Chocolate ice cream

I must remove my hat and bow my head in apology for my tardy post. This week has seen me dusting and cleaning with a vengeance in preparation for my baby shower this weekend. With limited mobility, it has taken double the usual time to shake out the house and make it sparkle. The good news is I am on the home stretch with only a few items left unchecked on my to-do-list. The even better news is that the ice cream I began on Monday has finished its bloom and is now ready to consume. Despite making me wait five full days I don't resent it one bit as it, like your one true love, is worth the wait.

ease: 3/5.
prep time: 40mins.
freezing time: 4-5days.
total: Approx 5 days.

taste: 5/5. Nothing compares to this dark beauty.

The raves for this ice cream are too numerous to mention, which piqued my interest but still left me slightly dubious as to their legitimacy. Well, in this instance, the masses were right. This ice cream is enigmatic and deeply chocolaty with a rich, creamy texture that leaves you struggling to decide whether it's yummier straight out of the freezer or left to soften around the edges. I used Amarru's Nero to make mine, as the type of dark chocolate you use will determine the flavour.
I added a pinch of sea salt to mine to further sharpen the chocolateness.

would I make it again: Yes - already have :).

recipe: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/06/chocolate-ice-cream

Vanilla custard with ginger granita & Granny Smith apple

My beloved and I have resorted to behaving like lizards; the moment even the smallest trickle of sunshine appears behind woollen clouds we are racing outdoors to bake ourselves with its heat. Winter is fast approaching and Sunshine has become somewhat of a rare commodity.

Each week we scour weather forecasts, hoping to glance upon a sunny prediction so that we may plan to capture as much of those golden rays as possible. One week in March we finally came up trumps with sunshine predicted to fall on a Sunday. Before our fingerprints had even made a mark on the newspaper we were planning itineraries and filling our tanks.

We eventually decided on a road-trip down Victoria's famous winding Great Ocean Road, where we made pit-stops along seaside towns for replenishment, visited cascading waterfalls set within a lush canopy of trees and moss covered rocks before stopping to watch the waves crash upon the sand and explore microcosms of tiny rock pools on our way home. We utilised every drop of daylight and had a magical day.

Before setting off on our sun-soaked adventure, I had prepared a sweet snack that would await us on our return knowing we would be in need of a pick-me-up after a day spent in nature.

Vanilla custard with ginger granita and Granny Smith apple
from September 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller
Serves 6

2-3 Granny Smith apples

Ginger granita
125 gm caster sugar
80 gm (16cm piece) ginger, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice

Baked vanilla cream
675 ml pouring cream
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
105 gm caster sugar
6 egg yolks

For ginger granita, combine sugar, ginger and 600ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar, then increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, cover and stand to infuse (20 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on ginger to remove as much liquid as possible (discard ginger), then add lemon juice, pour into a shallow tray, transfer to freezer and stir occasionally with a fork until frozen and ice crystals form (3-6 hours). Makes about 600ml.

Meanwhile, for baked vanilla cream, preheat oven to 160C. Combine cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until hot (5 minutes). Remove from heat, cover and stand to infuse (1 hour). Whisk sugar and yolks in a bowl until pale and creamy (3-4 minutes). Reheat cream over medium heat until hot, then gradually pour onto yolk mixture, gently stirring to combine. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing to remove as many seeds as possible from the vanilla bean (discard vanilla bean). Stand for 5 minutes, then skim foam from surface. Divide evenly among six 250ml ovenproof glasses. Place glasses on a folded tea towel placed in a deep roasting pan, ensuring they are sitting level. Fill pan with enough hot water to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of glasses and cover with foil. Pierce a few holes in foil with a skewer to release steam, then bake until set, but with a slight wobble (30-35 minutes). Remove from oven, remove foil and stand in water until cool (30-40 minutes). Remove from water, dry glasses and refrigerate until chilled and firm (2 hours).

Cut apples into 1cm dice, divide among custards, top with granita and serve immediately.

ease: 3.5/5.
prep time: 1hour & 20mins to get granita into the freezer and custard ready for the oven.
cooking time: 50mins for custard to cook and 2.5hours to set in fridge.
total: 4.5hours.

taste: 4.5/5. Independently, not as a whole.

I felt like blowing a trumpet and sounding the horns when I dug my spoon into the custard's creamy depths. Never have I been able to make a great custard, after so many years of failures I resigned myself to the fact that custard and I would never EVER be friends even though I loved it so; until today. This custard was perfect - velvet soft with delicate vanilla, classic comfort in a cup. I adored the custard on its own, and will be forever using this recipe seeing as though it was my first success.

The granita was cool and sweet with a spicy ginger kick but ultimately refreshing - so snowflake-esque as well in its delicacy. Despite the fact that I left it alone in the freezer without any fork grating, it dissolved instantly on the tongue like snow melting in Spring.
Unfrotunately when paired with the custard it completely took over and buried the gentle custard beneath its punch and the tartness of the apples. When all three combined the custard merely became the 'adhesive' for the granita and apple, such a waste.

recipe: http://gourmettraveller.com.au/vanilla-custard-with-ginger-granita-and-granny-smith-apple.htm

would I make it again: A resounding YES to the custard, but NO to the dish as a whole.

Peanut butter chocolate fondant with salted butter caramel ice-cream

“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”

My whole life I was adamant that I would marry my first boyfriend. This certainty caused some jibbing from my relatives, but I stood firm and stuck to my guns.

When I graduated school at eighteen and started University, my father allowed me to start dating. For around the first six months of 2004 I didn't meet anyone I was interested in. Eventually, as most of my girfriends started getting boyfriends I decided to go on a few group dates, even though I didn't feel like any of the boys in question were 'right for me'. As you can imagine, after a couple of first dates, I had not wanted to have any second dates.

Eventually and unexpectedly, I got an online message from a boy, we exchanged email addresses' and spoke over MSN for a week. We got along well, had the same morals and plans for our futures and we both found each other attractive (thanks webcam) - but this was all online. After one week, we both decided that there wasn't a point continuing the online friendship, as nether of us were interested in just-being-friends - so we arranged our first date. As my father is very traditional, the boy in question had to come to my house to meet my father before taking me out for lunch. Luckily, he was fine with it and our date went well. And it was on this date that I finally wanted to go on a second date. And a third. And a fourth - you get the picture. Almost 6years later we are still together (married), still happy and still chatting to each other on MSN/Google Talk - sometimes when we are sitting on the same couch, on our respective laptops.

As you know, Valentine's Day is coming up. It's not something we really celebrate any more and on this particular one we are just having dinner with my father and his partner. But I thought I would dedicate this fondant to my darling husband who makes my life sweeter every day - and the ice cream to myself, for being a kick-ass wife :). 

P.S. I ate the last one while you were at work, sorry :)

I chose to make David Lebovitz's Salted butter caramel ice cream rather than the one included in the Gourmet Traveller recipe.

For the fondant:

ease: 4.5/5.

prep time: 1hr & 30mins.

cooking time: 18mins (almost 3x longer than the time stated in the recipe).

total: 1hr & 48mins.

taste: 5/5. Restaurant worthy.

When hubby tried this he exclaimed 'It's almost as good as Chef Terry's - I couldn't have asked for a better compliment. I have made quite a few fondants before but nothing has measured up to this lil beauty. Now, how shall I even try to describe it's deliciousness with my inadequate words...

First off all you have the lovely, crackled crust that yields ever so willingly beneath the spoon's eager edge. Its chewy crispness gives way to moist, spongy cake which alone is divine, before finally, that impressive lava flows into your mouth with its chocolate sensuality and peanut butter delight. This dessert is now my 2nd favourite ALL TIME chocolate dessert - Triple Chocolate Praline Tart came close to losing it's crown.

Upon reading another blogger's trial of this dish I made a few changes.

• I increased the peanut butter by 20g. I chose to use smooth peanut butter, but I would recommend crunchy as I think that those tiny chips of peanuts would only add to the experience with their crunchy texture.
• I increased the chocolate by 50g.
• I left out 1 cup of whipped egg whites.
• I cooked this for 18mins.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: Peanut butter chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice-cream

For the ice cream:

ease: 4/5.

prep time: 30mins (to chilling stage).

cooking time: 10hours (includes all chilling)

total: 10 hours & 30mins.

taste: 4.5/5. All hail the Ice-Cream Queen!

Hands down this is the best ice cream I have made, and probably the best I have tasted. I was sneaking spoonfuls of this baby while it was STILL CHURNING - that was the extent of my willing to wait for it, and the real kicker - I don't even like ice-cream much.

As A so kindly commented, 'I wish C (me) was my wife, I will turn gay for you if you cook like this for me'.

This ice cream so soft, and whisper light that you will think your taste buds have been touched by heaven. The flavour is incredible, so much depth, so much character yet so polite. The caramel is divine and the quaint nuttiness paired with the subtle saltiness is inspired. This ice cream is worth the price of David Lebovitz's book alone (and yes, I have the book).

Should I have been brave enough to let the caramel darken further - Yes, it would improve on the already awesome flavour. I didn't add the praline, but I can guess it would also improve it.

I was glad that I finally found something worthy of my imported French Salted Butter - definitely use the good stuff in this.

I was rushed on time so it only got 6 hours in the fridge before heading to the ice cream machine, and due to the hot weather it took twice as long to be ready, before only making a short pit stop back to the freezer for 30mins - so it tend begin to melt as soon as the scoop touched it, but no one really cared. It is a soft ice cream, but that's what I prefer.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: salted butter caramel ice-cream