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Autumn Ice
Mar. 31st, 2012 07:16 pmAs the hot day turns cold and grey, the Experimenter has been making iced confections again.
( Igor, chop those strawberries! )
( Igor, chop those strawberries! )
In the mad scientist's lair, the sound of ice-cream making can be heard.
( Igor! You left the peaches out too long! )
( Nonsense, Igor, there's no such thing as too sour! )
( Igor! You left the peaches out too long! )
( Nonsense, Igor, there's no such thing as too sour! )
Verdant Sorbet
Feb. 4th, 2012 04:38 pmDeep in her green sanctuary, the Vegetable Avenger stirs her latest icy confection.
( Strip every leaf, Ivy! )
I also got called up by someone from an Indian call centre, saying that they were from the "Windows Maintenance Department" and that my "Windows computer was having error messages". Of course, I knew it was a scam, and I led him on for a bit before telling him that there weren't any Windows computers in the house. I would have liked to have messed with his head a bit more, but his accent was so thick, I had to keep on asking him to repeat what he said, because I couldn't understand half his words.
( Strip every leaf, Ivy! )
I also got called up by someone from an Indian call centre, saying that they were from the "Windows Maintenance Department" and that my "Windows computer was having error messages". Of course, I knew it was a scam, and I led him on for a bit before telling him that there weren't any Windows computers in the house. I would have liked to have messed with his head a bit more, but his accent was so thick, I had to keep on asking him to repeat what he said, because I couldn't understand half his words.
The Art and Science of Ice Cream
Jan. 28th, 2012 02:55 pmPeople have upon occasion asked about the strange chemical-sounding things I put in my ice cream recipes. Now, part of that is because for some things I prefer using the chemical name because it has many different brand-names depending on who is selling it, so for those things I think it will be less confusing if I use the chemical name. But that begs the question of why I'm using those substances in the first place.
So bear with me while I discuss ice-cream making, and the reasons behind my choices of ingredients.
( the quest begins )
Onward! Upward! The quest continues!
So bear with me while I discuss ice-cream making, and the reasons behind my choices of ingredients.
( the quest begins )
Onward! Upward! The quest continues!
The ice cream is back! There were some experiments I did last summer, but I don't have sufficient stuff written down for them to be worth recording. But yesterday I made the first ice cream experiment of this summer.
( If they're called Kurds, where are the Wheys? )
( If they're called Kurds, where are the Wheys? )
Christmas Pudding Icecream Recipe
Dec. 20th, 2011 12:01 amI've finally got around to posting my Christmas Pudding Ice Cream recipe on my website: http://www.katspace.org/gusto/recipes/C
I've made it on previous Christmases, and my family seemed to like it. There are two kinds of "Christmas Pudding Ice Cream" that I've come across: one is where one takes vanilla ice cream and mixes in pieces of Christmas Pudding (and/or dried fruit) and re-freezes it. That's the most common kind. The other kind is where one makes the ice-cream oneself, with an ice-cream maker. My recipe is the latter kind. It was based on a recipe I found on the net (which has since vanished) but I tweaked it quite a bit.
My secret ingredient? Oats. Pureed and soaked and pureed again, one gets a thick and creamy "goop" which gives the ice cream a pudding/cake undertone. The yoghurt lightens that up again. And of course the dried fruit and brandy and honey and spices give it the delicous flavours.
I've made it on previous Christmases, and my family seemed to like it. There are two kinds of "Christmas Pudding Ice Cream" that I've come across: one is where one takes vanilla ice cream and mixes in pieces of Christmas Pudding (and/or dried fruit) and re-freezes it. That's the most common kind. The other kind is where one makes the ice-cream oneself, with an ice-cream maker. My recipe is the latter kind. It was based on a recipe I found on the net (which has since vanished) but I tweaked it quite a bit.
My secret ingredient? Oats. Pureed and soaked and pureed again, one gets a thick and creamy "goop" which gives the ice cream a pudding/cake undertone. The yoghurt lightens that up again. And of course the dried fruit and brandy and honey and spices give it the delicous flavours.
Fresh Is Best
Dec. 19th, 2010 04:54 pmIt may be stormy, but I made ice cream, because it was on my list of things to do.
( Achtung! Achtung! Ve haf vays of making you eat cheese! )
( Igor, what is that growing on the strawberries? )
( Achtung! Achtung! Ve haf vays of making you eat cheese! )
( Igor, what is that growing on the strawberries? )
There Is No Dairy Here
Dec. 7th, 2010 12:51 amIn the never-ending quest for perfection, Baron Von Kremen, deep in his laboratory, turns on the electricity. There is a chill and a grinding of gears... and there be sorbet.
( Igor, what are these cherries doing in the back of the freezer? I thought we ate them all last year. )
( Igor, we will have to be ruthless with these Apricots. )
( Igor, what are these cherries doing in the back of the freezer? I thought we ate them all last year. )
( Igor, we will have to be ruthless with these Apricots. )
It was a warm day. There was cream, and there was freezing. This one is very fattening!
( Maple syrup is Maple Trees' antifreeze )
( Maple syrup is Maple Trees' antifreeze )
Birthday-ish Indulgent Ice Cream
Nov. 14th, 2010 05:41 pmThis stuff is really rich and fatty. Just warning you.
( Creeeeeeeam )
Regarding the mango sorbet, I took the second half to the family lunch today, and it went down very well. It was still scoopable, which surprised and pleased me. Definitely one to try again.
( Creeeeeeeam )
Regarding the mango sorbet, I took the second half to the family lunch today, and it went down very well. It was still scoopable, which surprised and pleased me. Definitely one to try again.
Super-Cream!
Nov. 10th, 2010 09:07 pmDeep within the Fortress of Solitude, the sound of ice-cream making could be heard...
( So I'll just rip the lid off this can of evaporated milk... )
( Now I'll crush these mangos with my bare hands! Ooops. )
( So I'll just rip the lid off this can of evaporated milk... )
( Now I'll crush these mangos with my bare hands! Ooops. )
The Ice Cream: The Phantom Taster
Nov. 6th, 2010 09:42 pmHere be the weekend, and here be more ice cream!
Regarding Experiment #51, it was rather interesting eating the second half of it (the bit that was put in the freezer overnight) - it was still very gummy. I finally told myself that it was like a frozen strawberry marshmallow; from that point of view, it was yummy.
( The experiment is rising from the slab, Igor! )
Regarding Experiment #51, it was rather interesting eating the second half of it (the bit that was put in the freezer overnight) - it was still very gummy. I finally told myself that it was like a frozen strawberry marshmallow; from that point of view, it was yummy.
( The experiment is rising from the slab, Igor! )
It is the weekend, and there is more ice-cream!
( Experiment #50: Low-Fat Sugarless Vanilla Bean Ice Cream )
( Experiment #51: Low-Fat Strawberry Ice Cream )
I'm feeling frustrated because neither of these turned out the way I was hoping.
( Experiment #50: Low-Fat Sugarless Vanilla Bean Ice Cream )
( Experiment #51: Low-Fat Strawberry Ice Cream )
I'm feeling frustrated because neither of these turned out the way I was hoping.
The Return Of The Ice Cream!
Oct. 20th, 2010 09:31 pmAfter almost a year of silence, the ice-cream experiments are back! I finally have a replacement paddle for my ice-cream machine, so it is back in operation. To celebrate, I made...
( Experiment #49: Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream )
( Experiment #49: Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream )
More Ice Cream Xperiments
Nov. 1st, 2009 12:39 amI have not been recording all my ice-cream trials, but here are a few more. The first one I did several weeks ago, the second one was today.
( Experiment #47, Igor! )
( Experiment #48 is rising from the slab! )
( update at 4am )
( Experiment #47, Igor! )
( Experiment #48 is rising from the slab! )
( update at 4am )
Strawberry Ice Taste Test
Sep. 13th, 2009 06:58 pmWell, I did a taste-test, comparing the strawberry-jelly-milk ice and the strawberry-jelly ice.
Strawberry-Jelly Ice:
* needed to be thawed a bit, and had a less creamy feel; not as icy as a sorbet, it had the gelato-jelly texture
* looks darker, a reddish-pink
* had a notably stronger taste, like strawberry cordial or candy, which means one can still taste the flavour even when one's taste-buds are stunned by the cold
Strawberry-Jelly-Milk Ice:
* was scoopable straight from the freezer, had a nice creamy texture
* is lighter in colour, more pink than red, but not a pale pink
* had a milder taste, but still with the overtone of strawberry cordial
The jelly-milk definitely wins on texture, but I'm still undecided about the flavour.
Strawberry-Jelly Ice:
* needed to be thawed a bit, and had a less creamy feel; not as icy as a sorbet, it had the gelato-jelly texture
* looks darker, a reddish-pink
* had a notably stronger taste, like strawberry cordial or candy, which means one can still taste the flavour even when one's taste-buds are stunned by the cold
Strawberry-Jelly-Milk Ice:
* was scoopable straight from the freezer, had a nice creamy texture
* is lighter in colour, more pink than red, but not a pale pink
* had a milder taste, but still with the overtone of strawberry cordial
The jelly-milk definitely wins on texture, but I'm still undecided about the flavour.
Simple Experimentation
Sep. 12th, 2009 11:30 pmStrawberries are going cheap at the moment (2 punnets for $3!) so I did some ice-cream experimenting with some strawberries.
( Chop the strawberries, Igor! )
( Chop the strawberries, Igor! )
Kiwi Fruit Ice Cream Experiment!
Jun. 27th, 2009 01:23 pmI tried something like this when my sister was visiting, but I didn't write down what I did. So here it is, slightly different, but with proper notes.
( they aren't Chinese, and they aren't gooseberries )
( they aren't Chinese, and they aren't gooseberries )
