Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream:

For the Ice Cream: 

Ingredients: 

¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa powder

⅓ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar

pinch salt (oops. Forgot this.)

2 cups Half & Half

½ TBSP vanilla extract

For the Cookie Dough: 

½ package Nestle Toll House cookie dough

    (I used Ultimates Turtle Cookie Dough)

Powdered sugar.

Cut the dough into small pieces.

Roll into little balls (pea to marble size).

Coat in powdered sugar to keep separate.

Freeze for at least an hour before using.

Directions: 

·         Mix the ice cream ingredients together. Alternate stirring and waiting (no cooking, no cooling) every few minutes until the sugar dissolves (might take 20 minutes).

·         Load it into your ice cream maker and fire it off.

·         When you’re just about ready to take it out of the machine, drop in the cookie dough balls, one at a time, letting them mix evenly into the ice cream.

·         Freeze for an hour or two (or more) before eating.

First Sourdough Bread

TRADITIONAL SOURDOUGH BREAD

Here’s a good theory. This is what it's supposed to be like. 

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups fresh sourdough starter

3 1/3 cup flour

1 to 1 1/2 cups water

Scant tablespoon salt

Instructions:

Mix sourdough starter, flour, and salt together. Add 1 cup water, then more as needed to make a moist bread dough.

Knead dough until it passes the “window pane test.” That is, a small piece of dough will stretch between four fingers thin enough to allow light to pass through without breaking.

Split the dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf.

Place in a loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inches), proofing basket, or on a board. Cover lightly with a towel and proof 4-24 hours. While a second proofing period is not required, if desired, punch dough down after 4-12 hours, reshape, and proof again.

Slice an X shape in the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife or razor blade to allow the loaf to expand during baking without splitting in unexpected places.

Bake at 400°F for 30-60 minutes, depending on loaf size, or until the internal temperature reaches 190° to 210°F.

Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bottom or side of the loaf.

Cool before slicing.

Here’s my first real-world experience with Sourdough:

Ingredients:

A big batch of fresh sourdough starter (this was pretty moist).

Lots more flour: a couple of cups at least.

1 to 1½  TBSP water

Oops. Forgot the salt. Need to remember the salt.

Instructions:

Mix sourdough starter and a cup or two of flour together in a blender with a bread hook. Add a tiny bit of water because everybody knows you add water to a dough.

Knead dough and keep adding flour trying to thicken the dough. It kept getting thicker, but never formed the ball I’m used to; this was stickier than oobleck.

Split the dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf.

I used a loaf pan; buttered the pan lightly. Not going to do that again. I covered the sticky dough with plastic wrap and let it rise on the warm back porch for 10+ hours. It raised nicely, but when I removed the plastic wrap, it tore the top off the loaf, and the remainder fell an inch or so.

I baked at 375°F for 40 minutes, one at a time, in the toaster oven. Sprinkled some flour on the second one. Didn’t help.

Results: Meh. I wasn’t impressed. The flavor surely needed the salt, and the crust (all sides) was rock hard while the inside was kind of spongy. Came out of the pan nicely, though.

Next time:

• Remember the Salt.
• Don't chicken out on adding flour and water: work pretty hard to get this to “bread consistency.”
• Forget the loaf pan. Use a flat tray: shred bread.
• Bake it hotter. 425° - 450°. Maybe bake in the barbecue.
• Use some whole wheat or rye flour. White is boring. 

Basil Custard Ice Cream

We first tasted basil ice cream in a castle in Germany. We had to have more! So I found some recipes and combined them.

Here’s the theory:

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

½ cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

½ cup well-chilled heavy cream

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

an ice cream maker

PREPARATION

Bring milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, then remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender (reserve saucepan) and blend until basil is finely ground, about 1 minute.

Beat together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. 

Add milk mixture in a stream, beating until combined well. Pour mixture into reserved saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 175°F on thermometer (do not let boil).

Immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir until cold, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in cream and freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

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Now here’s what I actually did. The result was delicious, but it was yellow (from the yolks), not green!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups half & half

½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

½ cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

1½ cups more well-chilled half & half

PREPARATION

Bring milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, then turn heat down and let it simmer 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor (save the saucepan) and blend until basil is finely ground, about 1 minute.

Beat together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with a whisk until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Add some of the milk mixture in a stream, beating until combined well.

Pour mixture into reserved saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon (do not let boil). Warning: this may be quick. Taste regularly to make sure it’s yummy. Add the rest of the half & half. Taste some more.

Refrigerate the mixture for half an hour or so. Freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least an hour.

Results: Really, really good.

Serving Suggestions:

·         Grille some nectarines (perhaps in a honey/cayenne rub?), and serve with the ice cream.

·         Sprinkle fresh raspberries on top, maybe a sprig of fresh basil beside.