Ice Cream Cake + A Memory

Growing up, summer time meant spending time on Balboa Island.  Some summers, we would rent a house.  Sometimes with another family, yet most summer's we just rented our own home. We participated in many daily activities; fishing in the bay, riding around the island in a small motor boat, and riding our bikes until the moon was our only light source.  The most important daily activity was eating a "bal bar".  A bal bar is basically a brick of ice cream with a stick in it.  Then it is dipped in the most amazing chocolate sauce and covered in either nuts or jimmies.  I always went for the nuts (see original ice cream here).

This dessert reminds me of my childhood. For me, it's all about the nuts. The original bal bar didn't have cake in it.  However,  topping this dessert off with roasted, salted peanuts brought back some darn good memories!

Brown Butter Pound Cake
yield 1 - 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" loaf
adapted from here

ingredients:
2 1/4(9 oz.) sticks unsalted butter
2 cups sifted cake flour (before measuring)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

instructions:
• preheat oven to 325*.  butter and flour an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" loaf pan
• heat butter in a 10" skillet over medium heat until milk solids on bottom are dark chocolate brown (don't walk away, it burns super fast).  transfer to a shallow bowl and chill in freezer until congealed, 15 minutes.
• whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
• in a mixer, beat sugars and brown butter until fluffy (the smell at this point is intoxicating).  add eggs, one at a time.  add vanilla.
• mix in flour mixture until just incorporated.
• transfer to prepared pan. bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes.  cool in pan for 1 hour, then invert onto cake rack to cool completely.
• once cooled, stick in the fridge for an hour(this makes it easier to cut).
• this pound cake can stand on it's own.  it is delicious!

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream w/Cookie Dough
adapted from David Lebovitz
yield 4 cups ( you will need three cups for this recipe)

ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half, lengthwise
6 large egg whites
3/4 tsp. vanilla

instructions:
• warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup of cream, and salt in a medium saucepan.
• scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warm milk and add the bean as well.
• cover, remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• pour the remaining 1 cup into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
• in a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
• stir the mixture, constantly, over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula.
• pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.
• put the vanilla bean into the custard, add the vanilla extract and stir until cool, over an ice bath.
• chill the mixture in the fridge for about 3 hours.
• when ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, rinsing and reserving (I make vanilla sugar with it).  freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• before transferring to a plastic container, mix in your favorite cookie dough(it is best if your cookie dough chunks have been previously frozen).
• freeze in an air tight container.

Glaze

ingredients
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate chopped

instructions
• bring the cream + corn syrup to a boil in a heavy saucepan.  remove from heat.
• pour cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. let stand about an hour,
but still pourable.

Assembly:
• cut the cake in half, lengthwise.  Then cut it again.  You will end up with 4 parts, all about 1" thick.
• freeze the four pieces on a sheet pan for about an hour.
• 15 minutes before taking the cakes out of the freezer, let ice cream rest on your kitchen counter.  you want your ice cream spreadable.
• line a 9" x 9" square baking pan with plastic wrap.  make sure there is enough overhang to wrap the cake tightly.
• take two of your cake pieces and lay them on the bottom of prepared pan.
• spread a little of  your glaze on the surface of the cake. freeze for 15 minutes
• spread your ice cream ( 3 cups) over the cake.  smooth with an off set spatula.
• lay the other two pieces of cake directly over the ice cream layer.  press gently to get the cake to stick to the ice cream.
• wrap the cake with the plastic wrap(the overhang of your pan). wrap a 2nd layer of plastic wrap around the entire pan.
• freeze over night.
• remove the cake from the pan.  discard the plastic wrap.  cut off the uneven ends(my kids made good use of the rejected ends), creating a 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" square. cut into desired size squares(I did 1 3/4" squares).
• put the squares on a wire rack set over a sheet pan.  quickly, spoon your glaze over the cake squares. sprinkle each mini cake with nuts, jimmies, m+m's, what ever strikes your fancy.  Set in the freezer until ready to eat!

There are so many variations one could do with this idea.  Although it was a laborious task, I would certainly do it again.  However, may wait until next Spring.  At the moment, I am kind of relishing all the seasonal fruits I am finding at the local farmer's market!  Be on the look out for lots of tarts, stewed fruits and galettes!

Hazelnut macaroons + chocolate raspberry ganache

More egg whites.  I just can't throw them out.  Thus, more macaroons.  Today, hazelnut shells with chocolate-raspberry ganache.  I think I over aged my egg whites.  Is that possible?  These were not one of the more successful macaroon endeavors.  Nor were they the prettiest, hence, delicious.  The ganache was the perfect combination of bitter and sweet.  It was smooth and easy to apply to the shell of the macaroon.  This will go down as a staple ganache recipe! 


Macaroons
adapted from helene of mytartelette.com


for the shells
90 grams (about 3) egg whites (measured after aging)
25-50 grams(2 Tbls. - 1/4 cup) granulated sugar
200 grams ( 1.5 cups + 2 Tbls) powdered sugar
110 grams ( 3/4 cup) almond flour/meal (for this recipe I did 1/2 hazelnut flour - 1/2 almond flour)
1 Tbls. powdered food coloring (optional)

prep the eggs
48 hours in advance, separate the whites from the yolks and place whites in a super clean bowl.  leave at room
temperature, uncovered for at least 24 hours.  refrigerate after that.  you can use eggs that have been aging for up to 5 days.

prepare the macaroons
• if using nuts, place powdered sugar + nuts in a food processor and give them a good pulse until finely ground.  sift a few times to remove bits and pieces. ( I like bobs red meal hazelnut meal & almond meal ) if using color add it now.
• in a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam (like bubble bath), gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue (like shaving cream).  Do not over beat your meringue or it will be too dry
• add the nut mixture, give a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10.  Give quick strokes at first and then slow down.  Test a small amount on a plate;  if the tops flattens on its won you are good to go.  if there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.
• fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (80 or 809) with the batter and pipe small mounds on to parchment lined baking sheets.  let macaroons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells.
• preheat oven to 300*.  when read to bake, bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating half way through. let cool.

prepare chocolate raspberry ganache
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbls. unsalted butter, room temp
1/16 tsp. raspberry extract or raspberry oil

directions:
• melt chocolate + cream in a bowl over simmering water ( do not let water touch bottom of the bowl), stirring until smooth.  remove from heat and add the butter and extract until melted.  let stand at room temp until cooled completely and thickened.

assembly:
• match up macaroons by size and lay upside down on a cookie sheet.  put about a teaspoon of ganache on one of the macaroons and carefully press the the other macaroon on top.
• let sit in refrigerator over night.
• eat and enjoy!

Rainbow Goodness

Part II, Yom Kippur Break Fast desserts for 100.

My theme this year is pick desserts that will feed a crowd and won't keep me in the kitchen all day and all night. Rainbow cookies are the perfect cookies for this occasion. I have made these in the past and although everyone else loved them, I didn't. Maybe me not loving stuff with almond paste has something to do with it! None the less, I wanted to make them again.

This time I used the recipe from Sherry Yard's Desserts by the Yard and this could not have been simpler to make. Reading the recipe, it looks complicated, yet it isn't. The layers only bake for 20 minutes and then cool for 10 minutes. Assemble and put in the fridge. Bars are so much easier than drop cookies. I need to remember that when December rolls around!

Ingredients:

12 oz. almond paste

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/12 pounds unsalted butter, softened

6 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup almond flour

3 cups all purpose flour

1 drop of red food coloring or more

1 drop of green food coloring or more

2 drops of yellow food coloring (i used 5 drops)

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

(bring to a slow boil until sugar is dissolved. let cool to room temp).

3/4 cups apricot jam

3/4 cups raspberry jam

Chocolate Glaze

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 oz unsalted butter

5 tbls. light corn syrup

1 1/2 tbls. grand marnier

Directions:

Cake

1. Place racks in the upper & lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 325*. Spray three 12 x 17 inch half sheet pans with pan spray. Line with parchment paper and spray parchment.

2. Place the almond paste in a large food processor fitted with the steel blade and blend for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand.

3. Add one quarter of the softened butter and pulse until it is blended with the almond paste. Blend a quarter of the butter at a time until all incorporated.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg yolks and pulse to blend. Pulse in the almond flour, then the all purpose flour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

5. Beat egg whites to soft peaks then fold into batter.

6. Divide the batter between three bowls (I weighed the entire batter and then divided accordingly). Add the red food coloring to one bowl and mix, then add the green to the other and the yellow to the last bowl (I needed alot of yellow to make the yellow vibrant).

7. Scrape all of one color into one of your prepared baking sheets. Use an offset spatula to spread evenly (this is the hard part). Then slide your finger along the edge of the baking sheet to remove the excess batter from the edges. Repeat with the other two colors.

8. Place the pans in the oven(I did it in two batches) and bake for 10 minutes. Switch the pans, top to bottom and back to front and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Bake the third pan repeating the process.

9. Put an empty baking sheet in front of you, upside down. Spray lightly with pan spray and top with a piece of parchment. Invert the yellow cake onto the baking sheet. Remove parchment. Using a pastry brush, brush evenly with one third of the simple syrup. smear the apricot jam evenly over the cake. Top with the pink layer and remove parchment. Brush evenly with the syrup and spread the raspberry jam evenly. Complete with the green layer, brushing with the remaining syrup. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

10. Make the glaze: Combine the chocolate with the butter in a glass bowl over simmering water. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Stir in the corn syrup and the grand marnier.

11. Remove cake from the fridge and unwrap. Pour the glaze over the top and using an offset spatula, spread the glaze evenly over the top, stopping just before the edges. Allow to cool 1-2 minutes, then, just as the shine disappears from he glaze, run a pastry comb or fork in a squiggly motion over the top to create a pattern.

12. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes or until the glaze sets. Remove from he refrigerator and cut into 1 1/2" squares, using a serrated knife.

Can be frozen, wrapped tight for up to two weeks.