Assorted Creams and Ices - Pink Saturday

We've had an unexpected return to warmer weather here in Oregon. Rather than roast beets or make borscht, I thought it might be fun to reprise some of the pink ices we've featured here this past year. You can link to the recipes to find out how they were made and what we were thinking when they were originally featured. I hope you'll enjoy them.

I've a bit of housekeeping to share with you as well. I've added a print feature to the blog that allows printing of all or portions of each post. I've temporarily placed it at the top of each entry where it can be better seen. I'll move it to a less conspicuous area once folks are aware the function has been added.





Peppermint Ice Cream












Cranberry Chambord Sorbet











Pink Grapefruit Sorbet











Sour Cherry Gelato










Pink Lemonade Granita







This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a fondness for good ice cream that was acquired late in life. It was not something I had regularly as a child. It had nothing to do with money. The freezer compartments of old refrigerators were small cubical affairs designed to make ice cubes and hold very little else. Options for ice cream lovers were limited. A very few had ice cream freezers and could make their own. Most families, however, would send their fastest runner to the deli to pick up a pint that was brought home to be sliced and shared by all. Half gallons of ice cream weren't generally available until the 1950's when larger refrigerators made their storage possible. Among the group who relied on runners, Neapolitan was, by far, the most popular flavor because of its three cream appeal. Some of us were even more fortunate and could count on the Good Humor man to supplement the deli runs. He came through our neighborhood three times a week and, urchins that we were, a neighborhood watch was formed to spot him and spread the word he was on his way. Only Santa Claus was treated with more reverence and affection than the Good Humor man. Allowances rarely covered the cost of ice cream, but Popsicles were only a dime and you could tell who had what flavor by the color of the mustache around their lips. I know that in later years he became persona non grata, but for those of us who stood ready at the curb with pennies in our hands, his chimes were a symphony. As the ice cream man fades into history so, too, does Gourmet magazine. This lovely recipe is a reminder of why so many of us regret its passing. Here's how Gourmet's strawberry cheesecake ice cream is made.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
1 pint (12-oz.) strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
1 package (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1) Combine strawberries, cream cheese, sugar, milk, lemon juice and salt in a blender jar. Puree just until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cream. Chill until very cold.
2) Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze to harden. Yield: 1 quart.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fresh Mint Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite
Ice Cream Crunch Cake - One Perfect Bite
Sweet Corn Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite
VVanilla Ice Cream - David Lebovitz
Bailey's Ice Cream with Chocolate Shavings - The Pioneer Woman
Raspberry Semifreddo - Chocolate Shavings
Coconut Ice Cream - Baking Bites

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...An unintended consequence of a search for meatless meals led me to Rick Bayless' Frontera website. I, of course, found my way to his desserts, where I stumbled on this remarkable recipe for sweet corn ice cream. This is not a bait and switch. The ice cream is actually made with sweet corn that is given a flavor boost with an injection of orange liqueur, cinnamon and fresh lime juice. My curiosity got the best of me and I had to give it a try. To my amazement, this actually works and the finished ice cream does have a faint, barely perceptible, but pleasant, corn flavor. I'm told this ice cream is common in many parts of Mexico. What makes this version a bit different from the others, is that the corn is pureed and the custard strained so there are no small irritating bits of corn in the finished ice cream. While I tried this as a curiosity, I will make it again. I used thawed frozen, shoe peg corn to make this batch of ice cream. I'd like to try this with fresh corn to see if it affects flavor in a major way. We have family members and friends who would enjoy its taste and the novelty of sweet corn ice cream. You might, too. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Rick Baylis

Ingredients:
2 to 3 ears fresh sweet corn
1-1/2 cups half-and-half
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/3 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup evaporated milk
A scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican cinnamon
2 tablespoon orange liqueur, preferably Gran Torres
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:
1) Set up a double boiler: Set up a 4-quart saucepan, filled halfway with water, into which you can nestle a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat while you're preparing the custard base.
2) Cook base: Husk corn and pull off all the silk. Cut kernels from ears and measure 2 cups. Scoop into a blender and add half-and-half. Blend until smooth. In a 3-quart stainless steel bowl, stir together egg yolks and sugar until thoroughly combined. Add corn mixture and whisk to combine thoroughly. Reduce temperature under the pot of boiling water to maintain a gentle simmer. Set bowl of custard base over the simmering water and whisk frequently, until the mixture thickens noticeably, about 20 minutes. Custard is sufficiently cooked when it reaches 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (You can also test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the custard, then running your finger through the custard: if the line holds clearly, the custard has thickened sufficiently.) Pour the base through a medium-mesh strainer into another bowl (preferably stainless steel for quick cooling).
3) Cool base: Fill a large bowl halfway with ice. Nestle custard bowl into ice and whisk regularly until completely cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
4) Finish base, freeze ice cream: Stir heavy cream, evaporated milk, cinnamon, orange liqueur and lime juice into base. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions. Scrape into a freezer container and freeze for several hours to firm. Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Leche Asada - One Perfect Bite
Flan - Rasa Maylasia
Julia Child's Creme Caramel - Gratinee

(Almost) Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Had the gods of mythology sampled this Ben and Jerry favorite, there would have been no talk of ambrosia and an ice cream parlor would have, instead, been opened on the top of Mount Olympus. It is remarkably good and it's Bob's ice cream of choice. It's hard to find Cherry Garcia ice cream in many parts of the world, so, each year before we leave, Bob has his fill of it while we are still in DEFCON 1. It is remarkably easy to prepare and I have only one caution should you decide to make it. It's important not to overwork the chocolate and cherry mixture when folding it into the cream. It's also important to keep the chocolate shavings thick enough to retain their shape during the process. Now to the real question. Does it actually taste like Cherry Garcia ice cream? Kinda. Sorta. Maybe. A lot depends on the flavor of the Bing cherries you use. That can vary from one pint to another, so I've started using a tablespoon of kirsch to assure that wonderful cherry flavor. The recipe is Tom and Jerry's own, so I have not included kirsch in the ingredient list. Here's how they do it.

Cherry Garcia Ice Cream...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book

Ingredients:
1/4 cup shaved plain chocolate (we prefer Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate candy bars)
1/4 cup fresh Bing cherries, halved and pitted (you may use canned cherries, but be sure to drain the syrup)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk

Directions:
1) Place shaved chocolate flakes and the cherries in separate bowls. Cover and refrigerate.
2) Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.
3) Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.
4) After ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add chocolate and cherries, then continue freezing until ice cream is ready. Yield: 1 quart.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Ice Cream Crunch Cake - One Perfect Bite
Fresh Mint Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite
Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite
Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips - Simply Recipes
Snickerdoodle Ice Cream - The Recipe Girl
Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream - David Lebovitz

Peppermint Ice Cream and Ice Cream Sandwiches

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every year, around this time, I make peppermint ice cream to use in a refrigerator cake I serve during the Christmas holidays. I also use it to make ice cream sandwiches that I keep on hand for unexpected guests. This is a really lovely ice cream and buying chocolate wafer cookies makes the ice cream sandwiches really easy to put together. Once the ice cream has firmed enough, I assemble the sandwiches and freeze them on cookie sheets, in a single layer, for a couple of hours. I then transfer them to a freezer bag for longer term storage. I remove them from the freezer about 15 minutes before I plan to serve them. Children love to help make these. They also do a pretty good job of making them disappear. This is the recipe I use for the peppermint ice cream. Crush the peppermint candy to a powder if you prefer an ice cream that is perfectly smooth. If you like bits of peppermint in your ice cream coarsely chop the candy, but make sure the pieces are small enough not to harm your ice cream maker.You might also want to add a drop or two of red food coloring for better color.

Peppermint Ice Cream Recipe...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2/3 cup crushed hard peppermint candies

Directions:
1) Beat eggs and sugar together in a small bowl.
2) Place milk in a saucepan and heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Pour mixture back into saucepan, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Chill for several hours.
3) Stir in cream, vanilla and peppermint extract. Pour into an ice cream maker. Mix according to manufacturer's instructions, adding crushed peppermint for last 5 minutes of churning. Transfer to a freezer container. Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound