Baked Alaska: White Nectarine Ice Cream and Brown Butter Pound Cake

ingredients:

For the White Nectarine Ice Cream

• 4 white nectarines
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk

For the Brown Butter Pound Cake

• 9 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup cake flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt

*Note: to make your own cake flour, sift together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Meringue

• 8 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Preparation Instructions:

For the White Nectarine Ice Cream

1. Cut white nectarines into small cubes.
2. In a small mixing bowl, create a slurry of cornstarch, a bit of the granulated sugar and some of the milk. Whisk until smooth.
3. Place cubed white nectarine, remaining sugar, cream and remaining milk in medium saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove boiling mixture from heat. Stir in cornstarch slurry. Return mixture to heat and bring to a boil. Remove mixture from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.
5. Place large mixing bowl in an ice bath and allow mixture to cool slightly.
6. When mixture is slightly cooled, remove from ice bath and pour into a blender (or use a stick blender directly in the mixing bowl). Blend until smooth.
7. the following morning, spin liquid in ice cream machine until a soft-serve consistency is achieved, about 15 minutes.

For the Brown Butter Pound Cake

1. Place the butter in a 10” skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
3. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Meringue

1. Beat the egg whites and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
2. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form.

Assembly Instructions:

1. Line four small bowl or tea cups, approximately 4” diameter, with plastic wrap, so that plastic wrap covers all the sides and hangs over the edge. Fill to the top with ice cream, straight from the ice cream machine. Cover the top with the overhang plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, or until solid.

Perfect no-cook Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) Strawberries, trimmed, halve if large
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp Fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 cups heavy cream

Method:

1. In a large bowl, coarsely mash strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and sea salt with a potato masher. Let stand, stirring, and mash occasionally for about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer half of the strawberry mixture into a blender and puree with cream until smooth. Return strawberry cream to bowl with remaining strawberries and allow the mixture to chill thoroughly, stirring occasionally and then freeze it in an ice cream maker.

Note: ice cream keeps 1 week.

Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

Adapted from peppermint ice cream

From ice cream, published by William-Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c white chocolate chopped
• 4 oz milk or dark chocolate, chopped

Method:

1. Stir the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Chill for 1 hour. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Just before stopping the machine, add the peppermint candies, and both chocolates. Transfer to a freezer safe bowl and freeze until firm.

Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
• 2 teaspoons store bought hot chocolate mix (or the mix of Serendipity)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate shavings

Method:

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the cocoa and sugar, stirring constantly until throughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
2. In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw… or both!

Cake Batter Ice Cream

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 cups 2% lactose free milk
• 1 cup Funfetti cake mix (or your favorite flavor)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. This ice cream will become fairly solid once frozen, so to defrost heat on high in microwave for 30 seconds. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups half and half
• 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (130 g) peanut butter

Method:

1. In a large pan, whisk to combine the half and half, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil. You’ll know you’re there when the mixture starts to foam up. Remove the pan from the heat and add the peanut butter, whisking to blend thoroughly.
2. Refrigerate the mixture to chill thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Yield: about 1 quart.

Fresh Strawberry Gelato

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar (preferably organic)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 1/4 cups sliced hulled strawberries
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

Preparation:

1. Stir sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in milk and cream. Whisk over medium heat until gelato base thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Pour into bowl. Cool over ice, stirring occasionally.
2. Puree strawberries in processor. Stream into gelato base. Mix in pomegranate juice. Chill 3 hours. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to container. Cover; freeze until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. 

Gingerbread Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molases
• 2 cups heavy cream

Method:

1. Pour milk, and spices into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and allow it steep for 10-20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks sugar and molases.
3. Return saucepan with steeped milk back to the burner and 1 cup of heavy cream, bring to a simmer over medium heat.
4. Remove pan from heat and slowly pour a small stream of milk into the small bowl with the egg yolks while whisking to temper the eggs, approx. 1/2 a cup worth. Once the egg yolks have been tempered return them into the saucepan and stir to combine. Place the saucepan back on the stove over medium heat stir with a wooden spoon until the base covers the back of the spoon or the base reaches a temperature of 180 degrees F.
5. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl big enough to contain the medium bowl with the ice cream base.
6. Place the remaining heavy cream into a medium bowl and place a fine mesh strainer over it. Strain ice cream base into the prepared bowl. Stir to combine, then place bowl into the ice bath and stir occasionally until cool.
7. Pour ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn following the manufactuers’ instructions.

Peachy Pops

Soymilk, honey and fruit blend into super frosty pops. From eatbetteramerica

Prep: 10 min / Start to Finish: 2 hr 10 min / Makes: 10 pops

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla soymilk
• 2 cups cut-up frozen peaches
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup honey, to taste
• 10 paper cups (3 oz each)
• 10 wooden sticks with rounded ends

Directions:

1. In blender, place soymilk, peaches and honey. Cover; blend on high speed about 1 minute or until smooth and frothy.
2. Place paper cups in rectangular pan; pour mixture into paper cups. Place in freezer 20 to 30 minutes or until partially frozen.
3. Stir each cup with wooden stick; leave stick in center of each cup. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour 30 minutes longer.

High Altitude (3500 - 6500ft): no change

Nutritional Information: 1 Pop: Calories 110 (Calories from Fat 5); Total Fat 1/2g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium25mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 22g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%;Vitamin C 80%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Lemon-Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

Active: 30 min / Total Time: 1 hr 30 min plus 4 hr freezing / Servings: Makes 5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• One 1/4-ounce package unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2/3 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup blueberries
• 2 teaspoons water

Directions:

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Pour 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of lemon juice with 2/3 cup of the sugar and the corn syrup. Bring to a boil and cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon gelatin.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt with the zest. Stir in the lemon juice mixture, then whisk in the cream. Set the yogurt base in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix the blueberries with the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar and the water. Simmer over moderate heat, until saucy, 4 minutes. Let cool.
5. Pour the lemon yogurt into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Scoop alternating spoonfuls of the yogurt and blueberry sauce into a plastic container. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and close with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.