More Chocolate and Ice Cream, Please - Daring Bakers August 2010

I know. More chocolate and ice cream? Well, yeah. Can there BE too much chocolate and ice cream?

Chocolate Glazed Limoncello Ice Cream Petit Fours

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

This month I have been home for about 8 days out of 30, so this Daring Baker's challenge kinda snuck up on me. Oh, waaa waaa, I had to make cake and ice cream - may all my problems be like this!
The cake used in the Petite Four was a Brown Butter Pound cake (I know, right?) and it took a lot to not just eat the pan of the nutty-buttery smelling pound of heaven, before even finishing this project. I definitely recommend giving this recipe a whirl. Also, check out all the recipes and other pics at the Daring Kitchen right here.
I chose to add the Limoncello Ice Cream to this as a "Ciao" to my friend, Erika, who is studying in Perugia right now and LOVES all things lemon with chocolate. She swears there used to be a lollipop that was lemon with the chocolate center, but no one else agrees. Do you remember one like that?

Ice Cream Bon Bons - Simple Saturday

Hi, My name is Cathy and I'm a Chocoholic.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED ICE CREAM BON BONS

As if Ice Cream needed any help, this weekend I dipped Ice Cream balls into the classic home-made Chocolate Shell just to make them kinda ...fancy. Making this crisp, light chocolate covering is so darn easy, how could I resist? Remember the bottled Magic Shell, the chocolate syrup that turns into a candy coating with a snap when it hits anything cold (like ice cream)? That's the way this recipe works, but without any wax or paraffin or secret ingredients, in fact it takes just 2 things: Chocolate and Coconut Oil.
A friend of mine told me about this combo and she used 2 parts chocolate to 1 part coconut oil and it worked great.

1) First thing to do: Scoop your favorite ice cream into small bon-bon size balls and place them on a parchment covered baking pan, then back into the freezer to hold while you melt the chocolate and coconut oil.

2) In a double boiler (or saucepan over another saucepan of simmering water) melt 2 cups of Chopped pieces of good quality chocolate with 1 cup of Coconut oil. Stir together well and remove from heat to cool down. (Don't worry, it remains in a light liquid form at room temperature.)

3) Once it has cooled down a bit: drizzle over ice cream, or dip ice cream balls into the syrup to make Bon Bons.
As you dip the ice cream balls into the coating, replace them on the parchment paper and watch the "magic" as they immediately turn into thin chocolate covered fancy bon-bons. Return the pan to the freezer and keep until ready to serve to your admiring guests. Optionally, you can double-dip for a firmer and more evenly coated presentation.

Ice Cream Bon Bons with a light crisp chocolate shell. Out of the freezer and into my mouth!

Putting the Chocolate Shell liquid into a squeeze bottle creates an easy way to keep it, and to drizzle it on a bowl of ice cream later. Let me know if you try this. Do you know any other home-made recipes for store bought goodies?

Ice Cream Cake; It's the Bombe - Daring Bakers July 1010

I scream, you scream, we all...should stop screaming and eat!

Matcha Swiss Roll Cake w/Raspberry Curd
and Raspberry Ice Cream Bombe

I sincerely tried to make that title shorter, but could not bear to leave any of the delicious flavors out.

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.-

After making my Watermelon Pickles, I was still inspired by those summery colors of greens and pinks with dark chocolatte specks. If you look at the pictures with your eyes crossed just a bit, I bet you'll see the watermelon-ish inspiration. Yes? No?

The Daring Baker's challenge used chocolate cake and fudge sauce, but we could change up the flavors to suit our taste. Whenever I have the chance to make a sponge cake (like the swiss cake) I automatically think of Matcha Green Tea. It just gives a wonderful earthy taste and a breather from the sweet ice cream and filling. Green Tea is so good for you, and that makes eating dessert GOOD for me - what's not to like.
I also changed up the fudge sauce for a Raspberry curd. Seriously, if you make just one thing from this post - MAKE the Raspberry curd. I tweaked it a few times and finally got the ratio's just right and it is so tasty, tart and fruity.

The Ice Cream is a recipe from school with the addition of fresh Raspberries that have been crushed in Sugar and Lemon juice first, then added after the Creme Anglaise is cooked for making the ice cream.

Like a lot of these Daring Baker's challenges, at first glance it can be overwhelming. Take a minute, look through the steps and you'll see that it is not only worth it, but not that complicated. Besides, anywhere in the process you can stop and just eat what you have so far; it's just that good.
RECIPES (as used)

Matcha Green Tea Sponge Cake
(adapted from the Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake - inspired by the recipe of the same name from the Taste of Home website)
PreHeat oven to 400F. Lightly oil an 11 x 16 inch sheet pan, and cover bottom with parchment.

Ingredients:
6 medium sized eggs
1 C. caster sugar
6 TBS. all purpose (plain) flour + 1 TBS. of natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
3 Tbls. Matcha Green Tea Powder

Sift together the Flour and Cocoa Powder and hold.
In a bowl, whip together the eggs, sugar and matcha powder until the mixture is light and frothy.

Fold in the sifted flour mix. (* remove 1 cup of batter and reserve if you want to make the darker lines in the pastry) Pour into the prepared pan, making sure its even all around.

(*To make the texturing lines: Add 1 Tbls. Matcha powder to reserved 1 cup of batter and stir well. Using a pastry bag or cone bag with tip cut away; drizzle lines up and down on top of the poured batter in the baking pan. Using a skewer, drag through each line, creating a pattern along the way. *)
Bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the pan and cake and allow to cool for a few moments. While warm, turn out onto a clean towel sprinkled with castor sugar, and gently roll from the short end. This will prepare the cake for rolling with filling in it.

For the filling:
2 C whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 TBS. of caster sugar

Whip these together until stiff peaks form. Keep cool.

When cake is completely cooled, Roll out and spread the filling on the cooled cake. Roll up again, lay with seam side down and cover in plastic wrap. Keep in Refrigerator until ready to proceed.
Vanilla Ice Cream
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until frothy. Chill and pour into Ice Cream maker as directed by your product. This can also be made without ice cream maker by whipping ingredients together, then placing in a freezer proof container and freeze til almost firm. Take out and beat, again until creamy. Return to freezer and do this about 2 more times.
RASPBERRY CURD:
In a saucepan, stir together on Med. -
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk,
1/2 cup sugar,
1 (5-6 oz.) basket of raspberries,
1 1/2 Tbls. Lemon juice,
pinch of salt.

Heat until bubbly and simmering, stirring constantly til thickened.
In a bowl, add 2 Tbls. butter, and strain the Raspberry mixture into the bowl. Then, stir the butter and curd together completely. Chill in a container for 2 hours or over night.
RASPBERRY ICE CREAM:
1 basket of raspberries
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 eggs
2 yolks
3/4 cup sugar (plus 1/4 for berries)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Heat Milk in a double boiler.
In a bowl, whisk eggs, yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until light and frothy.
Temper the warm milk into the egg mixture, then return the mixture to the top of the double boiler , add the cream and cook, stirring (not whisking) until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

In a separate bowl, cover the raspberries with the 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Mash them with a large spoon.

Combine the raspberry mixture with the cream anglaise mixture and chill for 1 hour. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow instructions for making ice cream. (*optional: Just before the ice cream is firm enough to place in the freezer, add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips). Keep in a container in the freezer til assembling.

ASSEMBLING YOUR SWISS CAKE ICE CREAM BOMBE -

Line a glass bowl with plastic wrap and plenty extra for covering.
Carefully slice the cake into 1 inch thick rounds. Start with two in the center, place the rounds to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover with wrap and freeze until firm.

Take the Vanilla Ice Cream out of the freezer and let it soften just a bit until you can spread it around the inside of the bowl evenly. Cover and freeze, again until firm.
Take the Raspberry Curd out and spread evenly around the bowl on top of the Vanilla Ice Cream. Cover and return to the freezer to firm.
Last step: Fill the center with the Raspberry Ice Cream, up and around the top. Wrap and freeze until firm and ready to SERVE!

When ready, unwrap and place a plate on top of the bowl. Flip the plate and bowl over. Remove the glass bowl and plastic wrap. If it doesn't happen easily, just wipe the top of the bowl with a warm wet cloth for a few moments and the bowl should release.
Wait just a few minutes, then slice and serve.