushy and the shrimp were nice a crisp. Delicious! Sprinkle the cheese over the top means it has a nice crust and you get more of a concentrated cheese flavor.

The Man of the House is big fan of ice cream. Summer! Winter! doesn’t matter. I have several kinds that I make all the time, but I am always looking for new ones. Like this one.

Coconut Macadamia Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

1 8-oz. can cream of coconut
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup coconut, toasted
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Whisk the cream of coconut and half and half in a large measuring cup. Pour into ice cream freezer. Near the end of the cycle, add coconut, nuts and chocolate chips. Makes about 1 quart.

I have made coconut ice cream before but not with crème de coconut. It adds a whole great depth of flavor. Definitely going into the ice cream rotation. And I am already thinking of subbing crushed pineapple for the chocolate chips, or maybe candied pecans for the macadamia. YUM!!!

Those are only two of TONS of recipes. Now if I can just find time to make her

Crockpot Apple Cake
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Stromboli

…and at least 15 more I have pinned and waiting. Go. Visit. Sarah!

What did the other members of

make? Just click on the links below. Awesome food is waiting for you.

 

{SRC} Eating with Eliot

So here we are again. Time for a whole new batch of blogs and recipes from The Secret Recipe Club.

I have to admit that as I was starting to go through my assigned blog I thought I would have a lot of trouble. I just couldn’t find anything….oh, wait…now I am. How could I have doubted that I would find some wonderful goodies on Eliot’s Eats!!! So now I have a new problem. I can only do so many of Eliot’s recipes….

Of the 16 I narrowed it down to I had to narrow it down even more. I ended up with some sweets and some savories.

But before we ‘eat’ you need to know a little something about Debra. At first I thought her name was Eliot, but….

“Why the name Eliot’s Eats?

T. S. Eliot is my favorite poet. (And, your guess would be correct here—I was an English major. Nobody else would be that fond of Eliot’s verse.) So, it was natural that when a stray kitten showed up literally on our doorstep, we named “him” Eliot. We found out later that our little boy kitten was actually a little girl kitten but the name stuck.” {And he is beautiful!}

She is a major movie fan. Many of her blog posts are dishes designed to ‘match’ a movie. This trend is part of her participation in Food-n-Flix. She loves to cook, grown her own veggies, visit local businesses. What’s not to love about all that?

NOW! On to the food!

I love eggplant, and still have a couple left in the garden, so when I saw Eliot’s pasta I knew I had to try it immediately. I made it for lunch.

Spicy Eggplant Sauce and Pasta

It was sooo good. Just the right hint of spice. Next time, yes, there will be, I plan to cut the eggplant larger so I get more of the taste! But it was good!

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. eggplant, cut into small dices
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (more to taste)
1 (26.4 oz.) carton Pomi diced tomatoes (or two cans diced tomates)
2 t. fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 c. water
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. favorite pasta, cooked according to directions.
In a large sauce pan or kettle, heat oil. Once oil is very warm add eggplant, garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir frequently to prevent eggplant from sticking and cook for about 8 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and water.
Cook another 30-40 minutes on low until eggplant is thoroughly cooked.
Add balsamic and season with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
Stir pasta into sauce and serve.
May garnish with a bit of fresh herbs or Parmesan.

I made the whole recipe and served it with Penne so the sauce would be everywhere! Good stuff!

I was out of ice cream (GASP!!) and cookies. Problem quickly solved by Debra.

First off I made Chocolate Ice Cream using cake mix!! WHAT a great idea! And it added such great flavor.

Chocolate Cake Batter Ice Cream

1 (4 oz.) container Egg Beaters {I forgot to buy these so I used two eggs instead and heated some of the cream to temper the eggs before adding to the ice cream}
3/4 c. sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 c. 2% milk
2 t. vanilla
1 c. chocolate cake mix

In a mixing bowl, beat Egg Beaters until thick, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in sugar while continuing to beat. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to beat for 1 minute.
Pour in the cream, milk and vanilla. Mix to combine. Mix in 1 cup of cake mix and continue to beat until incorporated.
Chill for one to two hours in the refrigerator then freeze according to ice maker’s instructions.

Yield: about 1 quart

Talk about good rich flavor, this had it. And, as Debra said, you can use any flavor cake mix. I think maybe Red Velvet next, or maybe carrot cake, or it could be….

Then we had to have cookies to go with the….well, we didn’t HAVE to, but….ice cream. {PS. I needed ice cream this wknd so I used Carrot Cake Mix – Oh, Yeah!! I added some chopped pecans and coconut. Spicey and Perfect!} Like Debra I usually have bits and pieces of chocolate, coconut, sprinkles, candy in the pantry so when I saw her…

Cupboard Cookies

I knew the recipe was perfect!

3 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. fine sea salt
1/2 c. softened butter
1/2 c. shortening
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1 t. pure vanilla
2 large farm fresh eggs
2 c. mixed baking chips (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate)
1 c. roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and shortening. Add sugars and vanilla and continue to beat. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add chips and sunflower seeds and mix until just incorporated.
Using a cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets. Place in oven and bake for around 10 minutes (give or take a few). Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes then remove to wire racks.

I followed Debra’s lead but changed my add-ins a little. Yes, to the choco chips, no to the seeds – used macadamia nuts instead, added about 1/4 cup of coconut and 1/4 cup of mini M&Ms and 1/4 cup of butterscotch chips. All ingredients I had just a little of. Every bite of cookie was different. Little chocolate here. Little coconut there. Perfect recipe for using up bits and pieces. Odds and ends. Tads and smidgeons. And now they are all gone.

Okay, three recipes down 13 to go. All pinned. All looking delicious. All on my To Make List!

Thanks, Debra, for so many delicious treats. I will be back!!

There are lots of good recipes going out today from the other members of The Secret Recipe Club (group C) so check them out.

 

Super Simple Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberry Season. I can think of lots of wonderful sweets to make with fresh Strawberries. Pie. Cake. But the first thing that comes to mind is usually ICE CREAM!.

Rich Strawberry Ice Cream

2 cups fresh strawberries stemmed and halved.
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbl vanilla extract
dash salt

Add 1/3 cup sugar to the chopped strawberries and let sit about 30/40 minutes.
Place strawberries and remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to freeze. Pour contents into ice cream maker.
Devour!! {Okay, that’s not really part of the recipe, but this IS good ice cream.}

This is a composite of several recipes because I couldn’t find one I really liked that was quick.

 

{TWD2} Thanks, Dorie, for a wonderful FIVE years!!

So, here I am. The last post for TWD, the first TWD which started in January 2008. It took me a full year to catch up and complete all the recipes I missed. 67 to be exact! And six of them in December. So here we go:

2 December 2008 Hosted by Noskos of Living the Life the bakers made:

Linzer Sables

I had never made sables before. They are a lovely butter cookie that is filled with a jam or other treat. I used Cherry jam and instead of almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts, I used pecans. Lots of pecans here in the south. They were perfect with a nice subtle nutty taste. And the cherry jam fit well with the pecans. You can find the recipe on her blog or on page 134 of BFMHTY.

********************

December is a popular month for cookies. On December 16, 2008 we followed up with

Buttery Jam Cookies.

While the sables had the jam between the cookies these had the jam IN the cookie. And since I had the Cherry jam that is what I used in these tasty, biscuity cookies. There were little chunks of jam all through the cookie giving little surprises with every bite!

Thanks to Heather of Randomosity and the Girl for this sweet little treat. The recipe is on her blog. It’s also on page 80 of Dorie’s book.

********************

December also brought two tarts into the kitchen. On 6 December 2012 we made a

Honey-Almond Fig Tart It was delicious. A sweet honey-almond custard paired with ripe juicy figs. {From my friend’s tree!} I made the full recipe of custard but only two 6″ tarts. Usually I make less custard but past experience has taught me that more IS better! The tart was hosted by my friend, Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table. The recipe is on her blog, or will be because Kayte is on hiatus right now and her blog is in hibernation. You can find it on page 373 of BFMHTY.

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The other tart (12 December 2011) was the…

Puffed Double Plum Tart

And please forgive the photography. There was no way this was going to be pretty. {Or at least mine wasn’t!!} I used a regular black plum slice and prunes that had been poached in black tea with cinnamon rather than wine, orange juice, zest and anise. And while not pretty it was definitely yummy! 1/8 of a recipe gave me one small tart just for me. I knew no one else would even touch it! This was chosen by Julie of Someones in the Kitchen (or page 378 of Dorie’s book).

{Hang in there, almost done. I have to do all six today because the next available Tuesday is Christmas!}

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We eat ice cream all year round. Which is a good thing because on December 13, 2011, TWD bakers pulled out their churns and made:

Unbelievably Good Chocolate Blueberry Ice Cream

I have to admit. I was a little iffy about this one. Chocolate and BLUEBERRIES!! No way that was going to be good. I. Was. Wrong! It was delicious. I know – Trust Dorie, Trust Dorie!! Story is, she didn’t care for the combo either when she was young, but like me, she has since come to her senses!! Yay! Dorie!!

Thanks to Lauri of Slush for hosting this week’s TWD choice.>

********************

Last (well almost) but not least –

REAL Butterscotch Pudding

And by real I mean REAL Scotch in the pudding! Really? Yes, Really! Unfortunately, I didn’t have any scotch. Fortunately, my VGF did! A tiny bottle of Chivas Regal in her Hub’s underware drawer (Yes, Really!) which she gifted me {Prolly to her Hub’s chagrin!} and there was just enough to make 6 little pudding treats.

One word – GOOD!! Topped with a little whipped cream infused with just a tad of Scotch! BETTER!! And Donna, of Spatulas, Corkscrews and Suitcases, our host for this week, made her pudding into a PIE! What a GREAT idea! Next time!! Now that I know how easy pudding is to make from scratch. The reicpe is on Donna’s site and on page 386 of BFMHTY!

Okay. That’s it, that’s all… Okay, not quite. I still have one more cake to make. It has been the hardest to find the ingredients for. But I found what I needed and so….. but that’s another post!!

Thanks TWD for a wonderful five years of baking, learning, eating, gifting, and friend gathering. I will never forget anything!!

 

{Phyl’s Ice Cream Week} Tea and Biscuit Ice Cream

Well, here we are on the last day of Phyl’s Ice Cream Week. I hope you have been visiting the other participants for all their delicious new ice creams. I know I have. Their recipes would be the ONLY reason I would want Summer to continue. ONLY reason!!

The last day of Ice Cream Week is designated as Original so I tried to find something different. Hope you like it!!

Tea and Biscuit Ice Cream
{adapted from The Cooking Channel and Baking and Boys}

2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar {I used 1/2 Splenda and 1/2 sugar}
2/3 cup half and half
1/3 cup 2% milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
5 Earl Grey tea bags {I used loose Cream Earl Grey – about 3 Tbl.}
Cookie butter, such as Speculoos or Biscoff

Combine 1 cup of the cream, the sugar and salt in a medium saucepot and warm over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the tea bags and remaining milk, 1/2 and 1/2, and cream. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tea changes the mixture to a light tan color. Depending on how strong you like your tea, you may want to soak the bags in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator. {If you use loose tea, strain the mixture before churning.}Pour the hot cream and tea mixture into a medium sized bowl and set it in the ice bath. Add the vanilla and stir to combine everything. Stir the mixture every few minutes and let sit in the ice bath until cold. Chill the mixture thoroughly before churning.

Transfer into a freezer-safe container. Microwave your desired amount of cookie butter until it is warm and pourable, about 20 seconds, and then swirl into the ice cream using a spatula. Freeze before serving.

I have looked everywhere here in Podunk, USA, but there is NOT a jar of Cookie Butter To. Be. Found. And I really wanted to make this ice cream, so I researched and discovered you can actually make your own. So I did!

Spiced Cookie Butter aka Speculoos Butter{adapted from and Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan and Chow}

{Special equipment: You’ll need both a food processor and a spice grinder for this recipe.}

15 (4-3/4-by-2-1/2-inch) whole graham crackers (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Break the graham crackers into rough 2-inch pieces and place them in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.
Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Process until finely ground, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and reserve the food processor (no need to wash it).
Working in batches, grind the cracker mixture in a spice grinder until very fine. Return the powder to the food processor.
With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
Transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and store at room temperature for up to 1 month. If the mixture separates, stir to recombine before serving.

Make sure you make plenty of the Spiced Cookie Butter.



No one will hold it against you if you eat it out of the container with a large spoon!!!!

As much as I enjoy a good cuppa is it any wonder I made TEA ice cream?

Wonder if I could make Tea and SCONE Ice Cream? Hhmmm!! I’ll look into that!

But meanwhile, check out Phyl’s Stout Ice Cream

 

{Phyl’s Ice Cream Week} Baklava!!

Have you ever made Baklava? It is a syrupy, sweet mix of honey, spices, nuts, and phylo dough. Layers and layers of it!! It takes a while to make but it is always worth the effort – or so I’ve heard as I have never stepped up the the plate to make it. I want to! In the mean time try out this ice cream for Nuts Day for Phyl’s Ice Cream Week

I had first run across the idea when looking for a way to poach figs. When I found this page I started thinking about Baklava Ice Cream. As I researched I found lots of recipes so using one as a foundation I made it how I wanted it.

Baklava Ice Cream {adapted from Desert Candy}

2 cups milk
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half (or 1 heaping tsp cinnamon)
3 whole cloves (or 1/3 tsp ground cloves)
1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup (2 oz) almonds, medium chop
2/3 cup (2oz) pistachios, medium chop
2/3 cup (2 oz) walnuts, medium chop
2 tbl brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
3-4 sheets Phylo dough

Bring milk, sugar, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
Strain the milk and discard the cloves cinnamon sticks.
Whisk egg yolks and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Return milk to a simmer, then add half of the milk to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
Add yolk mixture in a slow stream back to milk in saucepan, whisking, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and immediately stir in cream, then pour custard through fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Quick-chill custard by setting bowl into a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until cold, about 15 minutes. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Freeze custard in ice cream maker until almost firm. At the last minute of churning, add the NUT MIXTURE {recipe below} into ice cream.
Chill in a container until firm.

NUT MIXTURE
Place the walnuts, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl and toss together, drizzle in 2 tbl of melted butter and toss to coat. Working quickly, brush each sheet of fillo with some of the remaining melted butter and stack the fillo sheets on top of one another, fold the stack in half long-ways and brush again with melted butter. Cut the fillo sheets into small strips, match-stick size. Toss the fillo strips with the walnut mixture and spread on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the mixture until the walnuts are toasted and the fillo pieces are crisp but not burned, about 10-15 minutes. Put the nut mixture in a bowl. Set aside.

While the recipe I was adapting from added the honey to the nut/phylo mixture I did not add the honey to the mix because I wanted the honey to be a stronger flavor. I drizzled the honey over the top before serving.

Check out:

Rebecca’s Nutella Gelato!!
Phyl’s Molasses Praline Ice Cream!!