Milk Chocolate Ice Milk

 

Milk Chocolate Ice Milk

Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 330.

 

So simple and so delicious. The hardest part of this recipe is having to stand and stir for thirty minutes. Only two ingredients - milk chocolate and milk. Maida Heatter says in the introduction that she made the recipe up and it is as good as ones made with heavy cream and eggs. She's right. It is very creamy and so good. You will need your ice cream maker for this. For years, I've been using a 1 quart Krups ice cream maker and I love it.

1 lb. milk chocolate (I used Hershey's)

3 cups milk

Cut the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and reserve the remaining 2 1/2 cups. Stir until the chocolate has melted.

Gradually add the milk, whisking until it is smooth.

On medium heat, continue to cook the mixture, scraping and stirring frequently. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir occasionally until the mixture has cooled.

Place in a covered container in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.

After bringing it out of the refrigerator, whisk it to remove the heavy layer on top. Transfer to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Fantastic Vanilla Ice Cream

Fantastic Vanilla Ice Cream
(Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 301).

Ice cream is one of my favorite things on earth and I always have some on hand, although most of the time it is store bought. That is absolutely okay but once you experience home-made ice cream, you realize that the two are indeed separate entities. I have made some of Maida's delicious ice creams in the past (Devil's Food Chocolate and Blueberry instantly come to mind) but so far this year, had not even taken the ice cream maker out of the freezer. That is, until this week. I opted for something simple and came across this recipe.

This is a delicious ice cream but it is very, very soft and begins to melt almost immediately after being removed from the freezer. It is very rich so a little bit goes a long way. I made the Grand Mariner Chocolate Sauce to go with this and of my lord, talk about divine. I will post that recipe later.

You will need a candy thermometer.  This recipe makes 1 1/2 pints.

2 cups heavy cream

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Divide the heavy cream into two separate cups.

Place one cup of the cream in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Let it stand until it achieves a wrinkled appearance.

Beat the egg yolks for a few minutes until they are pale and thick.  Gradually add the sugar and beat for an additional two minutes.

Add a little of the cream mixture to the egg yolks to temper it and then add about half of the cream to the eggs, scraping the bowl as needed.

Now add the egg mixture to the remaining cream that was left in the double boiler and place it back on medium heat.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape and stir the mixture until it reaches 180 degrees. Be sure and scrape the bottom of the pan as well.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.  Stir until slightly cooled and add the vanilla extract and the remaining one cup of heavy cream.

Chill for an hour before putting it in your ice cream maker. Follow the directions for your machine (mine takes about 20 minutes).

Glace au Chocolat

Glace' au Chocolat 

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 223.

Summer is here and what better way to celebrate it than with ice cream. Actually, any time is good for me when it comes to ice cream. I love it and remembered reading in one of Maida's books that it was her favorite dessert as well. 

This is a French ice cream which means that it is made with eggs. It is easy to make and does not require an ice cream freezer. There were several times during the making of this that I thought I had done something wrong but it turned out well. For one thing, she says that after bringing the mixture to a boil, it will become very thick. I didn't notice a thickness at all - in fact, mine was very thin, almost watery. I thought I had perhaps added too much water but after double-checking the recipe, it was correct. You will need to freeze the ice cream for at least 3 or 4 hours before it firms up but after it does, it is very hard and kind of difficult to remove from the pan. 

This is very rich and just a small portion will satisfy any serious chocolate lover. The type of chocolate you use is variable. I used semi-sweet just as it is listed in the recipe.

6 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar

I used semi-sweet chocolate, chopping it in very small pieces. 

Beat the heavy cream until it holds a shape. I find the whisk attachment is the best for whipping cream. I always chill the bowl and the whisk - it only takes a few minutes.

The egg yolks should be beaten for several minutes until they turn a soft yellow color. 

The sugar and water is boiled for 3 minutes without stirring and then the chocolate is added to the mixture. This is where she says that it turns thick. It didn't thicken for me - it was very thin.

The chocolate mixture is added to the egg yolks gradually and then the whipped cream is added in small increments by folding it in. 

Doesn't it look great?

She recommends freezing it in a loaf pan or ice-cube tray (I thought this was odd at first, then realized she was referring to the old-fashioned types that had the perforated inserts laid in them). Cover it with foil and freeze. I kept testing it and it does not begin to harden until at least 3 hours, more like 4 hours. The next morning is was rock hard and I even had difficulties removing it with a scoop. It is best to let it sit for a while and soften a bit, otherwise it tends to flake off in slivers when you are trying to scoop it out. This is very rich and decadent!

Yum

Frozen Chocolate Mousse

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 228.

Here is a dessert sure to make any chocoholic swoon. Silky and decadent, this frozen mousse is like a rich chocolate ice cream. It is really easy to make - all the folding required will give you a workout but it is worth it! The crust can be made with crushed wafer cookies or you could even buy a ready-made crust. If doing your own, the instructions say to apply the crumbs around the sides of the pan (use a springform pan) but I did not do this - I just made a bottom layer. You will have to run a sharp knife around the pan before releasing the catch on the pan.

The mousse is soft (even after freezing) and it will need to be put back in the freezer as soon as possible after serving. Maida Heatter recommends covering the mousse with either whipped cream, strawberries or chocolate leaves. I did not do either, it looks lovely without a topping.

Crust

8 oz. chocolate wafer cookies
3 oz. (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Chocolate Wafer cookies can be purchased or you can make your own (try this recipe) To make the crust: Butter the sides only of a 9 x 3 springform pan. Do not butter the bottom. Crush the cookies to a fine powder and combine with the melted butter. Pat about 2/3 of the cookie mixture around the sides of the pan. Place the remaining crumbs on the bottom of the pan and pat down firmly. Bake for 7 or 8 minutes, remove from the oven and cool.

Chocolate Mousse

1 TBS. dry instant coffee
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/4 cups sugar
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs, separated
3 cups whipping cream
Pinch of salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

In a 2-qt pan, dissolve the coffee in the boiling water.

Add 1/2 cup (reserve 3/4 cup) of the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Add the chocolate (over low heat) and stir until smooth.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and stir until blended.

Whip the cream until it holds a shape but it not dry. (Chilling your bowl and beaters helps)
Set the whipping cream mixture aside for later.

In a separate bowl (or clean the one you just used), beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat until the egg whites hold a soft shape. Add the reserved sugar a little at a time on low speed.

Increase the speed and beat until the meringue is firm, but not stiff or dry. The meringue will be firm and glossy.

Pour a little of the chocolate into the egg whites and fold together. Do this in several additions. Leave some of the chocolate in the bowl.

Now fold the batter into the remaining chocolate.

Add the whipping cream mixture to the chocolate and fold in.

Pour the batter over the crust and smooth the top. Sit it in the freezer for an hour and then cover airtight with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight or up to 2 weeks.

Devil's Food Chocolate Ice Cream

Devil's Food Chocolate Ice Cream
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 312.

Mmmmm, this is sinfully delicious! Extremely creamy and decadent, it is hard to stay out of it. Chocolate ice cream is one of my favorite things in the world and Maida Heatter says it is her favorite dessert.

I blundered and deleted my "how-to" photos that I usually include. However, this is very easy and not difficult to make.

11 1/2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup milk
3/8 cup honey
7 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Break up the chocolate and place it in a heavy saucepan along with the milk and honey. On moderate heat, scrape the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula until the mixture has melted. Whisk until smooth.

Beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar and beat until it becomes pale in color. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture on low speed. The mixture will be thick.

Transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, scraping the bottom and sides constantly. Use a candy thermometer and when the mixture reaches 140 degrees, gradually whisk in the cream. Stir occasionally until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until very cold and then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Blueberry Ice Cream

Blueberry Ice Cream
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 305.

Have you noticed that I like ice cream? It is my favorite dessert and I love it anytime of the year. Since I generally limit myself to sugar only on weekends and special occasions, I've been making ice cream a lot lately. My favorite ice cream to purchase is Ben & Jerry's and I've had to force myself to not buy their ice cream recipe book. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself.

So far, I have not met a Maida Heatter ice cream that I have not liked. My favorites are the chocolates but occasionally I go out on a limb and try something different. She has some rather interesting sounding ones, like Gin Ice Cream and Pumpkin Ice Cream, that I will get to eventually. This blueberry ice cream is sublimely creamy, rich and not too sweet. Like her previous ice creams I've tried, the one does not freeze hard (because it has alcohol in it) and will melt fast but how in the world could you give it the chance to do that?
 

Makes 1 Quart

1 1-pint box (2 cups) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 TBS. lemon juice
1 1/2 TBS. kirsch, creme de cassis, or brandy (I used kirsch)

Place the blueberries in a wide saucepan (or frying pan). Add the sugar and stir.

Cover and place over low heat. Cook for 5 minutes to soften the berries and partially melt the sugar.

Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes, stirring and pressing the berries against the sides of the pan to mash them.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a strainer and bowl. You will need to use a coarse strainer so that you can press the mixture through. Some of the pulp may not go through but press as much as you can into the bowl. Place the pureed berry mixture in the freezer or refrigerator until very cold.

After the mixture is cold, add the salt, cream, lemon juice and kirsch, creme de cassis or brandy.

Return to the freezer or refrigerator to chill again.

Freeze in your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. (About 25-30 minutes in mine)

Yum! For an extra kick, when serving this, you can pour kirsch, creme de cassis or brandy over each serving.

Deep South Chocolate Ice Cream

Deep South Chocolate Ice Cream Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 454.

In Maida's introduction to this recipe, she says that she could not stop eating it at a New Year's buffet at a Mississippi plantation. She also said that people passed around bottles of Grand Mariner to pour over the ice cream. Grand Mariner is already an ingredient in the recipe - in fact, a generous 1/3 cup! However, I didn't notice the flavor when eating the ice cream. It does have an incredibly rich coffee flavor (I used expresso powder).

The ice cream is delicious and very, very rich. It is silky smooth and very soft.

I also made Maida's Chocolate Caramel Sauce to accompany it. This is serious ice cream and I see why she couldn't stop eating it!

A note in advance - it helps to have on hand at least 2 mixer bowls, 2 small saucepans and a double boiler. There are several things going on at once!

2 TBS instant coffee or expresso
1/2 cup boiling water
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup creme de cacao or Grand Mariner
3 cups heavy cream

Dissolve the coffee or expresso granules in the boiling water.

Transfer the water/coffee mixture to a double boiler and add the chocolate. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the Grand Mainer or creme de cacao to the chocolate after it has cooled and transfer to a mixing bowl. (It helps to have multiple mixing bowls for this recipe).

Beat the egg yolks at high speed until they are thick and lemon colored.

Mix the 1/4 cup water with sugar and cream of tartar in a small saucepan. Stir over high heat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a boil.

Let it boil without stirring until it reaches 230 degrees (about 3 minutes).

Add the hot syrup slowly, in a thin stream, to the beaten eggs., stirring at high speed. Continue to beat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture has cooled. 

If you have not done so already, you will need to transfer the melted chocolate to a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolk mixture to the chocolate mixture, beating only until blended.

Finally, mix in the heavy cream.

The mixture should be very cold before adding it to your ice cream freezer. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight or even chilled in the freezer. After it has chilled, add it to your ice cream mixer and follow the maufacturers' instructions.