Goat milk thyme ice cream and fresh peaches

Thyme ice cream over fresh peaches

Well you've enjoyed fresh peaches and cream.  How about fresh peaches with thyme ice cream?
I do love the combination of herbs and fruit.  Herbs seem savory but when you add one to the sweetness in ice cream the flavor is different.  My favorite herb in ice cream is lavender but how about some thyme?  The recipe is the basic for vanilla ice cream:
         
4 egg yolks
3/4 cups sugar
1 quart milk - if you have a goat with fresh milk like my Sunflower- even better
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
method:  Classic Creme Anglaise
whisk together the sugar and egg yolk until the color of lemons
Meanwhile warm 1 cup of milk stovetop until almost a boil
Add thyme sprigs and turn off heat.  Then let steep for up to 1/2 hour
Add the warm milk - a little at a time- to sugar and egg yolks until all milk is incorporated
Return to stove and heat until you can draw a line on the back of a spoon.  Very French- I'm sorry.  Translated that means until thick but not boiling.  Too hot--> scrambled eggs.  I think the temperature is no higher than 180 deg.
Add this through a strainer to the remaining 3 cups of milk.
Place in ice water bath to stop cooking - not required
Cool in fridge for 8 hours before freezing in ice cream freezer

Notice there is no vanilla.  The thyme flavor is subtle but pairs well with peaches
Bon Appetit!

Rose petal ice cream- with goats' milk

Last week I was tapping in to my creative side.  Besides the marigold encrusted goat cheese I also made some rose petal ice cream.  I have an organic garden so even my flowers can be used in food.  Violets, nasturtiums, of course lavender and herbs, but even rose petals.

I start with Abraham Darby roses and fresh raw mild from Sunflower and CoCO

Bring the milk to just shy of a boil and add rose petals.  Steep until milk is cool

Ready to eat 

Use a basic custard ice cream recipe.  Here's mine:

4 cups milk ( cream or goat's milk)

Bring 1 cup to just shy of boiling on stovetop with a vanilla bean (cut open)

     steep the vanilla in milk off heat until milk cools- at least 10 minutes

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until the color of lemons

Add the 1 cup of steeped milk slowly to the eggs and sugar and stir until homogenous.

Return to the stove and cook slowly until that "back of the spoon" test has been reached

Place the remaining 3 cups of milk in a bain Marie of ice water

Add hot custard mixture to the cold milk through a sieve.

Cool for 6 hours

Use your favorite ice cream maker

Bon Appetit!

If you don't have fresh goat milk, fresh eggs and organic rose petal, improvise to whatever you like!

Let summer begin!

Well Denver has had 6 days straight of afternoon thunderstorms which have included lots of hail, lightening and even tornados.  The weather has played havoc with the garden, the roads and Ella's soccer tournament BUT:  It is Memorial Day and the beginning of summer.  No rain expected today just lots of sunshine.  A good day for playing, grilling, thanks for those who have kept our country free and ICE CREAM!

Mocha chocolate cookie ice cream

Mocha chocolate cookie ice cream, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

It's July again and that means ice cream month. Thank you R Reagan!
The newest:
Mocha with chocolate cookies.
Here's the recipe:
4 egg yolks (mine came right from the back yard)
3/4 cup sugar (superfine or process in Cuisinart a short time)
1 cup milk (whole)
1/2 vanilla bean
2 Tbs cocoa
2 Tbs espresso powder
2 cups cream
8 Oreo cookies or if you need gluten free try this recipe

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until a pale lemon yellow
Meanwhile bring the milk to just before bubbling and add the vanilla bean with the seeds scraped out. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Add the cocoa and espresso powder and mix.
Add the milk a little at a time to the "yellows"
Then return the mixture to the stove and cook on low heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 5-8 minutes)
As soon as the custard has cooked place it through a strainer into a bowl inserted in a second bowl with ice.
When cooled to room temp add the cream.
Place in refrigerator until cold or overnight.
Freeze in ice cream maker. When frozen add the crumbled cookies and place in a freezer container.

Bon Appetit Froid!

to pumpkin gingersnap ice cream

Recipe for:

Basic vanilla ice cream base:

Ice Cream Base:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream

Heat the milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.

Prepare an ice bath by setting a 2-quart bowl over a larger bowl partially filled with ice water.

Set a strainer over the smaller bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow in color and the sugar has dissolved. Gradually pour the warmed milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the same saucepan you used to warm the milk. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Strain the custard into the top bowl of the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Add the heavy cream and stir over the ice bath until cool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight. Yield: about 3 cups.

1 cup spiced pumpkin butter:

5 cups pumpkin puree

slice a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, light brush or spray inside of pumpkin with vegetable oil, turn upside down on a baking sheet and roast in a 375 deg oven for about an hour. Scoop out cooked pumpkin and puree in food processor or food mill. Place puree in colander for 30 minutes to drain of excess water.

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups apple cider

3 1/2 tsps ground ginger

3 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsps ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Combine in a saucepan and reduce until proper thickness, about 30 minutes

1/2 cup crushed Gingersnaps

2 Tbs Calvados

Combine vanilla base, spiced pumpkin butter and Calvados and place in ice cream freezer. When semi-firm, add gingersnaps. Place in freezer for a couple of hours to continue to harden.

Bon Appetit!!!

pumpkin ginger snap ice cream, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

lemon curd ice cream

lemon curd ice cream, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

It's still July and I am still making ice cream. Last week I made lemon sorbet with fresh squeezed lemon juice and I had extra juice so I kept going. First I made the lemon curd ( I used 1 cup) and then a batch of creme Anglaise....cooled both and blended them together before adding them to the ice cream maker. For a rich, creamy and lemony ice cream try this one for sure. Add a dollop of lemon curd or some strawberries or both

Bon Appetit!

Strawberry Grand Marnier ice cream with fraise de bois

Strawberry Grand Marnier ice cream with fraise de bois, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Here is the classic strawberry ice cream with fresh berries and a twist...orange:
Creme Anglais base:
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups cream
1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 vanilla beans, cut open and steeped in the milk
Strawberry sauce:
3 cups strawberries
1 cup sugar...or to taste
1 tsp orange zest
2 Tbs Grand Marnier
Fresh strawberries

Prepare your ice cream base and cool. Sauce: Stovetop combine hulled and quartered strawberries and sugar and reduce until thick. Add orange zest and Grand Marnier and cool.
When both the base and sauce are cool combine and pour into ice cream maker. Top with fresh strawberries.
Happy ice cream month!