Summer Peach Icecreaming

Ahh summer... sweet creamy summer. I love peach ice cream it has an innocent quality about it. Somehow, this cream colored icey confection takes you to childhood. It reminds me of summers on the southern Florida canals, little canoes, and bike rides through the park.

Unfortunately, this does require an ice-cream maker. However, I am sure that one could pour it into a dish to hard and then just blitz in a food prep to create that creamy consistency.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of half and half

1/2 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup of heavy cream

1 can of drained peaches and mushed to pulp

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat gently the half and half with the sugar. Turn off the heat once the sugar has dissovled.

2. Seperate your eggs in a bowl. Reserve your whites for meringue or a healthy omlette. Whisk the yolks together.

3. Temper the yolks by adding a little bit of the warm half and half. You don't want to the eggs to cook. Add the warmed egg yolk mixture.

4. Add the heavy cream and stir until combined.

5. Chill in the refridge until cold, at least 30 minutes.

6. Add to the ice cream maker and let spin until the icy mixture starts to seem to be the consistency of thick milkshake. This is delicious already so by all means indulge if needed.

7. Pulp the peaches to a thick paste with little bits. I am always amazed at how disturbingly satisfying this is. Add the golden paste to the ice cream maker.

8. Store in airtight container in the freezer to firm up. However, you will probably succumb to temptation, but I cannot blame you.

9. Enjoy!

As always, much love, many blessings, happy ice-creaming, and happy summer!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Topped Vanilla Cupcakes

I love cupcakes. I will admit, I am on the verge of obsession. Truthfully, it is the flexibility and freedom you find with these mini cakes. They are so easy to bake and only take 20 minutes, but most importantly you can put anything in them, top them with anything, and everyone loves them. I am quite certain even the most evil of individuals would warm up to large tray of these lovely sweet bites.

Today I decided that a lovely dark chocolate heavy cream ganache was in order.

To make the cupcake I use a food prep, but a mixer, a bowl and wooden spoon, nearly anything with a mixing capacity will do.

Cupcake

Ingredients

1/2 cup or 1 stick of melted butter
3/4 cup of self rising flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
slosh of vanilla extract (a teaspoon) please use excellent quality all natural real vanilla extract
big slosh of milk (two tablespoons)

Method

1. Set the oven to 400 degrees, and line a cup cake tin with liners
2. Melt the butter in the microwave
3. Place all of the ingredients save the butter into a mixing vessel
4. Mix, blitz, or whirl
5. Add the butter and mix-in
6. Spoon into lined tins and bake for 20 minutes or until brown and toothpick comes out clean

Ganache

1/2 cup of choco buttons
2 tablespoons of double cream

Method

1. In a bowl add the chocolate and cream
2. Melt in the microwave together at 30 second intervals
3. Stir quickly between each melting session. Calmly and quickly stir the chocolate. The chocolate may seize (harden up and seem grainy) continue to melt and stir, it will come around.

Spoon on your ganache crowning your vanilla cupcakes. Bejewel with your adornment of choice, I love sugar pansies, but M&Ms, and anything else will be just lovely. Or leave them be in all of their chocolately gloriousness.

Voila, enjoy.

As always, many blessings, much love, and happy baking.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Cream Pie

I have been waiting impatiently for the local farmers market to color and smell explode with gorgeous fruits and vegs. And now that it has, I am truly reveling it. Now in Virginia sweet, very red, strawberries are only here for May and June. To celebrate I whipped together this all together joyously easy pie, and it is cinch to entertain with. If you can't find rhubarb do with out and add a little lime juice to cut through the creamy sweetness.

Ingredients

One pre-baked pie shell any kind is fine

1/4 pound of rhubarb (small stems are so much easiers)

3 tablespoon of strawberry jam

1 eight ounce package of cream cheese

1/4 cup of sugar

a squich of half a lime for juice

25 or so stemmed strawberries

1 tablespoon of apple or apricot jelly to glaze

Method

1. Set a heavy bottomed saucepan on the burner. Chop up the rhubarb into very small little chucks. I would call it a dice if I had better knife skills, but truly, it is only baby little chunks. Set on medium high heat with the strawberry jam and rhubarb. Cook until the rhubarb is soft and the liquid is absorbed.

2. In a standing mixer whip together cream, cooked rhubarb, sugar, and lime juice. Until it is light and fluffy. Fill the pie shell with this yummy creamy concotion.

3. Set the stemmed strawberries point side up on the cream filled pie.

4. Melt the apple jelly in the microwave and brush the shiny warm liquid on the strawberries. Making them glisten in the sugary goodness.

5. Set in the fridge to chill, slice, and enjoy.

Ok, so this less than cooking, and less than baking, more like assembling. But it is delicious regardless of the run-away treatment.

As always, happy baking, much love, and many blessings.