Nutella Ice Cream

I am so excited that today I am doing my first guest post!  Chef in Disguise was seeking help for a last minute vacation she gets to go on.  I was super happy that she was interested in having me do something for her blog.  She has a wonderful site with all sorts of amazing recipes and pictures.  Her food is a great mix of East and West food.  You will definitely come away inspired!

In honor of National Ice Cream Month I used my Homemade Nutella and made Nutella Ice Cream!!  It is creamy and delicious.  And of course it tastes like Nutella! 

Head on over to Chef in Disguise and check out this great treat!

Strawberry Sorbet

I will leave you with one last strawberry recipe this week.  Then I am off on vacation.  Stay tuned for some great guest posts though!

This has to be one of my favorite Strawberry recipes so far.  I don't know why, but it is just so good.  I have never been a huge fan of sorbet.  Nothing against it, but if I am going to eat something cold with a spoon like that, why not go for ice cream.  But as you know I had tons of strawberries, and my son liked sherbert at school this year, so why not give it a whirl.  So glad I did.

All of the recipes I found wanted lemon with the strawberries.  I didn't have any lemon, but I did have a lime.  And I really like strawberry and lime together - so I went for it.  I think it is what really made it over the top good!

Strawberry Sorbet
Printable Recipe

1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbls lime juice

Mix the strawberries and sugar together.  Let them sit for about an hour to get all juicy.  Stir in the lime juice.  Puree the strawberries in the food processor or blender until nice and smooth.  Pour into your ice cream maker, and allow to churn for 20-25 minutes, according to the instructions.  Put in an air tight container to freeze.  Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Strawberry Milkshakes

And let the strawberry recipes begin!  We went to our Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and saw strawberries at a few stands.  I sent my husband to ask one of the people when they were starting pick your own for the year.  He said they started it last week!  Our plans immediately changed that afternoon, and off we were to the strawberry patch.  Our 6 year old had a great time, and was on his own quest for the perfect strawberry!  He did so much better this year vs last year, the weather may have helped as well.

When we get home with our 13 pounds of strawberries, I immediately started prepping for all the recipes I want to make.  My husband, on the other hand went straight to the computer in search of his own recipe.  He deemed Strawberry Milkshakes to be the winner.  It was the first thing finished, so it was our first yummy treat!  Aside from the many berries we ate along the way :)  And this is great for the homemade vanilla ice cream we had in the freezer (that recipe will come someday as well).


Strawberry Milkshakes
Recipe by Emeril Lagasse
Printable Recipe

1/2 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 heaping tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk

In a mixing bowl combine the sliced strawberries, sugar and vanilla extract and stir to combine well. Set aside for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

In blender (or food processor if you don't have a blender)  place the strawberries, ice cream, and milk. Blend until smooth.
Pour into glass and top with whip cream to serve.  Enjoy!

Pistachio Ice Cream and My First GIVEAWAY!!!

 

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by someone at Oh!Nuts to see if I would like to sample a few kinds of nuts and write about the recipes I came up with.  I was shocked and amazed!  I had read about people who were sent products, but never really thought I would get that lucky.  So I immediately responded with the kinds I would like (Pistachio’s, Hazelnuts, Almond Flour), and they arrived just a couple days later. Stay tuned for recipes involving the rest later.  

I picked Pistachio’s because they are my husband’s absolute favorite nut.  He was eating a couple and said he thought they might be his favorite single ingredient food!  So I had to make something that was really going to highlight the pistachio.  We decided on ice cream, and I am so glad we did.  My husband is too.  He said this might be the all time best ice cream he has ever had (and he has tried quite a few).    I had a hard time finding a recipe, there aren’t that many out there.  After reading a bunch of reviews I finally decided on this one.  

Pistachio Ice Cream

Adapted from BrownEyed Baker

Printable Recipe

1 ¼ cup shelled pistachio nuts

¾ cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

6 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

Grind the 1 ¼ cup pistachios in a food processor.  They should be finely ground, but not a paste. 

In a large saucepan heat the milk, sugar, and 1 cup of the cream.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Stir in the ground nuts.  Cover, remove from heat, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  

Strain the warm nuts mixture, pressing the nuts to remove as much liquid as possible. Throw away the nuts.   Put the liquid back in the saucepan.   In a separate bowl pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream.  Cover this bowl with a strainer.  Set this aside for later.   In another bowl whisk together the egg yolds.  Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly.  Then pour back into the saucepan. 

Stir constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  You will want to make sure you scrape the bottom when you are stirring.  Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream.  Add the vanilla and almond extract.  Stir to combine.  

Refrigerate until cold.  Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions.  One finished churning, fold in the ½ cup pistachios.  Store in air tight container in freezer. 

 

Now the Giveaway!!

Oh! Nuts agreed to give 1 lucky reader 2 bags of their own nuts/dried fruit. 

What do you need to do?

Go to Oh! Nuts.  Have a look around, they have lots of great stuff.  Come back here and leave a comment telling me what 2 products you would like to have shipped to you, if you win. 

Additional entries:  (leave a separate comment for each)

1.        Follow my blog (Google Friend Connect, or email)

2.        Like my Facebook Page

3.        Re-post this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, wherever!  Spread the word, tell your friends.    Everytime you repost or retweet, let me know!

The drawing will close on June 28 at midnight (central time).  Random.org will pick a winner.  Please make sure your email address is correct, so I can contact you if you win.  I will then need to know your street address, so the nuts can be shipped.  Opened to U.S Residents only, sorry!

So excited to have my first giveaway!  Good luck!