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.

Chocolate Banana Cookies

Chocolate Banana Cookies
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 42.

The next time you have bananas on hand that are past their prime, you might consider making these cookies. I usually them for banana bread but now I have this option. These cookies are very soft with the exception of an occasional nut and those could be left out if you don't want them. The recipe makes 55 large cookies.

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, cut into pieces
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Scant 1/2 tsp. salt
3 small or 2 large ripe bananas (to make 1 cup mashed)
5 1/3 oz. (10 2/3 TBS.) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
6 oz. (generous 1 1/2 cups) walnuts, cut or broken into medium-sized pieces

Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate over simmering water.

 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Use overly ripened bananas.

Mash the bananas in a mixer on low speed (or you can use a potato masher or other tool).

Cream the butter.

Add the vanilla, beat well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well.

Add the sugar, mixing well.

On low speed, add half of the flour mixture.

Add the cooled chocolate.

Add the mashed bananas.

Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and beat only until smooth.

Stir in the nuts.

 Use a heaping teaspoonful for each cookie. Place them 2 inches apart on the cooking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, reversing the pans half-way through to ensure even baking. They are done when the tops spring back firmly when lightly pressed. Remove from oven, let them sit for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Texas Chocolate Muffins

Texas Chocolate Muffins
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 287.

We had a retirement brunch for a co-worker this week and I made these muffins and Maida's Bran Muffins. As she says in her introduction, these are not really muffins but more like brownie cupcakes. Keep an eye on your baking time. She says 33-35 minutes but they were done for me in 20 minutes. This recipe makes 12 large muffins.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
7 oz. (2 cups) toasted pecans, broken into large pieces

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter and line a standard 12-muffin pan.

Sift together the flour, salt and cocoa and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolates together in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted and smooth.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar.

Stir in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the vanilla and almond extracts.

Add the dry ingredients, stirring until smooth

Add the nuts

The mixture will be thick and gooey. Add it to the muffin liners, filling to the tops.

Bake for 20 - 35 minutes (depending on your oven), until tester comes out clean or barely clean. Do not overbake. Cool on a rack. When cool, the muffins will develop a hard and crunchy crust.

Bran Muffins

Bran Muffins
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 274.

These muffins are moist, dark and sweet. They can be made ahead and baked the next morning or are good stored in an airtight container. The recipe makes 18 muffins. I used 2 standard 12 muffin pans and just filled the second with 6 muffins.

2 oz. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup dark or light molasses or honey
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cup bran cereal
5 oz. (1 cup) raisins
4 oz. (1 cup) walnuts, broken into small pieces
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose whole wheat flour (stir lightly to aerate before measuring)
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose white flour (stir lightly to aerate before measuring)
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 400. Adjust rack to center of the oven. Butter and line muffin pans with paper liners (you can also make them without the liners).

Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat.

Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl.

Add the sugar

Add the honey (or molasses)

In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs only to mix.

Gradually add the milk and mix.

Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter mixture, stirring with a wire whisk to blend.

Add the bran.

Add the raisins.





Add the walnuts.

Sift together the whole wheat flour, the all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda.

Add the sifted ingredients to the bran mixture.

Stir with a rubber spatula very little and quickly, only until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, just until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Baking may take a few minutes longer if you refrigerated the wet ingredients overnight. Cool on racks.

Variations: You can add about 12 coarsely cut dates or 6 coarsely cut dried prunes along with the raisins. Or add a few spoonfuls of pumpkin or unsalted sunflower seeds along with the nuts. Or sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds before baking.