Brittany's PantryStrawberry Ice Cream: Summer In A Bowl
Brittany wrote this on 6 May 2011
cream, gluten-free, milk, strawberries
Homemade ice cream. Better yet! Homemade strawberry ice cream!
When I recently found myself with an overabundance of very ripe strawberries, I decided to make ice cream. Is there anything better than homemade ice cream? I am continually thankful for my Mother-In-Law’s gift a few Christmases back: an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid. Yes, they really make them! And nope! I didn’t know they did either! If you are looking for one or just want to see what the heck I am talking about, you can check it out here. The bowl is stored in the freezer and then it just twists into place like a regular mixing bowl. Quite wonderful. And I try and use it as much as I can.
I came across a recipe for strawberry lemonade ice cream that I thought sounded genius. But I was in the mood for the classic. The original. But it had to be the ultimate too. Whose version did I settle on? *sigh* Martha Stewart. Yup. This is her recipe. Rich and custardy (is that a word?) with a ton of strawberries. I like my ice cream super creamy, but with a depth of flavor. A custard base is almost always a must for me; lots of egg yolks to clog the arteries really make it out of this world. Frozen sweet cream isn’t going to cut it!
So here it is. Straight up. No frills. Just the real thing. And it is good. Very good.
Classic Strawberry Ice Cream
Directly from Martha Stewart
8 egg yolks
1 1/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 c skim milk
4 c sliced strawberries
2 c heavy cream
In a medium saucepan whisk egg yolks, 1 c sugar, and salt until blended. Gradually whisk in skim milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and evenly coats the back of the spoon. If you draw your finger across the spoon it will hold the line. This will take about 10 minutes. Longer if you have a stove like mine. But don’t let it boil. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir in cream. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chilled and cold. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Mash 4 cups of sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar and let stand 10 minutes. Add to ice cream as it churns in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 3 months).
Grilled Pork Chops
Brittany wrote this on 5 May 2011 garlic, gluten-free, pork, soy sauce
The first time I ate these my eyes closed and I may or may not have moaned out loud. Six months later I had them again and rolled my eyes, slammed my hand on the table, and demanded the recipe. My best friend laughed and said, “It is so easy! Only a few ingredients.” If I remember correctly, she got the recipe from Taste Of Home but I’m not positive. Where ever it came from it is simply wonderful.
So go forth and break the grill out of that snowbank that I know still lingers with my friends and family in Minnesota. This is the perfect way to usher in warmer weather and make all your neighbors jealous when they smell these on the fire. Don’t be surprised if they mosey over to borrow your hedge trimmer.
Marinated Pork Chops
There is a secret to these. And this secret makes all the difference in the world. You absolutely MUST let them marinate overnight and you will be rewarded with juicy, flavorful pork chops. If you don’t, they are just OK. I have made these with thin, bone-in rib chops (like in the above picture) and also with thick cut, boneless loin chops. Both are equally fantastic.
equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar
chopped garlic
pork chops
I know, right! Ridiculously simple! No fancy spices or additions. Just sweet, salty, and garlic. I usually use about a half cup of each and then a big spoonful of chopped garlic in the jar. Fresh garlic is infinitely better but I am usually throwing this together before I go to bed so…garlic from the jar it is! A couple of pounds of pork chops, a gallon zip top bag, and you are done! Turn the bag a few times so that the flavor is evenly distributed. If you are only making a few chops, start with a few tablespoons of soy sauce and sugar and go from there. Just enough to coat the meat. Scrumptious. Grill over medium high heat until just barely pink in the center, between 165 and 170 degrees.
As I type this I am aware of two things. First of all, yes, I realize that this makes it two lemony recipes in a row. I like lemon flavored things. You are just going to have to deal. Second, is that it has been about a week since I last blogged. My only excuse is that I have been really busy and had out of town company here for a long weekend. My husband and sister ran a half-marathon on Saturday and did such a great job! We celebrated with Black and White Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Ganache, but that is a different recipe for a different day.
The Lemon Chiffon Pie is the dessert I made for Easter and am just now getting around to telling you about it. There are a lot of steps, but none of them are hard, so it went together quite easy. The star of this recipe is the CRUST! When it comes to pie, the crust is usually my least favorite part, but wowzer. This was outstanding. The filling was good on its own, and the crust was good by itself too. But together? The ginger snaps make the crust kind of like a crunchy and chewy cookie that was absolutely outstanding with the lemon pie. One of my new favorite combinations. And we ate it all. Scrumptious!
Lemon Chiffon Pie
Adapted From Bon Appetit
CRUST
1 1/4 c finely ground gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 25 cookies ground in processor)
2 T sugar
5 T butter, melted
FILLING
1/4 c water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3/4 c plus 2 T sugar
3/4 c fresh lemon juice (no substitutes people!)
4 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
1 1/4 c chilled heavy cream
1/4 c powdered sugar
FOR CRUST:
Mix cookie crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until mixture is evenly moistened. Dump mixture into a 9 inch diameter glass pie dish. Press crumbs firmly and evenly onto bottom and up sides to top of dish. I like to use a measuring cup to help shape it (see pic above). Bake at 350 until crust is firm and slightly darker in color, about 8 minutes. Cool crust completely.
FOR FILLING:
Pour enough cold water into medium bowl to come halfway up sides and add 2 cups ice cubes and set aside. Pour 1/4 c water into small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.
Whisk remaining 3/4 c sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, grated lemon peel, and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens very slightly (mixture will coat spoon but will not be thick like curd) about 6 minutes (do not boil). Add gelatin mixture and whisk until gelatin dissolves and mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Place saucepan in bowl with ice water until lemon filling is cool to touch, whisking occasionally. Transfer lemon filling to large bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat cream with powdered sugar in another medium bowl until peaks form. Fold 1/4 of whipped cream into lemon filling until incorporated. Fold in remaining whipped cream in 3 additions. Transfer filling to cool crust, mounding slightly in center. Refrigerate pie until filling is set, about 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.
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Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
