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Hi there, I'm Rose. I love to cook food - and eat it. If you have any questions concerning any of my recipes, drop me a line at:
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rose [at] avocadobravado.net
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We’re experiencing a heat wave of sorts here in San Francisco. I even have something of a tan going on. I don’t even remember the last time that’s happened. So what’s a poor ol’ internet nerd supposed to do when it gets this hot? Why, make chocolate bourbon popsicles, of course! When summer rolled around, I decided I just had to have a set of popsicle molds. I used them once and completely forgot about them. Until last week, that is. I wanted to make popsicles that incorporated both chocolate and bourbon. When I bought a bottle of bourbon in July for Cory’s birthday bread pudding, I bought the cheapest bourbon I could find. The bread pudding was incredibly delicious, but the bourbon on its own was pretty vile and more or less undrinkable. So, I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate the rest of the bourbon in various dishes. I really love the flavor that the bourbon brings to the popsicles, but the pops are all about the chocolate (well, mostly!). Your chocolate popsicles will only be as good as the chocolate you decide to use. I decided to go dark. The darkest I could find. 85% cacao. Oh yes. These popsicles definitely fit the bill for these warm summer nights.
Chocolate Bourbon Popsicles
(adapted from Dying for Chocolate)
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2 1/2 cups room temperature water
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 oz chocolate (I used 85% cacao)
2 tablespoons sugar (double if you prefer sweeter)
2 tablespoons bourbon
Add a 1/2 cup of water, salt, cocoa, chocolate, and sugar to a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat, stir in the two cups of room temperature water. Take a taste and adjust the flavors, if necessary. Stir in the bourbon.
Transfer the mixture to 4 cup measuring glass, or any other container that will ensure easy pouring. Divide the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for at least four hours (took about 5 hours for me. Maybe because I’m so impatient and I kept opening the freezer every half hour to see if they were ready).
Makes 6 popsicles from Tovolo popsicle molds
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Oh my God, it’s double chocolate ice cream! Oh, right in my kitchen.
Oh my God. Oh my God. What does it mean? Tell me. (Cries) Too much.
What’s so double about double chocolate ice cream? Why, I used twice the amount of chocolate, of course! Life has been a bit busy around here and as a result, I’ve ignored my ice cream maker for a good portion of the summer. When I finally got around to making a batch of ice cream a few days ago, I was looking to make something seriously decadent and rich. Cue in the double chocolate ice cream. This ice cream is intense, smooth, and velvety. You may be tempted, but don’t reduce the fat content, if you do the end result will be grainy and icy.
Double Chocolate Ice Cream
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6 oz chocolate (I used dark chocolate)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
2 cups whole milk
6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Alternatively, if you don’t have a double boiler, you can make your own by placing a heat-resistant metal bowl over a saucepan with boiling water. Once the chocolate has melted, carefully and slowly whisk in a cup of whipping cream, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Once the cocoa powder is fully incorporated into the mixture, slowly stir in two cups of milk. Keep the heat very low. Be careful to not bring the mixture to a boil and stir often.
In a large bowl, lightly beat 6 egg yolks together. Slowly add a couple ladlefuls of the hot milk and chocolate mixture to the eggs, stirring constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until the mixture reads 160F on a thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining cup of heavy cream, vanilla, and brandy (if using). Pour the mixture into a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Once the mixture has cooled, pour into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze a few hours before serving.
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I’ve had strawberry shortcake on my “to-make” list since the beginning of summer, but I can never keep strawberries in the kitchen very long because somebody always eats them. Of course, by somebody, I mean me. Oops. I planned on making a full-on strawberry shortcake, but you see, err… I ate the rest of the ingredients. But hey! This at least gave me an opportunity to use my newly acquired cute little ramekins. For those of you who grew up eating strawberry shortcake from Bisquick mix, this recipe will be quite different from what you’re used to. This strawberry shortcake recipe is more biscuit-like than spongy and gets its moisture from the partially mashed strawberries and whipped cream. The addition of just a little bit of balsamic vinegar helps bring out the sweetness from the strawberries, too. Adding balsamic vinegar to strawberries may sound weird, but I promise you won’t be able to taste the vinegar. Just sweet, sweet strawberries.
Strawberry Shortcake for Two
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2 6-oz ramekins
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar, plus 1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons extra
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup ripe strawberries, sliced
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Wash and cut the strawberries into very thin slices. Transfer the strawberries to a large bowl and mix in 1 teaspoon white sugar and 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Set the bowl aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 2 tablespoons of butter into very small pieces with two knives, or with a pastry blender and add to the bowl. Mix in the beaten egg, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Stir until just combined.
Add a teaspoon each of butter to two ramekins. Place in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, or until the butter has melted. Brush the butter in the ramekins with a pastry brush. Alternatively, use non-stick cooking spray. Transfer equal parts of the batter to both ramekins and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until golden.
While the ramekins are in the oven, beat 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 teaspoon sugar with a whisk until thickened. Use a potato masher to partially mash the strawberries. Remove the ramekins from the oven when the shortcake is golden, let it cool slightly. Spread a layer of mashed berries over the top of both shortcakes, followed by a layer of whipping cream, and top with the remaining strawberries. Serve right away.
Serves 2
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Since I started this blog in January, I’ve been dilligent (and border-line obsessive) about updating as often as possible, about 5 times or so a week. But then something happened a couple weeks ago. Cory bought an Xbox 360. Oops! Oh, and we’re also playing host to Cory’s brother for the next few days. Things have been quite busy around here. Fear not, dear readers, I still have a week’s worth of delicious goods to share! To make up for my long absence, I’ll treat you with a dessert. I think it’s been awhile since I posted something sweet here.
Tuesday was my favorite person’s birthday. You know, my best friend, the captor of my heart, the eater of my food, the man who makes me laugh until I cry on a daily basis. Cory doesn’t care much for cake and when I asked what he would like me to make him for his birthday he replied, “whatever you like.” I scoured the internet for recipes for a couple weeks and ultimately decided to make bread pudding with bourbon sauce from Elise over at Simply Recipes. The recipe is based on the famous dessert from the famous Bon Ton Cafe in New Orleans. I stayed true to the original recipe, but I added a little bit of nutmeg and reduced the amount of sugar by half. The bread pudding exceeded all expectations. The bourbon sauce was not nearly as strong as I expected it to be, even for a lightweight like me. Bread pudding is best eaten the day its made, but it’s still holding up pretty well after three days. Serve it with strong coffee or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Bourbon Bread Pudding
(adapted from Simply Recipes)
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Pudding
1 loaf of day old French beard, cut into 1″ squares (6-7 cups)
1 quart milk (I used whole)
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup raisins, soaked overnight in 1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey
The night before, soak 1 cup of raisins in 1/4 cup of bourbon.
The following day, preheat oven to 350F.
Add milk and bread to a very large bowl, press the pieces of bread with your hands until well mixed and most of the milk has been absorbed into the bread. In another bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Gently stir into the large bowl with the bread mixture. Now gently fold the bourbon soaked raisins in the bowl.
Melt three tablespoons of butter into a 9×13 baking pan. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with the butter. Pour in the bread pudding mixture into the pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the bread begins to brown and pull away from the edge of the pan.
While the pudding is in the oven, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over very low heat. Add the sugar and egg, whisking constantly until blended and thickened. Whisk in the bourbon sauce, remove from heat, and whisk again just before serving. Spoon the sauce over the bread pudding just before serving.
Serves 8-10
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One of the best things about having an ice cream maker is that, well, you can make any sort of ice cream you like. I’ve made a few unusual flavors like peanut butter, Irish tea, and avocado and coconut, but I always find myself drawn to the classic flavors from my childhood. I had plans to make halva ice cream, though I ultimately chose to make mint chip instead. It’s one of Cory’s favorites, so I like seeing his eyes light up at the mere mention of mint chip ice cream. I used chocolate chips for this batch of ice cream, but feel free to chop up your favorite chocolate bar and use that instead. Also, another thing to keep in mind is that peppermint extract is strong. I once used a tablespoon of peppermint extract instead of a teaspoon, which made the ice cream virtually inedible, sort of like eating toothpaste. I suggest adding about 3/4 of a teaspoon to the custard and adding up to 1/4 teaspoon more, according to taste.
Mint Chip Ice Cream
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2 cups whole milk
pinch of salt
3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks, beaten
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup chocolate chips
Add milk, salt, and sugar to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Do not bring the milk to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly add a couple ladlefuls of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until the mixture reads 160F on a thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Once the ice cream mixture has cooled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After about 10-15 minutes of churning, add the chocolate chips. Freeze a few hours before serving.
Serves 4-8
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