Fresh Mint & Raspberry Ice Cream

 In addition to being delicious and fairly simple to make, the recipe is wonderfully adaptable - substitute your favorite herb/fruit combination.

For the Raspberry Sauce
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 lemon, juice & zest


Ice Cream Custard Base
1 cup whole milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup sugar
5 egg yolks

1-2 cups fresh mint leaves, torn


To make the raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice and zest in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst. Remove from heat and let chill. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

To make the custard, warm the milk, sugar, and the cream in a medium saucepan over medium to low heat until brought to a simmer. Remove from heat and add in the mint leaves, then cover for 1 hour to steep the mint. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.

Strain out the mint, then re-heat the mixture to a simmer. Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk the mixture into the egg yolks.  Return the mixture to the pan and place over low heat, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat, strain into a bowl and place in an ice bath or in the fridge to chill. 

Once the custard is cool, churn it in a ice cream machine until a “soft-serve” texture is reached.  Transfer the ice cream to a chilled storage container, alternating between adding the ice cream and a swirl of raspberry sauce for a layering effect. 

Old-Fashioned Custard

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups of whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar


1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and vanilla,  Stir continuously for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat when mixture is hot but not boiling.

2.  Whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar until well-blended.  Pour egg mixture into hot milk and whisk constantly so eggs don't scramble. 

3.  Return custard mixture to stove over low heat.  Stir 8-10 minutes until custard has thickened.  Do not boil or custard will curdle.  Serve warm or refrigerate 20 minutes and serve cold.

Light Eggnog

Introducing a lighter and healthy Eggnog recipe just in time for the holidays.  (And it's also dairy-free.)

Ingredients:
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup raw honey
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tblsp whole cloves
1 tsp pure vanilla

1.  In a kitchen blender, add the almond milk, egg yolks, raw honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, and then blend for a minute until smooth.

2.  Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add the whole cloves, and heat over medium heat.

3.  Cook the eggnog for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken and slowly cook the eggs.  It will be frothy at first.

4.  Let the mixture get hot but not boil or simmer, if it's close to boiling then whisk vigorously and remove from heat temporarily.

5.  Once thickened, turn off heat and stir in the vanilla.

6.  Strain to remove cloves, then place in an airtight container and chill 6-8 hours.  To serve sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Brown liquors work best with eggnog so to spike it try: bourbon, rum or brandy.

Avgolemono Soup

A Greek staple that is made in two parts:  chicken broth plus a rich egg-lemon sauce.

Ingredients
1 whole Organic chicken
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 onions
1 tsp salt
pinch pepper
8 quarts of water
1-1/2 cups orzo

3/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cups water

7 egg yolks, whisked
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Add chicken and vegetables to water.  Cover, bring to boil and simmer 1 hour.  Skim any inpurities.  Strain broth.  Cool chicken and shred.

2.  Add broth back to pot and simmer with Orzo.  Whisk together flour and 1-1/2 cups water and slowly stir into broth and let thicken. Turn off heat and let rest 10 minutes. 

3.   Whisk the lemon juice and egg yolks to make a sauce, and add to the pot slowly while whisking together.  To serve, top each bowl of soup with shredded chicken.

Snow Pudding

 

What you'll need

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
 3 egg whites

 

 Custard Sauce

3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to make it

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup of cold water and let it stand for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of boiling water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the lemon juice. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved and place the mixture in the refrigerator to thicken for about 2 hours.
2. Once the gelatin has chilled, prepare the egg whites (a dash of cream of tartar helps) and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat the gelatin with an electric mixer until it's a frothy foam, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the egg whites to the gelatin and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Refrigerate this mixture for a minimum of 2 hours.
4. While the gelatin mixture chills, begin preparing the custard sauce by beating the egg yolks and setting them aside.
5. Scald the milk by heating it on medium high until small bubbles appear, about 4 minutes.
6. Pour the milk, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup of sugar into the top of a double boiler sitting over simmering water. Stir the mixture constantly to prevent lumping until the custard has thickened and lightly coats a metal spoon, about 10 to 13 minutes; a finger drawn across a coated spoon should leave a clear path. Don't cook the custard too long or it will curdle.
7. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let it cool to room temperature, stirring often. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours. Serve the gelatin mixture topped with the custard. Makes 6 servings.

*Courtesy of Family Fun Magazine.