Fresh Peach Ice Cream with Ginger Liqueur and Crystallized Ginger

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Peaches ripen later on the north coast than in hotter-in-summer parts of the US, which makes July the start of the season for our truly local ones.  The peaches pictured below hail from Neukom Family Farm and may be found these days at local farmers markets; they're sweet, dribble-down-your-chin juicy, and they make a terrific ice cream.

Keeping an ice cream recipe simple is really not my style, and here, not being able to leave well-enough alone, I've added a French ginger liqueur and chopped crystallized ginger to mix things up a bit, making for a more, dare I say it, sophisticated dessert.  The liqueur also helps to keep the frozen ice cream from turning into a brick, making for easier scooping. That said, please feel free to leave out both of those extra ingredients if you prefer; their absence will not affect the finished product.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream with Ginger Liqueur and Crystallized Ginger

Ingredients:
4 ripe yellow peaches, medium-large, pitted, skins left on
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ginger liqueur (optional)
pinch salt
2/3 cup sugar, divided
4 egg yolks
1 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Preparation:
Chop the peaches into chunks and put into a food processor along with the lemon juice, ginger liqueur (if using), 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the salt. Purée until all the peaches have liquefied and no chunks remain. Set aside.
Whisk (or use a hand mixer) the egg yolks with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar until the yolks are pale and thickened.
Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, until small bubbles form around the edge of the pot. Do not let the milk boil.
Whisk about one-third of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, then whisk it all back into the hot milk pan on the stove. Heat on medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Drawing your finger down the coated spoon should leave a track in the custard. Keep the heat on the conservative side of medium and take good care to not let the custard curdle.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard (through a strainer, or not) into a glass bowl or 8-cup glass measure.
Allow the custard to cool for about 15 minutes then stir in the heavy cream.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold; overnight is best for thorough chilling.
Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the chopped ginger when the ice cream is semi-frozen.
Pack into container that has a tight-fitting lid and place in the freezer for an hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Cook's Notes:

My preference is to make fruit ice creams with their skins on.  I feel that the skins add to the texture and color of the finished product.  Please put your custard through a fine mesh strainer if you don't wish the tiny bits of skin to be present in your ice cream.

Copyright 2005-2014, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Satsuma Plum Tart

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 Beautiful Satsuma plums went into the making of this simple plum tart.

A little sugar and a touch of fortified wine to deepen the flavors is all I added.

The plums wanted to shine.

Farmers market plums from Neukom Family Farm:  Local.  Organic.  Meaty.  Plump.  Juicy.  Deeply red inside and out.  Aren't they sweethearts?  They're even shaped like hearts.  And they taste every bit as delicious as they look, whether eaten out of hand or in this tart.  I used all ten of these in the filling.

As you will see in the recipe, I made this tart with a flour-based crust and regular white sugar.  But since I more often than not espouse using gluten free flours and little to no sugar, I've included measurements for those as well.

Not much more to say.  I'll let the plums do the talking.

Satsuma Plum Tart
Christine's original recipe
Makes one 10-inch tart

For the dough:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (or 140 grams gluten free flour)
• 2 teaspoons sugar (or 1 packet Splenda)
• 1/3 cup salted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon cold water

For the filling:

• 10 or so Satsuma plums, sliced 1/4-inch thick (should make 3-4 cups sliced)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or 1 tablespoon Splenda-Sugar Blend)
• 2 tablespoons Dubonnet Rouge (optional)
• Tapioca starch if needed

To make the crust, pulse the flour and sugar together in a food processor.
Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas and incorporated into the flour.
Using the feed tube, add the cream while pulsing.
Add the water a small amount at a time while pulsing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Gather up the dough in plastic wrap and make a ball to bring it all together.
Roll the dough out on a floured cloth to a 12-inch diameter.
Gently roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll over the tart dish.
Gently push the dough into the dish; you should have a 2-inch overhand all around.  Trim this to 1-inch then tuck under so the edge is now just inside the tart dish and about a quarter-inch higher.  Gently push the edges into the scallops of the dish.
Place into the fridge to chill for at least one-half hour.

To make the filling, toss the sliced plums, sugar and Dubonnet Rouge together and allow to sit at room temperature for at least one-half hour.
If your plums make a lot of juice in the bowl, toss them with a teaspoon or so of tapioca starch.  The starch will become clear upon baking and will not discolor the finished tart.

Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the plums are cooked through and bubbly.  I had to lower the heat to 350 after 50 minutes to finish baking the tart without over-browning the crust.

When the tart is done, place it on a wire rack and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Slice and serve simply, as is, or adorn with whipped cream, creme Anglaise (vanilla custard sauce), or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Copyright 2005-2012, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream With or Without Bourbon

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Spicy chocolate.  I love it.

In my kitchen it usually finds its way into a cafe mocha which I share with Mr CC.  But not this time.

This time I wanted to share the zingy chili-enhanced chocolaty taste of this stuff with you all, and it had to be ice cream.  It doesn't disappoint.

Chocolate ice cream base

Now I'm entirely aware that I have a penchant for putting booze in my ice cream.  I like the process of figuring out which small amount of alcohol might enhance a frozen dessert.  Makes me feel like a bit of a scientist.

But if alcohol in ice cream doesn't float your boat, please feel free to omit it.  It won't make the end result be any less delicious.  And, of course, do not add it if you're going to be serving this to children.

That said, if you've no aversion to booze in your ice cream, let me tell you that using a tablespoon or two of really good bourbon here deepens the chocolate flavor, rendering a mysterious smokiness to the spice notes.

This recipe, adapted from an ice cream I made here (and can one adapt their own recipes?), comes together very quickly.  It needs an overnight chill in the fridge so plan ahead.

Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream

Christine's Recipe for Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream
makes enough to densely pack a 32-ounce container
Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup Splenda-sugar blend)
• 1/2 cup sweetened cocoa powder (I used Dagoba's Xocolatl drinking chocolate)
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon good vanilla such as Bourbon-Madagascar
• 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional), I used Maker's Mark)

Preparation:
Using a hand held mixer or stand mixer, blend together the egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until it is uniformly smooth and thickened.
Using a 2-quart saucepan, bring the milk to just under a simmer over medium-low heat. It will be hot enough when small bubbles form around the sides of the pan.
With the mixer running on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, blending thoroughly. Pour this back into the saucepan and heat gently on low, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and strain into a clean glass container.  Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before stirring in the cream, vanilla and bourbon (if using).
Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6-8 hours until well chilled.
Stir thoroughly to re-mix before adding the chilled custard to your ice cream maker.
Process according to the manufacturer's directions.  It will be soft set in about 25 minutes.
Pack into a 32-ounce container (large yogurt containers are perfect for this), cover with a piece of plastic wrap before snapping the lid on, and freeze for one to two hours before serving.

The links within this post go to my Amazon Store (which I plug every now and then) where I list kitchen tools, gadgets, small appliances, herbs, spices and food products (as well as bourbon), cookbooks and my cameras, all of which you will find me using in my kitchen.  I do not list products that I haven't used or do not own.  Buying products from my Amazon store returns pennies to me so I can buy more kitchen stuff.

Also, Dagoba did not approach me to feature them here and I have not sought nor have I received remuneration for doing so.  I sometimes feature products that I use because I like them and feel them worthy of sharing.  That's all.

Copyright © 2005-2012, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Fennel Blossom and Lemon Balm Ice Cream with Absinthe

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Tucked into a corner of my vegetable garden you will find fennel and lemon balm growing in perfect harmony.

See them back there at the far end of the greenhouse?  Nice, huh?

Not long ago I was out picking the peas that reside next to this duo when the combined perfumes of the blooming fennel and sun-warmed lemon balm gave me a notion; I plucked a fennel blossom and chewed on it while holding a crushed lemon balm leaf to my nose.  Okay!  That works.

Tanna, this is for you!

Biting into tiny buds of fennel is like tasting sweetly floral licorice, one with which the lemon astringency of the balm plays nicely.  Ice cream was already a no brainer, I just had to find something to give it a little boost - you know, out of the garden so to speak.

Absinthe or, in its absence, Pernod (which you can buy in tiny bottles for just this occasion), - but really I don't want you to run out and buy absinthe for all of the several teaspoons you will use in this recipe, unless you really need to replenish your absinthe and if so, then go right ahead - was the kicker-upper I needed.

Ahhh, icy cold herbal perfume with a touch of hooch (thank you, Miles!).

Herewith is my notion:

Fennel Blossom and Lemon Balm Ice Cream with Absinthe

Using sharp kitchen scissors, snip the flower buds from their tiny stems.
Do this over a bowl as the buds tend to fly around when released.

Gently bruise the lemon balm leaves just before steeping them in the milk.

While the buds and balm are steeping, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt.

Strain the milk through a double-mesh sieve,
push on the herbs with the back of a spoon to extract all the flavors.

Mmmmm. Absinthe. But just a touch. (Thank you, Miles!!)

Eggs from my sweet hens have deep orange yolks.

Enjoy!

Fennel Blossom, Lemon Balm Ice Cream with Absinthe

Christine's original recipe

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh fennel flower blossoms, snipped from about 3 large umbels

1 cup tightly packed fresh lemon balm leaves, lightly bruised in a mortar and pestle

2 cups milk (can be whole or 2%)

1 cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup, you might like it sweeter)

pinch sea salt

1/2 to 1 tablespoon absinthe or Pernod (depending on your taste; optional)

Preparation:

• Place fennel blossoms, bruised lemon balm leaves and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat until milk forms small bubbles around the edge of the pan and steam begins to lift from the surface.
• Remove the pan from the heat source, cover and let sit for at least 20 minutes to steep the herbs and extract their flavors.
• While the herbs are steeping in the hot milk, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt until well blended and the sugar begins to dissolve.  Set aside.
• Strain the milk through a double-mesh sieve to remove all remnants of the herbs, pushing on the herbs to extract all of the milk and good flavors.
• Rinse the saucepan and add the strained milk back into it.  Heat gently on low.
• Whisking constantly, pour about 1/4 of the milk into the eggs.  Now pour the tempered eggs back into the milk and heat gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and you can leave a track through it with your finger.  Do not let the mixture boil or it will curdle.
• Pour the mixture into a glass or ceramic bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes to cool slightly.
• Stir the absinthe and cream into the milk-egg custard, mix well.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, overnight is best, or until the mixture is very cold.
• Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

This ice cream may be soft served straight from the machine but will be better if placed in a lidded container (put a piece or wax paper or plastic wrap over the ice cream before placing the lid on) and frozen for at least an hour.

Fennel and lemon balm grow fast and tall in my coastal northern California garden once temperatures warm and days get longer. My garden soil is amended with a mixture of well-composted, organic horse and chicken manure and composted vegetable matter.  It drains well which is a must for these herbs.

Want to grow fennel and lemon balm in your garden? Try these links for growing tips and seed information:
For fennel - http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/guidetogrowingfennel.html
For lemon balm - http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/guidetogrowinglemonbalm.html

Copyright © 2005-2012, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Apple-Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Fresh Apples

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Once in a great while I just have to make something sweetly ooey-gooey delicious (and, um, fattening), not just to satisfy a personal craving, but also to assure Mr CC that I've still got the chops.  Plus, lucky him, he gets to eat (most of) the results.

So, this here before you is a moist, creamy, crusty, raisin-walnut-apple-y, boozey bread pudding that I defy even the staunchest dieter to resist:  It's got sugar but not too much; it's got cream but just enough to make your belly grin; it's got toasted, challah-like cinnamon-apple bread (mine was locally produced. Plain challah would be fine as would any sturdy bread but you may have to up the sweetness a bit); it's got fresh, chunked up apples, and it's got a tipple of bourbon - just because.

I won't lie; one of my favorite celebrity chefs (and I don't have many), Michael Symon, made a version of this and I've adapted that recipe for myself.  And you.

Plan ahead for this one; there is some refrigeration time before baking.

Apple-Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Fresh Apples
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Adapted from Michael Symon's Sunday Suppers
Ingredients:
1 loaf cinnamon-apple bread - cut into 1-inch cubes, toasted, makes 6-8 cups
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
unsalted butter for the dish
6 large eggs or 12 ounces (my chickens lay very large eggs so I measure by volume)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream (plus more for serving - optional)
1/3 cup Splenda/Sugar Blend or 2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon great bourbon such as Maker's Mark
1 teaspoon good vanilla
1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (preferably organic Saigon)

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the bread cubes in a single layer on several baking sheets. Bake in the oven until golden brown, shaking the pan several times so it won't burn.  You may have to switch the pans around to avoid oven hot spots.  Remove croutons from oven and allow to cool completely.
Butter an eight to ten-cup dish, rectangular or round, and set aside.
Peel, core and dice the apples, placing them in a large bowl. As you work, sprinkle the diced apples with lemon juice as they layer up in the bowl; this will keep them from getting discolored.
When the croutons are cool, place them in the baking dish topped with the diced apples.  Toss briefly to lightly mix.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.  Whisk in the bourbon.
Pour the egg mixture over the crouton-apple mixture, pushing the croutons into the custard as much as possible (they will pop up of their own accord anyway, so what you want to do is get them moistened).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, occasionally pushing the croutons into the custard.

To bake:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the pudding-filled baking dish inside of a larger roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water so it comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Place the whole thing into the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the pudding.
Allow the pudding to cool to just warm or room temperature.

Serving suggestions:
Spoon several tablespoons of heavy cream onto a dessert plate and top with a scoop of warm bread pudding.  Drizzle a bit more cream over the pudding and serve immediately.
- Or -
While the pudding is baking, whip some heavy cream, adding a bit of sugar and a few teaspoons of bourbon, until stiff peaks form.  Keep chilled. Top pudding with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon just before serving.

To refrigerate leftovers, don't cover with plastic wrap which will cause condensation to form which will water the top of the pudding. Instead loosely drape with parchment paper.

Bon appétit.

Copyright © 2005-2012, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Recipe for Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Raspberry Swirl

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I coulda made this with fresh organic raspberries.

I coulda driven the 12 miles to get them - 24 miles round trip.

Coulda, but I didn't.

Instead I had a Trader Joe's moment:  organic raspberry spread and raspberry wine; both in the fridge, both cold.

It took just 5 minutes to put this together plus 20 minutes to freeze.

It could be in your dessert bowls tonight . . .

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Raspberry Swirl

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups plain, organic whole fat yogurt (low fat is fine)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (or 8 to 12 packets Splenda)
4-ounces raspberry fruit spread
2 tablespoons raspberry wine



Preparation:
Combine the yogurt, vanilla and sugar in a large mixing bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Keep very cold until ready to freeze.
Combine the raspberry wine and raspberry fruit spread in a small measuring cup. Cover and keep cold.
Freeze the yogurt mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
When the yogurt is frozen, place one-third of it in a lidded container that can go into your freezer, spoon 1/2 of the raspberry mixture over that, then spoon one-third more of the yogurt over the raspberry layer, and repeat with the remaining raspberry mixture ending with the last third of the yogurt on top.
Cut down through the yogurt a few times with a knife. Smooth the top.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the yogurt to keep ice crystals from forming then snap on the lid and freeze for several hours until ready to serve.  Can be frozen overnight but if that's the case, bring it out and set it on the counter 1/2 hour before serving so it can soften.

I like my frozen yogurt on the tart side. If you like yours sweeter, add up to 2/3 cup sugar.
I think that using whole milk yogurt works best to achieve creaminess, but low-fat and non-fat will work also although they will freeze to a brick.
As can be seen on other frozen yogurt posts of mine, I usually drain the whey from the yogurt before preparing the recipe.  I decided to not do this here to see how it would turn out. It turned out just fine.  Maybe not as creamy, but fine nonetheless.
The Trader Joe's link in this post is not a promotion and I do not receive renumeration for it; it is there so you can see what the product looks like.  Sorry I couldn't find a photo for the raspberry wine, but TG's carries it with their label at about $8 a bottle.

Copyright © 2005-2011, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Recipe for Sugar Free Meyer Lemon, Fresh Blueberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt Creamsicles

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Let's get this whole sugar free business out of the way right now.

Yes, I did not add any sugar.

Yes, you can substitute sugar for the Splenda if you wish, and I have even given the sugar equivalent in the recipe below.

No, these are not totally, absolutely, positively sugar free.

Fruit has natural sugars in the form of fructose.

Dairy has natural sugars in the form of lactose.

Natural sugars existing in whole foods - fruits, vegetables, dairy - are a good thing. They come in their own natural packaging, often with lots of fiber.

Industry-packaged foods often mostly have added sugars, the worst being high-fructose corn syrup, and don't let them tell you otherwise.  They lie.

Still, I had a hard time adding the term sugar free to the title of this recipe, cuz it just ain't so.  There's fruit sugar and dairy sugar in abundance.  But no added sugar.  And, yeah, there's Splenda with its teeny-tiny amounts of glucose and maltodextrin, which translate to sugars.  I'm not perfect.

Whew.  Glad I got that off my chest.  Let's move on.

These are my little ode to Spring.  I had so much fun making - and, obviously - eating them.  Notice I have not called them fat free. You will see why as you read on.



What began as a formulation for Meyer lemon frozen yogurt creamsicles, which I'd been thinking about for quite some time while waiting for my frozen pop mold to arrive from Amazon (thank you Jeff & Amy!), acquired a blueberry swirl when organic blueberries from Chile began to show up in our local markets.  Carbon footprint be damned, I could not resist.

These frozen treats are packed with tartness from both the Meyer lemon juice and the yogurt, with just enough Splenda (or sugar) for balance.  The addition of the fruit swirl provides its own sweet surprise.

Before you start, please remember to drain the yogurt of its whey before proceeding (a photo of that process is here). And be sure to read my notes below for a way to use that whey.



Using a pestle to push the blueberry purée through a fine mesh sieve worked better than anything I've ever tried. It really got all the liquid out of the fruit pulp.  A word of caution: empty the sieve of any remaining pulp right away or you may later find yourself scrubbing that little screen really hard.

 

Fold the fruit purée into the yogurt mixture just a few times to make the swirl. Too much combining and you've lost the swirl effect.



Spoon or pour the yogurt mixture into the molds, using a skewer to remove trapped air.  When the molds are filled, tap the aparatus on a counter top a few times to settle and compact the mixture then put the sticks into the center of each mold, about halfway in.  Put the whole thing in the freezer, on a flat surface, and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight, which I think is best.

You will have to excercise some patience.

Sugar Free Meyer Lemon, Fresh Blueberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt Creamsicles

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups (32-ounce container) plain yogurt (I used full fat), drained
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, strained
1 cup cream or half 'n' half (see Cook's Notes)
1/2 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla
8 packets Splenda or 1/3 cup sugar (more to taste)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (yields 1/4 cup blueberry purée)

Preparation:
The day before preparing the pops, drain the liquid, or whey, from the yogurt. (See Cook's Notes for uses for the whey.)  To do this, drape a damp piece of cheesecloth over a sieve that has been set over a large glass container, such as an 8-cup measure.
Spoon or pour the yogurt into the cheese cloth then set the whole thing in the fridge and allow it to drain overnight.
Put the drained yogurt, or yogurt cheese as it is called, into the rinsed 8-cup glass measure or a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice until fully blended.
Stir in the cream and vanilla then the Splenda, or sugar.  If using sugar, stir the mixture until it begins to lose its grainy feel.
You should now have about 5 cups of yogurt mixture; put this in the fridge and continue with prepping the blueberries.
Place the blueberries in a food processor and buzz until they are well puréed; they will not be a liquid at this point.
Scrape the purée from the processor bowl into a very fine mesh sieve placed over a small glass measuring cup.  Then, using a small pestle, stir, stir, stir until all the liquid falls into the measuring cup leaving very dry  pulp in the sieve. I started out using the back of a spoon for this process but soon found I was wasting my time, hence the pestle which did the job quickly with maximum extraction of liquid.
Drizzle the liquid blueberry purée over the yogurt mixture and give it a quick stir with a rubber spatula. Don't overmix as you want the blueberry to be a just a swirl, not a complete color changer.
Spoon this mixture into the molds of a frozen popsicle container, removing air pockets with a smooth bamboo skewer or one of the popsicle sticks that come with the mold.  (It's important to do this because trapped air will cause the creamsicles to form ice crystals within and will result in not being a creamy smooth frozen treat.)

When the molds are filled. Tap them on a counter top to compact the yogurt mixture then place the pop sticks in the center of each mold and freeze until very firm - overnight is best if you can stand the wait.

To un-mold the pops, fill a large container or sink with hot water. Put the molds in the water to within an inch of the top for no more than 5 seconds, then remove from the water.  You may have to squeeze each individual mold with your hands to help the frozen yogurt within separate from the mold. You may also need to re-dip into the hot water several times to get the pops to un-mold.  Placing your fingers on the pop stick, close to the frozen yogurt, pull up gently until the pop releases from the mold.

Go ahead, take a bite.  I'll wait.

To store the creamsicles (as if), wrap each one in its own piece of plastic wrap and layer them in a ziptop freezer bag and put them back in the freezer.  Pull one out when you get a yen for a lip-smackin', tart-sweet, frozen fruity treat.

As is abundantly clear from the recipe, this is not a low-fat frozen treat. However, having made this, I think I can safely say that you could successfully lower the fat content by substituting low-fat yogurt and low-fat milk for some of the cream or half 'n' half without compromising the structure of these so aptly-named creamsicles.

8 packets Splenda equals 1/3 cup sugar.  12 packets Splenda equals 1/2 cup sugar.

Yogurt whey may be used as a substitute for buttermilk in baking with great success.  I just made a batch of gluten-free buckwheat pancakes this morning and used the leftover yogurt whey instead of buttermilk.  It worked splendidly and I plan to post a recipe soon.

Happy cooking!

Copyright © 2005-2011, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Coconut Cranberry Frozen Yogurt

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[12-31-10: See Cook's Notes below for another, more coconutty, version made on a whim over Christmas.]

My intention was to get this on the table (read blog) in plenty of time for Christmas.

I don't consider this to be plenty of time, but that's my rather disorganized life at the moment (year actually).

Just now I was about to say that maybe 2011 will find me a more organized cook and blogger, but who am I kidding?  I've always been this way and will offer no more excuses. Hmmm ...  I feel a New Year's resolution coming on:  No more excuses; Iyam who Iyam.

I do love to make frozen concoctions and this one is as easy as pie (why do they say that? Pie is not necessarily easy). Let's just say that this can be made up in no time at all and doesn't require much organization.

Except, you do have to remember to drain the yogurt before hand.

Make this full-fat, low-fat or non-, according to your own dictates.  If you prefer to leave out the cream, substitute a little more milk.  And because the recipe is not made with an ice cream custard base, you can use whatever sweetener you prefer and the texture will not be affected.  I prefer my ice creams and frozen yogurts to be less sweet than the commercial standard, but feel free to kick up the sugar if that floats your boat.

Coconut Cranberry Frozen Yogurt
Christine's orignial recipe
print recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt, preferrably orgainc, drained
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup cream
1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup (scant) Splenda Sugar Blend, or 7-8 packets Splenda
2/3 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut, preferrably organic
1/2 tsp coconut flavoring (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Preparation:
Drain the yogurt by placing it in a damp cheesecloth-lined colander over a bowl, set in the fridge for about 3 hours.  Use the drained liquid in another recipe or discard.  Use the drained yogurt in this recipe.
Combine the yogurt, milk, cream, sugar and extract and stir well.  Taste and adjust at will.
Stir in the shredded coconut.
Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.  When the yogurt mixture is semi-frozen, add the cranberries into the machine while it is running to mix them into the yogurt.
When the yogurt has finished processing, it can be soft-served directly from the mixer or spooned into an aritight container and frozen for about 1 hour before serving.

Scoop this into your prettiest holiday dishes and enjoy.

Cook's Notes:
This is best served the same day.  If kept frozen, you will have to let it thaw for at least a half hour in order for it to be scoopable.

Editor's note on 12-31-10
Josh, Kelly and Jackson visited over the holidays and one night I made a different version of the recipe above using only coconut milk.  We liked it very much so here it is:
Using the measurements above, drain the yogurt for 24 hours so it's very thick.
To the yogurt add one can of whole or lite coconut milk, the sugar, shredded coconut and flavoring. Stir or whisk well to blend.
Process as above, adding the cranberries last.
Serve soft immediately after processing or pack in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 hours before serving.

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Figs Poached in Port and Thyme Over Creamy Yogurt Cheese Plus a Fig Giveaway

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(Update: August 30th 8:19 PM - With help from random.org, a winner of the fig giveaway has been picked!

Drumroll . . . . . . . . .    Congratulations Lindsey!  And a big thank you to all of you for joining in the fun.)

Mr CC and I are eating figs these days. Fresh, juicy, oozing-figgy-syrup California figs. They are impossibly delicious.

Mostly we eat them out of hand; unadorned, as you see above.  Did you know that figs are filled with antioxidants, are free of fat, cholestrol and sodium and are an excellent source of fiber?  Yes they are.  Eat them with the skins on for optimum health benefits.

The figs you see here were sent to me by the California Fig Advisory Board, who want to give away a box of fresh California figs to a randomly selected person who leaves a comment on this post.  The lucky winner will receive beautiful fresh figs delivered direct to her/his door!

 The deadline for this giveaway is Monday, August 30th at 5:00 PM, so please leave your comment soon. And please be sure to leave a way for me to get in touch with you in case you are a winner. 

I don't have a lot of time to cook these days, so I came up with this very quick and easy fresh fig dessert.

The poached figs came together in about 45 minutes from cutting to chilling.  Allow more time for the yogurt cheese as it has to drain most of its liquid to be firm enough to stand up to the weight of the figs.  I started preparation for this dessert in the afternoon and it was ready to serve by 7 PM.

The photo for this recipe does not do the dessert justice, but I promise you the result is delicious.  Give it a try and see if you don't agree.

Figs Poached in Port and Thyme over Creamy Yogurt Cheese

Christine's original recipe

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups Greek-style yogurt (I used Strauss Family Creamery Plain Whole Milk Yogurt)

2 pounds fresh figs - I used 1 pound Black Mission and 1 pound green Kadota figs (about 28 figs total), cut into quarters

1/4 cup aged tawny port (I used Taylor Fladgate 20 year-old)

1/4 cup vanilla sugar (more or less depending on the sweetness of the figs)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

pinch salt

Preparation:

To make the yogurt cheese, dampen a piece of cheesecloth large enough to hang over the sides of a large strainer.

Line the strainer with the cheesecloth and set it over a large measuring cup or bowl.

Spoon the yogurt into the cheesecloth and place the whole thing into the fridge for several hours.
When the liquid has drained from the yogurt, you should have about half the amount of yogurt you started with. Keep cold until ready to use.
To prepare the figs, place the quartered figs, sugar, thyme, Port and salt in a medium saucepan, stir and heat until just bubbling.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook over a heat diffusor for about 15 minutes or until the fruit is cooked through and a nicely thick syrup has formed.
Adjust the sugar to taste, remove from the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer to a large glass measuring cup and place in the fridge to cool until thoroughly chilled.
To serve, place a spoonful or two of yogurt cheese into a glass dish and top with the poached figs.

More figgy recipes coming soon!

Cook's Notes:
Vanilla sugar may be made by placing a split vanilla bean in a jar of baker's sugar (superfine), closing the lid, giving it a shake, and storing it until you need it. I leave the bean in the sugar until all the sugar is all used up; for me, that can be a year or more.

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Gluten-Free Plum Galette with Cardamom, Sugar-Free or Not

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I have a new god(dess) and her name is Carol.

A year ago when I went gluten-free, I tried my hand at making GF pancakes, pies, tarts, fruit galettes and more.  Some of them worked fine, others came out so-so and yet others were total disasters.  Mostly I couldn't get away from the "beany" taste and/or gritty texture that the flours I was using imparted, so I just gave it up altogether.

Sometime during the year I realized how much I missed pie crust.  Light, flakey pie crust.  It almost became an obsession.  I grew up on my mother's pies.  She taught me by example how to make flakey, light-as-a-feather crust.  I just had to find a way to make a GF pie or tart that sung to me.

Not too long ago my subscription link to Carol's blog Simply Gluten Free heralded her new GF flour.  A gluten-free flour that Carol guarantees can be used cup for cup like regular flour to make cakes, pies, cookies, breads, pastries, pizza(!), and more.

Was this to be my pie crust salvation?

I ordered some.  As soon as it arrived I made pie dough, rolled it into a large rustic circle and filled it with beautiful fresh plums.  I popped it into the oven.  I waited.  For 50 minutes I waited.  It was agony.

Finally it was time to remove the galette from the oven.  Then it had to cool ...  more agony.

Finally I cut a piece.  I took a bite...

Heaven!  It was heaven.  It had flake.  It had lightness.  It was delicious.

Carol, I bow to you.  You done good!

Gluten-Free Plum Galette with Cardamom
Christine's original recipe inspired by Carol Kacinski's Amazing All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
(Print recipe)
Ingredients for pie crust:
1 cup gluten-free flour (see link above)
1 packet Splenda or 1 tablespoon sugar
tiny pinch salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons each cold heavy cream and cold water
Preparation:
Whisk together flour, sugar, salt.  Place in food processor and add butter pieces. Using quick pulses, process until butter and flour resemble fine sand, about 5-6 pulses.
Through the feed tube, add the cream in several pours while pulsing and stopping, pulsing and stopping, then add just enough water to make the dough come together. Pinch mixture between your thumb and fingers. If it holds together, it's ready.  Take care to not add too much liquid or your dough will be too wet.
Pour dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, gather the edges of the wrap and make the dough into a ball.  Flatten the ball into a disc and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Ingredients for plum filling:
10-12 ripe plums (yellow and red is nice), pits removed, cut into 1/4-inch slices. Makes approx. 3 cups* see Cook's Notes
Splenda packets or sugar to taste** see Cook's Notes
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter cut into tiny cubes
heavy cream and vanilla sugar to finish the pie crust
Preparation:
While the dough is chilling, combine the plums, sugar, cardamom and tapioca starch in a bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes for the plum juices to form.

Roll out the pie dough on a pastry cloth sprinkled with gluten free flour to a rough diameter of 14-inches.
Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and center on a large parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza pan.
Place the plums (juice and all) in the center of the dough, spreading them to within 3-inches of the edges.
Dot the plums with the butter.

Fold the pie dough about 1/2-inch over itself, pleating and pinching if necessary, forming a smooth edge.  Bring the smooth edges of the dough about 3-inches over the plums, pleating as you go around, leaving a good portion of the plums showing in the middle of the galette.
Brush the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. This is optional but makes for a nice crust.
Bake in a 380-degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Cool 30 minutes before cutting.
Eat and enjoy!  Then just think of the possibilities...

* I actually used 20 plums (10 red and 10 yellow) which made a total of 5 cups. I saved 2 cups of the mixture to make ice cream. Which will be coming along soon. ;)

** I have not provided a measurement for the Splenda or sugar because the amount you use will depend on how tart or sweet your plums are.  Add it sparingly and taste until it is to your satisfaction.  The plums I used were fairly tart so I added 7 packets of Splenda, which amounts to approx. 6 tablespoons of sugar, which is just under 1/2 cup. The finished fruit was tart with a sweet finish.

One more thing:  Just to keep the record straight, Carol doesn't know that I'm writing this post.  Well ...  she does now, now that I've published.  But there is no collusion here.  She didn't ask me to write this and I received no freebies for doing so. I'm just terrifically excited by the GF flour.
 

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved