Saffron Pear Ice Cream

Rich saffron ice cream with a hint of pear is perfectly accented by a drizzle of dark chocolate ganache.

Ice cream:
1 cup milk
3/4 cup minus 2 tbsp sugar
2 cups heavy cream
7 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean
4-6 very ripe/juicy pears
large pinch saffron strands (up to 1 tsp, loosely packed, depending on the flavor intensity you're after)
pinch salt

Pour milk into a saucepan. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the saucepan, and throw in scraped pod. Add the salt, sugar and saffron too.  Heat on low until almost simmering, then remove from heat and let sit for about an hour.

While it is sitting, skin the pears and cut them up into pieces, I find about 1inch pieces work well.  Heat the pears gently in a saucepan over low until they start to release more of their juice. (If you're scared of them sticking or burning which can happen if they aren't terribly juicy, add a tiny bit of water to the pan and proceed, you will just have to reduce it more later)  Squish them around and then strain the pear juice out, pressing the solids to the strainer to get as much juice as possible.  Discard the pear solids.  Put the pear juice back in the sauce pan, and reduce it until it is around 1/4 cup, or even less.  Let it chill in the refrigerator until room temperature or cooler.

Once the milk mixture is done sitting, set up an ice bath.  In the smaller bowl (not the one with the ice...) pour the cream and cooled pear concentrate.  Set a strainer on top.

In another bowl, about medium size, whisk the egg yolks together gently.

Rewarm the milk until it is almost simmering, then drizzle it slowly into the egg yolks while whisking, then pour the milk/egg mixture into a double boiler with an inch or two of water in the bottom..  Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides and bottom too.  When the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula, pour it through the strainer into the cream/pear mixture.  Discard saffron and vanilla pod.  Stir mixture over the ice bath until cool, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  I usually let it chill overnight.

Freeze in your ice cream maker.

Semisweet Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Put chocolate in a bowl.  Heat cream until simmering, then pour over chocolate.  Let sit for five minutes, then stir slowly until it is smooth and shiny.  Let cool at room temperature.

Assembly:


I cut my ice cream into wedges with a knife, and drizzled ganache over the wedges.  The pear flavor comes out a lot more if you serve it with a slice of fresh pear.  If the ganache gets too hard to drizzle (it most likely will, especially if you refrigerate it) just microwave for a short bit.  5-15 seconds usually gets mine perfect if it's straight out of the fridge.

Madeleines with Strawberry Sauce

Moist, sweet madeleines and fresh strawberries, served with a drizzle of vanilla custard sauce.  

Madeleines:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Sift together dry ingredients.  Set aside.

In mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick and increased in size, three to five minutes.  Add extracts and beat to combine.

Fold in flour, do not overmix.  Add a small amount of batter to butter and mix well, then slowly fold butter mixture into batter.

Chill for about an hour.

Oven at 375 degrees.  Butter and flour madeleine pan.  I used a miniature madeleine pan.  Fill the molds (about 3/4 the way full, leaving the mound in the center) and bake until golden around the edges and springy to the touch.  My minis took between seven and ten minutes.  When you remove them from the oven they should come out of the molds easily.

Strawberry Sauce:
5 strawberries
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds

Dice strawberries quite small.  Mix with sugar and seeds from the vanilla bean.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for a minute.  Let sit in refrigerator until chilled.  Best served after chilling a day or two, but still good otherwise.

Vanilla Custard Sauce
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup half and half (it was what I had, you can use a cream/milk mixture also)
1/2 tbsp water
1 vanilla bean, seeds separated
2 tbsp sugar

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until frothy on top.  Heat remaining ingredients in a saucepan until it is almost boiling.  Whisk hot cream mixture into eggs, then return all to saucepan and heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.  Heat until it is a loose custard, about 1-2 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature, then chill.

Serve with the sauces and enjoy!

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes with Cucumber Mint Buttercream

Lemon and olive oil chiffon cake with strawberry cognac filling under a cucumber mint buttercream topped with a candied cucumber slice, fresh strawberry and pearlized mint leaf.

For the cake:
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
zest of two lemons

Oven at 375 degrees.  Line cupcake tin.

Sift flour, baking powder and 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl.

Into a smaller bowl combine egg yolks, oil, water, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest.  Beat with a hand mixer until thoroughly combined.  Add to dry ingredients and beat for a minute or two on medium speed.

Whip egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar and beat until there are medium peaks.

Blend a cup or so of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the rest.

Fill the cupcake tin, about 24 cupcakes.

Bake for about twenty minutes.  Do not disturb them while they are cooling, but once mostly cooled they can be transfered to a wire rack.

For the candied cucumber:
1/2 large cucumber
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
handful mint, roughly chopped

Oven at 200 degrees.  Slice cucumber thinly but so it still holds shape.  Mix sugar, mint and water in a large saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved and it is hot.  Turn heat to low, and add cucumbers.  Do not let them overlap or they will stick, I did mine in two batches.  Cook on low for twenty to thirty minutes.   Lay cucumber on a parchment covered baking sheet and let sit in oven for a few hours, mine took about two.  They are done when crispy/chewy.  Reserve the sugar syrup for making the buttercream.  Extra syrup is also good to flavor drinks.

For strawberry filling:
2 pints strawberries
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup cognac
dash of pectin

Slice strawberries into pieces, and put in sauce pan with the sugar and half the cognac.  Cook until strawberries begin to break apart, then add pectin and cook a little longer. When it looks about thick enough remove from heat and stir in remaining cognac.  Let cool.

For the buttercream:
4 tsp meringue powder
4 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup cucumber mint syrup (from cucumbers above)
pinch salt

Beat meringue powder and water until soft peaks form, add sugar slowly, then add 1/4 cup syrup.  Beat until peaks are stiff and glossy.  Add salt.  Add butter 1 tbsp at a time, making sure it is all incorporated before adding more.  Once all the butter in added beat for another minutes until smooth and a little fluffy.  Add as much of the remaining syrup as you want so the taste in strong enough.

Assembly:


Fill cupcakes with strawberry filling, I cut cones out of the cupcakes and then fill the hole.  I replace the top of the cone.

Frost with buttercream.  I used a piping bag with no end fitted on.

Top with a small strawberry, a slice of candied cucumber, and a mint leaf.  I brushed my mint with pearlized dust.

They are now ready to serve!

Black Tea Marshmallows with Dark Chocolate and Toasted Almonds

Fluffy black tea marshmallows dipped in a rich dark chocolate and rolled in freshly toasted almonds.

For the marshmallows:

3/4 ounce gelatin

1 cup water

3 english breakfast tea bags

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

pinch of salt

powdered sugar for coating

Brew very strong tea from the water and tea bags.  Place in refrigerator to chill down.  Once chilled, mix 1/2 cup tea with gelatin in the bowl of your mixer(fit mixer with whisk).  Let sit.

In a sauce pan stir together sugar, remaining tea, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt.  Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Once dissolved, let boil without stirring until it is 238 to 240 degrees.  I use a candy thermometer, but mine is shifty, so I test it is ready by dropping a bit in a bowl of ice water, if it is pliable when not hot anymore it should be about right.  

((note: the color is from the tea, not sugar browning))

Turn mixer with gelatin on low speed, pour hot sugar in slowly, it helps slow it down if it runs down the side of the mixer bowl.  Turn mixer to high and whip for about ten minutes, maybe a little more.  Meanwhile, oil a glass dish for them to set it.  My dish was about ten by eight.  I like them to be small, so an eight inch square could work for larger marshmallows.  

Marshmallow is done whipping when it is thick and fluffy.  Pour into oiled dish and smooth top with an oiled spatula.  It will be very sticky!

Let sit for two to three hours.  It is done setting when the top isn't sticky anymore and you can pull it away from the sides of the dish.  

Now you cut them.  Cover your surface with powdered sugar, and take the marshmallows out of the dish.  This could take a little prying, but shouldn't be too hard.  Cut them with an oiled knife into whatever shape, I made squares.  Roll them in powdered sugar, and shake off the excess.  Done!

Marshmallows are good on their own, or in hot drinks, or even roasted over a fire!

Assembly:

dark chocolate, about 8 oz

almonds, about 2 cups, toasted and chopped

Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler,  then dip marshmallows in one by one letting excess chocolate drip off.  I used a skewer.  After you dip each one, roll it in the almonds and set aside to dry. 

These make great gifts! 

Or desserts for a party!

Squash Soup with Goat Cheese and Smoked Paprika

Hearty winter soup with a hint of smoky sweet paprika and creamy goat cheese.

Recipe:

2 pounds squash, cubed

1 large onion

chicken stock - enough to cover squash

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is beginning to brown.  Add oregano and saute another few minutes, add squash and enough stock to barely cover it.  Simmer until squash is tender.  

Puree it until it is mostly smooth but has a few chunks of squash left.  Serve with goat cheese and smoked paprika on top, and a hearty bread on the side.

Almond Snowflakes

Almond Sugar cookies cut to look like snowflakes. 

Cookies:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl .  In a separate bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add in egg and extracts.  Beat well.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in thirds until it is a soft dough.  It may be sticky.  Divide dough in half and flatted each bit.  Wrap the two discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate  for 2-3 hours.

Oven at 350 degrees.  Roll out dough, if it is too hard and cracks let it soften for a few minutes.   Cut out your snowflakes with cutters or by hand.

Bake on a cookie sheet, it does not need to be greased.  They should be done in around ten minutes, depending on how thick and wide they are.  When they are done, let them cool completely before icing.

Icing:
1 tbsp meringue powder
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp warm water

Mix in a stand mixer on medium speed for about ten minutes.  I colored mine very slightly so it looked a brighter white, I used a mix of violet and aqua, in paste colors.  About the tip of a toothpick of each. Very little...

You can then pipe the icing onto your cookies in any way you'd like!  Also, use any other decorations. I brushed luster dust onto mine when they were done so they were shiny!

Lemon Curd

Tart, sweet and creamy lemon curd is good on just about anything!

Recipe:
2 eggs + 2 yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice/zest of the lemons
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
pinch of cardamon
salt

Whisk eggs and yolks in a sauce pan until well blended.  Add the rest of the ingredients, and whisk over low heat until it coats the back of a spoon.  Pour into a jar or dish and refrigerate until chilled.

Enjoy on anything you'd like, or eat by the spoonful!