Sweet Mary

Lemongrass Frozen Yogurt and Coconut Cake

You know, I've been meaning to make something out Pichet Ong's Asian inspired The Sweet Spot for quite some time.   This book is filled with really interesting recipes and information, as well as beautiful photos.  I don't have very much experience cooking Asian food, let alone making Asian desserts...although I've often said I'd love to learn and become more well versed in certain cuisines (like Vietnamese and/or Thai).   I also had Mango Coconut Sticky Rice for the first time recently and absolutely loved it.  I mean L-O-V-E-D it.  I made a commitment right there and then to start working some Asian inspired flavors into my repertoire.  Consequently, I made Lemongrass Frozen Yogurt and paired it with a little Coconut Cake.

The Lemongrass Frozen Yogurt was incredibly refreshing and perfect for the seemingly endless humid days we are experiencing.  It was light and cool with a great tang from the yogurt.  Lemongrass is a perennial that is native to India and used in many cuisines, such as Thai, Vietnamese, and Caribbean. You can typically find it in places like Whole Foods here in the states.  I have an Asian market down the street from me where they sell it in wrapped bundles.  In soups and curries, lemongrass produces a nice citrus-y undertone.  It is a lovely flavor that isn't overwhelming and worked incredibly well for frozen yogurt.  In addition, the combination of lemongrass and coconut was fantastic.  A great pairing that I highly recommend.

The Coconut Cake is from a Williams & Sonoma book I've had forever (Fruit Desserts) and is a recipe I made once a few years ago.  However, I remembered it being a tad dry.  I made it anyway just to see how it would turn out this time. Again, it was a tad dry.  I even pulled it out of the oven a bit early.  I wonder if the coconut flakes pull moisture from the cake somehow.  If I made this cake again, I'd try reducing the amount of coconut flakes that go in the cake or increasing the milk a bit. It was still good mind, you.  And, the frozen yogurt melting on top made up for any dryness.  

Lemongrass Frozen Yogurt

*From The Sweet Spot by Pichet Ong

2 stalks lemongrass

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

1 3/4 cups plain yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Trim, chop, and smash lemongrass.  Put in a blender with the milk and blend until the lemongrass is finely chopped.  Transfer this mix to a medium saucepan and add the sugar and salt.  Warm over medium heat and stir occasionally until just under a boil.  Don't let it boil.  Remove from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks in a mixing bowl until they are broken and set aside.  Pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the yolks in a slow steady stream and whisk constantly.  Transfer this yolk mixture back into the saucepan over low heat.  Cook, stir constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon or until it reaches 165 F.  This should take about 5 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing all the liquid out of the lemongrass.  Cool until it is lukewarm, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the yogurt and lemon juice into the milk mix.  Set the bowl over a large bowl of ice and water and stir once in a while until it is cool to the touch, about 40 F.  You can also just cover it and refrigerate until cold.

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and freeze according to the maker's instructions.  You can store in a tight container for up to three days.

Coconut Cake

*From Williams & Sonoma - Fruit Dessert

vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract (essence)

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted and cooled

Put a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 F.  Coat a 5x9x4 loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust the pan with flour and shake off the excess.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium until pale and fluffy.  Add the sugar and beat well.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.  Then, beat in half the flour; then, half the milk.  Repeat to add the remaining flour and milk.

Then, reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the coconut for a garnish.  Mix the rest into the batter.  

Scrape the batter into the loaf pan.  Bake until the top is golden and the center is firm to the touch, about 55 minutes.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Then, turn out of the pan.

*Note:  This cake is great with fresh fruit and/or ice cream.

Raspberry Sorbet

 Hello.  Hello.  Really, I am here.  And, thinking about food.  Sort of.  Although I will admit to thinking about other things this week and simply wanting to rest.  There is something about all this humidity that just makes me feel a bit lazy.  The most appealing activity I can think of right now involves crawling into my cool bed in my cool cool bedroom and watching movies in the dark.  Now, that sounds nice.

Anyway, over the 4th of July weekend I was able to go raspberry picking in my brother's backyard.  He and his family headed out for their annual vacation and, consequently, weren't there to pick all of those luscious berries.  I always love visiting his house.  It's nicer when he is there, of course; however, it is a big old farm house sitting atop a ridge with a lovely view of (part of) the Hudson Valley.  It's a peaceful locale surrounded by apple orchards and farms.   On his land, he has a beautiful vegetable and herb garden, as well as berry bushes, peach trees, and a cherry tree.  They've put a lot of work into it and are now reaping all the benefits.  Think about how expensive berries and fruit are!

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on this trip, so you will just have to use your imagination.  The berries were absolutely gorgeous.  My Mom and I filled a few containers (and I ate as I picked), headed back to our side of the Hudson River, and made some sorbet.  Although I forgot my camera, I did remember my ice cream maker!  Lucky for us...

Sorbet is such a wonderful summer dessert...incredibly refreshing and light.   The freshly picked raspberries made the sorbet burst with both flavor and color.  My Mom and I really enjoyed our dessert that evening.  Of course, I had to drive back to Providence, so she's probably been finishing it off all week!

Anyway, here is an easy off the cuff recipe that worked out very well.  I wasn't sure about the sugar, but since the berries were so fresh, I thought 2/3 would be enough.  A little less would have also worked.  I also used lime juice.  You can use lemon juice, nothing, or a little liquor like kirsch, Grand Marnier, etc.

6-7 cups fresh raspberries

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup of water

3 tablespoons lime juice

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan on the stove over medium high heat.  Dissolve the sugar.  Stir as you go.  Once dissolved.  Take off heat and cool a bit.

Wash and dry the berries.  Put them in a blender with the lime juice and puree. If you don't want seeds, then strain the seeds out.  If you don't  mind, leave them in.

Then, combine the berry mixture with the sugar/water.  Put in a container and chill thoroughly.  Once chilled, place in your ice cream maker and mix/churn about 20-25 minutes.  Then, freeze it.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

I've decided to work rhubarb into my cooking and baking as much as possible this year. I am more enamored with it than ever. And, although I am anxious for June to roll around so all the local strawberries are ripe and ready for my annual Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, I realized that there are plenty of other things I can do with rhubarb. This week, I made Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet (from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz) for my book/food club dinner.

We had read a book set in Saudi Arabia, so I stuck with the theme and made an "Arabian-ish" dinner, which turned out really tasty. Although the dinner wasn't overly spicey, I thought something light for dessert would be nice. I also didn't quite have enough time to research and make an Arabian or Middle Eastern dessert this week. Therefore, sorbet seemed perfect. It's actually quick and easy. While the mix was churning in my ice cream maker, I was prepping and cooking dinner.

Mind you, it's not strawberry season here. So, the strawberries were from California and they were pretty good, but still far from those big red juicy just picked local ones I like in late spring/early summer. Still, though, this sorbet was fantastic. I absolutely loved it, as did my book club. I expect to be making a lot more sorbet this spring and summer. I took a quick picture of the remaining sorbet the next morning...not the most artistic shot, but it'll do. There wasn't enough for mini-scoops or big scoops...so I shoveled!

12 ounces rhubarb
2/3 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
10 ounces fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Wash and trim rhubarb. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place rhubarb, water and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and cooked. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Slice strawberries and puree them with the rhubarb mix and lemon juice in a blender or processor until smooth. Chill this mix thoroughly. Then, freeze it in your ice cream maker.

*This makes about 1 quart.
*I made Almond Lace Cookies as a decoration.

Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwich

With only a month left before I put all my stuff in storage and move to Boston, it's time to start using up any/all ingredients in the pantry and fridge. This is when I start thinking up creative ways to use things I have and avoid bringing anything new into the house. By the last week, I am usually looking at pineapple chunks and black beans and wondering what the hell to do with them. Luckily, I have a ton of time before that moment will arrive.

So, this week, I hosted my book/food club and used up some ingredients (taco seasoning, salsa for chips, and even a can of black beans) to make lucious fish tacos with mango salsa. I also made homemade ice cream sandwiches in an effort to use up some cocoa powder and flour. The cookie recipe is straight out of The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz and the ice cream recipe came from Epicurious. I actually used half and half instead of milk simply because I had it and wanted to use it. In addition, I didn't fully puree the strawberries because I wanted fruit chunks in the ice cream. The result was a dreamy, creamy, smooth ice cream full of strawberry flavor and light on the vanilla undertones. The cookies were a bit crisp and I had wished they were just a tad chewier. Having said that, they held the ice cream nicely, though, and there was no risk of a soggy mess. It is gray and cloudy today, so I'll have to retake the photo and repost when/if I can get a better shot.

Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablesppons of unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powderr
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment. Beat butter and sugar till smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into creamed butter mix a little at a time till thoroughly incorporated (no streaks of butter). Form dough into about 16 1 1/2 inch rounds. On baking sheets, flatten rounds so they are 3 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate baking sheet midway. Cool. Add ice cream between 2 cookies. Freeze.

Strawberry Ice Cream

1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla, to taste

Puree strawberries in a processor or blender. Stir 1/2 cup of sugar in puree and lemon juice and chill mix for 2 hours covered. In a bowl, beat egg yolks till light and thick. Prepare a water bath with an empty bowl it it. In a heavy saucepan, combine cream, milk, and the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Scald the mix over moderate heat. Pour some of the hot mix into the egg yolks. Temper (i.e. beat quickly with a whisk). Add this mix back to the pot with the rest of the milk/cream. Over moderate heat, cook to 180 F or until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir constantly and don't let it burn. When it reaches 180, strain through a fine sieve into the bowl in the water bath. Stir in vanilla. Chill completely and then put in fridge for 2 hours.

Stir the custard and strawberrry mix together and freeze according to your ice cream machine's instructions.

Plum-Raspberry Sorbet

Wow, it was a hot week. Even in Providence. With after work trips to Boston, I was barely home which meant my apartment was all closed up and muggy. I craved all things cool when I got home in the evening. Popsicles. Iced tea with lime wedges. Easy salads. Frozen cookies (well, that's a year round thing). I knew it was time to break the ice cream machine out again.

I remembered that I had ordered The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz a while back and figured it was time to put it to use. I've mentioned another one of his books that I like and use often, Room for Dessert. His new book is filled with frozen delicacies, interesting flavor combinations, and lots of the author's personal notes and stories. It's another keeper. I absolutely love it.

Now, last week, I bought a heap of plums because I intended to make some Plum Butter. Well, with my schedule and the heat, that never happened. So, I decided to make David's Plum-Raspberry Sorbet (p. 123). It came out perfect. Nice and smooth, sweet, and tasty. I like that he adds a little kirsch into the mix. Gave it an extra zing.  I should mention that I definitely strained out all the raspberry seeds, as I am not a big fan of munching down on seeds in smooth desserts.

1 pound plums
1 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon kirsch

Remove pits from plums and cut them into eighths. Put them in a nonreactive sauce pan with the water. Cover. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir once in a while or until plums are tender. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and raspberries. Cool to room temperature.

When cool, puree the mixture in a blender till smooth. Press through a strainer to remove seeds. Stir in kirsch. Chill the mix completely. Then, freeze it in an ice cream maker.

French Vanilla Ice Cream

After over-freezing the Coconut Lime Sorbet I made last weekend (and not really liking it), I was waiting for the weekend to give my new ice cream maker another go.  This time, I wanted to make a classic.  Rich creamy French Vanilla.  I looked through a ton of recipes and many are similar.  You just have to know how to make your base (a custard) correctly and remember not to over-churn.   I chose a recipe from Simply Recipes because after reading it, I knew the ice cream would be just right.

I was really excited to make my custard.  I think I am feeling a bit lost because I am not in the kitchen every day baking, mixing, whipping, and tempering.  I began a temp job this week and I forgot what it was like to sit behind a desk for eight hours a day.  I do fine as long as I am busy and have a variety of things to do.  But, if I am not busy, man, it is tough and I get restless.   So, I miss the sights, smells, and sounds of the kitchen and was pining away for them all week. 

Anyway, the ice cream came out fantastic.  Incredibly delicious.  Rather than re-write the whole recipe here, I think you should go directly to Simply Recipes.  The author gives great instructions on how to make the custard.  Many recipes don't tell you to cook the custard to 180 F.   But, she does.  I think that is important unless you're a professional and really know what "nappe" (coating the back of a wooden spoon) looks like.  Don't be afraid to invest in a digital thermometer because it'll come in handy for other things.  And, be sure to keep the thermometer probe moving while you are stirring over the heat without letting it rest on the bottom of the pan.  Your temperature reading will be more accurate this way. This is a great website, by the way, with all kinds of recipes.  Check it out.

So, here is the ice cream plain and simple with some blackberries.  But, tonight, I am going to use it on top of a grilled dessert.  The combination of this ice cream with grilled pound cake and pineapples with orange-lime-cardamom glaze.  My god.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Coconut and Lime Sorbet

I am not a huge fan of coconut, but every once and a while I'll give it a try.  For instance, last night I had some mussels in a coconut sauce and they were excellent.  And, last year, I made a coconut cake with mango.  Now, that was delicious.  So, when Rachel from Coconut and Lime put a call out for coconut and lime recipes to celebrate her third year of blogging, I figured I should give it a go.  I also just bought an ice cream maker and wanted to give it a test run.  Consequently, I combined the two endeavors and made some Coconut and Lime Sorbet.

This is not rocket science.  All you do is combine the ingredients and then freeze the mix in the ice cream maker.  Although I've used the big industrial ice cream makers at school, I somehow over-froze the sorbet and it was tough to remove from the bowl.  Anyway, I salvaged enough to taste.  I used a recipe from Epicurious, even though my instincts were telling me to keep searching.  A few readers had commented that they couldn't taste the coconut in this recipe and that it wasn't sweet enough.  I agree with both of those comments.  The lime is overwhelming.  I love lime, though, so I really didn't mind.  I will say that it was light and refreshing on such a warm day.  But, I would not make this particular recipe again.  And, if you're wondering why I didn't scoop nice round sorbet balls for the photo....I realized I do not have an ice cream scoop because I rarely, if ever, have ice cream in the house.  And, the tried and true melon baller wasn't quite working on this texture. 

I'd take that coconut cake with mango any day over this sorbet recipe!

Ingredients:   15 oz can of cream of coconut, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup  fresh lime juice