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Archive for the ‘Food and…’ Category

I’ve been doing some new things over the break, and one of those things was buying an ice cream maker. I’ve always thought it would be fun to have one, enjoyed my earlier adventures in frozen desserts, and it was on sale, hooray. 

My first experiment? Lemon, of course!

And if you, like me, were not 100% clear on the differences between iced desserts, you may find this explainer helpful: Ice Cream vs. Gelato vs. Sherbet vs. Sorbet: What’s the Difference?

Lemon Sherbet

(adapted from King Arthur Baking)

  • 3/4 C. (149g) toasted sugar
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • 1/2+ C. (125g) lemon juice, chilled
  • 1/8 t. lemon oil
  • 2 drops Fiori di Sicilia
  • 2 cups (454g) whole milk, very cold (or 30g cream and the rest 18% protein 2% milk)
  • 1 drop yellow food coloring
  • small pinch of salt
  1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in blender, pulse a couple of times to mix.
  2. Add remaining ingredients, blend for ~30 seconds to combine well.
  3. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions (for me, this took 20–25 minutes).

Very good!

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Baked a Cake…

… and I don’t regret it!

“A slice of cake never made anyone fat. You don’t eat the whole cake. You don’t eat a cake every day of your life. You take the cake when it is offered because the cake is delicious. You have a slice of cake and what it reminds you of is someplace that’s safe, uncomplicated, without stress. A cake is a party, a birthday, a wedding. A cake is what is served on the happiest days of your life.” ― Jeanne Ray

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I tested out a delightful new cookie recipe this weekend, Eric Kim’s Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s essentially a soft and chewy sugar cookie base with a chocolate topping. Simple, but the delightful part is that it really does taste like mint chocolate chip ice cream. It takes a bit of cooling time but is otherwise quick, easy, and delicious. Mr Man gave it a big thumbs up. If you are into mint and chocolate, this recipe is for you. Recommend!

And here we have my own Rothko-inspired food art courtesy of the recipe’s peppermint extract, olive oil, and food coloring. I shall call it: “One sun and two blues on a summer’s day.”

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Tonight’s full moon is the first of the summer, and is also known for marking that sweetest of seasons, strawberry harvest time.

Strawberry moon: How to see the 1st full moon of summer

The moon will not actually appear dark red like a strawberry, but it may take on a slight orange or reddish tint when it first appears above the horizon. That color shift is caused by light scattering through Earth’s atmosphere, similar to the way some sunsets appear more vivid than others.

The farm down the road has pint baskets overflowing with red berries, and later I’m going to make a red and white dessert for Canada Day. 

As the moon watches from on high.

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Mr Man and I just got back from a walk and it was hot hot hot. That meant we’d earned a treat from the new ice cream parlor up the street, and it was delicious! It reminded me of summer days a kid, chasing after the ice cream truck that would swing by our neighborhood.

Here’s an interesting piece on invention, icy cold treats, and the making of a classic warm weather treat.

Bomb Pops, the Kansas City invention that defined American summers and patriotic nostalgia

These sweet, thirst-quenching treats call back to the simple days of childhood: Fourth of July fireworks, cannonballs in the pool, staying up late because there’s no school tomorrow.

Stay cool!

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I like reading interesting nonfiction, not least because it’s a great source of ideas for stories. I ran across this oddly fascinating article a while back:

Italy’s undercover pizza detectives

…the AVPN intermittently dispatches secret pizza agents on espionage missions to clandestinely spy on the restaurants.

Excellent title!

In related news, I might be hungry.

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Today is lemon madeleines, almond apricot madeleines, and giant brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

Ambitious? Yes. Have I accumulated one oven burn and an unexpected trip to the store so far? Yep! But I’m making progress, and that’s my goal.

Hope your day is also sweet!

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An adventure:

“Hey, Self, we haven’t made bread in a while. Maybe it’s time.”

“Sure, sounds good. And while we’re at it, let’s play around with the rise. This sourdough levain looks great, let’s try using just that and a pinch of yeast and see where that takes us.”

“Terrific idea, Self!”

/hours pass

“So, this second rise is taking forever, right?”

“Indeed it is. Perhaps our fun and innovative exploration into alternative rise methodologies wasn’t a wise move after all.”

“True, true, but the fireplace is on, let’s see if raising the heat will help.”

/another hour passes with encouraging results

“This is working, we just need more heat. Let’s move the dough off the coffee table and snug it right up against the fireplace.”

“Excellent idea, Self. The cat’s super sacked out, what’s the worst that could happen?”

No, he’s not sorry.

/sigh, although in my defense, the dough was covered with several layers of tea towel plus plastic.

“Ok. So maybe not the best idea ever.”

“Not so much. Can’t stop laughing, though.”

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Best Yet

Followup notes on yesterday’s cheesecake: Won’t lie, it worked out really well. Both friends and Mr Man said it was my best so far, and that’s feedback I’m happy to hear. 

I forgot to take a picture for my notes, but the result was pretty served with blueberries, raspberries, and drizzled raspberry lemon reduction.*

Next goal, upgrading the chocolate version:)

* Cooked to 220F, finished with 1/8t lemon oil instead of orange blossom water, and strained because seeds are annoying.

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I have accomplished the impossible! For the first time ever, I have managed to bake a cheesecake without cracks.*

I’ve made cheesecake a number of times but haven’t managed a crack-free surface. Until now.

The secret? Rather than cracking open the oven door for the 10 minute rest period between high and low heat bakes, I opened the door alllll the way. That brought the temperature down so much that the bake required an extra 30 minutes, but it was worth it.

Will the cake cut well, plate well, and taste good? I hope so, but right now I’m just going to enjoy the fact that a goal I thought might be impossible has been achieved.

To persistence, and cake!

* Let me state the obvious and say that plenty of people in this world can bake cheesecake without cracks. And now that number includes me:)

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