Dense, Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Mmmm... chocolate.  Lots and lots of dark chocolate + cream + sugar = sinful.  

And be sure to take notice of this picture: Oh yes, in case you thought your eyes were deceiving you, I did make this ice cream in an ice cream maker.  My ice cream maker.  I know, I know, I said I would not purchase an ice cream maker.  I lamented the cost, the lack of space in my kitchen, and most importantly, how dangerous it could be to have an appliance that makes ice cream.  But lo and behold, when thrifting last month with my mom, I came across a brand new Cuisinart Automatic Ice Cream Maker, for the steal-of-a-deal price of only $10.  I immediately decided I liked living dangerously and so I snatched it up.     

Once I got the ice cream maker home, I did a little happy dance, and then made some standard vanilla ice cream using the recipe provided by Cuisinart.  (Being a scientist, it's hard to fight the urge to go with a standard 'protocol' the first time you use something new.)  The ice cream turned out alright as far as flavor goes, but I was just tickled pink with how awesome the ice cream maker was.  I mean, I had done the work before to make homemade ice cream by hand, and I would do it again because it tastes so phenomenal; but, having a machine that will churn it for me makes the entire experience just that much better and quicker.   

I think 'quicker' is the operative word, especially considering that I churned out not only one, but two, batches of ice cream for my Labor Day party this past weekend.  The first one was absolutely-to-die-for Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream from David Lebovitz (I would highly recommend that you give this recipe a try), and for the second, I got a little more adventurous and came up with my own recipe for Dark Chocolate Ice Cream.  

Honey Sage Ice Cream

Ahhh, ice cream.  On a hot summer day, there truly is nothing like it.  The feel of cool ice cream, sweet on your tongue, is incomparable.  Ice cream is enjoyed by children and adults of all ages, and can be made with a multitude of flavor combinations that is only limited by the imagination of the creator.  We have seen ample evidence of that in recent years, with the advent of exciting new flavors like Candied Bacon Ice Cream, Foie Gras Ice Cream, and even Fish and Octopus Ice Cream from the Japanese.  Yum.  

Not to fear, I won't be sharing any ice cream recipes anytime soon that have seafood or animal parts in the ingredient list.  No, the imagination of The Cilantropist came up with the lovely, light combination of honey-flavored ice cream perfumed with delicate sage.

I originally got the courage to dream up ice cream recipes at all when I stumbled across methods for making ice cream without an ice cream maker.  Because it is sad but true, The Cilantropist does not own an ice cream maker.  I know, they are not that expensive; truth be told, it scares me a little bit to think about owning a machine whose sole purpose is to churn up sugar and cream into something that is fattening yet delicious and irresistible.  Plus I don't think I have room in my kitchen.  

But who needs an ice cream maker anyway, when all I need to make ice cream is my freezer and my own two hands!  Because really folks, this is all it takes to whip up your own creamy ice cream at home.  There are no special tricks, no fancy gadgets, and no guarantee that you will maintain your current weight.  Because once you get started making ice cream, you might not be able to stop.

Bacon and Blue Cheese Cake

So after talking about cooking for family in my last post, I thought I would share a recipe that I made for a recent early morning birthday party where there were lots of young families.  My good friend Ana's daughter Karolina just turned two years old (yesterday actually!) and we celebrated her birthday at the park this past Sunday.  The skies were a beautiful blue, and the weather was perfect for all the little ones to run around and play while the adults sampled a fantastic spread of brunch-type foods, including chocolate filled crescent rolls, ham and spinach quiche, blueberry scones, and this bacon and blue cheese cake.  


If you were worried, this "cake" was not the one meant for the birthday girl.  I hope it is clear that this cake is squarely planted in the realm of adult-food, and not exactly the type of fare that a two-year old wants to dig her cute, chubby little fingers into.  (And for those curious minds out there, I'll tell you that the actual birthday cake was really awesome; it was rich chocolate cake with blue frosting and a Nemo-esque underwater scene made with gummy fish, sharks, and octopus.  Little Karolina was fearless as she reached right in and grabbed the octopus by the tentacles and devoured it.  I'd like to think that if someone made me a cake like that, I would do the same.)        


This cake is definitely adult-food because it has all these ingredients here: 

  
Oh no, your eyes are not deceiving you.  This cake has eggs, flour, blue cheese, parmesan cheese, green onions, and bacon.  BACON.  I know that as you read through this little list you got pretty excited, but I probably could have just told you that it had bacon and you would have been sold.  I can say that I definitely was, because ever since reading The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, I have been looking for an excuse to make this cake.  Lucky for me Karolina's early morning birthday party provided me with the perfect opportunity.