Ice Cream Ireland

Following on from the Winter Hot Chocolate, here’s an idea for the holidays - you can create spiced sugar to serve with coffee to your guests and loved ones for the entire holidays.

This was Sean’s idea, and he was going for a variation on a gingerbread taste to create a Christmas Latte (photo above) for our shops. The dark brown sugar makes it really tasty. Of course, as I have said, it could work in any coffee, or could even simply be added to warm milk for those off caffeine.

I am going to suggest all ground spices (as opposed to fresh) so that it will still taste good on New Year’s if you make it in the next week!

Spiced Brown Sugar for Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 500 g dark brown sugar

What to do:

1. Simply combine the spices and the sugar and mix very well.
2. Add to coffee according to taste.

Technorati tags: coffee, spice, sugar, christmas, latte, holiday

  My brother and I sometimes argue about hot chocolate. He likes his made with cocoa, and I like mine with melted chocolate. Cocoa is chocolate with most of the cocoa butter squeezed out, so it’s a powder. Hot chocolates made with unsweetened cocoa are light with a lot of kick (I’ve already given a recipe for Sean’s favourite - our Extreme Cocoa). Hot chocolates made with melted chocolate, are rich and silky (think hot chocolates in Paris and see this recipe).

I started wondering what happened if you joined “light with a lot of kick” (cocoa) with “rich and silky” (melted chocolate). So I made it, and both of us are happy. The recipe is below, and I’ve added a bit of cinnamon for Christmas cheer.

Murphys Hot Melted Chocolate with Cocoa Kick

Ingredients:

• 100 g dark (70%) chocolate
• 40 g pure, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 140 g sugar
• 800 ml milk
• 1/2 teasp cinnamon
• Whipped cream for garnish (optional)
• Orange zest for garnish (optional)

What to do:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave.
2. Mix together the cocoa, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan.
3. Add the milk in small parts, stirring all the time, until it is smooth.
4. Heat to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the warmed cocoa milk to the melted chocolate in small parts, mixing all the time.
6. It will clump at first, but keep adding in small parts until you have a smooth emulsion.
7. Warm to drinking temperature (55C).
8. Garnish with grated chocolate, whipped cream, and orange zest and enjoy!

Six servings.  

Note: If you don’t like cinnamon, leave it away!

Technorati tags: hot chocolate, chocolate, hot, cocoa, recipe

 I spent today in Killarney, where “Christmas in Killarney” is in full swing. I really have to hand it to the South Kerry town - everyone pulls together on such events and the community spirit is immense.

They blocked off Main Street and had food markets and other traders (on again tomorrow and in two weeks time), and there was quite a buzz, in spite of the gales. The festival committee had also set up a charity kitchen/service area, and that’s where I was - giving away ice cream and hot chocolates for charity. And before you say anything - yes, people do eat ice cream in such cold conditions!

A day well spent, and I think I have a new dark hot chocolate (might appeal to Markham), and it certainly was a hit with the crowds, but more on that later…

Technorati tags: Christmas, Killarney, shop, ice cream, Kerry

Wondering how, in rural Ireland, you might get your hands on balsamic vinegar from Osteria Francescana in Modena or some verjus? I found out via Caroline that Anne of Greatfood.ie has launched an Irish Gourmet food store, which you will find here.

Technorati tags: Great Food, gourmet, food, Ireland

 I’ve sent the manuscript with the text for the cookbook off to Mercier! Very exciting. I did include a credit to the bloggers who participated with the Ice Cream Party. Now I just have to finish compiling the photos…

(The above cover, by the way, is just my mock-up, not an actual!)

Technorati tags: cookbook, Mercier Press, ice cream, Irish, publishing

We got a nice little mention in the Style section of today’s Sunday Times. There is a sidebar of chef’s party picks, and Kevin Thornton suggested a 1988 Chateau d’Yqeum, a Sauternes (dessert wine), with our Honeycomb ice cream and a tart tatin. Yum!

I guess I know what I’m going to try for dessert very soon, although I would have to start saving to buy that particular bottle of wine!

 There’s an absolute howler of a storm outside, the first of the winter season. That, being a true escapist, makes me dream of summer and warm climes. When I think summer, I think sorbet, and of all the sorbets we do, I don’t think there is anything better suited to a hot day than lemon lime. So, as I wait for the lastest draft of the book to print, I’ll post a recipe. Maybe a bit of summer thinking will make me feel warm on this, the first day of December!

There are people who like sweet, and there are people who like tart. Lemon lime sorbet is both, but it will definitely appeal to the latter. We like to use the zest (rind) of the fruit as well as the juice.

Murphys Lemon Lime Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 310 g sugar
• 500 ml boiling water
• 4 lemons
• Zest (grated peel) of one lemon
• 3 limes
• Zest of one lime

What to do:

1. Zest the lemon and lime. Set aside.
2. Juice the lemons and limes into a container. Cover and place the container with the juice in the refrigerator.
3. Add the boiling water to the sugar in a heat-proof bowl.
4. Add the lemon and lime zest and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
5. Cover and refrigerate until it is completely cooled.
6. Add the lemon and lime juice.
7. You can leave the zest in, since they are edible and add colour to the ice cream. If you want the ice cream without them, pass the sorbet mix through a sieve to collect and discard them.
8. Freeze using a domestic ice cream maker until it has a semi-solid consistency. This could take up to 20 minutes.
9. Transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze until it is solid.
10. Otherwise, simply place in a covered, freezer-proof container and place in the freezer, stirring every two hours to break up the ice crystals.
11. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw for about 15 minutes before serving.
12. Enjoy it, and if you’re in Ireland, dream of sun.

Technorati tags: lemon, lime, sorbet, ice cream, recipe