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Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

August 10, 2019 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPeppermint Stick Ice Cream seems to be one of those old fashioned ice cream flavors that’s been cast aside to make room for the weird. Pomegranate Cookie Dough or Cilantro Swirl anybody? Okay, maybe I’m just joking there, but when you have a classic flavor like this it shouldn’t be forgotten.

This is a rich vanilla custard base with some kick from the peppermint/almond extract and some crunch from the candies. That’s it and that’s all. A little sweet striped piece of kidhood to cool you off and appease your inner child. Actual kids will like it too.

When I tell people about this recipe I get the same response across the board. It’s always along the lines of, “I used to love this and now you can’t find it anywhere anymore!” Well, consider it found.

Making the custard follows the same drill as I more fully described in the recipe for Salted Steen’s Ice Cream. The short version of that is to gradually whisk the warm milk/cream mixture into the egg/sugar mixture. After about half of the warm cream has been added to the yolks you can pour that back into the pot and stir until the custard thickens and coats a spoon, or registers 180 on a thermometer. Strain it into a bowl and add the food coloring like this:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASame stuff as they use on CSI episodes I’m sure.  Anyway, mix it to your preferred degree of pinkness, add the extracts, cover with plastic and chill.

While the blood splatter is chillin, you can have a go at the candies. I wrapped mine up in a dish cloth and bashed them with the wimpy female type hammer you see in the shot below. If you’re a man making this recipe you can drop them in a Hefty bag and back your truck over them. Whatever works for you.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASo when the custard is chilled, freeze it according to directions and when it’s almost done drop in the candies and prepare to revisit your childhood summertime memories.

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
 
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Author: Carine Clary
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • ¾ c. sugar
  • 1 c. whole milk
  • 2 c. heavy cream
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. peppermint extract
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 3 drops red food coloring
  • ¼ lb (or 20 round peppermints) peppermint candy
Instructions
  1. Combine yolks & sugar and beat till pale.
  2. Combine milk & cream in double boiler and bring to a simmer. There should just be wisps of steam coming off of it. Now ladle about half a cup into the egg/sugar mixture to warm the eggs. When that is fully incorporated add the remainder of the yolks and stir over a low heat till the custard coats a spoon.
  3. Strain into a bowl and let cool off a bit.
  4. Add extracts and food coloring.
  5. Cover with plastic and chill thoroughly in the fridge.
  6. Put the candies in a dish towel and bash with a hammer till the desired level of pulverization is achieved.
  7. Pour the custard mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.
  8. When the ice cream is almost frozen, add the candies.
3.2.1311

Filed Under: Desserts, Ice Cream Tagged With: Peppermint, peppermint ice cream

Salted Steens Ice Cream

January 26, 2019 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Salted Steens Ice CreamI invented Salted Steens Ice Cream one Christmas when I was running low on white sugar and high on cane syrup and it turned out to be the best possible way to use up Steens syrup. It’s nothing more than simple cane syrup ice cream studded with gingersnaps. You can make it at any time of year but it’s especially nice around the holidays since it tastes like gingerbread. The smoothness comes from the combination of the syrup and the cornstarch.

Custard Base Best

One of the reasons homemade ice cream tastes better than store-bought is the custard base. This adds a step to the process, not to mention the extra time and the expense of the egg yolks. Most commercial ice cream makers can’t charge enough to make a profit on custard-based versions so they don’t make them. This is the reason amateur ice cream makers usually churn out product that’s superior to the pros. Because they can afford to.

What stops many of them though is the near-universal fear of curdling. No one wants all their effort and expense to end up as a pot full of runny sugary scrambled eggs. But fear not! This problem can be largely avoided by the use of a thick bottomed pan and/or double boiler, moderate heat, and constant stirring. And the stirring time is mercifully short since the eggs do cook quickly. And last but not least there is the strainer. No matter how careful, no matter how low the heat, you will end up with a few curdled squiggles. That’s why you’ll pour it through a strainer. That way no one will ever know.

Making the Custard and freezing the ice cream

So for this recipe, you’ll want to start heating the cream, then in another bowl whisk vigorously the yolks, cornstarch, and syrup until completely smooth. When the cream warms to the point where it’s hot(ish) but still not too hot to stick your finger in, go ahead and ladle some of the cream into the egg yolk mixture. This is called tempering. I think of it as squiggle reduction because it will warm the yolks without cooking them and causing the scrambled egg effect. After you’ve added two or three more ladles of cream and mixed it well, pour the cream and yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.

Stir until a thermometer reads 180 or until you see the first bubble pop on the surface. One fail-safe way of testing doneness is the old “coats a spoon” routine. When the custard starts to visibly thicken pull out your spoon. Does a thick layer adhere to the spoon? Yes? Now take your finger and run it down the back of the spoon right through the middle. If it creates a channel that stays you’re done. Think Moses. Parting of the waters. Like that.

At this point you strain it into a bowl, add the cold half cup of milk and stir a bit to cool. When it’s no longer hot add the vanilla, cover with plastic and put in the fridge for several hours. When it’s good and cold freeze it according to your ice cream freezer’s directions. Right before the end add the broken sifted cookie chunks and you’re done.

Because of the slightly larger amount of sugar (in the form of syrup) in this, the finished product will be somewhat softer than other ice creams so make sure your freezer is at its lowest setting to harden it up properly.

Salted Steens Ice Cream
 
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Author: Carine Clary
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern, Creole
Ingredients
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup Steens cane syrup
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup broken up ginger snap cookies or Speculaas (the Belgian version)
Instructions
  1. Combine yolks, cornstarch & syrup and beat well.
  2. Bring cream to a simmer, then add a little to the yolks. Add the remainder of the yolks and stir over a low heat till the custard coats a spoon (or 180 on the thermometer.)
  3. Add cold milk and vanilla extract.
  4. Strain into a bowl and let cool off a bit.
  5. Cover with plastic and chill thoroughly in the fridge.
  6. Break the cookies up into medium sized pieces. Do a quick sift to get rid of the tiniest crumbs. The final product will look better.
  7. Pour the custard mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.
  8. When the ice cream is almost frozen, add the cookies.
  9. Serve with a small dusting of sea salt on top.
Notes
You can use other cookies in the spice family as long as they’re thick and hard like gingersnaps.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Christmas, Creole, Desserts, Ice Cream, Southern Tagged With: cane syrup ice cream, ice cream, steens syrup

Bourbon Balls

December 10, 2017 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Bourbon BallsThis is it! The holiday cookie for people who don’t cook. All you need is a food processor and a forefinger to press the pulse button and gooey goodness will be your reward.

This recipe comes directly to you from the Thibodaux family whose unofficial food rep (Bonnie Thibodaux Knowles) swears that her momma clipped it out of the Times Picayune back in the sixties. No matter. They still get the cred since I ate it there first. After bringing the leftovers to my aunt in Baton Rouge I was asked where I had ‘bought’ them. “Seriously?” I said. “Does anyone buy bourbon balls?” I said…. Somebody must, but I’ve never seen them and it’s probably because they’re so easy.

You need only crush the various ingredients and you’re ‘ready to roll.’ Once rolled you should lay them out on a cookie sheet to firm up. And note: many b.b. recipes use powdered sugar. I tried it that way (solely in the interests of research) and this is better. The uncooked crystallized sugar yields a satisfying crunch to the final product. And in the further interests of research I made this with Nilla Vanilla Wafers, Trader Joe’s Vanilla Wafers, and Keebler V.Ws. And guess what? Surprise, surprise Nilla gets the nod. They’re just superior in consistency and flavor so go with the classic.

Bourbon Balls I use a food processor but if you don’t have one you can crush up the crumbs between two pieces of wax paper or in a paper grocery bag. The prep involves a lot of bowls if you go the decorating route like I did. I thought that in addition to the usual powdered sugar I’d add some culinary bling in the form of gold lustre powder and edible glitter.

Bourbon BallsIt’s a fun mess to make and even funner to eat.

Bourbon BallsAnd in the interests of variety I even developed a vanilla version with less bourbon which I ended up preferring (sorry Bonnie & other Thibodauxs).

But whichever version you pick be sure and pack them in a tin and make enough to enjoy during the entire season. They will keep for quite a while if you can keep from eating them all at once.

Bourbon Balls

Bourbon Balls
 
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Author: Carine Clary
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
  • For the chocolate balls:
  • 2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
  • 1 cup ground roasted pecans
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dark powdered coco
  • ½ cup bourbon (scant)
  • 3 tablespoons corn syrup or honey
  • For the vanilla balls:
  • 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
  • 1 cup ground roasted pecans
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup bourbon
  • 1 tsp. instant espresso (or coffee)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons corn syrup or honey
Instructions
  1. Pulse cookies in food processor till fine, remove, then do the same with nuts.
  2. Stir together crumbs, nuts, sugar, and coco. (n.b. Roasted walnuts are also fine.)
  3. Stir together bourbon, coffee (for the vanilla balls) and honey till combined.
  4. Using a spoon or melon baller roll into one inch balls in your hands.
  5. Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Southern Tagged With: Bourbon balls, bourbon chocolate balls, Cookies, vanilla bourbon balls

Turkey Poulette

Turkey Poulette

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About Me

Hello, I'm Carine Clary and I'm the FrangloSaxon.

And is that a word? In a word - Yes! It reflects my French connections in the south part of the state and the Anglo Saxon ones on the Arkansas state line. I grew up eating & loving all the foods of Louisiana and the idea is to collect lots of them right here on this website.

What you'll find here is food that reflects everybody's cooking. Creole we know. Cajun we know. But how about Croatian or Vietnamese....or Italian or German....or the underestimated plain Southern food they do so well in the upstate parishes?

They're all part of who we are so pull up your chair and join me for some good eats!

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