We Are Having A Baby! ...Strawberry Ice Cream

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Tomorrow is B Day....or Baby Day.  Yep, tomorrow Lindaraxa will be a grandmother for the third time; but today is the day we pick up the other two to come spend some time at our house while their mother concentrates on doing her thing.  And we do ours...spoil them rotten.

The house looks like camp.  My daughter has organized all kinds of activities to keep them entertained and Nani has planned fun menus, healthy and otherwise, for the next four days.  Did I just say four days?!

In the past I used to spend endless hours making stuff ahead of time that I thought they would enjoy.  Finally I learned my lesson, go with the flow and cook as you go.  My granddaughter, though, loves Nani surprises, as in cakes and cookies, and she has already asked me to bake a cake.  But Nani has a real treat up her sleeve this time...homemade ice cream! and what could be better than making homemade strawberry ice cream.

The recipe I chose comes from Chef John from Food Wishes and is, in my criteria, the one that makes the most sense.  It skips the custard base thus rendering a more intense flavored cream, something I prefer when making fresh strawberry ice cream. It was perfect except, to my taste, I would reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 tsp instead of one.  I find that premium vanilla extracts tend to be stronger than normal and can overpower instead of enhancing the flavor.  Moreover, I ended up using more strawberries than the recipe called for and my blender did not have the capacity for more than 2 cups of heavy cream. So I skipped the one cup of milk. It was smooth and creamy, just like Chef John's.

I am posting the original recipe with a link to the video which I know you will enjoy.  As to a photo, frankly it is a quarter to nine and I feel like it's four o'clock in the morning.  I don't know how mothers do it and I am incredulous that I did it. But I was in my twenties then and now... let's just say I am a little bit older and boy do I feel the pain.

As of tomorrow there will be three little ones running around and I wonder what it will be like when my daughter and I babysit next time the parents take off.

Unlike the other two grandchildren, we won't know the sex of the baby until he or she is born around one o'clock tomorrow afternoon.  I have to say it makes it more exciting.  My granddaughter, being the eldest child, will receive a call from her dad when he gets to the recovery room and she will then make the announcement to the rest of the family.  I will let you know when I am fully recovered.

Ingredients:

12 ounces trimmed strawberries (one of those baskets should get you close)

3/4 cup white sugar

very tiny pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

2 cups heavy cream

Photos 1 and 2 Google

Photo # 3 Food Wishes

Gelato Alla Crema

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It is time... it is time to dust off the ice cream maker and bring it front and center.   Just think, pieces of peach, strawberry, blueberries any berry! to add to this scrumptious cream.  Even pieces of baked crust or cookies.  It's such an easy dessert to make,  and it brings such joy to anyone lucky enough to share a bowl.  Seriously...have you ever seen the expression on someone having a bowl of homemade ice cream?!

I have posted a few recipes for ice cream already on this blog and a Canteloupe Sorbetto awhile back,  but this is the first one I post for a real gelato.  Frankly, given the choice, I prefer gelato to ice cream.  The difference?

For a product to carry the label of “ice cream” in the US it has to have a minimum 10% fat content. Lower quality ice cream will be around 11 or 12%, while higher quality products will hit 16% and higher. Gelato is a different thing all together- since the milk-to-cream ratio is much higher, the fat content is significantly lower- anywhere between 3 and 8%. This is particularly important when t comes to taste, as the lower fat content doesn’t saturate your taste buds as much, and the flavors have the chance to emerge stronger. Air content is also significantly lower,  about 25%-30% in gelato and usually in excess of 50% in ice cream. The reason of the different air content resides in the churning method and the processing speed. Last, but not least- serving temperature. Ice cream is served frozen, while gelato is not- hence the challenge to lick your way around the cone before it melts.

The only flavors in this smooth, rich gelato are sweet cream, sugar, egg yolks and a hint of orange. You can use it as the base for other gelatos by adding chunks of chocolate, bits of fruit or chopped nuts during the last minute or so of freezing.  I would recommend that you have it "plain" the first time.  There is nothing to compare to a homemade bowl of Gelato Alla Crema...Nothing!

For the recipe, click below:

Affogato...A Simple Dessert In a Glass

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Some of life's greatest pleasures are either free or easy to make. Take the affogato.  One shot of espresso, one scoop of gelato and the rest is up to you.  What could be easier and more delicious than that!

Sometimes when I'm in a pinch I will serve this for dessert, primarily for lunch, and it's as if I had presented my guests with a chocolate souffle.  Granted, here in the States it's not often that you come across affogato while in Italy is just as common as Coke.

You have to start with good ingredients, though, and a good shot of espresso is a must .  Espresso is very easy to make at home and you don't need one of those fancy machines either.  Get a simple stovetop espresso maker like the Bilaletti Moka Espresso Maker which comes in various sizes.  Take your pick.  If you are a serious drinker you will have a couple of sizes - a small one for everyday use and a larger one for when you have guests.  I have 3 sizes, wouldn't you know?!

Good espresso beans are important - either Lavazza or Illy will do the trick. 

Next, you will need good ice cream, or preferably, gelato.  Take your pick, chocolate, vanilla, chocolate hazelnut or my favorite, coffee.

And next come the accoutrements.  Here you can be as creative as you want.  Biscotti, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, hazelnuts, amaretti cookie crumbles.  Whatever you do, try to keep the Italian theme!

Next is optional, and that can be anything from grappa to Amaretto or Kahlua. 

Pretty cups, pretty dishes, nice presentation and you've got a smashing success!

 

Recipe

1 scoop of gelato
1 shot of espresso
whipped cream or your choice of topping.

You might also want to check this recipe for Chocolate Gelato Affogato

Photos Google

Peach Pit Ice Cream

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If you like peach ice cream, or any ice cream for that matter, you have to make this.  If you don't have an ice cream machine, go out and buy one, you have to try this recipe.  This, I guarantee, you won't get from Hagen Daz.  So enough praises....

I have not tried making peach ice cream for fear of disappointing myself.  I hate super creamy concoctions which is one of the reasons I prefer gelatos or sorbettos.  The only exception being Hagen Daz coffee ice cream which I adore and could eat the whole pint if left to my own devices.

The other day, leafing through one of Lee' Bailey's old cook books, I came upon this recipe.  What pushed me to try it was the first sentense, This unusual recipe makes a delicious ice cream with a strong peachy flavor. 

Well the result is just the right balance of peaches and cream.  What I will caution you against is making it on a 97 degree day.  It will never freeze in the machine.  I had to take it out and retry again a few hours later.  The alternative is cooling the cream overnight in the refrigerator and freezing in the machine the morning after when it's cooler. Oh, and another thing, the recipe says it will make a quart.  Don't count on it.  By the time you are finished testing to make sure it's okay, you will have gone through a couple of pints!

Make sure you use Georgia peaches, they are smaller but much sweeter and less fuzzy.  I will have to confess to always buying California peaches in the past until I got here.  They looked so big and luscious and Georgia peaches, well, they were much smaller.  Don't be deceived like I was, they are much more flavorful and we are at the height of the season.  After all, this is a Southern recipe!

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds ripe unblemished (Georgia)
peaches (about 8 large peaches)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large egg yolks (at room temperature)

Procedure

Peel* and pit peaches, reserving peach skins and pits. In a food processor or blender, puree peach flesh with the lemon juice. You should have about 2 1/4 cups of puree. Cover and refrigerate (I placed in the freezer).

Place skins and pits in a large saucepan along with the cream and milk. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes, being careful not to let mixture boil. It may look slightly separated because of the acid in the fruit. Stir in sugar to dissolve and remove from the heat.

Whisk yolks and add about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid to warm them. Mix well and pour warmed yolks into the hot mixture, stirring constantly. Return saucepan to the heat and cook until custard coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Be careful not to let mixture boil as it may cause the custard to curdle.

Press a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the mixture and allow to cool. When cool, strain and combine with the fruit pulp. Mix and chill.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Makes about 1 quart

*The best way to peel peaches is to throw them in boiling water for about 30 seconds.  Remove, let cool and the peel will come right off.


Images Google

Citrus Semifreddo

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With the outlook for this weekend's weather, I thought you could use one of these desserts, whether you are entertaining or not.  I am working on a post you will appreciate, especially if you are a new subscriber, and it is taking me forever.  It is indeed a labor of love!  So today, it will be a very brief post with a recipe from someone else but one I thought you would definitely enjoy.  It is very straightforward and if you are one of those people who love gelatos but do not have an ice cream machine, here's your chance.  You don't need one!

Semifreddo (Italian: "half cold") is a class of semi-frozen desserts, typically ice-cream cakes, semi-frozen custards, and certain fruit tarts. It has the texture of frozen mousse because it is usually produced by uniting two equal parts of ice cream and whipped cream.  In Italian cuisine, the Semifreddo is commonly made with gelato as a primary ingredient. It is typical of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.

In this recipe, you are going to prepare the custard which makes the gelato up to the point where you would place it in the ice cream machine.  Instead of doing that, you are going to fold the cream into the custard and proceed directly to the freezer.  Don't skip the Limoncello, you know how I feel about it.  There are several recipes in the blog that use it and a few drops on espresso is a real treat.  My friend Juan taught me that and he is so right!

Printable Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

4 ounces purchased amaretti cookies, crushed (about 20 small cookies) plus more for sprinkling

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup

8 large egg yolks

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons limoncello

Pinch salt

1 lemon, zested

1 lime, zested

1 cup whipping cream

Directions

Spray a 9 by 5 by 3-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with plastic wrap, allowing the excess to hang over the ends and sides.

Combine the crushed amaretti cookies and the melted butter. Put in the lined pan and press down to firm and form a crust.

Whisk 1/2 cup of the sugar, the egg yolks, lemon juice, lime juice, limoncello, and salt in a large metal bowl to blend. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Whisk the egg mixture until it is thick and creamy, and a thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 160 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Set the bowl of custard into another bowl of ice water to cool completely. Stir in the zest.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in another large bowl until firm peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the custard. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared crust. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the custard and freeze until frozen, at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.

Unfold the plastic wrap. Invert the semifreddo onto a platter and peel off the plastic wrap. Cut the semifreddo into 1-inch slices and sprinkle with crushed amaretti cookies and serve.

Recipe Giada de Laurentis

Sherry Crema Catalana Ice Cream With Honeyed Figs

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The figs are in and they are plump and juicy! I just had some for lunch with prosciutto and Brie, my favorite summer lunch.  I posted quite a few recipes for figs last year but I had not made this ice cream until last week.  Crema catalana is perfect with figs and when you serve it as an ice cream... well judge for yourself! The mellow, almond flavor of Amontillado Sherry works especially well in this rich, creamy dessert.

Make the crema the day before and freeze overnight.  It never works for me when I freeze just for a few hours. 

The crema catalana ice cream can be accompanied with other fruits but in that case, I would omit the sherry.


Yield: Makes 6 servings


Ingredients

For ice cream

3 cups half-and-half

4-inch strip fresh lemon zest

4-inch strip fresh orange zest

1/2 cinnamon stick

8 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Amontillado Sherry

For figs

12 soft (moist) dried Calimyrna figs (10 oz), tough stems removed and figs halved lengthwise

1 cup Amontillado Sherry

1 cup fresh orange juice

6 tablespoons honey

Garnish: candied orange zest


Preparation

Make ice cream:

Bring half-and-half with lemon and orange zests and cinnamon stick just to a boil over moderate heat. Cover and let stand off heat 25 minutes, then reheat to a simmer. Discard zests and cinnamon stick.

Whisk together yolks, sugar, and Sherry in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Transfer custard to cleaned saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened enough to coat back of a wooden spoon and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F.

Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and cover surface with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until thoroughly cold, about 3 hours, (I prefer to chill overnight to make sure!). Freeze in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.

Make figs:

Bring figs, Sherry, juice, and honey, covered, to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer, covered, just until figs are tender, about 40 minutes, then uncover and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Cool figs in syrup.

Serve ice cream with honeyed figs and syrup.

Cooks' notes:

·Ice cream can be made 3 days ahead.

·You can also prepare figs 3 days ahead and chill, covered

Source  & photo Gourmet 2000

Easy Summer Desserts....Peach Amaretto Sundaes

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The height of the summer season is next weekend with the Fourth of July.  Chances are you will either be having guests if you live in the country, the seashore, or like me, on a lake; or you will be going somewhere as a guest.  If you are having guests, come on over to my country blog and check out my game plan, including easy menus and recipes, for the entire weekend.  If you are a guests, come and see what your poor hostess has to go through in order for everyone to have an enjoyable weekend..  It would be wonderful if you could alleviate her load and bring over some cookies, dessert,  muffins, jams or anything else that would make things easier for her.  You could bake some cheese wafers and stick them in a tin.  They would be great to have with cocktails over the weekend.  Yes, flowers and wine are wonderful, but what your hostess really needs is some help with the menu.

If you can't cook or bake, or don't have time for either before you leave, offer to make dessert one night.  This desert is one of those easy and simple recipes that look like a million dollars but can be prepared in a jiffy.  Some things you can bring with you but others, like the ice cream, will need to be purchased nearby.   Amaretto cookies can be made or they can be bought in a tin at most gourmet stores.  I see them all the time at Marshall's!  The peaches are beginning to show up at the markets and you can buy some early next week so they will be ready for the weekend. And the liquor, well you know where to get that! Put everything in a basket and presto! you have a nice and very original hostess gift!

If on the other hand you are the hostess, this is the kind of dessert you will definitely need to keep handy for the rest of the summer.  Trust me, you will be pulling it out all the time

Juicy peaches, crushed cookies and vanilla ice cream spiked with brandy and amaretto add up to the perfect summer dessert.

yield: Serves 6


Ingredients

2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened slightly

5 tablespoons amaretto

2 tablespoons brandy

6 ripe peaches, peeled if desired, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup crushed amaretti cookies

mint leaves for decoration (optional)


Preparation

Combine ice cream, 3 tablespoons amaretto and 1 tablespoon brandy in large bowl. Stir to blend well. Cover and freeze until firm. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep ice cream mixture frozen.)

Combine peaches, sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons amaretto and remaining 1 tablespoon brandy in another large bowl. Toss to coat. Let peach mixture stand until sugar dissolves, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Divide sliced peaches among 6 dessert bowls or wineglasses. Spoon vanilla ice cream mixture atop peaches. Sprinkle desserts with crushed amaretti cookies. Decorate with  mint  Serve immediately.



Adapted from Bon Appetit

Gelato di Melone...Cantaloupe Sorbetto

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The canteloupes are here and the one I had yesterday was superb.  Last year at about this time, I posted on one of my favorite restaurants in this world, Ousteau de Beaumaniere, where I learned to pair melon and prosciutto with Muscat de Beames de Venise.  I suggest you check it out and rush out to buy a bottle.  It will just make your weekend.

If you get a second melon, this is one of the nicest sorbettos you could ever taste, where you feel you are actually tasting the fruit since it has no milk or cream whatsoever.  Only make it if you have an outstanding melon... it is the main ingredient.

A granite made of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (a sweet dessert wine), with melon and melon sorbet at Ousteau de Beaumaniere

Ingredients

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon bottled or filtered still water (not distilled)

1 cantaloupe (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lightly beaten egg white*


Preparation

In a small heavy saucepan heat sugar and water, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool syrup. Cut rind from melon and discard seeds. Cut melon into chunks and in a food processor purée enough to measure 2 cups. Transfer purée to a bowl and stir in syrup and lemon juice. Chill melon mixture until cold and up to 1 day.

Stir in egg white and freeze in an ice-cream maker. Serve sorbetto immediately or transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden no more than 3 hours

Cooking With Lavender...Honey Lavender Ice Cream

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image Epirurious

Dried lavender is nice in potpourri, but it’s even better in the kitchen, where it can be put to both sweet and savory uses.  For years, the French, particularly the Provencal,  have been using it in their cooking but it is only recently that we here in the United States have been adding it to our recipes.   

                

One classic use is as a central component in the blend, Herbes de Provence.  Unfortunately, in this country, it is difficult to find HP with lavender so what I do is incorporate some into the blend.  Next time you buy herbes de Provence, make sure you read the ingredients,  It is a blend, like any other, and some are definitely better than others.  I usually get some from friends who live in France and bring me some from the local market.  If you want to make your own mix, combine crumbled dried lavender with dried rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and savory, and crushed fennel seeds. Herbes de Provence makes a terrific addition to goat cheese, omelettes, lamb and roast chicken.

On the sweet side, you can steep dried lavender in milk, and make creme brulee, rice pudding, or ice cream. It  is good in buttery shortbread cookies, especially with lemon zest in the dough or a lemon glaze on top to offset its floral notes. A little goes a long way, though, so don't add too much or it’ll seem like you’re eating a bar of soap.

Make lavender sugar by tossing whole blossoms with granulated sugar and allowing it to sit for a few weeks. Use in tea or sprinkle on cookies or muffins. Or steep dried lavender in simple syrup and use as a flavoring for lemonade or iced tea.

You can usually find lavender flowers at gourmet shops such as Dean & Deluca and Whole Foods. Here in Atlanta I buy them at the World Market.  They are not hard to find, just make sure they are the culinary lavender seeds and not the ones treated for sachets.

This year I bought some plants at Home Depot and I will let you know how they fare.  They started slow but they now seem to have taken off and I see some of the buds sticking out.  Maybe flowers by June or July, we'll see!

Now that I have my ice cream machine down from the attic, the first homemade ice cream of this season is Honey Lavender, something you will not get from Hagen Daz.  Use good honey, preferably from Provence, but a good domestic honey will also do the trick.

image MarthaStewart.com

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients


2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup dried lavender

1/3 cup honey

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain mixture, reserving milk and discarding lavender.

2.Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

3.Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

4.Remove from heat, and immediately stir in cream. Strain mixture into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice-water bath, and let stand until chilled, stirring from time to time.* Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight plastic container up to 2 weeks.

*I highly recommend you place the cream back in the refrigerator overnight before you freeze in the ice cream maker.

S'mores Coffee and Fudge Ice Cream Cake

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It's getting warmer everyday...guess it's time to bring the ice cream machine down from the attict.  A cake like this is not complicated, but it does require at least 30 minutes of your dedicated time while the layers are getting hard.  Do it in the afternoon, while watching some of the cooking shows and time will fly by! Once you get throught this step, you don't have to worry until serving time. 

A decadent, impressive dessert that appeals to everyone's inner Boy Scout or Girl Scout. Begin preparing this a day ahead. Serve it next time you have a barbecue, particularly if kids are invited!

yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings


 Ingredients

16 whole graham crackers (about 8 ounces)

1 cup whole almonds, toasted

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 quarts coffee ice cream, softened until spreadable

Fudge Sauce

1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme

2 cups miniature marshmallows


Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind graham crackers, toasted almonds and 3 tablespoons sugar in processor. Add 1/2 cup melted butter; process mixture until moist crumbs form. Press graham cracker mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Cool graham cracker crust completely.

Spread 2 cups softened ice cream in crust. Spoon 3/4 cup cooled Fudge Sauce over. Freeze until sauce is just set, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze remaining ice cream as necessary to prevent ice cream from melting. Repeat layering with 2 cups ice cream, then 3/4 cup sauce. Freeze until sauce is just set. Spread remaining 2 cups ice cream over. Cover and freeze cake overnight. Refrigerate remaining Fudge Sauce.

Preheat broiler. Warm remaining Fudge Sauce in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Place cake in pan on baking sheet. Spread marshmallow creme over top of cake. Sprinkle miniature marshmallows over in single layer. Broil just until marshmallows are deep brown, watching closely to avoid burning, about 1 minute. Run knife between pan sides and cake to loosen. Remove pan sides. Cut cake into wedges. Serve cake immediately with warm Fudge Sauce.

Fudge Sauce

yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup light corn syrup

10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

print a shopping list for this recipe


Preparation

Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until cool but still pourable, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.


Bon Appetit 2000

Foodie Friday is at DesignsbyGollum!

Amaretti Cookies

Pin It After I posted the Roasted Peaches with Amaretti Crumble recipe, I got a lot of inquiries as to where to find the cookies. It is indeed a problem to find them these days, unless you have a good specialty store in your town. I have added them to my Amazon store in the right fray and also thought you might want to bake some yourself. They are really easy and simple to make and much better than the ones that come in the box.

This recipe for amaretti cookies, courtesy of chef Mario Batali, is an excellent accompaniment to pumpkin lune pasta and can be found in his book, "The Babbo Cookbook." Use them in the Roasted Peaches with Amaretti Crumble and as an accompaniment to the Chocolate Gelato Affogatto previously posted.

A nice espresso with these cookies is a delighful and "lite" dessert. Don't forget to add a touch of Limoncello to the espresso!

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large egg whites
Pinch of kosher salt
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon amaretto
1/2 cup turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place almonds, cornstarch, and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until almonds are very finely chopped.

Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add salt and beat on medium speed until foamy and light. Gradually add granulated sugar in a slow, steady steam and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Beat in almond extract and amaretto.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in ground almond mixture.

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of batter onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each cookie generously with turbinado sugar.

Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are pale golden and begin to crack slightly, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Leave oven door ajar to release some of the heat. Let cookies stand in oven until completely dry and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes more.

Let cookies cool briefly on baking sheets, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Celebrating National Ice Cream Day...Chocolate Gelato Affogato!

Pin It I was eating this in the 1960's and didn't know it had a name!

Boarding school meals are atrocious, as anyone who has gone to one can attest..but leave it to a group of creative 14 year olds and even vanilla ice cream can turn into a gourmet dessert.

Remember those ice cream squares covered in paper that they used to have years ago? They tasted like frozen milk. On Sundays, as a treat (?) they would give us Neapolitan ice cream... or so they called it. To us, it was just three colors of frozen milk. I can't remember exactly which one of us invented what I now know as Gelato Affogato* but God Bless her! We'd take a vanilla square and pour coffee over it and presto! coffee ice cream...what a treat! Hey, Haggen Daz wasn't around in those days... but we did have Schraffts, just not at school.

This secret recipe became a tradition, particularly if you were a junior or senior, although I wonder if boarding school kids today would put up with the horrors they called food in those days.

So in memory of those horrible days, here's a wonderful recipe for a hot summer afternoon!


Serves 4


Ingredients

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

2 pints chocolate, vanilla or coffee gelato or ice cream

2 cups freshly brewed espresso

Kahlua (optional)

Crushed Espresso Beans (optional)

Biscotti or amaretti cookies (optional)



Directions

Beat cream until soft peaks form

Place two scoops gelato or ice cream into each of 4 glasses. Pour 1/2 cups hot espresso over tops of each, just to cover. If you are using Kahlua, pour some now. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle some amaretti cookie crumbs or crushed espresso beans on top and serve with biscotti.



*The word affogato means "drowned" in Italian; affogato al caffe is the name of a popular dessert in which hot espresso is poured over gelato just before it is eaten. The bitterness of the espresso acts as a pleasant counterpoint to the sweet creaminess of the ice cream. Liqueur intensifies the overall flavor. Although traditional gelato is denser than ice cream and therefore melts more slowly, you can use either one for equally delicious results. If you prefer, substitute very strong brewed coffee for the espresso.

If you want to make your own gelato go to:





Photo: marthastewart.com