Peach-Cherry Ice Cream

In honor of National Ice Cream Month, enjoy this recipe. It's easy and egg-free! Peaches are ripe for the picking and cherries are abundant and affordable. No excuses!!

Peach-Cherry Ice Cream (Egg-Free) Recipe

Makes 1 quart (approx.)

1-1/2 pounds peaches, peeled and chopped into small pieces (about 4 medium)

1 cup cherries, pitted and chopped

¾ cups sugar

1 tablespoon Kirsch liqueur or Grand Marnier

1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Pinch kosher salt

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon peach schnapps or vanilla extract

Place ice cream maker bowl into the freezer until fully frozen, about 24 hours. In a large bowl, combine peaches, cherries, half of sugar, liqueur, lemon juice and salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add cream with remaining sugar, Schnapps or vanilla. Stir to dissolve sugar, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour the cream mixture over the peaches and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure plastic is touching the top of the mixture. This prevents a skim from forming. Refrigerate

Overnight.

Once chilled, pour prepared mixture into chilled freezer bowl and prepare according to ice cream maker’s instructions. Pack into a freezer-safe container, place in freezer and allow to harden before serving. Consume within a few days.

Sweet Peach Dough Balls

When you have an abundance of fresh-picked peaches straight from the orchard, why not experiment?

Sweet Peach Dough Balls Recipe

Makes 2 dozen

Dough Batter

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon Chef Belinda Moroccan Coffee Spice Mix

1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup chopped ripe peaches

Canola oil, for frying 

Confectioner’s sugar

In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups flour and the remainder of dry ingredients. In a 2-cup measuring cup whisk together the milk, egg and butter. Pour into the dry mixture and stir until combined. Add the peaches and thoroughly combine. Add remaining flour a little at a time until batter is thick enough to scoop.

Into a deep skillet, pour 1-inch of oil and bring to 350F. Using a scoop or spoon, drop dough balls into hot oil. Work in batches of 5-6 balls at a time. Dough balls should be about 1-1/2-inch in diameter—it is okay if they are not perfectly round. (I used a #60 spring scoop; and it was the perfect size.) Cook for 2-3 minutes until brown on first side. Most of the dough balls will flip over by themselves as they brown. If not, use a spatula to turn; and cook 2-3 minutes on other side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined cookie sheet to cool. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Peach Flaugnarde

Well, last weekend marked the end of peach season here in Edgefield County, South Carolina.  What a sad day for me as I made my final trek up Highway 25 to my favorite peach stand.  I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this much- loved fruit than with a flaugnarde.  As I peel, slice and freeze what's left of the ‘peck’ of peaches I purchased, I take some solace in knowing that at least a few more memorable desserts will still be concocted in my house over the next several months. Until next year...

Peach Flaugnarde Recipe 
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
7 tablespoons sugar
5 medium peaches, peeled and halved (or sliced)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons peach liqueur
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preparation
Heat oven to 375º. Butter a 9-inch quiche or pie dish; dust with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Arrange peach halves in bottom of dish.
In a blender, puree remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, eggs, liqueur, vanilla and salt until well blended. Add milk and flour; puree until smooth. Pour batter over peaches.
Bake until flaugnarde is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving. 

Fig Walnut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Recently a neighbor stopped by, gave me a few jars of preserved figs and a bag of walnuts and said,  "Do something with these."  And so these items sat on my kitchen counter for a few days while I pondered...

Given the 100 degree plus temperature we've been experiencing the past few weeks, it didn't take long for me to decide to turn (or more like churn) my little gift into ice cream.  It was the right decision. The combination of the figs, walnuts and chocolate chips (I added) are a marriage made in ice cream heaven!  
 And since I always have neighbors just dropping in to see 'what's cooking,' I invited another neighbor to taste my creation.  A man of few words, his comment was: "The delicate flavor of the figs comes through beautifully, and the texture of the chocolate chips and walnuts is to die for.  Those B&J guys would be envious."  I couldn't have said it better.

Fig Walnut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe
(Makes about 1-1/2 quarts)

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups whole milk

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 cups chopped figs, (fresh or preserved)

1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation

Put milk, and 1 cup cream into a med saucepan and heat over medium heat until slightly bubbling on side of pan, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Combine egg yolks, sugar, remaining 1/2 cup cream and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until smooth.  Gradually 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper; then add egg mixture back into the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 4-6 minutes.  Do not let boil. 

Strain through a sieve, into a bowl. Place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice and water.  Stir occasionally to cool.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skim from forming.  Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions.  Add figs, chocolate and walnuts after the custard is nearly frozen - about five minutes before removing from the machine.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze until firm.

Key Lime Rum Pound Cake

Today I learned that The Flying Foodie has a following at Marine Base Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan.  To all my friends at II MEF C4, especially Major Richardson, this blog post is for you.  Thank you for all you do!  Stay safe and come home soon.  Semper Fi...


Key Lime Rum Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup key lime juice, approx. 6 limes
1/4 cup light rum
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lime zest, approx. 5 limes
Glaze:
1-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted (more if needed)
2 tablespoons key lime juice
1 tablespoon light rum
 
Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 12-cup bundt pan.
Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Mix together sour cream, lime juice, rum and vanilla.
Cream butter and sugar and beat on medium for 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Add flour mixture  alternately with milk mixture.  Add zest.
Pour into prepared cake pan.  Bake for 70 minutess or until a cake tester comes out smooth.  

Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in pan.  Turn onto a cooling rack and cool completely.  Cover with glaze.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

This is the time of year I really miss my hometown - Chicago.  I don’t know of any other city that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day the way Chicago does.  Heck, we even dye the Chicago River green to celebrate the occasion.   And if that isn’t cool enough, all of the local draft beer is served green on that day.  What a town!  Although I am seldom there anymore to join in the festivities,  every year I try to create a little bit of the ‘spirit’ for myself and nearby family and friends.  So what does chocolate have to do with St. Patrick’s Day, you ask?  Well, according to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, Ireland has the third largest consumption rate of chocolate in the world.  Works for me.  So, to help set the mood this year I decided to make these Double Chocolate cupcakes.  

Happy St. Pat’s Day!


Double Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Chocolate Frosting:
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16 - 20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, use a large Wilton 1M open star tip to make lovely swirls. These cupcakes are best the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days.

Chocolate Frosting: 
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).
Makes 24 cupcakes.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

On Sunday I hosted a pre-Thanksgiving Brunch for some close friends; and ended up with a surplus of croissants.  If you find yourself in the same situation - with lots of leftover bread and rolls -  the day after Thanksgiving, you might want to try this recipe.  By the way, bread  pudding - without the sauce - freezes beautifully.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!!

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:
12 Croissants *  cut into 1-inch cubes

4 Eggs - lightly beaten

2-½ cups Heavy cream

⅔ cups Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla 

1 Tablespoon Cardamom, 

¼ cup currants 

½ cup Pecans, roughly chopped

Banana  Rum Sauce (recipe below)

Preparation

Lightly butter a deep 9 by 12 baking dish and add the bread cubes in an even layer. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla and cardamom. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes. Gently fold in the pecans and currants. Cover the dish with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight or at least an hour to allow the liquid soak into the bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread pudding on a middle rack. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until firm and a knife inserted comes out clean.

Banana Rum Sauce 
Ingredients:

½ cup Dark Rum, such as Meyer's

½ Stick Butter, unsalted

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cardamom, ground

5 Large Bananas - peeled and quartered

Preparation:
While the bread pudding is baking, heat up the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to melt add the brown sugar, cardamom, and quartered bananas. Saute gently, moving the bananas around, for about one minute. Remove the skillet from heat and add the rum. Return the skillet to medium heat. When the liquid begins to bubble, tilt the pan and using caution light the sauce with a long match. When the flames go away, remove the skillet from heat. (If you can't get the sauce to light, just cook for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the alcohol to burn off.) The rum sauce should be served warm. If it cools down to much, reheat in a sauce pan over low heat or in a microwave. 
To Serve:
Cut into squares or scoop out the bread pudding and place serving on plate or bowl. Add two pieces of cooked bananas and drizzle the sauce over the top.  If desired, add whipped cream or ice cream.

*  Or also use Challah, Brioche, French bread or rolls

Country Peach Tart

I live in the heart of South Carolina’s peach country; and during this time of the year we have an abundance of peaches available to us.  You can not drive Highway 25  without passing what seems like hundreds of peach stands and twice as many signs directing you to them - as if there was any chance you might miss them.  This is also that time of year when you start to run out of ideas of what to do with peaches, after you have canned, pickled, frozen, baked, grilled and eaten yourself sick.  So when I hosted a dinner party a few days ago and was pondering a dessert, the first thing that came to mind was the classic Country Peach Tart.  Okay, maybe the first thing that came to mind was a peach cobbler, but it was over 100 degrees outside and I was thinking “lite and easy.”

Many thanks to Mark Kelly at Lodge Cast Iron for providing the perfect cooking and serving vessel for this dessert.  By the way, as I mentioned in a previous posting, this cast iron griddle makes perfect crepes as well!

Country Peach Tart Recipe

Ingredients:

1 12-inch pie crust

4 large, ripe peaches, pitted, halved and sliced

4-5 tablespoons peach preserves
2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cardamom

2 tablespoons butter, optional

2 tablespoons cream, or milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine peach preserves and water, and warm on low heat until spreadable.  Let cool slightly.  Toss peaches with brown sugar and cardamom.

Roll out chilled dough to make a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Place on a baking sheet* and coat evenly with preserves to about 2 inches from the edge. Mound peach slices on dough, leaving a 2-inch border of dough around the peaches. 

Fold the dough up over the peaches forming a nest, but leaving the center exposed. Brush the exposed crust with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 30 minutes in preheated oven, then allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.


*  I used a Lodge Cast Iron Griddle for this application.