Affogato

There's a cafe around the corner from my flat that I pass on the bus every day but have never been into before. This weekend, that all changed. It was nice and sunny out and I'm always looking for iced coffee so I wandered in and everyone was so friendly! I asked them if they had any cold coffee drinks and I swear, I thought they were going to break out into a coordinated dance routine.

Apparently one of the baristas was just dying to make an affogato. How has this not become everyone's favorite coffee drink?? IT'S ICE CREAM!!! And espresso but ICE CREAM!! How do you take your coffee? As ice cream. Game changer.

 

This is probably the most ridiculous recipe because guess what? All you do is pour a shot of espresso over a scoop of ice cream and it's officially a coffee beverage. Done. Sold. I may or may not have had some before writing this post.

Recipe

• 1 scoop of ice cream (traditionally vanilla, also tasty with salted caramel or chocolate)
• 1 shot of espresso (or two, you are your own person)

1. Make shot(s) of espresso.
2. Place scoop of ice cream in a mug, bowl or other vessel.
3. Pour shot(s) of espresso over ice cream.
4. Consume and be happy that you're a grown up having ice cream for coffee. 

City Guide: Calgary

Almost every year since graduation, my college/uni friends and I have done a summer trip together. Always somewhere new and always a mix of outdoorsy and city things. We've been all over the west coast of the US from LA to Vancouver, Puerto Rico, North Carolina and now Calgary, Canada. Outdoor activities include hiking, kayaking, or jet skiing (one time it was cliff jumping) while our city activities keep us cultured so we go to museums or well-known restaurants.

We stayed at a place half-way between Calgary and Banff National Park so we could easily go from our active selves to our city selves and in between, we cooked a lot of meat and ate a lot of eggs. Shopping for 8 people is tough and there was a point where we had 8 dozen eggs, 8 loaves of bread and an $8,000 cucumber (okay, they refunded us $7,998 for that one). Somehow, I escaped dinner duties but managed to make a whole lotta pancakes, french toast (see 8 loaves of bread comment) and cinnamon rolls throughout the week.

Here are some of the activity highlights I would recommend if you're planning a tip to Calgary anytime soon:

1. Lake Louise- When deciding where to go, we get very scientific and make a survey of places to go. The survey results usually end up being ignored but someone suggested Lake Louise and we said 'sounds great!'. This is what brought us to Canada. We did the Plain of Six Glaciers trail which goes around the aqua lake and up into the mountains. This was an all day hike but not extremely steep so doable for beginners but bring lots of water! At the end of June, there was a bit of snow across the path so prepare yourselves for that as well. But! You are rewarded by an amazing little tea house (appropriately called The Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House) at the top of the mountain. They don't have running water, bottled water is heli-dropped to them, but their cakes are delicious.

 

2. Sulphur Mountain- This was a more difficult climb which was mostly comprised of switchbacks. It's advised to allow 2-3 hours for this hike so not as long as Lake Louise but there's also a gondola you can take up (and/or down) the mountain instead. This is attaction is part of a larger attraction with a hot springs spa (highly recommended) and cave tour. The view of the Canadian Rockies can't be beat and we even had a couple mountain goats cross our paths. If that's not a reason to bust into Julie Andrews songs, I don't know what is.

 

3. Banff Canoe Club- Initially we were looking at kayaking/canoeing on Lake Louise but having done the hike already, we opted for something new and found this kayaking club right in Banff which was pretty cost effective and allowed us to paddle around a creek and then a calm lake surrounded by mountains (okay, and one highway). The staff were super friendly, even if they did accidentally ring us up for 450 boats (there's a theme here with the over-charging). Definitely bring bug spray, the swarms are legit.

 

4. Skyline Luge- Moving away from the hiking genre of activities, this luge is basically real-life Mario Kart in Calgary's Olympic park. You take a chair lift to the top, get a safety demonstration and away you go! While I don't think they'd let you tie balloons to the cars, Mario noises are not discouraged...

 

5. Ice Cream- No hike is complete without a post-hike milkshake. Or at least that's our motto. We went to Old School Ice Cream after our first day of hiking and proceeded to go there after every one of our hikes. Luckily, the staff changed every day so they don't seem to have noticed how much ice cream we ate here. They are cash only though but accept USD at a 1:1 conversion rate.

 

6. Heritage Park- I was sceptical about this one but it turned out to be really fun! It's basically a recreation of Canada through the ages so important historical figures' homes are rebuilt, there's an old main street with a working post office and general store as well as small roller coasters. A steam boat cruise is included in admission and takes you around the reservoir with a great view of downtown Calgary.


7. Maple Lattes- We happened to be in Calgary for Canada Day, their 150th in fact! As if everything wasn't maple leaf forever already, we found Rosso's to have a maple latte on special. Who knows if this is a full-time deal or not but over ice and it was a perfect hint of Canadian pride without being overly sweet. They're also known for their coffee quality so worth a trip for straight up coffee as well.

 

8. More Ice Cream- Made by Marcus in Calgary was our final ice cream stop of the trip. They had only a few flavors but also unique sundaes (think hand toasted marshmallows and macaron topping) that were  made with soft serve. Milkshakes and boozy flavours were also in order.

 

9. Calgary Farmer's Market- Literally our last stop before the airport, we initially went to this market looking for Jelly doughnuts shop but it was full of so many other places to eat and stock up on maple things (and crafts), we almost lost track of our mission. But in the end, Jelly doughnuts was amazing (maple bacon doughnut, highly recommended) and should also be visited.

 

And because 10 is better than 9:

10. Nature- In general, just embrace the amazing scenery of mountains, sky and trees. You're bound to see a rainbow (or two!) after one of the many flash mountain storms and we even caught a meteor shower one night.

 

Egg Nog Ice Cream

I have a ridiculous love for egg nog. Apparently it's normal to mix egg nog with milk so it's not as thick but you can just give it to me straight---maybe with some bourbon in there. I had to go to two grocery stores to get egg nog this year. The first store, I stopped an employee to direct me to the egg nog and he just stared at me like I had three heads and kept asking me what 'egg nuts' were. There were a good few minutes where I thought I had tragically fallen into some alternate universe where egg nog didn't exist and I was the only one who remembered this is a thing!!

But no worries, the second store had some. Again, I had to ask where it was but mission accomplished. After the pumpkin spice ice cream issue (issue being I didn't have an ice cream maker), I followed the instructions very closely and allowed extra chill time to ensure this ice cream came out well. I'm not sure what makes it 'egg nog' besides the addition of nutmeg but if I were to make it again, I would replace the cream portion with egg nog for extra flavor.

Similar to the pumpkin spice ice cream, the milk and cream are heated together in a saucepan until steaming. I didn't have to strain it this time but if you cook it a little too long, pour through a mesh strainer to catch the cooked pieces. The hot mixture is poured into a medium bowl where the mixed sugar and egg lay in wait.

The mixture is covered and chilled thoroughly before going into the ice cream maker. I did this overnight. Once it's chilled, pour into the ice cream maker according to instructions. The chilling part is definitely key. I could see the ice cream start to thicken whereas in the past, it's stayed soupy.

I let the ice cream chill for about 4 hours before serving. The edges were all the perfect consistency while the middle hadn't quite settled yet. When I scooped it the next day, it was a little harder so you may need to let it soften on the counter for a few minutes before serving.

My family is big on Jefferson cups which are the traditional vessels for egg nog so naturally, I served the egg nog ice cream in these cups as well.

Recipe
From Homemade Decadence

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (divided) 
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 Tablespoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk and 1/4 cup of sugar over medium heat. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is steaming but not quite boiling (around 5 minutes).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining brown sugar and nutmeg. I saved the egg whites for omelettes later. 
3. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the medium bowl with the eggs and sugar. Whisk constantly until combined.
4. Return the mix to the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and can easily coat the back of a spoon without immediately running off. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture back into the bowl but through a fine mesh strainer in case any of the milk has cooked. Stir in the rum and vanilla before covering with plastic wrap (pressed gently against the mixture) and refrigerating for 4 hours or until completely chilled.
6. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
7. Freeze the ice cream overnight or at least for 2 hours before serving. 
8. Ice cream is best eaten within 3 days. 

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Where there are egg whites, there are egg yolks. Following the fluffy angel food cupcakes, I had a bunch of egg yolks leftover. And I don't like to waste food so those egg yolks went into ice cream. It's not exactly ice cream season but it is pumpkin season so let's enjoy the unseasonably warm weather with some ice cream.

I recently wondered what the purpose of an ice cream maker is. You still need to put the mixture in the freezer to thicken so why do I also have to churn it in a frozen bowl for awhile? Upon discussing with a colleague, the conclusion was the churning is necessary or the mixture will just become a solid brick. So I don't have an ice cream maker so I thought if I just stirred it out of the freezer every once in awhile, that would work.

Well, I ended up with a solid brick. So I recommend an ice cream maker if you're following this recipe because the flavor is all there and is amazing but you need the machinery to make the texture right.

This recipe is from Joy the Baker's second cookbook, Homemade Decadence, which has an entire section devoted to delicious and unique ice cream flavors. Egg yolks and brown sugar are whisked together in a medium bowl. Pumpkin puree and all the flavors of fall (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger) are cooked in a small saucepan to soften the pumpkin. These are both set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heavy cream and milk are heated together. You want the milk to be just under boiling point. The cream mixture is then poured through a mesh strainer. This step miffed me at first because we aren't making any berry ice cream so don't need to catch seeds. But when the milk and cream cook, you get some curdling and the strainer is to catch those cooked pieces so you have a nice creamy ice cream. So use the strainer.

Then pour the milk and cream mixture into the eggs and sugar mixture, whisking and stirring as you go. The last piece is mixing in the pumpkin with all those spices mixed in. Important: use your ice cream maker to complete this process, following its instructions. This most likely entails pouring in the maker, letting it circulate for a bit and then freezing overnight in a bowl before serving.

For a bonus, you can add some ginger snaps to it for some extra crunch or even stir in some chocolate chips. Confirmed: it tastes just like pumpkin pie.

Recipe

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk

1. In a small saucepan, stir together the pumpkin puree and spices. Allow the pumpkin to start bubbling a little bit. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and brown sugar. Also set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream and milk. Stir together over medium heat until just below boiling. The milk mixture will begin to steam.
4. Pour the milk mixture through a strainer into a medium bowl. There will be some curds that are caught by the strainer, resulting in a spongy waste. You won't need this stuff.
5. Allow the milk mixture to cool slightly before adding the egg-sugar mixture. Whisk to combine.
6. Stir the pumpkin into the medium bowl and combine completely.
7. Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker (likely something along the lines of adding the batter to the ice cream churner bowl, churn, freeze overnight etc.).
8. You can add some crumbled ginger snaps or chocolate to this for extra decadence. Serve in abundance. 

Cherry Ice Cream

We are quickly approaching a difficult juncture: the split between summer and fall. For the fall-fanatics, good news: pumpkin beer is back! For the summer-lovers, good news: pumpkin spice lattes aren't back until after Labor Day! As always happens, this summer went by far too quickly. I never wrote out my official summer bucket list but I feel like not enough beach trips happened and I didn't make it to the cape. But I did make some ice cream, so there's that.

Before the return of cider donuts and pumpkin everything, let's enjoy some homemade ice cream, one more time. To make it extra-summery, let's use some summer fruit: cherries! Apparently these are already becoming a scarce commodity. So sad.

I want to try this ice cream again with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream but we're using a whole lotta thick dairy today. Sour cream, heavy cream and condensed milk are our dairy of choice. Cherries and sugar are simmered with a touch of Amaretto and a split vanilla bean (we're getting fancy). This mixture is then added to our dairy in a large bowl, stirred to pink perfection.

I have mixed feelings about ice cream makers. I'm not sure what is meant to happen when I pour my ice cream base into the frozen bowl of a Kitchen Aid mixer and let it churn. Does it get thicker? Does it look like ice cream? I end up freezing the mix for a day anyways, why can't I just put it directly in the freezer? I probably could but for directions' sake, use your ice cream maker. Or just stick your mix in the freezer and serve the next day.

Regardless, this is very creamy. You can taste the sour cream but not in a weird way, in a surprisingly tart manner.

Recipe
from Not Without Salt

• 1 pound pitted cherries, cut into pieces
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 cup of sugar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt
• 2 Tablespoons of Amaretto liquor
• 1 can condensed sweetened milk
• 1 16 ounce container of sour cream
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. I used a cherry pitter aka: cherry guiatine to remove the pits. Place the pitted/diced cherries in a saucepan with the vanilla bean, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Simmer over medium heat and bring a low boil for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the Amaretto. Also remove the vanilla bean pod. Set aside to cool.
3. While the fruit is cooling, combine the condensed milk, sour cream and heavy cream in a large bowl. I found it easiest to use a whisk for this process. 
4. Once the fruit mixture has cooled, stir into the milk-sour cream-heavy cream mixture. This is where you get a pretty pink yogurt feel.
5. Now, if you're feeling adventurous, pour into a container and freeze. If you have an ice cream maker, churn the mixture according to the machine's instructions and freeze overnight. I found that's how long it took to set completely but you could serve sooner if you'd like.

Banana & Fluffernutter Ice Cream

I was a peanut butter and jelly kid. There was no marshmallow or fluff involved and Nutella wasn't even on my radar until high school. The kids I babysat were a fan of peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches though and I got brownie points for adding extra mallows but rarely did I enjoy these sandwiches myself.

Last week, I saw this video on how to make ice cream from a frozen banana. Here's the thing: it's just a frozen, mashed banana--not ice cream. But I'm willing to trick my brain into thinking that a frozen, mashed banana with toppings is ice cream instead of grabbing some Ben and Jerry's (also a valid choice).

In order for this ice cream to work, you need to add things that go with bananas such as chocolate, peanut butter, strawberries--really, what doesn't go with banana? For this example, we're using peanut butter and homemade marshmallow sauce. You thought I would write a post about just blending a banana and calling it ice cream?! For shame. There's a mixer involved, never fear.

 

To make the 'ice cream', blend a frozen banana in a food processor or blender until smooth. You may need to do this a couple of times, pausing to scrape down the banana in between. Once it's blended, add your desired amount of peanut butter. For one banana, I added a heaping spoon (a large spoon, not a tea spoon) of peanut butter to the food processor. Blend again but not too long, you want those nice streaks of peanut butter.

 

Return the mix to the freezer while you make the marshmallow sauce. This is so easy, it's ridiculous. In a small bowl, crack open and separate one large egg. We only want the egg white. Using a hand mixer (you could technically use a whisk but you will be there for a very long time), whip the egg white until you have soft peaks. This means, you can drag the mixing blade through the egg white and they will momentarily keep the shape before fall back into the sea of egg white.

 

Next, add 1 cup (yes an entire cup) of light corn syrup. This will thicken and sticken (v. to make sticky) the sauce. Continue with the hand mixer until the mixture is thick. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Expect a cloud of powder, it's unavoidable. Lastly, you add a dash of vanilla. I feel like in the winter, you could also add a dash of peppermint oil and get fancy.

 

Keep the mixture in the fridge for 7-10 days (this isn't tested yet but I would say that's the longest it will last). It may separate slightly so give it a good whisk with your spoon if that happens.

 

Unlike that time I didn't make marshmallows, this sauce came out great! I added some to the banana-peanut butter ice cream to make streaks of mallow but I've definitely also dumped it on top of real chocolate ice cream.

Recipe for Marshmallow Sauce
(do I need to write out the mashed banana part?)

• 1 egg white portion from a large egg
• 1 cup of light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a small bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the egg white until soft peaks form. You don't want the egg whites to hold their shape yet as you'll be mixing more in the next step.
2. Pour the corn syrup into the bowl with the egg whites and continue to mix until thickened.
3. Gradually add the powdered sugar. The consistency should be sticky and syrupy with all ingredients well incorporated.
4. Add the vanilla and give a quick stir.
5. Top any ice cream or fruit or hot chocolate and enjoy!