Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

By Kesha | Published: March 24, 2010

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This weekend was the first day of spring. Although the weather did not reflect a beautiful spring day, my kitchen did. While it was sleeting outside, I was squeezing and zesting lemons for these refreshing treats. The Officer requested some lemon bars and when I found this recipe, which is actually for lemon cheesecake bars, I figured he would love them (he obsesses over two desserts: brownies and cheesecake).

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These bars are a fantastic combination of a citrus spring dessert with the creaminess of cheesecake. Then topped with blueberries, they make a gorgeous, yet casual dessert. The Officer couldn’t stop eating them. The lemon is mild enough to not overwhelm the crust and the blueberries. They make a nice little trio in your mouth.

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And one thing about lemons is, I think they are so pretty. I love the bright, fresh skin of a lemon and the fantastic design on the inside. I can’t help but think about summer when I see lemons…it is almost here. So raise your lemon bars (or any other desert) to summer being near!

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    Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

  • Ingredients

    crust
  • butter to grease the pan
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 9 graham crackers
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • filling
  • 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 lemons, zested and juiced
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar


  • Directions

    • make the crust

    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

    Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Cut two pieces of parchment paper in rectangles long enough to extend up the sides of the pan (so later you can use them as tabs to pull out the finished cheesecake bars). Place the parchment paper in the buttered pan cross-wise and press it into the corners.

    In a plastic bag, crush up the graham crackers in to dime size pieces or smaller crumbs. In a bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers. Add the melted butter and mix until the butter is incorporated. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and evenly press it into the bottom of the pan and about a 1/4 inch on the sides. Use a glass or another smooth surface to disperse the graham cracker mixture. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Cool crust.

    make the filling

    Before you begin, ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature. This will make your bars more creamy. In a bowl with an electric mixer, add the cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar. Mix until the ingredients are creamy and the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Pour into the pan with the cooled crust. Then evenly distribute the blueberries.

    Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cheesecake comes out mostly clean. Only allow the top to get a hint of brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into 9 bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Posted in Brownies and Bars | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

Kumquat Tea Bread

By Mara | Published: March 9, 2010

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My refrigerator fruit drawer is currently so packed with citrus fruit that I have great difficulty closing it. It takes about 3 tries to actually get the drawer to slide correctly from all the weight of blood oranges, clementines, tangerines, grapefruit and kumquats. It seems about time that I actually do something other than just devour the citrus fruit family, so I decided to actually bake with some.

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I’d been eyeing some kumquats for some time in our local natural foods store and finally picked some up a few weeks back. I found a recipe that intrigued me with the tangy flavor combination of tea, cardamom, pineapple and kumquat. The tea flavoring was fairly subtle, so I’ve adjusted the recipe a little to make the flavor more pronounced. This is a bread that could easily pass for a cake. That’s the best kind, isn’t it? The kind you can justify eating for both breakfast and dessert.

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    Kumquat Tea Bread

  • Ingredients

    kumquat tea bread
  • 2 cups kumquats, stemmed, quartered, seeded; plus 4 kumquats, thinly sliced
  • 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2-3 teaspoons instant iced tea powder (optional)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1-1/4 cups pure cane sugar
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juice
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  • kumquat glaze
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant iced tea powder (optional)
  • water, if needed


  • Directions

    • make the kumquat tea bread

    Place quartered kumquats in processor; puree 3 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup puree for glaze.

    Preheat to 350 degrees. Spray two loaf pans with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, tea powder, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Using an electric mixer, blend 1 1/4 cups sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Then, mix in vanilla, 2/3 cup kumquat puree and pineapple with juice. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Do not over mix. Fold in walnuts. Divide batter between loaf pans.

    Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes-1 hour. Cool 5 minutes, then turn bread out on rack, top side up. Cool completely.

    make the kumquat glaze

    Place reserved 1/3 cup puree in large bowl. Whisk in butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. If glaze is too thick, thin by whisking in a little water. Drizzle glaze over bread loaves. Top with kumquat slices. Let stand until icing sets. Store at room temperature.

Posted in Breads | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Chocolate Opera Cake

By Kesha | Published: February 25, 2010

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As you may know, I work at a chocolate factory. That means I get to taste a lot of things made of chocolate. Some things are pretty delicious other things are amazing and a couple of things are beyond words….one of those things is this chocolate cake.

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Not too long ago we received an email at the factory from a competition baker in Iowa. She said she had been gifted our chocolate and was excited to use it in her baking. We offered to send her our Natural Cocoa Powder to try and she gladly accepted. A few days later she received the package and the next part is what has changed my cake history: she said she would bake her signature cake over the weekend with our products and send it to us.

Four days later Dexter, our UPS man, delivered a box that felt cool and a bit heavy. I wondered what might be in this box, stamped largely with the word ‘overnight’. My memory was quickly jogged to the previous week. I carefully opened the box to discover a beautiful, dark and serious chocolate cake. The cake arrived with explicit directions to ensure the best tasting experience which included allowing the cake to come to room temperature before enjoying. Unbelievable. We had to look at this cake for what seemed like hours before sinking our teeth in. I am pretty sure I walked by the cake no less that 12 times to “check it”.

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Oh man, was it worth the wait. The three-layer cake was more moist than any other cake I have ever tasted. In between one of the layers was a chocolate charlotte, similar to a chocolate mousse. The other layer included a coffee buttercream, which was one of my favorite parts. The cake was topped with a chocolate ganache accented by roasted cocoa nibs.

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Eileen Gannon is a name I will never forget. She is the creator of this delicious piece of art. Turns out I am not her only fan. She has won more than 200 ribbons for baking and cooking at the Iowa State Fair. She’s been featured in major publications like The New York Time, Wall Street Journal Online and Better Homes and Gardens. And after all of that she was still willing to share her recipe with me and with you. So I took it as my duty to give the recipe a try. It’s a keeper. I made it with no problem. It isn’t a quick recipe but it is worth every hour. I ended up using instant coffee instead of her recommended instant espresso and it still worked great. I LOVED making this cake. I was able to try new, challenging things while still creating a delicious cake. In other words, despite the challenge it still came out beautifully. Another bonus is that with this recipe you will have extra chocolate charlotte and coffee buttercream, leaving you enough to make a second cake. You can easily freeze the leftover fillings for up to 6 weeks until you want to make another cake. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I did. It is a recipe I will make for many years to come. Thanks Eileen!

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    Chocolate Opera Cake

  • Ingredients

    chocolate cake layers
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Askinosie Natural Cocoa Powder)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1-3/4 cup flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • coffee buttercream
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon coffee, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • chocolate charlotte
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped in small pieces (I used Askinosie 75% Soconusco Dark Chocolate)
  • 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • coffee sauce
  • 1/4 cup coffee, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur like Kahlua
  • chocolate ganache
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped in small pieces (I used Askinosie 77% Davao Dark Chocolate)
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup orange liqueur like Triple Sec
  • 1 cup roasted cocoa nibs


  • Directions

    • make the cake layers

    Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Cut out wax paper the size of three 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Line the pans with the wax paper and butter and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and mix together. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

    In a large bowl, beat eggs on medium speed with an electric mixer (use paddle attachment if you have the option). Slowly add the oil, milk and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Then add dry ingredients and bean on medium just until combined. Add boiling water and stir by hand until combined. Divide the batter between the three cake pans. The pans won’t appear very full but the cakes will rise in the oven. Bake cakes for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Try to pull the cakes from the oven before the toothpick comes out clean, a few crumbs on the toothpick are good. Cool cakes on rack. Once completely cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out on to cooling racks.

    make the coffee buttercream

    While the cakes are baking, you can make the buttercream. In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale. This will take about 5 minutes or more. In a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil. Stir in the rest of the sugar, the coffee and instant espresso or instant coffee. While constantly whisking the yolks, pour in 1/3 of the hot milk mixture. Then pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly and cook on medium until you seem small bubbles. Remove from heat and pour into a clean mixing bowl and bean on medium to high until the mixture thickens and doubles in size, about 5-6 minutes. Beat in butter one tablespoon at a time until the mixture turns white and fluffy.

    make the chocolate charlotte

    Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments; set aside. Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until it holds soft-medium peaks.

    Place the eggs yolks in a double boiler with water in the bottom pan. Heat yolks over low to medium heat, keeping an eye that they don’t get to hot and scramble. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Whisking yolks constantly, stir in the sugar syrup. Continue whisking quickly until the mixture thickens. Pour mixture into a medium bowl and mix on medium until it cools to room temperature. Beat in melted chocolate until it is very well combined. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream until the charlotte is all the same color. Chill until ready to use.

    make the coffee sauce

    In a small bowl, combine the coffee and coffee liqueur. Set aside.

    make the chocolate ganache

    In the microwave, melt the chocolate in 30 second increments. Add the butter and stir until well combined. Whisk in the corn syrup and liqueur. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before using.

    assemble the cake

    The easiest way to assemble is by using a spring-form pan lined with plastic wrap. Place one layer of the cake in the spring-form pan. Liberally brush on the coffee sauce. Top evenly with one cup of the mousse. Place the second cake layer on top of the charlotte. Liberally brush the top of the cake with the coffee sauce. Top with 1 to 1-1/2 cups of the buttercream. Stack the third cake layer on the buttercream and liberally brush the cake with the coffee sauce. Chill the cake for 10-15 minutes.

    Once the cake is chilled, turn the cake over onto a plate. Pour the ganache over the cake starting in the middle and spreading it out over the cake and down the sides. Spread the ganache evenly on the sides of the cake. Sprinkle the sides and/or top of the cake with roasted cocoa nibs. Chill the cake for at least four hours or overnight. Before serving, brink cake to room temperature. Store the cake in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Posted in Cakes | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Apple Fritters with Sour Cream & Honey Dip

By Mara | Published: February 14, 2010

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These fritters may not be shaped like hearts. There are no red sprinkles. Or pink frosting. But, this is still very much a Valentine’s Day post.

Awhile ago, my husband said to me, “I like it when you bake things for me that you wouldn’t normally bake for yourself.”

When I heard that, I knew that for Valentine’s Day I wanted to make him something that he would clearly know was for him, and not for me at all. He’s a wonderful man, and this is the least of what he deserves.

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Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a fried food person. In fact, my friends were astonished when I told them I actually ordered fried chicken (mainly for the gouda mac & cheese and truffled honey that came with it) when I ate at Pican in Oakland this past week.

Donuts especially, I can only handle those about once or twice a year, to my husband’s dismay. If I’m feeling especially kind, I’ll venture out to his favorite donut spot, and he’ll almost always request either an apple or cherry fritter. So, when I was looking through my current favorite cookbook, The Craft of Baking, and saw these apple fritters, I knew instantly what we would be having for breakfast this morning.

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Even for a girl who abhors most foods dipped in oil, I have to say that I couldn’t stop eating these. These are not as donut-like as most and have a much fresher taste. Instead of being all batter and a hint of fruit, the batter balances evenly with the bite of the tangy apple ring. Then, the cinnamon-sugar coating addition makes the fritters pretty exceptional.

In case you were wondering, I kept my choice in beer classy by using a can of PBR. My husband had a lot leftover from a dare of sorts, long story. But, it worked. For a little extra kick, I improvised a sour cream and honey dip that helped offset the sweetness of the fritters. All this combined, and it was a pretty great start to a Valentine’s Day.

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    Apple Fritters with Sour Cream & Honey Dip

  • Ingredients

    apple fritters
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup plus 7 tablespoons sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup beer (lager or pilsner)
  • 1 large firm baking apple, such as Granny Smith
  • Peanut oil (okay to use canola if peanut is unavailable), for frying
  • sour cream & honey dip
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon


  • Directions

    • make the apple fritters

    In a small bowl, whisk together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.

    In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Whisk in one third of flour mixture. Then whisk in one third of beer. Repeat mixing in by thirds until combined. Set aside batter and let rest for 30 minutes.

    While waiting on batter, peel, core and slice apple in 10 rings. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Spread apple rings out and sprinkle sugar mixture over top of the rings. Let rings sit and soften for 20 minutes.

    While waiting on batter, use a wide bowl to mix together remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.

    In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites in a cold, clean bowl until soft peaks form. When batter is rested, gently fold egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated.

    Fill a skillet or pot with 1-1/2 to 2 inches oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Or, insert the end of a wooden spoon into the oil to test it. If bubbles immediately form around the spoon, the oil is ready. In batches, dip the apple rings into batter. It helps to loop the apples around your finger when dipping, for more coverage.

    In batches, drop rings into oil. Turn each ring once, using tongs. Fry a few minutes on each side, until rings are golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Immediately place in cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to coat.

    make the sour cream & honey dip

    In a small bowl, combine sour cream, honey and cinnamon.

    Serve fritters fresh and warm with the dipping sauce. If you have leftovers as we did (since I doubled the recipe), reheat in a toaster oven. Then toss in some of the leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Posted in Breakfast | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Cherry Almond Pudding Cake

By Mara | Published: February 7, 2010

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There are certain times when the world around you just seems to stop. Those times especially seem to come when you least expect it. Three weeks ago, I was in the middle of a very large project at work when I got the call that my grandma was not likely to make it much longer. That next morning she passed away. It was hard to hear, but I am very much at peace that she is now relieved of her pain and is celebrating with God right now in a much better place.

In Grandma Chris’ honor, I want to share photos, memories and a recipe of hers for Cherry Pudding Cake, which I’ve adapted a bit.

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It’s taken me a little time to compose and write this post, thankfully Kesha has been busy baking and posting in my place. It’s hard to know what to write in a few paragraphs about a woman who was deserving of so much more than these sentences can provide.

It’s interesting how death can bring such clarity as all the things you think previously important fade into the background and other things come to light. One blessing of this experience is that my grandma had been in assisted living for about 12 years, so my memories of her more active life had faded for me. Looking through photos and awards with my family clearly reminded me of just how wonderful she was.

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My grandma was a bit of a sassy rebel. She liked to be independent and kept her hair short and would only be called Chris. People would remark that they would see a tiny little woman with short white hair walking all over town. She had completed a remarkable amount of volunteer hours in her local community. A World War Two nurse veteran, she was a loving caretaker, and opened her home and arms to so many in our family.

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There’s only one area of her life where I can talk a little more humbly. From what I hear and remember, she was not a great cook, but she did know how to make a few signature items very, very well. One of those recipes is for her cherry pudding cake. This is one of those humble and comforting winter desserts. The warm cherries, cake, pudding and whipped cream are a little bit of heaven. My friends who I shared this with told me that it was the perfect thing they wanted to eat on the cold and snow-filled evening we were having.

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    Cherry Almond Pudding Cake

    adapted from my Grandma Chris
    makes 9″x12″ pan, about 12-16 slices

  • Ingredients

    pudding cake
  • 3 cups cherries*
  • 2-1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated pure cane sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • cherry sauce
  • juice from frozen cherries
  • 1 cup frozen cherries*
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated pure cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • whipped cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated pure cane sugar

    • *if buying for this recipe, you will need 4 total cups of frozen cherries (3 cups for cake and 1 cup for sauce)

  • Directions

    • make the pudding cake

    Unthaw 4 cups of cherries and drain them into a bowl, reserving their juice for later. Save 1 cup of cherries for later as well. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    In a mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add almond extract. Add half the amount of milk. Then add half of the flour mixture. Repeat until all are mixed together. Fold in cherries and toasted almonds.

    Pour batter in pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over top of batter. Then, pour boiling water over top of batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Due to the boiling water, the cake will have a pudding-like consistency which makes it a little more difficult to discern when the cake is finished. As long as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it should be fully baked.

    make the cherry sauce

    In a small sauce pan, mix together the reserved cherry juice, 1 cup cherries, lemon juice, sugar, water and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add almond extract, if desired. If cherry sauce is too thick, place back on stovetop and add a little water to thin out.

    make the whipped cream

    Pour cold whipped cream into a cold mixing bowl. If you have a stand mixer, use the wire whip attachment. Start beating slowly and speed up until you see soft peaks. Add sugar and continue beating until cream forms stiff peaks.

    Serve the pudding cake warm and pour warm cherry sauce over cake. Top with fresh whipped cream and serve.

Posted in Cakes | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Pignoli Cookies

By Kesha | Published: January 25, 2010

PignoliCookies1 My (one and only) new year’s resolution is to cook more. That might sound a bit strange but I am a much better baker than cook. Since the Officer won’t settle on sugar for dinner, I decided 2010 should be the year of savory…well at least once a week. In celebration of my new goal, my friend Kristen invited me to an Italian cooking class at the home of her mom’s friend, Joyce. Joyce is Italian through and through and has a fantastic reputation for cooking delicious Italian dishes. On the menu was classic Italian stromboli and Italian cookies called Pignoli Cookies.

PignoliCookies2 Joyce was ready for us when we arrived. The ingredients were purchased and many of them were even prepped. It was obvious she had done this a few times before. I was amazed at the detail and preparation. I was thankful to be a part of such an extra special meal. I was so intrigued by her. I started asking questions. Then the next interaction made me realize my resolution was long overdue. It went something like this-

Me: Joyce, how many nights a week do you make dinner like this?

Joyce: Oh honey, I’ve cooked every night for the last 38 years. What do you eat when you don’t cook dinner?

The thought that never came out of my mouth: Cereal.

That’s when I knew I was in the right place…no more cereal for dinner in 2010.

PignoliCookies4 We learned how to make four different varieties of stromboli and then we moved on to the cookies. I was not familiar with Pignoli cookies, but they are simple to make and very delicious. Pignoli is the Italian word for pine nut. This cookie is a special Italian confection. The main ingredients are almond paste and pine nuts. Both were available at my local grocery store. The almond is a strong component of these cookies but is balanced nicely by the sugar, flour and eggs. Once the ingredients are mixed, the dough will not be very thick but will hold its form once it is rolled in the pine nuts. The cookies are best when they are still chewy inside and even more delicious when they are still warm. They are perfect for Italian occasions and add a nice bit of variety to your traditional cookie plate. When I made these at home, I had a few extra pecans in my kitchen, so I rolled a few of the cookies in pecans too. Both varieties of cookies were quite tasty. Thanks Joyce for sharing your fantastic cooking gifts!

And you will be happy to know I have already cooked dinner once this week!

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    Pignoli Cookies

    adapted from Joyce’s Italian kitchen (a friend of a friend)
    makes 30-36 cookies

  • Ingredients

  • 8 oz. almond paste
  • 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup pine nuts


  • Directions

    • In a small bowl, using an electric mixer break up almond paste. On low to medium speed, beat in egg whites until mostly smooth.

    In a separate bowl, sift together confectioner’s sugar and granulated sugar. Beat into almond mixture. Then add flour and salt and mix until well combined.

    Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pine nuts in a shallow bowl.

    Using parchment paper, cover a cookie sheet. With wet fingers (this prevents the dough from sticking to your hands), roll dough into small balls, about 3/4 inch in diameter. Then roll the top and sides of the balls in the pine nuts. Place balls on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

    Bake for 17-19 minutes. Do not brown. Cookies should be pale on top and barely brown on the bottom. The centers should be soft.

Posted in Cookies | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Mint Infused Strawberry Ice Cream

By Kesha | Published: January 14, 2010

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Not too long ago I confessed of my obsession with ice cream. Since that confession has brought you and I closer together, I feel comfortable telling you (and confident that you won’t judge) that I made and ate ice cream last week when it felt like our entire country had been picked up and dropped off in Antarctica. Yeah, it was -13 outside but the fire in the fireplace was so nice and paired with a good blanket, it was cozy enough to enjoy some of the cold, creamy, sweet dessert.

I made some strawberry ice cream the week before as a gift for one of my family members but it didn’t turn out as decadent as I had hoped. I just wasn’t satisfied.

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Since I wouldn’t dare leave the house in the frigid temperatures, I decided I would take the opportunity to improve on the ice cream I had previously made. I wondered what it would be like to combine strawberries and mint into ice cream. I pulled my mint extract from the cabinet and the smell reminded me more of peppermint rather than mint that I had grown this past summer. So I couldn’t resist. I pulled on my snow boots and made the trek through the snow to the local grocery store to seek fresh mint leaves. (I actually drove but it sounds more dramatic if you think I walked.) Anyway, as I was wandering the store I realized that what I was about to do required two ingredients that are quite unseasonable but decided there was no harm in testing recipes that I could make even better in the summer.

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I returned home and after a cup of hot chocolate, I made ice cream. I had hesitation about the strawberries or the mint being overpowering. It turns out that the flavors did a nice little jig in this ice cream. I think that infusing the custard mixture with the fresh mint made the flavor act more in the background rather than the leading roll. The strawberries rounded out the ice cream with a sweet, velvety finish. I really loved this ice cream. And since I can hardly leave chocolate out of my desserts, I made a version with chopped dark chocolate. It was pretty tasty too.

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    Mint Infused Strawberry Ice Cream


  • Ingredients

  • 2/3 oz fresh mint leaves
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream (divided into cups)
  • 1 cup sugar (divide into 1/3 cup and 2/3 cup)
  • pinch of salt
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 8 oz of fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 teaspoon rum


  • Directions

    • make the custard

    Rinse and dry the mint leaves. Remove the stems. In a large saucepan mix 1 cup of whole milk, 1 cup of cream and the mint leaves. Heat until the mixture begins to steam. Remove it from heat, cover and let it stand for 30 minutes. Reheat the mixture to a steam, remove from heat and let it stand for 15 more minutes. The mint is infusing the cream mixture. Using a small bowl, strain the mint infused cream mixture. Press the mint leaves against the strainer to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Reserve the mint leaves. Return the mint infused cream mixture to the saucepan and add 2/3 cup of sugar and salt. Heat on low medium until the mixture is steaming and the sugar is dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

    In a large bowl, fill it 1/3 full with ice water. Place a medium size bowl in the ice bath and add the rest of the cream to the bowl.

    In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks. Pour in half of the mint infused cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking while pouring so that the eggs are tempered. Pour in the remaining mint infused cream. Then pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Add the reserved mint leaves.

    Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Heat for about 10 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 degrees on a candy thermometer. The custard should coat the back of the spoon.

    Immediately remove the saucepan from heat and pour the custard through a strainer into the cold cream. Stir until combined. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 2 hours.

    make the strawberries

    Slice the strawberries in quarters. In a medium skillet heat 1/3 cup of sugar and the strawberries over medium. The sugar should melt into syrup. Stir over heat for about 5 minutes. Let cool. Puree half of the strawberry mixture.

    freeze the custard

    Using an ice cream maker such as a Kitchen Aid attachment, freeze the custard. In the last five minutes, add the strawberry mixture sauce and rum. The rum will keep the ice cream from freezing so hard once stored in the freezer.

    Remove the ice cream from the maker and store in Tupperware and place in the freezer. Remove ice cream from freezer 5 minutes before serving.

    Chocolate Chip Variation: If you would like, you can chop 3 ounces of dark chocolate and add the pieces when the strawberries are added.

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