Two Great Chocolate Ice Creams!

Chocolate...what else could you want? 

Learning as I go..but I am discovering how easy it is to prepare ice creams!    As a kid, I remember it being a very big deal about the 4th of July.   And of course, we had the big wooden ice cream maker (photo courtesy Etsy) with the hand crank.   You needed to have lots of ice, Morton's Rock Salt and a strong arm.  We kids took turns because we knew that Mom's Vanilla Ice Cream recipe was worth all the work and time.  The first thirty minutes was OK...but towards the end...it was HARD work.     Then I remember after finishing...a yell from the kitchen window...."DON'T THROW THAT ICE ON THE GRASS".  We didn't know why but found out that the salt water killed the grass for the rest of the summer.   

Today, I am modifying the quantities and making smaller amounts.   It is so handy to have a Cuisinart 1.5 quart machine, I would suggest everyone get one...it is that easy.  

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Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream Deluxe

Ice Cream

3 oz dark chocolate; melted
2  eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c milk
4 oz cream cheese; room temperature

Melt chocolate over double boiler or in microwave. Whisk eggs, sugar, cream and milk together. Heat until small  bubbles form on edge of pan (165F.) but do not boil.   Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until cold.

In food processor, combine all ingredients including melted chocolate. Mix well. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

This recipe will make one batch for a Cuisinart 1 1/2 quart Ice Cream maker.

Notes:  ©WHStoneman

Yield: 1 quart

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My Original Recipe

Heat Cream until bubbles form, about 165F. 

Mixing Chocolate custard with Cream Cheese

Into the Cuisinart Maker

This is another very good recipe we enjoy and you can see, it doesn't contain eggs, if you might be sensitive. 


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Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ice Cream

4 ounce cream cheese
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
4 oz semisweet chocolate; melted
1 tb vanilla extract
2 cup half and half
2 cup whipping cream

In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add the chocolate and vanilla extract. Stir in the half and half and whipped cream. Pour into an ice cream freezer container. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

NOTE:  This recipe will make two batches for a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.  Do not try to overfill the freezer module....you will me amazed how ice cream expands when freezing. 

Notes:  ©WHStoneman

Yield: 16 servings


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Happy Spring and Summer Wishes....

and Bon Appétit!

Filet Au Poivre

I enjoy grilling in the summer...and love my Wolf grill for indoor wintertime grilling.   This incantation required a bit of a different method.   For this, I use my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet.   It helps to keep the peppercorns attached.  

As a note:....be sure your oven is 500F! for at least twenty minutes.  

Wonderful Flavors with Baked Sweet Potato, Mixed Greens and Parmigiano shavings 

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Filet  Au Poivre

Blog Recipe, Meats

2  filet Mignon; bacon wrapped & room temp
3 tb peppercorns; cracked
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoon brandy
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 500 F. convection, if available.

Crack peppercorns between heavy plastic with a heavy mallet or rolling pin.  Brush each filet with a little oil and then press peppercorns on each side.
 

Heat cast iron skillet until smoking hot. Add oil and 1/2 the butter, stirring until butter is melted. Add steak and sear for 2 minutes on each side.

Place skillet in oven and continue cooking 8 minutes.   This should produce medium rare.  Roast for ten minutes for medium.

Place steak on warm platter. Add butter, red wine, brandy and salt. Simmer while stirring a few minutes. Pour over steak and serve immediately. Sautéed mushrooms also are a great side addition.

Notes:  ©WHStoneman

Yield: 2 servings


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                                           Bon Appétit!

A Tasty Encounter

The new Cuisinart Ice Cream maker is getting workout!  

Strawberry Ice Cream, Sugar Cookies and Orange/Coconut Sorbet

My recipe for Sugar Cookies has a minor variation that I enjoy....real almond extract.   I think this adds a greater depth of flavor than just a vanilla extract.  Using pure extract is more expensive, but the flavor is worth every cent. 

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Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Cookies

3 c flour; sifted
1 1/2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts salt
1 c white sugar
1 c butter; room temperature
1  egg; lightly beaten
3 tb half-and-half
2 ts almond extract

Preheat oven to 400F.    I prefer 375F. Convection.

Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into food processor bowl.  Add quarter inch cubes of chilled butter.  Pulse until blended and mixture is crumbly.

In a separate cup, whisk with a  fork, lightly beaten egg, almond extract and half-and-half. Pulse liquid into processor bowl.   Remove to work surface and gently knead to combine.  Chill dough for one hour for easier rolling.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes.   I prefer the "log" method of rolling the dough into a 12 inch log in parchment paper.   Refrigerate until well chilled.  Remove  and slice into half dollar sized rounds.  Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar or leave plain for decorating with icing.

Bake for 8 to 10  minutes, or until lightly brown.

Notes:  ©WHStoneman

Yield: 60 cookies


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I am discovering that ANY fruit can be made into a sorbet.   If you are watching your sugar intake, use Splenda.   If this isn't a concern, use the same amount of granulated sugar.   Brown sugar pairs well with bananas and mangoes. 



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Orange/Coconut Sorbet

Ice Cream, Sorbets, Sugar Buster

4 lg navel oranges; peeled and sliced
1/2 c Splenda
1/4 c water
1/2 c coconut; shredded

Peel oranges, removing all white pith.  Remove navel and discard...this is every bitter and uneatable.

Dissolve Splenda in water.   Place peeled orange sections into food processor.  Add Splenda water and thoroughly blend.    If desired, you can strain in fine mesh sieve but I find the processor does the job for you.

Proceed with your ice cream makers directions.   As the sorbet is all most frozen, add coconut just to combine.

Notes:  ©WHStoneman

Yield: 2 pints


** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

                                            Bon Appétit!

My Major Weakness!!

Have you even bought a new "kitchen gadget" 

and quickly discovered....

"oh............this is going to get me in lots of trouble"? 

That happened yesterday when I succumbed and bought the CuiSINart Ice Cream Maker!    I intentionally put the middle three letters in CAPS for a reason...this is so easy, it should be a sin!  Cuisinart has made the entire process so quick and simple.  My good friend from Tellico Village bought one of these machines and she raved how wonderful this machine is.  Miss Ali was right.  

Setup requires the bowls be frozen for 12 hours.  With two bowls included, you can always have one in the freezer ready for use.  My first effort produced the absolute best strawberry ice cream.   I had two cups of strawberries in the refrigerator and put them into a blender and pureed until smooth.  Then I added one cup heavy cream to blend.   Back in the refrigerator to keep cool until the bowls were ready.  

Twenty Minutes Later.....

And then I remembered my Mom's Homemade Ice Cream recipe from the WSCS Methodist Church Cookbook, circa 1950.   

Here is a note in the forward of the spiral bound cookbook. 

The Fulton Center Womens Society Christain Service or Ladies Aid Society or Ladies Sewing Circle was organized in June, 1873 at the home of Mary Davis Jarrett.  Sister Creaser was chosen as President, Sister Kingman as Vice President, Sister Dalgleish as Secretary and Sister Reichard as Treasurer.  They called each other Sisters in those days.  This Ladies Sewing Circle was organized before the Fulton Center Church was built.  Church services were then held in the school house.  The Fulton Center Church was dedicated on June 29, 1879.  Some fo the names of the early members of the Ladies Sewing Circle were, Burnett, Reichard, Dalgleish, Daniels, Jarrett, Gillett, Miller, Cole, Prouse, Cooley, Stead, Whitcomb, Kellogg, Sessions, Kingman, Griffith, Creaser, Price, Howe, Norton, Huntley, Difford, Payne, Steward Herrick and Leddick.....contributed by Mary Weller.  

So,...I am off to my new adventures of ice cream and sorbet making.    Just my fortune, mangos are coming into the grocery and they are very reasonable priced.  Mango Sorbet will be appearing shortly in my freezer...and the recipe will be included!!!   

                                                Bon Appétit! 

Cheeseburger Pie and Other Variations!

I stumbled upon Simply Suppers by  Jennifer Chandler while reading a few of my favorite blogs.  Then I discovered that I can acquire eCookbooks on Amazon and have them delivered to my PC rather than buying one of those Kindle devices.  Also, I am able to download to my laptop and leave that on the kitchen counter for my electronic cookbook!   Isn't life grande in this modern world?  She was the inspiration of my Mexican interpretation of a great tasting and quick supper!

Hot from the Oven!! 

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Cheeseburger Pie

Casserole

1 9 inch pie crust; unbaked
1 tb oil
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c onion; fine dice
2 tb flour
1 tb Worcestershire sauce
  salt and pepper; to taste
2 lg eggs
1 c cottage cheese
2 md tomatoes, thin slice
1 c cheddar cheese; shredded
  Tabasco sauce; to taste
  ground cumin; to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the pie crust in deep dish pan. Flute edges, if desired. Chill until ready for use.

In large skillet, add oil, brown beef and onion. Cook until browned, about five minutes. Drain excess fat and discard.

In bowl, combine meat/onion mixture with flour, Worcestershire Sauce.   Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into the prepared pie crust.

In small bowl, stir together the eggs and cottage cheese. Spoon over the beef mixture. Arrange tomato slices on top of the cottage cheese and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Bake until set and cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.


My personal addition to this good dish. If fresh tomatoes are not available, I have taken a can of Rotel Mexican style tomatoes, thoroughly drained and used in place of the fresh tomatoes. Adds a nice Mexican kick also.

For more of a kick....a good splash of Tabasco on top of the cottage cheese mixture followed with a generous sprinkle of ground cumin.

Notes:  ©Simply Suppers/Jennifer Chandler

Yield: 4 servings


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Prepared Beef in Crust

Topped with Rotel drained tomatoes

Topped with Cheddar Cheese and ready for the oven in 30 minutes!

Bon Appétit!!

Spring Turning to Summer Today!

Spring has arrived and by the looks of customers at the big box garden outlets, I would have sworn they were giving everything away free.  I had to show up for the annual event.    

And the herb and spring mix bed has returned for our enjoyment!  

I picked up all the usual stuff....petunias, hanging baskets, pine bark mulch and then I saw what I had to have....RED tomato cages!!  What a great idea....and they came in blue, yellow, and green but I had to settle on the red ones.   

Will keep you posted as to how well they hold up over the summer. 

Our Japanese Maple back to its glory

Wishing All a Very Happy Spring

Clarifying Stock

Time to clean out the freezer...too many bags of "chicken parts" and it is time to make stock!  I usually buy whole chickens to save on cost.   Many meals can be gleaned  when chickens are 79 cents a pound!  

I learned this little trick from my grandma...she was clever in the kitchen and very Avant-garde with some of her cooking stills.   Now I remember her secrets and they really were worth while.   

Here was her secret to cleaning a chicken stock!  

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Clarifying Cloudy Stock

Techniques

2 tb water
2  egg whites
  crushed egg shell from 2 eggs
1/2 ts lemon juice

For each quart of stock:    Strain the stock through several layers of cheesecloth to remove any bones, meat, etc.  Reserve meat for other uses.  Completely clean your stockpot and pour stock back in pot.

Mix water, egg whites, shells and lemon juice.   Blend until frothy and add to the stock.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat.  Let stock sit for 15 minutes, covered tightly.

Remove egg white "float" gently trying not to disturb the contents.   All the stock sediment will rise to the surface and collect in the cooked egg whites.    Strain once more through rinsed cheesecloth, taking care to pour slowly.

I put stock in pint jars, seal with the food saver and freeze for later use.

Notes:  ©WHStoneman


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Before Clarifying....

After Clarifying...egg white float removed

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

  Bon Appétit

Welcome Wonderful Spring

Yesterday was the day!!   I really believe that spring is here and will hang around for a while...well, maybe until next week. 

Spring just calls out for the grilling season to begin.  What a deal...strip steaks on sale....fresh produce to enjoy and my spring mix beds are starting to revive.  The only thing to make a meal perfect is a home grown East Tennessee tomato, but that will have to wait for a bit.  

Just the usual...baked potato with sour cream and fresh garlic chives from the garden.  Nicely grilled strip and my newest vegetable put together, Snow Peas, Mushrooms and Cream.   

I took about 2 cups mushrooms, sliced, (my egg slicer works good for uniform slices) and butter, slow sauté.  Added a splash of vermouth and evaporated the vermouth.  Then added two big handfuls of blanched snow peas, quarter cup of heavy cream and bring to a boil to reduce a little.   Salt and pepper was the only thing needed!   Tomatoes are not the best this time of year...but they really are good topped  with Parmesan cheese and slipped under the broiler until the cheese melts.   Works so nice for a steak plate.  Enjoy your beautiful grilling season.  

                                                         Bon Appétit!