Dec 08

A foray into icecream - vanilla bean

It was my birthday last week and it came after a 3 week trial of little/no added sugar.  My conclusions from that little experiment was – 1.  I was eating way too much  sugar. 2. I could never give up sugar for any length of time.  3.  However, when I do have sugar it should be worth it.

So, I don’t think it was a coincidence that on my birthday the lovely J gifted me with the icecream-maker attachment to my Kitchen Aid.  In my opinion, homemade icecream = totally worth it.

I’m not going to lie here – icecream making is a time-consuming process.  Particularly your first time.  You have to make the custard, chill the custard, chill the icecream-maker, churn the icecream, freeze the icecream.  I hope I haven’t lost you yet!  I do think it’s worth the labour – a lot of it is not time you’re actively doing anything – just waiting around.

Although I started fairly basically, there is something so wonderful about true vanilla bean icecream that I knew it was the right choice.  My imagination is already somewhere down the road, thinking of all the fantastic and interesting flavours I can make – the kind you can’t buy in a supermarket.  I’m thinking – fig and pistachio, pecan and burnt caramel, basil, coconut icecream, coffee icecream, dark chocolate icecream, chocolate and chilli icecream, hazelnut… the list goes on…

But I’m here to talk about vanilla bean icecream.  As a child, I was always more interested in chocolate, in strawberry, in that crazy triple swirl icecream that is no colour or flavour naturally occuring on this green earth… As an adult, I have come to appreciate the subtlety of vanilla, particularly good (real!) vanilla.

I have it on good authority that David Lebovitz is the king of icecream.  I already have my eye on his book, The Perfect Scoop.  I was able to find his recipe for vanilla bean icecream online, and it is adapted below.

vanillabeanicecream
Vanilla bean icecream
Posted December 8, 2011 by Leah in

Details
  • Prep Time:
    60 + overnight min
  • Ready Time:
    60 min

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Whole milk
  • Pinch salt
  • 150 grams Sugar
  • 1 Vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 2 cups Cream
  • 5 large Egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence

Directions

  1. Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan.  You want to milk to be fairly warm, but not boiling.
  2. Scrape in the vanilla bean seeds, then add in the pod and infuse for 1 hour, covered.
  3. Separate out egg yolks into a bowl and stir together.
  4. Once your milk has infused, set up a bowl filled with water and ice.
  5. Rest another bowl inside the icewater, and add your cream.  Set up a seive or strainer on top the bowl.
  6. Meanwhile, rewarm your milk, again until warm but not boiling.
  7. Gradually add your milk mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly.
  8. You should do this gradually to avoid scrambling your eggs!
  9. Once all combined, scrape your mixture back into the saucepan.
  10. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula.
  11. The custard will gradually thicken, it is done when it covers the back of your spatula.
  12. Allow to cool slightly, then gradually add the custard to your cream, straining through the seive.
  13. Stir as you add to the cream.
  14. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, add the vanilla essence.
  15. Chill until no longer warm, then store overnight in the fridge.
  16. The following day, churn the mixture in your icecream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
  17. Freeze until you wish to use, and enjoy the taste of rich homemade icecream!
08.12.11 | Of: , , | In: Uncategorized | 3 comments

May 04

Traditional Creme Brulee

This recipe is my first attempt from Matthew Evans’ enormous tome “The Real Food Companion”.  Thanks Dad for the engagement gift!

Matthew Evans was a food critic from Sydney who gave it all up and moved to Tasmania to start a hobby farm and learn more about the origins of his food.  He had a short tv-series on SBS that focused on the challenges of trying to live your ideals.  The Real Food Companion is the result of his first year of farming – it looks at the various food industries in Australia and urges people to learn where their food comes from and to try and source the best and freshest produce available.  In short, it’s right up my alley!

Aside from wanting to try out my new cookbook, this recipe gave me an excuse to try out another engagement present – our culinary blow torch!

cremebrulee
Creme Brulee
Posted May 2, 2010 by Leah in Posted In:
You need to prepare these at least the morning before you intend to serve them, as they require a fair bit of time in the fridge to set. You can play about with what you infuse the custard with, this is really just a starting point.

Cuisines:
Details
  • Prep Time:
    45 min
  • Ready Time:
    45 min

Ingredients

  • 600 grams Thick cream
  • 3cm strip lemon peel
  • 1 Vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 6 Egg yolks
  • 2 tbsps Caster sugar
  • Extra caster sugar for burning

Directions

  1. Put the cream and lemon peel in a saucepan over high heat.
  2. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan and add the bean as well.
  3. Bring to a simmer.
  4. Remove pan from heat, whisk and set aside for 15 minutes.  This allows the flavours to infuse.
  5. Strain the cream through a fine sieve, discarding the peel and bean.
  6. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale.
  7. Whisk in the cream, then pour into a clean saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens.  The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.
  8. Don't overcook the custard or it will scramble.
  9. Pour into 6-8 ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving (overnight if possible).
  10. Just before serving, sprinkle an even layer of caster sugar over the top of each custard.
  11. Caramelize the top using a blowtorch (you can also cook until a preheated grill but this doesn't produce as consistent a result).
  12. The top of each brulee should be dark, but not black.
  13. Allow to cool slightly before serving (melted sugar is exceedingly hot!).
  14. Serve to you guests and watch them crack away!
04.05.10 | Of: , , | In: Food | One comment