Daily Dose: Cranberry Sorbet

My boyfriend and I hosted a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for our friends, including a pal who's vegan.  Since I couldn't use eggs or butter for dessert, all of my baked goods were out of the question (so sad).  I settled on making a sorbet, and what better flavor for Thanksgiving than cranberry?! Seriously, do you eat cranberries any other time of the year???  Anyway, this sorbet was a big hit for both the vegan and non-vegan eaters!  So even though cranberry sorbet isn't a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Sorbet

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberries
2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest of one orange

Directions:

Combine cranberries, orange juice, sugar and one cinnamon stick in a heavy pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst.  I love hearing the pop-pop-pop of the bursting cranberries. 

Remove the cinnamon stick and puree cranberry mixture in batches in a blender until smooth.  Since the mixture is hot, be sure to puree the mixture in small batches.  

Strain the mixture and discard any solid bits. Chill until cold.

Combine the water, remaining sugar, and remaining cinnamon stick.  Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the cinnamon stick and let cool.  NOTE: I used turbinado sugar, as that was the only vegan sugar I had on hand.  That's why the syrup looks brown.

Stir together cranberry puree, sugar syrup, and orange zest.  Add to your ice cream maker and freeze for 20-30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until hardened.

Cranberry Sorbet

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberries
2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest of one orange

Directions:

1. Combine cranberries, orange juice, sugar and one cinnamon stick in a heavy pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst.  I love hearing the pop-pop-pop of the bursting cranberries. 

2. Remove the cinnamon stick and puree cranberry mixture in batches in a blender until smooth.  Since the mixture is hot, be sure to puree the mixture in small batches.  

3. Strain the mixture and discard any solid bits. Chill until cold.

4. Combine the water, remaining sugar, and remaining cinnamon stick.  Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the cinnamon stick and let cool. 

5. Stir together cranberry puree, sugar syrup, and orange zest.  Add to your ice cream maker and freeze for 20-30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until hardened.

Daily Dose: Maple Ice Cream

This is my second attempt at a custard based ice cream.  The first was Graham Cracker Ice Cream, and I overcooked the custard - woops!  This time, I carefully watched the custard while it cooked.  And, to ensure a smooth consistency, I strained the custard before putting it in the ice cream machine.  The result?  Perfectly smooth and rich ice cream.  Delicious!  Enjoy!


Maple Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, bring the maple syrup to a boil.  Bring down to a simmer, and reduce until you have a little less than 1/2 cup. 

Add the milk and cream to the maple syrup and slowly heat until hot.

While the milk and cream are warming, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.

Slowly add a small ladle of the hot cream to the eggs, whisking while you drizzle in the hot liquid. Add the remaining hot cream, a ladle at a time, all the while whisking.

Return the custard mixture to the sauce pan and heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  Cook until the custard coats the back of the spoon.  This means that when you remove the spoon from the custard, and draw a line with your finger across the spoon, the custard will stay in place.  If it runs, you need to keep cooking it.

Strain the mixture and let cool.  Once cool, add to the ice cream machine and mix for 20-30 minutes.  Freeze before serving.

Maple Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks

Directions:
1. In a small sauce pan, bring the maple syrup to a boil.  Bring down to a simmer, and reduce until you have a little less than 1/2 cup.
2. Add the milk and cream to the maple syrup and slowly heat until hot.
3. While the milk and cream are warming, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
4. Slowly add a small ladle of the hot cream to the eggs, whisking while you drizzle in the hot liquid. Add the remaining hot cream, a ladle at a time, all the while whisking.
5. Return the custard mixture to the sauce pan and heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  Cook until the custard coats the back of the spoon.  This means that when you remove the spoon from the custard, and draw a line with your finger across the spoon, the custard will stay in place.  If it runs, you need to keep cooking it.
6.Strain the mixture and let cool.  Once cool, add to the ice cream machine and mix for 20-30 minutes.  Freeze before serving.

Daily Dose: S'more Sundaes

Homemade Marshmallows? Check.  Graham Cracker Ice Cream?  Check.  Hot Fudge Sauce?  Check!!  Hmmm, looks like I have everything for some delicious s'more sundaes!  (You saw that coming, didn't you?).  Living in NYC, campfires are hard to come by.  So to get the marshmallows warm and toasted I busted out the torch!  If you don't have a torch, you can skewer marshmallows and toast them under your oven's broiler :)  Enjoy!

S'more Sundaes

Ingredients: 
Homemade Marshmallows (or store bought)
Graham Cracker Ice Cream
Hot Fudge Sauce
Graham crackers (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

On a baking sheet, place a small mound of mini-marshmallows for each sundae.  Taking all precautions and following all instructions, carefully brown the marshmallows with the torch.

Scoop ice cream into a bowl.  Spoon fudge sauce over the top.  Top with toasted marshmallows.  Gobble up!

Daily Dose: Graham Cracker Ice Cream

I've made quite a variety of ice cream flavors since getting my machine.  From cinnamon, to basil, to bacon.  But each time I've stuck to a simple cream and milk base, too afraid of salmonella to try any egg-based ice creams.  However, this recipe cooks the egg mixture, so I feel a little better about incorporating eggs. The end result was much creamier and richer than a simple cream/milk based ice cream, which tends to get icey.  I did hit one snag though; I didn't strain the mixture before putting it in the machine, which meant there were some chunks.  So to get the best texture, definitely don't skip the straining step.   Enjoy!

Graham Cracker Ice Cream
(Recipe from Recette via Zagat - Click for a video how-to!)

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cups cream
6 graham crackers
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks

Directions:

Heat milk and cream, careful not to boil.  Crush graham crackers and add to hot milk mixture. Stir till crackers are mostly dissolved. I left a couple larger chunks.

In a bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar.  The mixture will be thick  While whisking, pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture over yolks to temper.  Repeat with a few more ladles of the hot milk mixture. Pour egg and milk mixture back into a sauce pot and cook while constantly stirring until thickened.

Strain mixture into a bowl over an ice bath. Stir ice cream base until cooled and pour into ice-cream maker. Follow ice-cream maker's instructions.  Once set, place ice cream into freezer until ready to serve.

Graham Cracker Ice Cream
(Recipe from Recette via Zagat - Click for a video how-to!)

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cups cream
6 graham crackers
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Heat milk and cream, careful not to boil.
2. Crush graham crackers and add to hot milk mixture. Stir till crackers are mostly dissolved.
3. In a bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar.  The mixture will be thick
4. While whisking, pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture over yolks to temper.  Repeat with a few more ladles of the hot milk mixture.
5. Pour egg and milk mixture back into a sauce pot and cook while constantly stirring until thickened.
6. Strain mixture into a bowl over an ice bath. Stir ice cream base until cooled and pour into ice-cream maker.
7. Follow ice-cream maker's instructions.  Once set, place ice cream into freezer until ready to serve.

Daily Dose: Avocado Ice Cream

A quick aside before we jump to the recipe: I received my ice cream maker as a birthday gift from my boyfriend, shortly after we started dating.  At first I thought he missed the mark.  After all, an ice cream maker doesn't fall within Hallmark's brand of "Romance." Well, five years later, and the ice cream maker (and the boyfriend) are still around.  The point of all this: get an ice cream maker.  Yes, it's a uni-tasker, but it does that task so well!  I've used it for bacon ice cream, pomegranate gelato, cola slushies and even frozen margaritas. And of course, for today's avocado ice cream!  Enjoy!

Avocado Ice Cream
(Recipe from Alton Brown)

Ingredients:
12 ounces avocado meat, approximately 3 small to medium
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Combine avocado meat, lemon juice, milk and sugar to the blender and puree.

In a medium bowl, combine the avocado puree with the heavy cream and whisk until combined.  Cover the mixture and chill for 4-6 hours.  NOTE: I was impatient and skipped the 4 hour chill.  The ice cream still came out fine. 

Add the mixture to your ice cream maker and process according to instructions. 

The ice cream can be eaten soft.  Or, transfer to an air-tight container, and freeze until firm.