What a beautiful Sunday. Quiet, relaxed, sunny, and warming up. C and I have been getting into some books (I'm reading Da Vinci Code and C is reading Che, a biography). We are both pretty engrossed in our books and Mrs B, our happy goofy puppy has decided that she'd better get her cuddles when she can. So, first she read with C, and then she slept with me while I read.
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B enjoys reading too |
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Almost as much as she enjoys cuddles and sleeping |
Today is the day, and I was so excited! I had bought all of the ingredients yesterday that I was missing so that today, I could make ice cream! pumpkin pie ice cream, no less! Well, actually, this recipe is vegan and dairy free, but it seemed like a good place to start as I didn't have to make a custard on the stove first, and then an ice bath and yadda yadda yadda. This was really a recipe to break in the ice cream maker. Oh, and I wrongly noted earlier that we got this as a Bridal Shower present, but in fact, we bought this in Fargo, ND right after our wedding (our mini-pre-honeymoon).
The first thing to do was blend all of the ingredients until smooth, except the add-ins. So, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cashews, sugar, all went into the food processor and blended, scraped down the sides, and repeat, until very smooth.
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Ingredients for ice cream |
Next, I added in the can of coconut milk (the recipe advises not using light coconut milk here, so on my first attempt at this, I will listen). Also, I bought some guar gum at Bulk Barn to add. Guar gum seems to be a great ingredient in ice cream as it retards ice crystal growth (nobody likes crystallized ice cream), and is a thickening agent (smoother texture of ice cream). I only needed 1/4 tsp so this bag will last a while...
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Guar gum into the ice cream mix |
Here is the beautiful ice cream maker! The Red Rocket! Well, that was the first name that popped into my head just now. The cylinder drum was frozen overnight to ensure that the mixing process would work. The drum is filled with a freezing liquid that must be completely frozen before starting the ice cream making.
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Red Rocket with the add-ins |
I started prepping the add-ins while the ice cream base was poured into the rotating maker. While the ice cream was churning, I roasted some pecans and smashed up some ginger cookies. About 5 minutes before the ice cream reaches its desired consistency, slowly pour the add-ins into the machine. Be careful that the drum can keep spinning. I had to use a butter knife a few times to ensure that the add-ins kept blending.
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Ice cream, blended and ready for the freezer. |
The ice cream was transferred to a Ziplock container and put in the freezer to get a firmer consistency. As I type this, and C is beside me watching Fringe, I have promised him that after this blog entry, I would get him some ice cream to try. So, I'd better wrap this up...
By the way, here is where I got the recipe.
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Fried onions |
Dinner tonight was an old go-to of ours. Panninis and soup. I fried up some onions while the corn was boiling, and put them, the hummus, hot peppers and cheese into a sandwich. Into a pannini press, pea soup heated up, and dinner is served. Perfect, warm and flavourful.
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Green Pea Soup, corn on cob, pannini |
So, we just tried the ice cream and the verdict is up in the air. The flavour is just like pumpkin pie with a warm spicy holiday flavour, accentuated by the chunks of nuts and cookie. The texture however, is not that of a traditional ice cream. Yes, it's thick and creamy. Although, maybe creamy isn't the right word. There isn't that velvety taste of cream, instead, it's a smooth, more "chewy" texture. It's really hard to describe. Maybe there was a bit too much guar gum? Or maybe it's because this contains no milk fat which changes the properties as well. Perhaps the blended cashews? For a first attempt, this is definitely a yummy pass and tumbs up, but I am definitely going to make my next vogage to the land of real ice cream. Custard base and all. In the meantime, we have a large container of Pumpkin Pie "Ice Cream" in the freezer that I will try to get some more volunteers to taste and give their opinion on :) Happy Sunday!
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Ice Cream Taste Test #1 |
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