Cheaper than Therapy...

Songwriters often say that they do their best work when they are going through something difficult in their lives.  They channel those feelings and pour them into lyrics that move us to our very core.
I don't write music...  I sequester myself to the confines of my kitchen.

Being in the kitchen is cathartic for me, it always has been.  Looking back, I've realized that it is one of the reasons I love baking. 

It brings me comfort in times of sadness, calms me when I'm stressed or anxious, reassures me when I've had a particularly rough day. 

Baking is my therapy and let's face it...  it's cheaper than $150 dollars an hour and much tastier.

I find solace in the kitchen, the familiar smells and sounds, the warmth of the oven...  being able to "shut off" my brain and do things on autopilot also brings a certain sense of comfort.

Once again, I find myself puttering about in the kitchen late at night when the rest of world is fast asleep.  

I wanted to make a cherry clafouti and thus began the research.  I read that traditionally the French use whole cherries because the pits give an almond flavor to the dessert.   My thoughts were something like this:  "I like the people I'm going to feed & would rather they didn't need an emergency dental appointment after eating my food". 

I wanted to use almond extract to impart that flavor, I knew I had some, but where...  So,  after about 5 minutes of searching I decided since I had almond flour, I would use that instead.

Thanks to a friend of mine, I had a few jars of sour cherries (sans pits!) that were calling to me from the cupboard.  They were begging to be used in some late night venture and needing to oblige, they were promptly removed from their dark shelf and opened.

ps~ made a second batch with a few drops of the afformentioned almond extract, both ways were delicious. 

Cherry Clafouti

• 4 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 lb cherries (I used sour cherries in syrup, drained, syrup reserved)
• 2 tbsp butter + flour for pan
• powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter and flour a deep 9 inch pan or an extra large muffin tin. (Using the muffin tins instead of one big dessert is nice to give everyone their own individual dessert or as little give away treats for friends).
2. Combine eggs, yolks, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, milk & cream in blender.  Blend for a few seconds to combine, then add almond flour and AP flour.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Pour batter into pan or if using muffin tin, evenly distribute batter, top with cherries.
4. Place in oven and immediately turn down heat to 325 degrees.  Bake for approximately 30 - 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.  Use reserved syrup to decorate serving plate if desired.

Cherry Clafouti

Ice Cream Social

Every summer when I was a kid, our church held an ice-cream social.  I know it may sound a bit "Little House on the Prairie",  but it really was fun and coincidentally since L.H. is my favorite show of all time, quite fitting I suppose.

It was worth sitting outside in the sweltering heat and oppressive humidity of Midwestern summers... ice cream melting down my hand,  a sweet & sticky mess and completely content.

In the fall,  it was fresh-pressed hot apple cider and cake donuts which were also swoon-worthy, but more on that another time.

The ice cream socials were the highlight of the summer church events.  We would eat as much ice cream as we could get away with until we were nearly in a sugar coma.  If given the opportunity,  I could would still eat ice cream ad nauseam.

I don't just have a sweet tooth, I have an entire set. 

Strangely I don't normally like desserts that are cloyingly sweet,  I like them to bring a little something else to the table beyond pure sugar.

While I do border on needing a program for my insatiable sweet tooth  (Hello. My name is Cheryl.  I have a problem with sugar...)  My Achilles heal is ice cream.  

There is something about that sweet frozen yumminess. The unctuous "mouth-feel" of ice cream, the way it sits on your tongue and  freezes your whole mouth until the dreaded brain freeze sets in.

Some people like plain old vanilla, with nothing in it.  Not my style.  I'm more of a pralines & cream, or chocolate with ancho chili kind of girl.   The smooth richness of the ice cream is what pulls me in,  but the "goodies" are what keep me coming back. 

I like stuff in my ice cream,  whether it's nuts, cake bits, fruit, candy or (speaking of unctuous)  especially ribbons of salted caramel...  it needs texture.

I received an ice cream maker for Christmas a few years ago and have yet to use it, so I thought what better way to try it out than publicly through a blog on the Internet where if I screw it up I can look like an idiot for all eternity.   No problem.

When I was in high school, I met someone who would eventually become a good friend of mine.  She is from Lebanon and she introduced me to flavors that I had never had before.  To this day, her's is the best baklava I've ever tasted.  It was unique and not overly sweet, as most tend to be.  It was flavored with rose water and pistachios and these flavors remind me of her and they are still some of my favorites.

I wanted to make something unusual and beautiful but it had to be delicious,  so I'm taking the flavors from Nona's baklava and using them for my ice cream. 

The ice cream maker I have is a Cuisinart Flavor Duo.  It has side by side bowls that each hold 1 quart of ice cream.  The recipe will yield 1 quart of ice cream,  if your ice cream maker is larger or smaller, you will need to adjust the quantities.



Rose Water & Pistachio Ice Cream

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup half & half  (or heavy cream)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp. rosewater (find in Middle Eastern market or online)
• 1/2 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
• 2 drops red food coloring

1. Whisk milk & sugar together for 1 - 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved.
2. Stir in half & half, salt, vanilla, rosewater & food coloring.  Whisk another minute until everything is thoroughly combined and salt is dissolved.
3. Turn machine on,  pour liquid in through top and let it run for 20 - 25 minutes.
4. Add in the pistachios and let it mix for 5 minutes.   
5. Done!  Ice cream will be like soft-serve at this stage.  If you prefer it more frozen,  transfer into airtight plastic container and freeze for 2 hours.

and now, for the advanced class:

Coconut Ice Cream with Toasted Coconut

This ice cream requires a bit of cooking,  but nothing too taxing.   It is a variation on the base recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer.  She is an ice cream genius based in Columbus, Ohio.

• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups half & half or whole milk  (+ 1/4 cup on the side for slurry)
• 4 tsp. cornstarch
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. shredded sweetened coconut, toasted
• Ice bath= a medium sized bowl filled with ice water

1. To toast coconut, place on sheet pan and bake for 3 minutes at 350 degrees.  Move it around and put back in for another minute or two.  It will go from golden brown to burnt very quickly, so keep an eye on it.
2. In a small bowl,  combine the quarter cup of milk and cornstarch.  Whisk to combine & set aside.
3. In a 4 quart saucepan, combine the coconut milk, half & half (or milk), sugar and salt; bring to a boil over med-high heat.  Cook for 4 minutes.  DO NOT walk away from the pot of boiling milk.  It can boil over very quickly, adjust the flame if it is too high to keep it at a steady low boil.
4. Stir in the slurry.  Return to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. (about 2 minutes)
5. Place cream cheese in a bowl and pour a half cup of the hot milk mixture over it and whisk until smooth.   Whisk in the rest of the milk mixture.
6. Pour mixture into resealable plastic bag (ziplock) and seal, trying to get out as much air as possible.  Submerge bag in ice bath until chilled.
7. Snip corner off of plastic bag and pour into ice cream maker. 
8. When there is approximately 5 minutes left for ice cream to finish, add in the toasted coconut and let it mix to combine.
9. Transfer into plastic storage container and freeze until set.