Ice Cream Ireland

I hope you find these as cute as I do.

(Thanks Anna, Aisling and Rúna for posing and thanks also to their accomodating parents!)

 I’m delighted to announce a few new suppliers of our ice cream. First of all, our very first supplier North of Galway is Kate’s Kitchen at 3 Castle Street, Sligo. This what Good Food Ireland has to say about them:

It’s very easy to spot Kate’s Kitchen in Castle Street in Sligo town, its old-fashioned black painted frontage, bay windows and distinctive red and gold lettering makes it stand out from its surroundings. And you won’t be disappointed when you go inside this ‘Aladdin’s Cave.’ The shelves are packed with goodies of all kinds, beautifully presented and laid out in an inspired style. The shop was established in 1982 by Kate Pettit and Frank Hopper and since then, has gone from strength to strength in terms of product range, quality and service. As a result, it has become a destination in itself, attracting customers from far and wide. Indeed, no visit to Sligo would be complete without a visit to this gourmet food and wine shop and delicatessen.

We’re would also like to welcome as customers the Country Market, Howth and Aya Sushi Bar in Dublin.   

 People in our Killarney shop always ask where to eat, and one of the places I suggest is the Garden Bar at the Park Hotel.  

I’m not usually a fan of hotel food - usually there are much better options to be had.

However, not only is there a great vibe - plush yet very relaxed and comfortable, but the food is just as cozy - I had their take on fish and chips recently and the latter came wrapped in newspaper, and it was one of the best and most enjoyable lunches I’ve had for a while.

Parents take note: it seems very child-friendly as well!

Technorati tags: Killarney, Park Hotel, garden bar, lunch, Kerry

 For those of you lucky enough to be in or around Dublin, there’s a chocolate festival on in Temple Bar the 25th-27th July. How I wish I could be there! I’d bring along some of our chocolate sorbet… More details here.

Technorati tags: chocolate, festival, Temple Bar, Dublin

 There’s an article on us by Georgina Campbell as well as some recipes from the book in today’s Irish Independent magazine. You can see the article here…

 Here’s a bit of breaking news:

I’m delighted to announce that a group of us have secured funding for the 1st Annual National Irish Food Awards (Blas na hÉireann), to be held in Dingle during the Food and Wine Festival. The awards will be open to Irish food producers (except sponsors like me) and will be a way of recognising the talents in this country. Entries will have to be commercially available.

I will post more as we get up the website and tighten up the dates and rules of entry…

Technorati tags: food, awards, Irish, Dingle

 While Amazon keep frustrating us by listing our book as “out of stock,” I’ve just been told that Eason’s is offering 10% off, when you buy it on-line (here)… You can also pick order it from Mercier or Hugh’s and Hugh’s (or support your local bookshop and buy it locally (in Ireland).

If anyone has any ideas of how to convince Amazon to stock a book, I’d love to hear it…

Technorati tags: cookbook, Book of Sweet Things, ice cream

There’s a little piece on us in today’s Independent. You can read it online here.

 Here’s another recipe from the book, and it’s one of my favourites. I tasted it first at an ice cream shop in Boston, and I didn’t expect to like it half as well as I did. Now, as I play around with the ice cream and learn more about chemistry, I know that the tannins in tea cut sweetness. Earl Grey tea generally has a mix of different black teas, including Darjeeling and China tea, but it is the bergamot that really make it distinctive. If you want an adult ice cream that will surprise your guests, this is one to try. It’s especially fantastic with a chocolate cake!

EARL GREY (TAE) ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

• 130g + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 240 ml cream
• 250 ml milk
• 6 Earl Grey tea bags or the loose leaf equivalent.

What to do:

1. 1. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.
2. Bring the milk to a simmer.
3. Add the tea and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bring back to a low simmer, stir, and remove the tea bags.
5. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
6. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
7. Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
8. Immediately remove from the heat.
9. Transfer the custard into a small container, cover, and refrigerate until cool (5C).
10. Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks - don’t over-whip).
11. Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
12. Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, or cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours to break up the ice crystals.
13. If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.

Yield: 8 servings

Note:

To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though, and keep stirring! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool

Technorati tags: Earl Grey, tea, ice cream, recipe