My New Toy

So much to tell you that I don't know where to begin! Although, the start seems like a good place, so here I go. First, a couple of weeks ago, we finally broke down and bought a new laptop. The old one that I had was humming and whirling something fierce all the time and aside from whirling madly, had very little disk space left. While trying to delete all rarely used files and programs, I apparently removed the sound card. I don't know how a laptop could allow me to do such a thing, but C got on the computer after my "fixing" and there was no sound. Poop. After going through every Best Buy, Staples, Future Shop, and any other electronics flyer that can our way for a few weeks and diligently checking website sales, we decided on a laptop. We hemmed and hawed for likely over an hour in the same Future Shop aisle while salesmen flitted around, stopped every 10 minutes or so to ask if we needed any help. We finally chose the Acer that we had gone there for over the HP that we were distracted by once getting there since it cost less for more meat. I am typing on it now, and it's pretty good. I'm not used to the format yet, but we also have no programs loaded on it. So, this is my second blog from this new computer and I'm getting used to the keyboard still. 

Last night, C and I went to the Pal. For those of you unfamiliar, this is a local bar that I believe has been around for over 60 years. Quite a feat considering the average lifespan of bars downtown is about 2 stabbings. I know that sounds terrible but every time there is more than one serious altrication in or outside a nightclub in our city, the club closes down, then reopens under a new name a month later, as if now somehow all of the problems have been solved and the slat has been wiped clean of all discretions. The Palamino has a live band and a huge mix of people. The age range is about 17 to 50, with local cougars donning their traditional mating garb of animal print bustiers and hairsprayed coifs, hunting in packs and picking off the weaker or more ignorant members of the young tribes. Drinks flow freely, dancing is clustered on a small packed and sweaty dance floor near the back of the building. Men eye up potential companions as they saunter or shove their way through the crowds, unsuccessfully keeping the liquid in their glasses as they go. One of my good friends was entering a new decade and decided to ring it in with some drinking and dancing. My husband and I haven't been to the bar in ages but after a pep talk to myself in the mirror, a short tight and sparkly dress with heels and some coffee, we were off. We stuck by each other's sides once we got there, chatting to my extremely happy and bubbly lubricated friend. I was having a great visit and when she realized that it was time to replace some of the alcohol in her blood with water, we went to get her a bottle at the bar and my husband requested a vodka seven. This would have been fine, except last weekend, we took our wedding rings and my engagement ring into the jewler to get rhodium plated and I still had neither back. You think it's hard convincing a guy hitting on you that you're married and at the bar, but try doing it without your wedding rings! We all survived the night, having a memorably fun evening, and went to bed much later than we usually do.

The next morning, we woke up late, made breakfast, then finally got around to starting to wire our basement. We have a brand new red washer and dryer set, but they aren't running since we don't have the electrical done down there. We've been doing laundry runs split between our parent's places but they are definitely tiring of our visits with smelly clothes. So, today, we started with the lighting. Here comes the bad part. I bent down to rest one of the cardboard boxes on the ground and tweaked my back. I've been hobbling around like a much slower moving witch from Snow White. Doing normal activities is painful and I almost got stuck holding grocery bags in the backyard in the snow since suddenly the pain got too bad while I was walking and had to stop moving. I managed to still cook dinner for us and C's MMA coach and friend but now I am sitting on the couch in a semi-comfortable position, unable to get up. Forced blogging, the best kind.

My real story about this post starts at least a month ago. I am so behind. For those of you that don't know my, my MO when it comes to buying certain things for myself is that if it is $40 or more, I will debate the purchase for as little as 2 weeks and as long as 8+ years (NARS blush in Orgasm, for instance, has still not been purchased since my reading about it in a fashion magazine in my teens). In this case, I had been eyeing a waffle cone maker for at least 6 months. I had it saved on Amazon in my Wishlist but I was holding off (for what, I have no idea). Finally an opportunity through work presented itself and I was allowed to buy myself a gift. I chose the waffle cone maker. Chef's Choice, in all its glory, arrived at my office one afternoon, like an early Christmas. I was beyond excited and couldn't wait to get this baby home and heated up!

Chef's Choice waffle cone maker

The chrome coloured small appliance was put together as I had expected and I carefully read through all of the instructions before plugging it in. The waffle cone maker had to be heated and oiled once before its first use.

Its first exposure outside of its box

 The iron came with a small booklet which explained the units care but also contained 3 or 4 recipes for waffle cone batter. i read through each one and decided on the basic gourmet recipe. For my first attempt, I would make the recipe according to the instructions, unaltered. Then, after rating the taste, texture and crunch, I would decide how to alter it to better suit our preferences. The procedure for making a waffle cone is very simple. The batter is mixed, like a regular waffle batter but much thinner. A small amount is added to the hot griddle and then the lid closed. The waffle cooks for a minute, or until light brown. Immediately following this, the soft but nuclear hot waffle must be taken off the griddle, placed onto a clean dishtowel, and rolled onto the cone form. After burning my fingers multiple times, I started getting the hang of rolling out the cones. if you've ever made a sushi roll, it's much the same principle: the dishtowel take the place of the bamboo mat and the edge of the waffle needs to be firmly pressed down into the cone to make sure it holds its form. The other key is to pinch the end of the cone together when it's hot to seal it, ensuring that once ice cream is scooped in, it doesn't drip out the bottom as it melts. This is where the finger burning is guaranteed.

First ever waffle

 The first cone was made and would be used as the taste judge once it cooled. The cone itself was pretty rudimentary, but would only improve with practice.

First cone, hot off the press

 I started by placing my first cone into a tall glass so that it wouldn't roll off the counter or break as I made the rest. I figured that this would also allow cool air to surround the cone to help it set without steaming itself and getting soft. The thin batter set surprisingly hard and the cone was definitely sturdy enough for a scoop of hard ice cream.

Cone cooling

cone form

The entire batch of cones

 I made an entire batch of cones and tasted the first one. The recipe made 8 cones. The texture was great: firm and crunchy, but the flavor was lacking some punch. I will add vanilla or maple flavoring next time. For company, if I did home made ice cream as dessert, I would consider dipping the tops of the cones in chocolate and rolling them in chopped nuts or confections, just like at an ice cream parlour. 

Ironically, after making the cones, I realized that I didn't have anymore homemade ice cream. Not to be denied tasting the cone with fresh preservative-free ice cream, I decided that if I could enjoy the luxury of homemade comes, I could certainly spend another hour or 2 making ice cream. I browsed through one of the ice cream books and decided on a new version, one that didn't require tempering eggs. Instead, this recipe used skim milk powder as a thickener and corn syrup to give it a silky texture and lower the freezing point (this helps keeps the ice cream soft). Chocolate peanut butter ice cream was the choice for the cones. Rich and creamy flavors should go nicely with the crisp mellow bite of the cone.

Peanut butter melting in whole milk

Cream, cocoa powder, corn syrup

Melted chocolate

Cream being swirled into the chocolate peanut butter mix

Silky velvety smooth peanut butter chocolate ice cream

 Surprisingly, this batch of ice cream was one of my favorites. I actually prefer the corn syrup/powdered milk version to the French style custard ice cream. Well, now that I think about it, I've made a lot of great batches of French style as well, but this type is quicker to make and less fuss. The rich chocolate and peanut butter taste was punctuated by salted peanuts that l chopped and tossed in at the end of the cycle. Only four servings came out of this batch but each one was a creamy sold gold delight. The balance of flavors was outstanding and I definitely need to make this flavor again...in a larger batch...for company. Conclusion: Chef's Choice waffle cone maker = worth the wait and everything I hoped it would be. 

creamy chocolate peanut butter ice cream in homemade waffle cone