PLUM GINGERSNAP ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

I wanted to follow up on my last post to let you know that I made ice cream sandwiches with that plum ice cream. They're perfect little treats!

I mentioned in my last post that the ice cream seemed like it'd be a great consistency for ice cream sandwiches: it firms up well, but it doesn't get rock solid. It ended up working PERFECTLY for sandwiches. They don't slide apart when you bite into them. And the cookie recipe I used even stays a little soft when frozen (so you don't feel like you're eating a rock).

And don't gingersnaps sound good with plum ice cream? Mmm. They are. I made smallish gingersnaps (for smallish ice cream sandwiches). They're 1.5 inches wide (great for snacking, *cough). I realized a few sandwiches in that they should be assembled with the bottoms of the cookies facing out - that way they sit flat. I wrapped the sandwiches individually in saran wrap and put them in the freezer to firm up.



Now I didn't consider the fact that the saran wrap's wrinkles would leave their impressions in the ice cream and make the ice cream sandwiches look like wrinkly little messes. Of course, let's be honest, if I had realized that, I probably wouldn't have spent too much time trying to make sure the saran wrap was perfect, anyway.

Here's the recipe I used for the plum ice cream.
Here's the recipe I used for the gingersnaps.

Enjoy!

PLUM ICE CREAM

Happy stone fruit season, everyone! I realized recently that plum season doesn't last as long as peach season does, and I've definitely been favoriting peaches lately... So I thought I'd fix it by eating lots of plums this week while they're still sweet and beautiful. And, wouldn't you know it, I made some ice cream, too.

This recipe is from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop (but paraphrased...). It has only 5 ingredients (yay). For some reason, I've had better luck getting the perfect ice cream consistency in recipes that don't contain eggs. So generally I skip over recipes that do. Plus, holy cow, this recipe is so simple.

The ice cream was very creamy, indeed. It firmed up very quickly in the freezer but never became super hard. For that reason, I think it would be perfect for ice cream sandwiches... hm... I'll keep you updated! I made the batter the day before and it saved perfectly. 

Now the recipe calls for Kirsch (a liqueur), but I used some vanilla extract instead. Also, a few of my plums weren't very ripe, so I peeled some skin off of those. I also added an extra spoonful of sugar. 

Plum Ice Cream

Adapted slightly from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

1 pound red plums
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (+ a little extra, if your plums aren't too sweet)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or Kirsch cherry liqueur)

Cut the plums into 8ths, removing the pits. Add to saucepan with the water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Cool to room temperature. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract (or Kirsch) and puree. Cover batter and chill in refrigerator. Freeze according to ice cream maker's instructions. Makes 1 quart.

VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

Well, I'm back with more ice cream. Just what you needed, maybe? Hope so.

In case you saw my recent post about making vanilla extract and were inspired to order vanilla beans in bulk, here is a great way to use some of them. Good ice cream is such a fresh, delicious way to show off and indulge in that pure vanilla bean flavor. This recipe is very creamy. Unlike other ice cream recipes I've made, this one stays relatively soft when frozen. Don't be alarmed as I was when, after 24 hours of occasionally checking it, I started thinking there might be something wrong with my freezer. It's not going to get totally hard.

And have you ever had Trader Joe's brand vanilla bean wafers? Holy crap. They're so stinking good.

VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 - 2 vanilla beans, scraped (or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Follow ice cream maker instructions.

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM (MADE FROM BANANAS)

Yep. Made ice cream with bananas, cocoa powder, and almond milk. I know, I know, it's not ice cream. But it's yummy! And if you've never tried banana-base "ice cream," it's really worth a try. When you blend up a frozen banana, it has the creamiest texture, pretty much as close to ice cream as you can get. But it's fruit!

I've been experimenting with ice cream from bananas for a few years - try peanut butter, coconut milk, or fruit puree. But this is my favorite. The banana flavor does come through, but it's still chocolatey and creamy. Can you beat that?

BANANA BASE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

chocolate ice cream, made from bananas

2 large bananas
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Hershey's special dark)
2 tablespoons almond milk (you can use any milk)

Slice bananas into disks. Lay out on a plate or cookie sheet, and freeze. Place frozen banana slices in a blender and blend until smooth. It will become very creamy, like ice cream. Add cocoa powder and milk, and blend until smooth.

FRESH STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM (the BEST I've ever tasted)

Ooohhh, dear reader. I'm glad you're here. This ice cream is just... it's just... the best.

Strawberry season. Holy cow, strawberry season. It's my first strawberry season in California, and I'm beside myself. Most of the strawberries in the United States are actually grown in California and Florida, and in those places, there is basically only one month out of the year when they're not growing. And I count myself pretty lucky to have nice berries available practically all the time. But the peak of strawberry season here is in the spring - April, May, and June. Last week at the farmers' market, they were practically giving them away. Even Safeway had them $1/lb. recently.

Can you go wrong with fresh and local?

Not really.



But if you happen to have an ice cream maker, you can go ever so right. This recipe is actually adapted from a Cuisinart recipe (yes, that's my photo on the Cuisinart website), which came in a booklet with our electric ice cream maker.

The ice cream is light, sweet, and SO creamy. It freezes to the perfect consistency: not soft, but not at all too hard to scoop. And the strawberry flavor is so perfectly strong and fresh (best achieved by using fresh berries, of course).



My first memory of homemade ice cream is making it in a plastic bag in grade school. Did you do that? At home, I remember making ice cream with my family in something that looked like this:

We've come a long way since then! We received our electric ice cream maker as a wedding gift, and it took me a while to get it out and use it. I think my perception must have been tainted by that metal crank up there :) Anyway, it's super easy. And this recipe is one I can actually see making often.

Enjoy!

FRESH STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM (THE BEST)

Makes 14 servings (7 cups)
Adapted from this recipe. (Yes, that's my photo on the Cuisinart website.) Instructions are for a Cuisinart electric ice cream maker, adjust to your ice cream makers' instructions.

3 cups fresh sliced strawberries, stems removed
juice from one large lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir gently and allow the strawberries to macerate in the juices for at least 2 hours. Strain the berries, reserving juices. Purée the berries. In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry juice, mashed strawberries, and vanilla.

You can save this batter in the freezer overnight to make the next day.

Turn the ice cream maker on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.