Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

With the weather finally warming up, we brought out the ice cream maker once again. What flavor to make . . . why chocolate of course!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions:
Prepare your ice cream maker according to machine directions. Ours requires ice, salt, and a chilled canister.

Combine the milk sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Stir in heavy cream. Place the mixture in your ice cream maker and churn for 1 hour or until the ice cream thickens. 

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Also try:
Red Wine Ice Cream
Going Bananas: Dairy-Free Ice Cream
Chocolate Syrup
Homemade Caramel Sauce 

Edible Chocolate Clay

This was the result of an opps in the kitchen. So I was making chocolate caramel shortbread and I screwed up the chocolate. I meant to make chocolate ganche but instead of heating the whipping cream and pouring it over the chocolate, I melted the chocolate chips and stirred in the room temperature cream. The result: the chocolate seized up and turned into this thick clay-like substance. I decided to just pour melted chocolate over the top of my shortbread bars, but still had to figure out what to do with the chocolate I messed up--there was no way I was going to throw out chocolate. Since Easter is not far off, I molded the chocolate into bunnies, chicks, and nests with eggs. My sculpting skills certainly leave something to be desired, but what I fun thing to do, especially if you have kids!

Ingredients:
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:
Place the chocolate chips in the a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until chocolate is melted (1 minutes, 30 seconds worked for me). Pour in cream and combine. Chocolate will seize (which is usually a bad thing but not in this case). Work seized chocolate into a clay with your hands.

Shape clay into desired shapes. My hands only got a little bit of chocolate on them (which totally surprised me). Store in the refrigerator. Chocolate will harden in the fridge.

I haven't tried this, but I've also seen recipes for edible chocolate clay made with chocolate chips and corn syrup.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Easter Recipes:
Cupcakes Baked Inside An Easter Egg
How to Dye Easter Eggs with Kool Aid
Homemade Cadbury Egg Bark

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Apples are pretty much a staple in our house. I'm not supposed to eat them (allergic) but I do anyways and just suffer the consequences (hives). The other day Eric mentioned that we should buy caramel for the apples next time we go shopping. Silly boy. I could just make him some then and there.

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, chopped into pieces and room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature

Directions:
Pour the sugar into a heavy bottom saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon as the sugar begins to melt. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring. Occasionally swirl the pan, being careful not to splash any of the liquid--sugar boils hotter than water.

*If you're worried about burning the sugar, you can add 1/2 cup water to the pan at the same time you add the sugar. This helps cook the sugar evenly, however it takes much longer because the water has to evaporate before the sugar can caramelize.

As soon as the liquid turns a dark amber color, stir in the butter. Caramel can burn in an stant so if you're new to making caramel, I recommend using a candy thermometer. When it reaches 350 degrees, add the butter. Beware that the mixture will bubble and foam.

Once the butter is incorporated, remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cream, continuously stirring. Again, when you add the cream, the mixture will bubble so be careful. Contine to stir until the caramel is smooth. Allow the sauce to cool in the pan for a couple moments then transfer to a glass jar. Let the caramel cool to room temperature then refrigerate.

*Just a note. If your ingredients aren't room temperature, you risk making your caramel sauce seize (harden up) when you add cold cream to hot sugar. I've seen it happen enough times on the TV show Chopped  to always make sure my ingredients are room temperature.

If you want, when you add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or any other extract at the same time you add the cream. Love salted caramel? Add 1 tablespoon of flaky sea salt after the cream is incorporated. 

So far, Eric hasn't put any caramel on his apples. I have, however, caught him with a spoon in the caramel jar.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Caramel Recipes:
Sea Salt Caramels
Pumpkin Caramels
Short-Cut Caramel Sauce