A Blog Of Ice Cream

Ice Cream Photos - Rhubarb Crumble & Vanilla Ice Cream

2010-02-19T02:23:00.000-08:00

Continuing with the theme of sharing some of the photos I've taken over the years relating to all things ice cream, this post is takes 'rhubarb and custard' as its theme.

For some reason the rhubarb in our garden flourishes annually beyond all our expectations. Needless to say I have become adept at making rhubarb crumble :)

PHOTO 1 - RHUBARB CRUMBLE
This picture was taken literally seconds after it came out of the oven. It was still bubbling around the edges. So what do you serve with rhubarb crumble? Custard perhaps or cream .... maybe .... but what about vanilla ice cream?

PHOTO 2 - FRESH VANILLA ICE CREAM
Here is a batch of homemade vanilla ice cream that I made with my favorite ice cream maker at home - photographed just as it came out of the machine.

Imagine a scoop of it on top of freshly made, hot, homemade rhubarb crumble. Now that's what I call a (n)ice dessert!

Read about rhubarb on BBC Good Food.

Valentine's Day History, Romance & Ice Cream

2010-02-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is celebrated in numerous countries around the world - the United States, UK, Canada, Mexico, Australia and France for example. Despite its popularity, however, if you ask anyone about the history of Valentine's Day, few people will be able to give you an answer. An interesting fact really, especially given the fact that it's the second largest card-sending day of the year (after Christmas). Yes, around 1 billion cards will be sent for Valentine's Day this year with a staggering 85% being sent by women!

So what is the history? Well, as with many things that have been handed down over centuries, there is a degree of mystery about the subject, so rather than delve into that I'll give you a link to a great web page that goes into serious and fascinating detail on the history of Valentine's Day.

Let's move on to what Valentine's Day is all about - romance. This photo was kindly furnished by Sarah who works in an English castle, popular for romantic weddings. It's a special cheesecake dessert made for a wedding breakfast. She told me that many people choose Valentine's Day not only to offer/accept a marriage proposal but as their actual wedding day and the castle has seen many happy couples 'tie the knot' within its walls on February 14. Who said romance was dead?!

So what about a special dessert for Valentine's Day? Well, having talked about cheesecake it seems appropriate to suggest a cheesecake ice cream recipe. Smooth, rich and toally indulgent ... it sounds the perfect dessert to end a romantic dinner for two. (The grated chocolate in the recipe is optional by the way - it's just a topping for the ice cream)

My Valentine's Day ice cream blog post in 2009
My Valentine's Day ice cream blog post in 2008

Bread & Ice Cream

2010-02-06T02:11:00.000-08:00

I was reading about bread today; it's a fascinating subject. Bread is a staple food that we have enjoyed for generations. Everyone has their own preference of bread - white bread, brown bread, black bread, wholemeal or rye bread, french bread, the list goes on.

If I think of the countries that I have visited over the years, the one thing I have noticed is that the bread differs from one country to the next. Just compare France, Italy and Germany for example; the bread in those countries varies enormously as does when it's eaten and what it's eaten with.

In England, bread is most commonly eaten in sandwiches - though ice cream sandwiches don't have bread in them! There's a popular, traditional English dessert called bread and butter pudding. It may not sound exotic but, cooked with the right recipe, it's delicious!

When it comes to traditional foods, bread has to be one of the classics - let's take medieval bread for example. The baking of bread around 600 years ago was taken very seriously and medieval bread recipes were surprisingly varied producing some wonderful sounding breads like pandemain, wastel and clapbread. Back to modern day bread, however ... if you like bread and butter pudding and want to try something a little different, Nigella Lawson has a super ginger jam bread and butter pudding recipe.

If that doesn't get your tastebuds going, then you can always try my recipe for brown bread ice cream. One thing I used to love as a child was eating the occasional strawberry jam sandwich ... I might just try that in a new ice cream recipe! Watch this space :)

Ice Cream Photos - Dutch Sundae & Polar Bear Ice Cream

2010-02-05T01:42:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 photos that bring back great holiday memories ...

PHOTO 1 - ICE CREAM SUNDAE

After a warm summer's day on holiday in Zandvoort we called in to a local ice cream parlour where they served this great ice cream sundae.

It never ceases to amaze me how inventive ice cream parlors can be when it comes to concocting ice cream sundaes.

This sundae was particularly delicious as it had one of the parlour's own 'special' ice cream recipes in it called "Dolce Vita" (a superb chocolate ice cream).

PHOTO 2 - POLAR BEAR ICE CREAM

This wonderful bear with the ice cream cone was standing right next to our table at the ice cream parlour as we sat and ate our ice cream sundaes.

He looked as happy as we felt!

If the photo is to be believed then at least we now know what ice cream polar bears like to eat ... chocolate and mint choc chip, not forgetting the whipped cream on top of course :)

Looking Back - Ice Cream Photos

2010-01-25T03:57:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have taken hundreds, indeed probably thousands of photographs of ice cream. Homemade ice cream and ice cream sundaes that I have made myself and of course many ice cream scenes when I have been out and about. Everything from ice cream parlors to ice cream trucks, ice cream signs, ice cream display materials, people eating ice cream, ice cream on the beach, animals and ice cream ... the list is endless!

I was looking through some of these the other day and they brought back great memories. So as this 'New Year' gets under way, I've decided to share some of them with you. Over the coming posts I will publish selected photographs and give a little background as to their context.

I hope you will enjoy my ice cream photos!

Winter Ice Cream

2010-01-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

Winter is as good a time as any for homemade ice cream - it's surprising but many people eat just as much ice cream in cold weather as they do in summer!

I was recently walking by a lake, all wrapped up in warm coat with hat, gloves and a pair of warm stout walking boots. I stopped at the lakeside cafe and found they were not only selling hot take-away drinks but ice cream as well! In fact, they had a special counter and display just for ice cream. I knew it was a popular place for ice cream in the summer months but had never seen a queue for it in winter - and there it was, a queue of adults and children all waiting patiently to buy their ice cream cone.

The most popular flavour they bought? Vanilla ice cream - of course :)

Cesar Millan & Ice Cream - Again!

2010-01-05T02:34:00.000-08:00

In my last post I talked about Dog Whisperer ice cream - Cesar Millan and ice cream connections. Not long after writing that I found myself watching another show in the series and Cesar made a reference to ice cream. What a coincidence!

Cesar didn't talk about giving ice cream to his dogs or anything like that ... no, he was referring to someone whom he was trying to help handle his dog better. The man (Nate) impressed Cesar so much by his enthusiasm to learn and then get on with implementing the new techniques that Cesar got excited, smiled and said to the camera ...

"He's like a kid who did his homework and he's gonna get ice cream!"

I thought that was a wonderful analogy. Adults, dogs, kids and ice cream all rolled into one. Cesar you could become a real philosopher at this rate! Great stuff :)

Dog Whisperer Ice Cream

2010-01-02T01:25:00.000-08:00

One of the best reality tv shows I have ever seen has to be 'The Dog Whisperer' with Cesar Millan. When you first watch it you might be tempted to think ... so there's a family with a dog that has issues; what's special about that? Well, of course there's nothing special about it - it's the man who solves the problem that's special. The more you watch the show the more you realise what an innate sense of 'being in the moment' Cesar possesses. What's more, he claims that dogs live like that - they are able to let go of the past and just deal with the present moment which is why they can be rehabilitated. Fascinating!

So what's this got to do with ice cream?

Well, it's my view that anyone who believes in living for the moment and is passionate about life is likely to enjoy ice cream ... because ice cream is an intense 'being in the moment' experience. Did you ever see anyone eating an ice cream that didn't smile if they catch you looking at them? That's what 'being in the moment' is all about!

Back to Cesar Millan - does he like ice cream?

YES he does. His favorite is Butter Pecan.
He was asked the question by a little girl called Sonny Milo - see this and her other questions listed on Cesar's website here.

My Butter Pecan ice cream recipe is currently #1 on Google so there's every chance that one day Cesar just might chance upon it - you never know! It's one of the most popular downloads on the entire ice-cream-recipes.com website - moreover, it's one of my favorites too.

Keep up the good work Cesar - I'm a big 'Dog Whisperer' fan!

Above photo:
Cesar with Daddy at a book signing courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/puck90/

Enjoy Your Ice Cream - This Christmas & Next Year!

2009-12-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

A Christmas message to all my readers - and if I haven't included your language please forgive me. I try my best!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I hope you enjoy great ice cream in 2010

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année

J'espère que vous apprécierez la crème glacée incroyable en 2010

Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes Neues Jahr
Hoffentlich werden Sie fantastisch Eis in 2010 geniessen

圣诞快乐，新年快乐
我希望你享受美妙的冰淇淋

Buon Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo
Spero che ti piace il gelato meraviglioso

Feliz Natal e um Feliz Ano Novo
Espero que você goste de sorvete maravilhoso

Feliz Navidad y un Feliz Año Nuevo
Espero que disfruten de helado maravilloso

楽しいクリスマスと新年あけましておめでとうございます
私はあなたの素晴らしいアイスクリームをお楽しみください

Finally here is a clip of Santa's band wishing you a Merry Christmas in their own way!

Ice Cream Gifts For A Great American Christmas

2009-12-08T03:54:00.000-08:00

A familiar sight this time of year - a shopping mall adorned with Christmas decorations ....

If you're tired of trawling the malls but still looking for Christmas gift ideas, try the Ice Cream Recipes Online Store (in association with Amazon).

There's a great selection of ice cream makers including electric machines and hand crank ones plus a fabulous range of ice cream books covering homemade ice cream, ice cream sundaes and gelato. This 5 star rated artisan gelato book is a great example.

So what if they've got an ice cream maker and all the ice cream books they'll ever need? Well, you could try something just that little bit different but still on an ice cream theme, such as ice cream ties and ice cream jewelry.

And what if you're buying for someone who doesn't like ice cream (that would be sad but could of course happen!) - ? Well, you can always try a themed gourmet gift basket - from Victorian Lace to chocolate to tea.

Ice Cream & Cocktails For A Great British Christmas

2009-12-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

The biggest audience for ice-cream-recipes.com is the United States with the second being the United Kingdom.

In a couple of days I will be publishing a post especially for my US readers with some great tips for buying ice cream related gifts online - all of course in US Dollars (courtesy of Amazon).

Today, however, here is something for my UK readers - a little online store full of ice cream makers, ice cream books, beer and wine fridges and gift ideas for your home bar and making cocktails - all in Pounds Sterling (courtesy of Amazon).

Here is one of the best selling, best reviewed ice cream makers in the store - the Magimix Gelata Chef ice cream maker in satin steel finish

For a general cookery book there's little that can beat the Nigella Express

A great stocking filler is this book by Ben & Jerry

And if you want to make a Christmas party that bit extra novel and special, you can always treat yourself to this Glowing LED Pitcher and Cocktail Glasses Set

There are chocolate fountains and gourmet gift baskets too.

I hope there's something there for everyone!

Ice Cream Toys & Games

2009-12-04T03:57:00.000-08:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to get into the mood for Christmas. Most people have children amongst their families/friends to think of buying gifts for and here are some ice cream related ideas you might like to take a look at ....

Knitted Ice Cream Rattles
Really cute knitted toys

Stackable Ice Cream Puzzle

Playmobil Ice Cream Parlor

Icecream-opoly
Monopoly style board game for ice cream fans

From Sherried Pickled Onions To Pickled Onion Ice Cream!

2009-11-29T02:47:00.000-08:00

My father had a lifelong love of food and amongst his favourite foods were ice cream (read my Knickerbocker Glory Champion post) and pickles - though never together!

Mind you, pickled onion ice cream may sound a little crazy but I do know someone who has made it - Gino Soldan master gelatiere at Morelli's ice cream parlour in Harrods, London told me in an exclusive interview last year of how he made pickled onion and white chocolate ice cream as a special order for a private party. It might have sounded like a novel idea at the time but I doubt it suited everyone's palate!

Pickled onions are, in my opinion, best enjoyed in their own right and when pickled in sherry it gives them an added sweetness. Delicious! The best sherried pickled onions I have ever tasted were the ones that my father made every year; this time of year he would proudly give me and my family a couple of jars and it wasn't long before they had all gone -once you started eating them it was difficult to stop!

When my father died in July this year we knew there would be many things we would miss about him. I didn't stop to think about the pickled onions .... until now. Thankfully my mother has his recipe and is continuing the tradition. I asked her for the recipe and she kindly wrote it out for me insisting that I credit it to my father. So here it is for you all to enjoy ....

BILL QUINN'S SHERRIED PICKLED ONIONS

Ingredients:
4lb pickling onions
3/4 lb demerara sugar
1 1/2 pints vinegar
2 wine glasses of sherry

Peel the onions and soak in salt water overnight.
Boil the vinegar and sugar together. Leave to go cold.
Drain the onions and put them into glass jars.
Stir the sherry into the cooled vinegar/sugar mixture.
Pour this over the onions in the jars.
Seal the jars tightly and label with the date.

A Dimension Of Thanksgiving - Apple Pie With Ice Cream!

2009-11-25T03:25:00.000-08:00

There is of course more than one dimension to Thanksgiving. Much of the media seems to focus on the 'gluttony' that takes place, portraying many families as spending the afternoon lazily watching football on tv after over-indulging in food. OK so that might happen in a lot of households BUT what is more important is the fact that many people go to great lengths and travel long distances just to be with their families for this one special day, irrespective of how they spend the afternoon. Being together and giving thanks for the good things they share is the real heart of Thanksgiving. It's not commercial and it's not about religion - it's about love and gratitude - and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with good food.

So enjoy your turkey, the cranberries and the stuffing and if you're having good old apple pie for dessert ..... don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

Happy Thanksgiving

PS. Not planning to have apple pie? Just want a good homemade ice cream? Read my Thanksgiving Ice Cream page.

Cumbria Floods - Donations Appeal

2009-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's rare that I write 2 consecutive posts on the same theme but I'm going to make an exception in the light of the terrible floods in Cumbria on 19 November. The floods followed the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in Britain. A staggering 314.4 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours in the area.

In my last post I described how on that same day I met three flying policemen during a break from their emergency rescue work in Cumbria. Having quickly shot a video clip of their helicopter leaving I turned to see an RAF Rescue Helicopter that had just landed briefly to refuel and was able to film it as it took off westward back to the flood disaster area. Here it is ....

Over the last 2 days the world's media has covered this news in one way or another. We have all seen the pictures of devastation including collapsed bridges - 6 have already collapsed, others are under threat and all 1,800 of Cumbria's bridges are to undergo tests. Then there are the many flooded and damaged homes as well as shops, banks and pubs. Even the historic Wordworth House in Cockermouth, the birthplace of William Wordsworth, has been badly damaged.

Stories of heroism and tragedy have touched people's hearts across the world and the spirit of the Cumbrian people to face and deal with this catastrophe has been heartwarming. After a few days, perhaps a week or two in the news, life will go on for the rest of the world but for those directly affected by these floods life may never be the same again. Recovering from such an event will be difficult both financially and emotionally for many people. That is why a special Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund has been set up. The aim is to help individuals and families as well as voluntary groups who suffered in the flooding. I heard about the Appeal whilst listening to a BBC Radio news interview with Deb Muscat of Cumbria Community Foundation. If you are in a position to make even the smallest of donations please do so. Go the the Cumbria Community Foundation website and follow the instructions for "Give Now".

During "Thanksgiving" week it's a great opportunity to recognise our own good fortune in contrast to the misfortune of others.

Thank you to all my readers for your time in reading this - if even just one of you makes a donation it will have made this post truly worthwhile :)

Flying Police In Cumbria Rescue

2009-11-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

Today's tv news headlines in Britain have focused on the terrible floods in Cumbria (close to the border with Scotland). Tragically a policeman trying to save others lost his own life when a bridge collapsed from under him and tonight many people are unable to return to their homes tonight with some having been rescued by emergency services including RAF Rescue helicopters.

I happened to be on a chance visit to Carlisle Airport in Cumbria today with my family where, thankfully, the weather was not as bad. Taking lunch in the cafe we were sat next to a table of 3 policemen who were clearly taking a much needed though short break. I could tell from their uniforms that they were not the standard type of police you see on the streets of Britain. In the light of the breaking news I asked if they had been on flood duty. 'Yes' came the answer. They had been out at Seaton (near Workington where the policeman had died earlier in the day). One of the 3 turned and said proudly that they had already rescued one person and they were now about to go back. They were from the Lancashire Constabulary and had come up specially to help with the rescue operation.

I then realised that these were 'flying policeman' and their helicopter was standing on the tarmac outside. They got up to leave but before the last of the 3 (who turned out to be called Phil) went out of the door I asked if they liked ice cream. With a broad smile Phil said 'Yes'. His favourite flavour? 'Pralines & Cream' came the reply. I told him that happened to be George W. Bush's favourite too - though I think he was a little bemused by how I might know that! Well, Phil if you read my page on ice cream and famous people you will see it mentioned there.

I asked Phil if he would mind me mentioning our little chat on this blog and he seemed delighted at the thought. Then off he went with his 2 colleagues John and Stuart. They boarded their helicopter and took off flying westwards into the distance and towards the flooded part of Cumbria. I managed to grab this very short video clip of their helicopter as it left.

On behalf of all the people in Cumbria who so badly needed help today ... thank you Phil, John, Stuart and all your other colleagues in the emergency services for your great work. When you are next off duty, make sure you get an ice cream treat ... if I could buy you one I would!

Ice Cream Maker Tips - Choosing The Right Machine

2009-11-18T02:49:00.000-08:00

If you are looking to buy an ice cream maker for the first time, you will be overwhelmed by the choice now available. Years ago of course it was not the case but today, as with so many other things, it is a very different scenario.

First of all, there is the choice between a manual machine and an electric ice cream maker. The latter, whilst much more expensive, bigger and heavier, actually freezes the ice cream as it churns it so you can go from your ready mixture to edible, servable fresh ice cream within as little as 20 minutes.

Secondly, even with an electric ice cream maker, there are different types and styles to choose from. Gaggia for example have developed their own very distinctive style of machine which you recognise instantly the moment you see one of their ice cream makers and Cuisinart have also developed their own style such as the very popular ICE-50BC Supreme Ice Cream Maker (see photo left).

Hamilton Beach makes an ice cream maker that looks entirely different again! Indeed, their Hamilton Beach 68330R 4-Quart Automatic Ice-Cream Maker (photo right) actually works in a different way. It requires you to pour your mixture into the canister, insert the dasher into the canister, attach the easy-lock lid and then place the motor over the canister, locking it onto the bucket. Then you add layers of ice and salt to the bucket covering the canister. Your homemade ice cream will then be ready in 20-40 minutes. This particular ice cream maker can also be used for making frozen yogurt and custard. At under $40 it makes a great, affordable gift for a loved one or friend - especially if you know they love ice cream!

So you see ... choosing an ice cream maker is not that easy any more.

Ice Cream Books For Christmas

2009-11-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

Out and about Christmas shopping yet? Already suffering from shopping mall blues?

Well, if the idea of sitting comfortably in your slippers and doing a little shopping on the Net appeals, here are some great ideas for Christmas gifts - ice cream books.

These are highly rated books from Amazon now available through the Ice Cream Recipes Online Store ....

Making Artisan Gelato

The Vegan Scoop

Serendipity Sundaes

Granita Magic

English Seaside Ice Cream, Hogwarts Castle & Craster Cornets!

2009-11-07T02:32:00.000-08:00

Ice cream has lots of traditions - from the way it's made to the way it's served and lots more. What I find interesting is to look into what makes ice cream 'traditional' to any particular geographical area. It might be the quality of the local milk, the type of locally grown fruit that is available or, if it's an area that attracts tourists, it might even be that the ice cream is produced especially to cater for the tastes of the 'incomers'. The truth is, like with all things ice cream, there are many variations on a theme.

In England, for example, ice cream is produced by a wider variety of people than ever before. You have the traditional, small, local companies whose family have been making ice cream for generations but also there are many dairy farmers now turning to producing their own ice cream which they sell direct to retailers and sometimes even directly to the public from their own ice cream shop. One tradition, however, that is thankfully still alive and kicking is that of the ice cream parlour though it is by no means thriving. The most common and indeed most popular is the traditional 'seaside' ice cream parlour (in the States they're called ice cream parlors of course). I have many happy childhood memories of them on the Yorkshire coast (Scarborough especially) and in more recent years have found others such as when I visited Alnwick Castle - or Hogwarts Castle as many now call it (the Harry Potter movies were filmed there) in Northumberland. NOTE: There is some great Northumberland ice cream - if you ever plan a visit there, you should read more!

Alnwick Castle is not far from the beautiful Northumberland coast with its sandy beaches, great vistas and fascinating history and wildlife. So a lot of visitors to the area, especially from the USA, enjoy the best of both worlds by staying in Northumberland cottages. After visiting Alnwick we called in at Bamburgh to see the magnificent Bamburgh Castle and then at Craster where we took the wonderful walk up to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, a fabulous medieval castle in a location that defies description (once up there the views take your breath away!).

After Craster it was Seahouses and there we found some great traditional English ice cream, produced locally and served from an old fashioned ice cream trailer (see photo).

We plan to go back some day, possibly staying in one of the many Northumberland cottages that are available in the area. It might be a Seahouses cottage , a Boulmer cottage, a cottage in Craster cottage or even something in Alnwick or Bamburgh.

The history and scenery is well worth going back for but the ice cream on top of that, well need I say more? :)

A Chocolate Ice Cream Bath? No It's Mud Running!

2009-11-01T02:33:00.000-08:00

When I write about people or places in A Blog Of Ice Cream I often follow up later to check on any additional news.

In September I featured a super little ice cream cabin at Eastnor Castle selling locally made ice cream to the many visitors to the castle and its grounds. You may have read my Castle Ice Cream blog post.

Well, yesterday I read with fascination about Mud Runner 2009 - a special race event held earlier this month at Eastnor. And muddy it definitely was! Some of the runners became so caked in mud that they looked like they'd taken a chocolate ice cream bath!

If you want to see for yourself just how much fun this event is, take a look at this fantastic Mud Runner video gallery.

It was an undeniably tough race but the smiling faces of the runners confirmed it was a really enjoyable and exciting challenge.

So if you're a keen runner and enjoy a challenge, check out the details for next year's Mud Runner event. There are rumours there might even be an earlier Spring Mud Runner too such was the success of the event.

You might yet get to look like a chocolate ice cream!

Hello Halloween With A Fun Ice Cream!

2009-10-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Having read the title of this post you might be given to thinking that I have started writing poetry! No, give me a scoop in preference to a pen any day! It's just that Halloween is all about fun for children and I'm a great believer in "The Fun Of Ice Cream". Put the two things together and you can enjoy a fabulously, fun Halloween with ice cream as part of it.

My ice cream recipe idea for this Halloween?
Licorice toffee ice cream.

It's a creamy, sweet and sticky ice cream with a gloriously, ghoulish grey color - what I call "Gothic ice cream". I was thrilled when I first had the idea to make this ice cream because I wasn't quite sure what the color and consistency would be. Would it be too black? Would it be too sticky? Not a bit .... it worked out superbly.

Here is my Gothic ice cream recipe if you would like to try it.

Fall Is Here - Want Some Autumnal Ice Cream?

2009-10-23T03:32:00.000-07:00

This time of year, the sunny days of summer can seem like a distant memory. The leaves are falling from the trees, the landscape is changing and the daylight hours becoming shorter. So what do you do at this time of year to 'brighten' up the day? Well, of course there's lots to choose from but many people, including myself, turn to the kitchen and see what we can cook up that's new and exciting.

At the moment my family is into Thai food and every week I'm working on a new and appropriate recipe. The essential ingredient in Thai food is coconut. It adds such a creamy and exotic taste to the dishes. If you like coconut then Thai food is for you!

Clearly a lot of people like coconut - my coconut ice cream recipe is one of the most popular downloads on ice-cream-recipes.com. In the last 12 months it has bee viewed times!

So if you long for a taste of summer this time of year, try some homemade coconut ice cream.

A Tangy Sweet Sorbet

2009-10-17T02:13:00.000-07:00

When you've made as much homemade ice cream as I have over the years, it can sometimes feel like you've covered pretty much all bases ... but that thought has only ever lingered with me a second or two before a new ice cream idea then enters my head! That's the fun of ice cream and what happened recently when I gathered in the final apples of the season from my garden. I already have an apple sorbet recipe so what else might work?

I thought back to my childhood days when my mother would bake a traditional, English fresh apple and blackberry pie. I can close my eyes and still remember the warm, sweeet smell in the kitchen! We would look forward to it being served, freshly baked and hot from the oven - delicious.

Apple and blackberry pie was one of my father's favourite desserts and he was happy to eat it with custard or cream or ice cream. He loved ice cream in fact and was my "Knickerbocker Glory Champion".

Thinking of that good old, homemade pie gave me the answer .... I could use freshly picked homegrown garden apples with blackberries to make a sorbet.

How did it work out?

Well, as you can see from the photograph, it made a beautifully dark pink, luscious-looking sorbet with a tangy yet sweet taste. A true 'sweet and sour' water ice.

I served it for my family with some fresh fruit and they loved it. It's such a strong tasting sorbet that you only need a single scoop and it positively brings the fresh fruit alive.

Here it is my apple and blackberry sorbet recipe.

There's lots more reading on sorbet recipes on my website.

French Ice Cream

2009-10-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I cooked dinner for my family and some visiting friends. We all like Thai food so I opted to cook a Thai red chicken curry, served with rice, noodles and some fresh spinach. For dessert I served fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, chopped banana and peach) accompanied by homemade vanilla ice cream ... freshly made. It was so fresh that I had the ice cream maker churning whilst we were still eating the main course! It was delicious - honestly, I am not just saying that; everyone at the table echoed the feeling with my husband saying it was the best vanilla ice cream he had ever tasted! The recipe, which is on ice-cream-recipes.com of course (just follow the link above), is what I call a custard base ice cream and uses a real vanilla pod, fresh eggs, fresh milk, sugar and fresh cream. Essentially this is "French ice cream" because it requires a cooked egg custard.

Many years ago, using the term French ice cream inferred it was the best possible ice cream that you might find on a restaurant menu. One example is that of the RMS Titanic's first and second class dining menus - "French Ice Cream" for first class passengers and "American Ice Cream" for second class. Read my "Ice Cream & Class Distinction On The RMS Titanic" post from 2008.

Since those days of course the world has changed a lot and I doubt very much if the French only eat French ice cream! They definitely have a passion for ice cream though and I know this for 2 reasons ....

Firstly, the statistics from ice-cream-recipes.com show a significant number of visitors from France, searching in French for the term "glaces maison" (homemade ice cream)
Secondly, a friend who enjoys taking holidays in France - especially in and around Poitou Charentes - tells me that the ice cream there is always very, very good.

There are of course lots of other 'national' variations on ice cream such as Italian ice cream but that's a post for another day!

Longevity With A Love Of Ice Cream

2009-10-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I had never heard the name of Getrude Baines until recently. Aged 115 she had become the world's oldest woman but sadly passed away last month. The story of her life is a fascinating one and was reported around the world. The biggest single point of interest seemed to focus on her diet. Let's face it, if someone could come up with the exact diet that allows longevity beyond 100 years, there would be serious demand for that knowledge! So naturally the media focused on what Getrude had enjoyed eating all her life. To the astonishment of many she said she enjoyed eating 3 things:

fried chicken
bacon
ice cream

Eating ice cream until you're 115 - what an amazing thought!

Thinking about this reminded me of how two of the oldest women that have ever lived (ages 119 and 122) had admitted to being big eaters of chocolate all their lives. Could it be that ice cream and chocolate, two of the foods most vilified for their potential negative impact on health, could in fact have a special, hidden secret? If so, just imagine the potential of chocolate ice cream!

It might be just a coincidence of course. My own belief, however, is that these foods can have a very positive effect upon a person's frame of mind. Chocolate has been proven to contain a mood enhancer called phenylethylamine and as for ice cream, well, anyone who really enjoys ice cream knows the good feeling they experience when they eat it. What's that if not mood enhancement? Don't get me wrong, I'm not endorsing the idea of people over indulging in chocolate and ice cream. No, I think it's simply a case of 'a little of what you fancy does you good'. In fact I've just Google'd the phrase and a BBC article came up in the results with a report on how researchers have discovered that physical and emotional enjoyment can enhance immune function for hours afterwards. Effectively, life's small pleasures may be able to boost the immune system over a long period. Perhaps Getrude just knew it all along.