All I want for Christmas…

 I certainly have the toy I want for Christmas, and it’s not even December. That photo above is our brand new chocolate tempering machine. It’s a chocoholic’s dream.

The machine takes the bother out of tempering chocolate so that you can melt and form chocolate that it is glossy and has a good snap. It’s possible to temper by hand, but this is much easier.

Needless to say, there’s lots we can do with tempered chocolate, from decorations for ice cream cakes to making our own chocolate chips.

I must run now, the chocolate is melting!

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Matcha (Green Tea) Ice Cream

 Although I love green tea, I’m not sure that I’m really a fan of matcha. We had a request from a restaurant to make matcha ice cream, however, and we went to work. For green tea ice cream (or as a hot drink), I prefer using a green tea leaves, since the flavours are more complex and delicate, and I have a recipe for that here.

That being said, if you’ve had green tea ice cream in a Japanese restaurant and loved it, it’s almost certain it would be made with matcha. It’s a very different ice cream, more earthy with more kick, and I can understand why many people prefer it. Just so you know, matcha is usually quite strong, so I don’t add a huge amount. The strength could well vary, depending on the matcha you buy, so as always, use your tastebuds and if you want to add more, do so!

Here’s our version:

Murphys Matcha Ice Cream

Ingredients:

  • 130g sugar
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 240 ml cream
  • 220 ml milk
  • 5 g matcha

What to do:

  1. Put the milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
  2. Remove from the heat.
  3. Mix the matcha with the sugar until there are no lumps.
  4. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together.
  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.
  13. You can also just cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours.
  14. 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.

Notes:

  1. To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool.
  2. For our regular green tea ice cream, I like to add crystalised ginger, so do so if you wish (add it when you’re freezing).
  3. In case you’re having trouble finding matcha in Ireland, we bought our’s from the Espresso Warehouse.  

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WiFi in Killarney

I’m happy to announce that we’re now offering free WiFi to customers in our Killarney shop. So, if you’re a visiting blogger, business person on the road, or a tourist with a laptop and the need for broadband, come in for an ice cream or a coffee and ask for the password!

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Hope

I hate to bring politics onto these ice cream pages, but I feel I must write a few lines just expressing the relief and hope for the future after last night’s election results in the US.

As someone born in NY, I was raised on hope and dreams – that people can make a difference, that one can succeed in life on merit, that the U.S. is fundamentally good. There have been serious questions  raised about all of those under the out-going administration. 

I don’t believe by any stretch that all problems will be solved with Obama as President, but I do feel this election will bring about real change in terms of what people (both in- and outside the US) believe is achievable, and that is a very, very good start.

Murphys Buttermilk Waffles

 We’ve received our commercial waffle maker, and today we launched waffles in our Killarney shop. Customers seem well pleased!

I promised a recipe, so here it is – one from my mother – with the substitution of buttermilk for regular milk, which I find makes them even tastier. We serve them with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, but there are countless ways to enjoy waffles!

If you’re looking for a waffle maker in Ireland, Brown Thomas has a good Cuisinart one for 79 euros. Lidl had a special on waffle makers last week (20 euro, but the waffles come out pretty thin) and might have a few still kicking around. 

Sophia’s Buttermilk Waffles

Ingredients:

  • 225 g flour
  • 1.5 teasp baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 70 g butter, cut into small pieces
  • 350 ml buttermilk
  • 1/2 teasp salt
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teasp cinnamon
  • 1/2 teasp vanilla

What to Do:

  1. Sift the dry ingredients, except for the sugar, together. 
  2. Separate the eggs.
  3. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat together. 
  4. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
  5. In a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the butter and buttermilk, stirring all the time, until the butter melted. Do not overheat!
  6. Pour the buttermilk and butter into the dry ingredients, stirring until somewhat smooth. 
  7. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and stir until incorporated. 
  8. Gently fold in egg whites
  9. Cook according to the instructions of your waffle maker.

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Another Ice Cream Cat?

 My brother lives in Ballymore, which is between Dingle and Ventry and quite isolated, and we used to share the house before he married. One day, a utterly malnourished and distressed ginger kitten turned up in the driveway, and we managed to keep him alive and nurse him to health.

I have him now, and he’s Gatsby, the ice cream cat. Ivan, the ice cream dog, adored him, and they used to share a bed much to the amazement of visitors (Ivan is a massive beast) until I moved into a separate house.

A couple years passed, and a second malnourished ginger kitten arrived. My aunt has that one. Now, there’s a third. Una, my little niece, wants to call him “Chi Chi.”

One really has to wonder what’s going on. Is Ballymore the place to dispose of ginger kittens?

In any case, Ivan is absolutely delighted to have a new feline companion. The poor kitten, although doing well, is seriously in danger of being licked to death. I think the poor thing needs some ice cream…

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Sweet and Scary

 Christophe, our ice cream maker, was playing around with meringues the other day, and he came up with these little ghosts for Halloween. I think they are very cute. They could be used for decoration, if you don’t eat them straight away.

I’ve been giving them out now and then over the weekend to select customers in our shops, and they have gotten a great reception.

If you want to make them, use the meringue recipe here. Christophe used a piping bag with a large, plain tip to form the ghosts. You could also use two spoons. He then used some cocoa to darken the meringue for the decoration, piping it with the smallest tip.

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Up the Walls

 If you’re coming down to Kerry this October holiday, here’s a hot tip: Play at Height, Dingle’s climbing wall, is getting rave reviews from locals and visitors alike.

It’s attracting climbers from Kerry and beyond who want to do a bit of training, as well as adrenaline junkies and families looking for ways to entertain the little ones, especially when the weather is grim.

Helmets, harnesses, and instruction are all included in the price of entry, and there’s even an outside playground as well as a play area for the really little ones.

In case you’re wondering, that’s Murphys Ice Cream alumnus Cian above, and he’ll take good care of you.

Here are the details:

Play at Height, Baile na Buaile, Daingean Uí Chúis, Co Chiarraí.   Tel: 066 9152822