flakey

My dad is a firm believer that mint chocolate chip ice cream is for "sissy's" (his words, not mine) and that the only way to enjoy chocolate chip ice cream is if it's vanilla, and only vanilla. Meanwhile, whenever my dad would make an outrageously ridiculous comment like that, my mom, my four sisters and I would all immediately get into a heated battle that went far beyond ice cream flavors.

Truthfully, mint chocolate chip is one of my absolute favorite flavors of ice cream, and I intend on making it soon. But as an homage to my dad, and all the non-sissy's of the world, this one's for you. Happy Father's Day dad!

Have you ever had Italian gelato (called Stracciatella) and wondered how the chocolate "chips" were perfect little flecks? I thought they used shaved chocolate, but actually they pour melted chocolate into the almost-finished ice cream while it's still churning. The coldness of the ice cream hardens the chocolate, while the churning breaks it up into little pieces. And that, my friends, is the method I used in this amazing ice cream. So instead of biting into a large, frozen chalky chocolate chip, these little chocolate flakes melt on the tongue as the vanilla ice cream melts with it. It's sooooo good.

vanilla mishap (sort of)

I know it's been pretty quiet around here lately and there's a couple reasons why. 1. I've been trying to eat really healthy lately, so I'm just not baking that much (boo!! That needs to be remedied.) and 2. I want to share original content but recently there have been other publications/bloggers that have covered topics that I've been planning on sharing here. I'm sorry to say that it's been quite demotivating for me, but my sister reminded me that I can write on a topic with a different, fresh perspective. So that's what I plan on doing.

Well, I had all intentions of posting this do-it-yourself vanilla extract during the holiday's, since I was planning on giving it away as a gift, but alas the vanilla wasn't ready (or at least that's what I thought...more on that later). I can't believe how easy it is to make and I'm amazed that it's as good as the one I've been using for years.

2 days after adding the vodka. It looks like a freaky science experiment (among many other things)

If you're a baker and go through vanilla like a crazy person (ahem, c'est moi!), than you should probably just make your own. And if you have a lot of friends who are bakers, than this is an excellent gift (especially if you pair it with cute measuring spoons and a favorite cookie recipe). Although it does take time to become vanilla extract (about 2 months!) so there needs to be some planning involved (I think September/October is enough time to have the vanilla extract ready by the holiday's, if that's when you want to give a lot away).

I had started making my vanilla at the end of October, but I thought it wasn't ready because it wasn't a deep color. My problem was comparing it to the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract. I made my vanilla extract with vodka, which is clear, but bourbon starts off with a caramel color so of course my vanilla would never be as dark as the bourbon kind. Took me about a month to figure that out. Oy vey!  

Oh well, at least there was no question if the vanilla was ready and none of my friends or family minded receiving the vanilla in January. Before giving it away I baked a few things just to make sure it tasted good, and then I knew it was ready. Well now that I've basically given all the vanilla away, it's time for me to make another batch. This time I plan on using bourbon to see how closely I can get it to resemble the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract. Let me know what you use and how it goes! 

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Recipe adapted from here

Makes 12, 4 oz. bottles

Ingredients:

1.75-liter bottles vodka or bourbon
25 vanilla beans (I used these from here)

12, 4-ounce glass amber bottles, washed (I used these from here)

2, 24 oz. glass mason jars

Directions:

1. Cut the vanilla beans in half, and then cut off the curled ends of the beans and discard. Divide the beans evenly among the mason jars and cover with vodka or bourbon and close tightly. Shake vigorously.

2. Place jars in a cool, dark spot and shake the bottles about once a week for at least 1-2 months (but you could do this forever if you wanted). When it’s ready, the vodka should become a dark caramel color and the bourbon will be a dark brown.

2. When ready to gift, place a small funnel on the top of the 4 oz. bottle and carefully pour the vanilla extract into each bottle. If you’d like, you can include a vanilla bean (one should fit in each bottle since they were already cut in half). Use a pair of clean tongs to retrieve a vanilla bean and add it to the bottle. Slap on a cute label and then go make some cookies!

**The gift that keeps on giving:**

If you have beans left over, be sure to squeeze out the bean paste from the beans and save it in an airtight container. Use it in ice creams, sweet sauces, whipped cream, jams, jellies, etc. You can also allow the pods to dry out (after you squeeze out their insides) and then grind them up into a powder using a coffee or spice grinder and sprinkle it into anything that you’d like to add vanilla flavor to (or mix it with sugar to make your own vanilla sugar).

quick snack series:

I have a confession to make: about two years ago I was on a mission to lose 60 pounds. Once I lost 50 pounds though, I decided to start a baking and beauty blog. So, needless to say, the last 10 pounds have stayed quite happily as I've baked, fried, roasted and froze my way to not losing any weight. And then in October I broke my toe, so exercising was a non-option and then the holidays came annnnnd.... now I have 15 pounds to lose!

My toe is completely healed and I'm reenergized and committed to eating healthier and working out regularly. But please, don't worry. Even though I'll feature some healthier food options (which I've done before, I might add) the heart and soul of this blog will forever come from butter, sugar and vanilla. Oh, and some beauty tips thrown in.

These healthy snacks have saved me from eating one too many of Ruby's 'Nilla Wafers (and I don't even really like them...what's that all about?!). I have also eaten these snacks for breakfast, because they're full of nutrients that give me the energy to keep me going.

 Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit:

The addition of drizzled honey brings out the natural sweetness of the Ricotta, making the berries and almonds a perfect compliment. And since cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressor, this dish leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit

1 Cup skim Ricotta cheese

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. almonds

½ Cup berries

2 Tbs. honey

-Place ricotta in a bowl, and top with cinnamon, almonds and berries. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Open-faced p.b. and fresh "j":

This is a fresh, lighter version of the typical pb & j. There is so much sugar in jelly, and you don't really need the extra bread. Getting your whole-grains, protein and a serving of fruit will stave off any hunger pains for hours. Since this recipe is basic, it doesn't really require a recipe.

Here's what I do: toast 1 whole-wheat piece of bread then spread about 2 Tbs. of peanut butter (I prefer the chunky kind). Top the peanut butter with your favorite fruit- I love sliced strawberries or raspberries.

Ground Chia Seed Vanilla Pudding: 

I know there are so many varieties of Chia puddings and while this is my favorite version yet, I'm still not obsessed with it. There's a silky, slippery texture that can only be masked with lots of crunchy things, like walnuts and roasted coconut chips. That's also the reason I ground my chia seeds; leaving them whole in the pudding is like eating roe on top of sushi... all that popping in my mouth just kinda freaks me out. It's worth a try though: Chia seeds are so good for you and it'll keep you going and going.

stayin' put

Have you ever read Cook's Illustrated? It's a wonderful magazine that also has a cooking show on PBS, along with Cook's Country... aka America's Test Kitchen. Years ago, my wonderful grandmother-in-law gave me a subscription to Cook's Illustrated and I've never gone back. I think the magazines and shows are brilliant because they don't give you a recipe until it has been tweaked to perfection. Honestly, I trust everything they print because every recipe I've tried has been flawless.

             

that falling drip stayed put for hours

With that said, I was making the Chocolate Ganache Pie on a particularly humid day and needed to transport it for a 45-minute drive. I could've made the whip cream right before serving the pie, but I needed to take pictures of it before I brought it to my mother-in-laws house. I've seen how whip cream separates and it isn't pretty. Then I remembered reading a snippet about how to stabilize whip cream in Cook's Illustrated Magazine and I knew that would be my answer. They recommend unflavored gelatin because it leaves no flavor and doesn't effect the texture (unlike cream of tartar, which leaves a funny taste).

The gelatin worked marvelously and I was so impressed with how the whip cream held up on each individual slice! I've seen whip cream completely dislodge itself from a bottom layer before, but that didn't happen here. I may not add gelatin every time I make whip cream, but I most certainly will in the summer months, and if I need it to sit out for a time.


Stabilized Whipped Cream
Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine

Makes 3 Cups of whipped cream (which is the perfect amount for the Chocolate Ganache Pie)

Ingredients:

½ tsp. Unflavored gelatin

1 ½ Tbs. water

1 ½ Cups Heavy cream

2 tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the water and gelatin. Then, put the mixture in the microwave and microwave for 5-second increments, or until the gelatin is dissolved and clear (this took my microwave a total of 15 seconds- just watch it carefully). Put the bowl aside to cool.

2. Pour the cold cream in a large bowl, or stand mixer, and turn the mixer on low, whipping until small bubbles begin to form, then increase the speed to medium. Add the sugar and vanilla. When the beaters leave a trail in the cream, slowly pour in the gelatin mixture and then increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form. The whip cream shouldn’t separate for 24 hours.

it's all almonds

I was intrigued with this month's ABC Baking Challenge because I was expecting this tart to be a typical fruit tart with a chilled custard/pastry cream for the filling. So when I read through the recipe and realized I was baking the filling, I was intrigued. 

If you don't like almonds, then this isn't the dessert for you because it is almondy! Thankfully I happen to love almonds and was so happy with the outcome. Texturally speaking, it has all my favorite elements: each bite contains a wonderfully crisp shortbread crust, the filling that is slightly chewy and crunchy from the almonds paired with a brittle topping... it's just heavenly! 

Since it was my first time making it, I didn't really tweak the recipe (which I often do if I'm comfortable with a recipe) but I did add some seedless raspberry jam to the cooked crust, before adding the filling. I've done this before with other fruit tarts that I've made in the past, and it adds a nice tanginess to the sweet almond flavor.

that cake has a hole in it...

My lovely Father-in-law, Mark, had his birthday the day after Father's Day and I know he loves coconut, so I thought it was a good time to try out this recipe. 

Remember when I talked about getting this cookbook and was anxious to try something from it? Well I followed the recipe exactly and it is one of the most moist, soft cakes I've ever had. That's saying a lot, especially since it came out of a Bundt pan, because those cakes tend to be a bit firmer. 

Kitchen Fixation: March

via

I don't know about you, but Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract is my favorite brand of vanilla, by far. By now you all know how much I love vanilla- I've proven it many times when I practically double the amount called for in a recipe, like I did here and here.

Many years ago I took a cake decorating class with my sister and the instructor had us by clear imitation vanilla in order to keep the buttercream pure white (we also had to use lots of shortening to keep it white too- yuck!). Unfortunately, everything about that buttercream was fake tasting; soon after I decided I didn't mind the slightly beige-y color my buttercream took on because the flavor of pure vanilla should never be substituted with imitation.

Any brands of vanilla you love? I know vanilla from Mexico is also supposed to be popular but I haven't personally used it. Nielsen-Massey also makes vanilla paste, vanilla beans and vanilla powder. I've used the paste and beans before- they're especially nice in a custard or ice cream where you can see the tiny vanilla flecks.