cappyhead

I might have made an ice cream as good as Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean, which is one of my all-time favorites.

I followed David Lebovitz's recipe in "The Perfect Scoop" but made some adjustments... and one error!

Vanilla Ice Cream
Adapted from "The Perfect Scoop"

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (150g) sugar (I misread this and thought it said 1/4 cup! I used 1/4 cup of a granulated allulose/monk fruit blend)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I used a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste instead)
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour. (I skipped the infusing time since I used vanilla bean paste.)

To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.

(Before putting it in the fridge, I tasted it and thought it wasn't sweet enough. In retrospect that's not surprising, since I misread the amount of sweetener needed. I didn't want to add granulated sweetener or liquid stevia, so I added 1/4 cup sugar-free CoffeeMate Italian Sweet Cream liquid creamer.)

Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

(Going off of David's suggestions in the cookbook, I added a tablespoon of vanilla vodka and a tablespoon of bourbon. Then I said what the heck and added a tablespoon of bourbon-infused maple syrup.)

Damn. This ice cream is so tasty! I just put it into pint-sized containers in the freezer. We'll see what the texture is like once fully frozen. Adding a splash of alcohol is supposed to help prevent ice crystals from forming.

Update: even frozen for a couple of days, it's spoonable right out of the container. It has a slightly greasy mouthfeel, so next time I'll cut back on about a half cup of heavy cream and replace it with milk.

I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes left from the garden that we weren't going be able to eat before they went bad. I followed the following recipe for slow-roasted tomatoes:

https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/

I thought they tasted nice, but I wasn't crazy about the texture. So I tried to puree them to make a sort of spread. That didn't work out great, but it smelled amazing. So then I decided to see if I could make a cream sauce and then strain it to improve the texture.

I put some cream, some milk, the pureed roasted tomatoes, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, Penzey's dried roasted garlic, and a dash of onion powder. I warmed it all up over a very low flame, and used my immersion blender to puree it. I then strained it all into a jar. I ended up with a smooth, silky sauce that is amazingly delicious. I don't know if I'm going to put it over pasta or just sneak a spoonful at a time until it's all gone.

https://goodiegodmother.com/stay-soft-caramel-sauce/

Modified from the above recipe.

I found granulated allulose at a discount grocery store today (Grocery Outlet) and decided to try making a low-carb caramel sauce. I only made a small batch as I wasn't sure how it would turn out.

Ingredients
1/3 cup granulated allulose
1 tbsp water
1/4 c heavy cream
1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A sprinkle of sea salt flakes

Instructions
Combine the allulose and water in a heavy-bottomed stainless steel (or other light-colored) pot.

Set your other prepared ingredients and a whisk within easy reach.

Place the pot over medium heat and stir frequently with a spatula until the allulose has dissolved. If you see crystals forming along the sides of the pot, use a pastry brush wet in a small bowl of water to brush the crystals away.

Once the allulose has fully dissolved, stop stirring! Swirl the entire pot gently if needed, during this next phase of cooking.

Turn the heat up to medium high and watch the allulose for the change in color. This takes 4-5 minutes, but you cannot walk away, because the color changes in an instant. Once the dissolved allose mixture reaches a medium copper color, quickly turn off the heat, and add the butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes homogeneous and all clumps dissolve. If you need to, place the pot over very low heat while you stir to help the caramel sauce smooth out.

Transfer immediately to a heat-safe container, allow to cool, and store in the refrigerator up to 10 days.

I tasted it once it was in the jar and it wasn't as sweet as I wanted it to be. I added 10 drops of liquid vanilla stevia and stirred it well. It was perfect for me, but has a pronounced burnt sugar flavor that other folks might not love. It might have a more mellow flavor if I had stopped cooking the allulose sooner.

https://www.graceandgoodeats.com/creamy-parmesan-risotto/

Ingredients
▢5 cups chicken stock
▢1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
▢1 cup onion , diced
▢1 1/2 cups Arborio rice , uncooked
▢1/4 tsp salt
▢1 tbsp unsalted butter
▢1/2 tsp pepper
▢4 oz Parmesan , grated
▢1 tbsp fresh parsley , chopped

Instructions
Bring stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. Keep warm over low heat, but do not boil.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to the pot; swirl to coat. (Everything from here on will be added to this pot.)
Add onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the Arborio rice and salt, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add 1/2 cup stock; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups stock; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
Add remaining stock, 3/4 cup at a time, stirring nearly constantly until each portion is absorbed before adding the next (about 20-25 minutes); reserve 1/3 cup stock at last addition.
Remove pot from heat.
Stir in reserved remaining stock, butter, pepper, and cheese.
Top the risotto with parsley.
Notes
Be mindful of salt as the stock will likely already be salty enough. I felt the recipe needed an extra 1/4 tsp but use your own discretion. I also added a splash of cream at the very end just before serving, but this is optional.
As a general rule: 1 cup of dry Arborio rice yields 3 cups of cooked risotto.

From https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23376/cinnamon-swirl-bread/

I haven't tried this yet. The husband and I were in a store last night and he picked up a box of Crusteaz mix for cinnamon swirl bread. I suggested that I could probably make it from scratch just as easily, and it would be tastier, so I went googling for a decent-sounding recipe, as I've never made it before. This recipe looks pretty good, and has good reviews, but I'll probably add a cinnamon streusel topping.

Ingredients

1 ⅓ cups white sugar, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup milk
⅓ cup vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Combine flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Combine egg, milk, and oil in a separate bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon-sugar mixture. Draw a knife through batter to marble.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and let sit overnight before slicing.



KEEWERD

From: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/milk-powder-brown-butter

Text is copy/pasted from website.

Butter-Toasted Milk Powder = Big Brown Butter Energy
My go-to method is to simply toast milk powder in a pool of butter. Per stick of butter, use as little as 2 Tbsp. milk powder (as in these Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats) or as much as ¼ cup milk powder (like that chocolate cake). Melt the butter, add the milk powder, and cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown. Push the browning as far as you dare, stopping just short of espresso brown. The deeper the color, the bolder the flavor.

Once toasted, what you have is essentially extremely concentrated brown butter. Here are my favorite ways to show it off.

Cream Cheese
Beat ¼ cup toasted milk powder into an 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese. Your bagel will never be the same.

Roast Chicken
Mix 2 Tbsp. toasted milk powder with 4 Tbsp. softened butter. Squish the butter under the skin and over the breast meat, where it will melt and drip languidly over the flesh.

Buttercream and Whipped Cream
Dissolve up to ¼ cup toasted milk powder in ½ cup hot heavy cream (blend if you want it ultrasmooth); let cool. Add this paste to the butter when you’re making American or meringue-style buttercream. For a toasty whipped cream, whip ¼ cup toasted milk powder with 1 cup cold heavy cream, 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, ½ tsp. vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt.

Cookies
Add up to 2 Tbsp. toasted milk powder to the softened butter in your favorite cookie recipe. Especially great in shortbread, chocolate chip cookies, and snickerdoodles.

Get Toasty
Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats With Brown Butter
If you’ve ever wondered how to make the beloved snack even better, try this nutty, savory-sweet version powered by peanut butter and toasted dry milk powder.

Ingredients
Makes 16
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
1 10-oz. bag mini marshmallows
⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt
6 cups (160 g) puffed rice cereal

Preparation
Step 1
Line an 8x8" metal or glass baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 sides.

Step 2
Melt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add 2 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture turns dark nut brown (milk powder may clump; that’s okay), about 4 minutes.

Step 3
Add one 10-oz. bag mini marshmallows and cook, stirring vigorously, until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk, ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt; stir until incorporated. Remove from heat.

Step 4
Fold 6 cups (160 g) puffed rice cereal into marshmallow mixture, scraping bottom of pot, until combined and cereal is coated. Scrape mixture into prepared pan, gently press into corners, and smooth top. (For best texture, try to avoid compacting mixture.) Sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Cover loosely with foil and let sit at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Step 5
Uncover treats and lift out of pan using parchment overhang. Peel away parchment; cut treats into 16 bars with a serrated knife.


KEEWERD

Saving this recipe to try later:

https://www.daringgourmet.com/chicken-paprikash-paprikas-csirke/#recipe

I usually make a slow-roasted beef for Christmas dinner. This recipe is adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe: https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/5819493/slow-roasted-beef-cooks-illustrated/

Ingredients:
1 boneless eye-round roast (3.5 to 4.5 pounds)
kosher salt
4 - 5 rosemary sprigs
minced garlic, dried
ground pepper (black or white)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Sprinkle all sides of roast with garlic and salt. Arrange rosemary sprigs around the roast and wrap tightly in plastic, then place inside a Ziploc bag or container with lid. Let rest in fridge for 18 to 24 hours (longer might make the beef too salty?).

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels and scrape off the garlic (I found that if you don't scrape off the garlic, it burns in the next step). Rub the roast with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle evenly with pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke. Sear roast until browned on all sides, including the ends, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer roast to wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until meat-probe thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 115 degrees for medium-rare, about 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, or 125 degrees for medium, about 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.

Turn oven off, leave roast in oven without opening door until meat-probe thermometer registers 130 degrees for medium-rare, or 140 degrees for medium, about 30 to 50 minutes longer. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest 15 minutes. Slice meat crosswise as thinly as possible and serve.

This cooking process does not yield more than a couple of teaspoons of drippings, so don't expect to be able to make any gravy from it.

I have timed this process, and it takes about 2.5 hours total (including searing time) for a 3 pound roast. KEEWERD

Saving to try later:

ACTIVE TIME 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME 50 minutes

Ingredients
12 Servings
2½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, plus more, melted, for brushing
1 cup chilled buttermilk

Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. Pulse baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 3½ cups flour in a food processor to combine. Add chilled butter and pulse until largest pieces of butter are the size of a pea. Transfer to a large bowl and gradually drizzle buttermilk over top, tossing with a fork as you go to incorporate. Knead mixture a few times in bowl until a shaggy dough forms (mixture will look a little dry), then turn out onto a clean surface and pat into a 1"-thick square.

Step 2
Using a knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 4 pieces. Stack pieces on top of one another, sandwiching any loose dry bits of dough between layers, and press down to flatten. Lift up dough with bench scraper and dust surface with flour. Roll dough into a 1"-thick rectangle and trim a thin border around sides of dough to create clean edges. Cut into a 4x3 grid to make 12 biscuits (don’t reroll scraps). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2" apart; freeze 10 minutes.

Step 3
Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and bake biscuits until deep golden brown on bottom and golden on top, 20–25 minutes.

Do ahead: Biscuits (unbaked) can be made 1 month ahead. Freeze, uncovered, on baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Do not thaw before baking, but add a few minutes to baking time.