Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Fresh ice cream with Blum's coffee crunch candy from author @DarylWoodGerber


From Daryl aka Avery:

Back in December, I shared a memory of my childhood. My grandmother used to take the three of us (my two sisters and me) shopping for Christmas dresses, and then we would go to Blum's Coffee Shop for Coffee Crunch Cake. The candy crunch of the cake is what made it special. Well, I had lots of candy left over when I made the recipe, so I bagged it and contemplated what to do with it. Finally I decided to make some fresh ice cream and top it with the crunch.

Talk about delicious!!

In case you missed that post, I'm sharing the recipe for the coffee crunch candy again.

Make the candy first. It has to cool for 30 minutes, and you'll have lots left over for snacking.

Then get ready because I'm sharing my favorite vanilla ice cream recipe. I know, it's January, and it's cold, but I'm a believer in ice cream all year long. The house is warm. You can put on a robe and slippers and even sit on a hot water bottle if you have to, but ice cream is not just a summer treat (for me).

There's something about the texture of ice cream that really soothes me. Add the crunch of this candy, and it's a texture masterpiece.  LOL

Now, occasionally I like to share the history of a food. I'm not an expert, but I do research, so here are a few tidbits that I plucked off of Wikipedia. I don't know if they are true, but heck, it's always fun to learn a little history, even if it's not entirely true, right? Most early ice creams involved ice...

Ice Cream Origin:
During the 5th century BC, ancient Greeks ate snow mixed with honey and fruit in the markets of Athens. The father of modern medicine, Hipopocrates, encouraged his Ancient Greek patients to eat ice "as it livens the lifejuices and increases the well-being." (Wiki got this from a Norwegian site).
AND
When Italian duchess. Catherine D'Medici, married the Duke of Orléans, in 1533, she is said to have brought with her to France some Italian chefs who had recipes for flavoured ices or sorbets. One hundred years later, Charles I was, it was reported, so impressed by the "frozen snow" that he offered his own ice cream maker a lifetime pension in return for keeping the formula secret, so that ice cream could be a royal prerogative. 
If you want to know more, go to this link: Wikipedia - ice cream.  It's fun reading.

COFFEE CRUNCH CANDY

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup strong brewed coffee (I used espresso)
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon baking soda, sifted

Line a 15 x 9 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, coffee, and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil.  Cook over medium heat to just below the hard-crack stage (310 degrees on a candy thermometer.) NOTE: I put this mixture into too large a pot and had to hold the candy thermometer, so do use only a 4-quart saucepan! This takes about 10-12 minutes to get to 310 degrees. (I stirred often.)




Remove from heat for 10 seconds and then sprinkle the baking soda evenly over the sugar syrup.  Whisk until combined. This will foam up and turn light brown.  Pour immediately onto the parchment paper and spread out so it’s bubbly-flat.


In thirty minutes, tap the candy with a wooden spoon to crack into small bits.

KIDS BREAKING UP THE PIECES! YOU WILL, TOO. IT'S A WAY TO GET YOUR AGGRESSION OUT!  :)



VANILLA ICE CREAM - BASIC RECIPE

(serves 6-8)

1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk
3 large egg yolks


In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook whipping cream, ¼ cup of sugar, salt, vanilla, and evaporated milk. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form around the edges. DO NOT BOIL.

Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. 


In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar and egg yolks. Stir well. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. 

Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form again. DO NOT BOIL. 



Remove the pan from the heat. Cool at room temperature (for about 30 minutes) and then set in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Pour chilled mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.  (Mine takes approximately 30 minutes).

During the last 5 minutes, pour in a candy or sauce of your choice.

Pour ice cream into a clean freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours.


NOTE: The beauty of using the evaporated low-fat milk is that it reduces the extra moisture in homemade ice cream that can “ice up” when frozen.


Savor the mystery!
Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames
Tasty ~ Zesty ~ Dangerous!

*
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11 comments:

  1. That's a really sweet and great memory. Looks delicious too.

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  2. Thank you for sharing your memories and the recipes.

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  3. Food, comfort, and memory -- such a powerful connection. Love the ice cream history, too!

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    Replies
    1. Leslie, thanks! These are powerful connections. ~ Daryl

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  4. Just fabulous, Daryl! I love everything about this post and I confess to eating ice cream even in a Canadian January. Hugs.

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  5. Homemade ice cream is wonderful stuff and the candy sounds like a perfect topper.

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  6. That looks yummy. Diet destroyer!

    Pat D

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  7. I have to make the coffee candy crunch, I love coffee and it sounds so yummy!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

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