White Pine Infused Frozen Treats and Happy New Year

  

In Iran the new year, Nowruz or Norooz or many other spellings, is celebrated on the first day of Spring which is a tradition that hails partly from ancient Zoroastrianism. It is a celebration of renewal and fresh starts much like the Jan. 1 New Year celebrations, but with a heavy dose of cosmic energy, lots of feasting, and some wonderful cultural celebrations. If you are curious about the celebration, check out this link and man, those Zoroastrians were super fascinating people. Now what does this have to do with white pine ice cream? Not much really, except hopefully the first day of spring will bring us all warmer temperatures, more sunlight and the first edible signs of spring: asparagus, peas, greens, and my very favorite rhubarb so we don't have to make ice cream out of trees. I kid, these ice cream and sorbet recipes are actually pretty great.

White pine has a surprisingly citrusy flavor, bright and earthy at the same time, but I can't say that I ever thought of white pine as a food before I started foraging with my friend Tama who shared the white pine and rosemary ice cream recipe on her blog. I loved the flavor of this ice cream so much that I went ahead made a tart meyer lemon sorbet infused with a hefty dose of white pine. It made for a fresh and crisp counterpoint to the rich ice cream. Check out both recipes below and for more pine info check out this great article on Serious Eats by Tama Matsuoka, forager extraordinaire.

Happy Nowruz!

White Pine and Rosemary Ice Cream

yield about 1 quart

adapted from Gramercy Tavern and Meadows and More

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 ounce rosemary stalks (about 2 large stalks)

3/4 ounce white pine sprigs (needles and small branches)

1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

4 egg yolks

Combine milk, cream, rosemary sprigs and pine sprigs in a large pot. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat. Let the mixture infuse for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Strain the infused cream into a clean pot and press gently on the solids to squeeze any additional liquid. Whisk in the sugar, salt and lemon zest.

Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer then ladle about 1 cup of the mixture into the egg yolks to temper. Pour the egg and cream mixture back into the pot and whisk well to combine.

Cook the mixture on medium low heat while stirring constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Remove the soft ice cream to a freezer safe container and freeze four hours or until firm.

White Pine and Meyer Lemon Sorbet

yield about 1 quart

This recipe includes one tablespoon of an obscure liqueur that I happen to love and keep stocked in my bar, but feel free to substitute a tablespoon of vodka in it's place.

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 cup freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice

3/4 ounce white pine sprigs (needles and small branches)

1 tablespoon finely grated meyer lemon zest

1 tablespoon Douglas Fir Eaux de Vie or vodka

In a small saucepan bring the sugar and water to a simmer. Add the pine sprigs and turn off the heat. Let the syrup infuse for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. After the mixture has infused strain the pine needles.

Whisk the pine infused syrup with with lemon juice, zest and vodka. Cool completely then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Remove the soft sorbet to a freezer safe container and freeze for four hours or until firm.

p.s. I've been taking pottery classes for the last couple of months and it is my new favorite thing! I even made the bowls used in this post. Some more of my handiwork can be found below.

Strawberry Ice Pops Two Ways

I went on a strawberry picking adventure last week and I am going to tell you all about it soon, but in light of the heat wave happening in NYC I thought I should share these super easy ice pops with you right away. This is a slapdash kind of recipe that only takes a few minutes to throw together and because the berries are never heated it truly preserves the fresh flavor of summer's finest. All you have to do is slice up some strawberries and throw them in a blender with some sweetener (any kind you like) and freeze. Then, once you've patiently waited a few hours you'll have the perfect treat to enjoy while sweating out the summer on your stoop or fire escape or back yard if you are really lucky.

More strawberry recipes soon!

Strawberry Vanilla Ice Pops
yield, about 6 depending on the size of your molds

This method would work with any berry that you have laying around so feel free to experiment. The only thing i wouldn't do is put whole pieces of fresh fruit in the pops. It looks pretty, but I find the icy chunks kind of unpleasant to eat.

1 pound strawberries washed and hulled
2-4 Tablespoons sweetener (honey, sugar, maple syrup, or agave) depending on the sweetness of your fruit
juice from 1/2 a lime
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
tiny pinch salt

Slice the strawberries and toss them with the sugar, lime, vanilla, and salt. Let the berries macerate for about 15 minutes then blend the mixture thoroughly. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness if necessary. Strain the mixture to remove the seeds if you like, I didn't bother. Pour into your ice pop molds and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Buttermilk Variation

Add 1/3 cup buttermilk to the blended strawberry mixture then freeze as desired. Alternately, add buttermilk to half of the strawberry mixture and make striped ice pops like these.

Roasted Strawberry and Mascarpone Ice Cream

Phew! It has been a wild couple of weeks over here and I am just coming up for breath. Highlights include: a few days on my first TV set, a couple of trips out of town, shooting for some new clients (!), a trip to the impound lot (doh!), and some of spring's first (and finest) berries. It seems like it is shaping up to be a great year for strawberries around these parts. I only say so because I found quarts of them for a very reasonable price at the Greenmarket last week. I have tentative plans for a strawberry picking adventure in the next few days, which means you should keep your eyes peeled for lots and lots of strawberry recipes around these parts. Have a great weekend everyone, eat some ice cream if you can swing it!

Roasted Strawberry Mascarpone Ice Cream
adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
yield about 1 quart
I've made quite a few of Jeni's ice creams and they have all been killer. The recipe is a bit complicated and you will have to dirty quite a few dishes to put it together, but don't let that hold you back. You will be rewarded with smooth, creamy ice cream packed full of strawberry flavor.

For the Roasted Strawberries

1 pint strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375º

Stem and slice the strawberries, then combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in an 8'' baking pan. Roast for 8-10 minutes or until the strawberries are just softened and releasing their juices. Let the berries cool for a few minutes, then puree them in a blender or food processor. Measure 1/2 cup of puree that will be used in the ice cream and reserve the rest for another use.

For the Ice Cream Base

1 1/2 cups  plus 2 Tablespoons whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca starch
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1. Mix the 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone and salt until smooth.
2. Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan (at least 4 quarts). Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
3. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk the hot mixture into the mascarpone and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in the reserved strawberry puree and buttermilk. Chill the mixture over an ice bath (or in the refrigerator for a few hours) until completely cold.
5. Pour the base into the canister and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Spoon the mixture into a storage container and dollop a few tablespoons of the reserved roasted blueberry puree on top. Gently swirl it into the base, cover the container with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Almond Ice Milk with Strawberry and Rhubarb Salad

This combination of frosty almond milk and tart, fresh rhubarb is raw, gluten free and vegan (for honey eating vegans, of course). I know to some that sounds totally boring, but for as much as I like buttery treats, I also crave a bit of lightness (especially when the weather warms up) and this dessert totally has that going on. I am usually not a fan of the classic strawberry and rhubarb combo, but the pucker of raw rhubarb (still Camille's batch!) is nicely mellowed by the addition of sweet strawberries, a bit of honey, and some fresh mint to make an utterly refreshing, cool, and crisp salad. The almond ice milk is a pretty neutral, granita base that will work well with a number of different fruits and I imagine fresh or roasted stone fruit later in the summer would be delicious here, so feel free to give this recipe your own spin. Oh, and you could certainly make this dessert richer by adding some whipped coconut cream on top (for dairy avoiders) or a bit of whipped cream (for dairy fans).

Almond Ice Milk
yield about 3 cups
I like the bit of texture that adding some almond pulp back in to the ice milk gives the mixture, but if you'd like a smoother icy-treat leave out the pulp. This would also work well with cashews. If you've ever made a granita like this, then you know that it is just about the easiest frozen treat to put together, save the "popsicles" I used to make out of orange juice poured into in ice cube trays and stuck with a stick (tell me you made those when you were a kid too).

5 1/2 ounces raw almonds
24 ounces filtered water (plus more to soak the almonds)
2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
pinch salt

1.  Add almonds to a large container and cover with filtered water. "et the almonds soak for at least 4 hours or overnight then drain the almonds and add the 24 ounces of filtered water and blend thoroughly. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag (a phrase that makes my inner teenager giggle) or through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. If desired, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the nut meat back into the strained milk for texture.
2. Add the sweetener of your choice, vanilla, almond extract and salt to the almond milk and blend to combine.

3. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Taste the mixture and if you find it to be not sweet enough add in a bit more sweetener and stir to dissolve. Cover the dish with plastic.
3. Slide the dish into the freezer and chill for 1hr. Remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the milk with a fork to break up the crystals, cover and place back in the freezer. Scrape the milk every 30min or so until it is frozen and crystals have formed.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Salad
yield about 2 cups
This salad is sweet-tart and utterly refreshing thanks to a dose of fresh mint.

2 medium stalks rhubarb
1 pound strawberries
2 Tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup(or more to taste)
3 Tablespoons mint leaves, thinly sliced

Dice the rhubarb and strawberries into 1/4-1/2'' pieces small and even pieces are key here. Toss the chopped fruit and honey gently to combine. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes and taste. The fruit should soften slightly and release some of it's juices. Adjust sweetness if necessary then add in the sliced mint right before the salad is served.

To Serve

Layer the ice milk and the rhubarb and strawberry salad in clear glasses. Top with fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately. Try not to spill mint leaves all over the place like I did, what was I thinking ;)

Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet with Rose Cream

When Spring finally arrives every year I don't get worked up about ramps or spring onions when they hit the market. I enjoy sunshine and magnolia blooms and dogwood trees and cherry blossoms just as much as the next gal, but the only thing I really get excited about every May is rhubarb. It is my very favorite vegetable disguised as fruit to cook with and it is so welcome after a long winter of apples and pears.



We get plenty of delicious rhubarb in NYC, but I can never seem to find locally grown barb that is as vibrant in color as the stuff I used to find in the Northwest. I hear it is because those deep red plant starts are hard to find in the Northeast, but thanks to an online friend turned real-life friend I recently found myself with a glut of the most perfectly rosy red stalks of homegrown rhubarb. Camille to the rescue! With gorgeous rhubarb! Maybe I'll just have to keep my eye out for a deep red rhubarb start next time I am visiting my family to bring back with me.

This year, to start off my rhubarb extravaganza (and there will be an extravaganza) I bring to you this wonderfully complex dessert that is surprisingly simple to put together. It is cool and tart, floral and herbal, creamy and sweet all in one. If I was Southern I might say, y'all gotta try this one. Instead I will say, seriously you guys, if you have an ice cream machine this should be the first thing you make with it this Spring.

If you peek over at the sidebar you may notice something new and very exciting. I am so happy to announce that this here blog was featured as one of Saveur's Sites We Love. You can check out the post here.

Oh, and sorry for the extended break between my last post. I'll be back soon, with more rhubarb! More rhubarb recipes from the archives of this blog can be found here.

Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet with Rose Cream

Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet 
yield, roughly one quart
The herbal flavor of gin complements the sweet-tartness of this rhubarb sorbet wonderfully and the small amount of alcohol makes the frozen sorbet perfectly scoopable. If you don't like gin, feel free to substitute vodka or leave the booze out entirely for a more family-friendly treat. Just make sure to thaw the sorbet for a few minutes before scooping.

8 ounces water
7 ounces granulated sugar
1 lb rhubarb stalks, the rosiest red ones you can find, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons lime juice (or the juice of one juicy lime)
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons gin, plus a bit more to serve (I used Hendrick's)

1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan and heat on medium high, stirring occasionally until  the sugar dissolves. Add in the rhubarb and simmer until the rhubarb is very tender and beginning to fall apart, about 10 minutes.
2. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Add in the lime juice and corn syrup. Chill thoroughly.
3. Just before churning, stir in the gin. Freeze the chilled mixture in an ice cream machine, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Store in the freezer in an airtight container.

Rose Cream
The soft perfume of rose water goes beautifully with tart rhubarb sorbet, but if you don't like the idea of flowers in your food feel free to leave it out. The sorbet is wonderful on its own. For vegan rose cream, try whipping chilled coconut milk. Instructions can be found on this post from the archives.

4 ounces chilled heavy cream
4-8 drops rose water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (vanilla sugar if you have it)

Whip the cream to soft peaks then add in the sugar, followed by the rose water (one drop at a time) until desired flavor is reached.

To Serve

Top scoops of sorbet with a few drops of chilled gin and a spoonful of rose cream.

Rhubarb Lime Granita

Granitas are a favorite in my arsenal of summer treats because they are such a cinch to put together; take some fruit, add water and sweetener, spice it up if you feel like it, then throw it in the freezer. Done. This one does require you to turn on the stovetop, but only for a few minutes. I hope you don't mind. You will be rewarded with a frozen treat that is bright and tart and the prettiest share of pink and is absolutely delicious with a splash of prosecco on top or maybe with some tequila and a sprinkle of salt? I've heard rhubarbaritas are mighty fine.  

Rhubarb Lime Granita

12 ounces water
1 pound rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1/2'' pieces
3.75 ounces sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
zest and juice of one lime
pinch salt

1. Add the water, rhubarb, sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pod to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the rhubarb is very soft and begins to fall apart.
2. Strain the mixture through a medium sieve into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, pressing gently to extract as much juice as possible. Remove the vanilla bean and save for another use, save the rhubarb solids too. They are great over yogurt. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the salt. Taste the mixture and if you find it to be too tart, add in a bit more sugar and stir to dissolve. Cover the dish with plastic.
3. Slide the dish into the freezer and chill for 1hr. Remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the granita with a fork to break up the mixture, cover and place back in the freezer. Scrape the granita every 30min or so until it is frozen and crystals have formed. To serve: Spoon the granita into small dishes and top with a squeeze of lime and a splash of tequila, champagne, cava or prosecco if you are feeling festive.

Honeyed Grapefruit Granita

You'll have to excuse the me for publishing this recipe today, you're probably looking for something a little more heart shaped, red velvety or made of chocolate. Well I'm sorry to say that I can't offer you anything like that. What I do have is this bright, tart, and dead easy to put together dessert which is a nice way to top off a hearty meal like the one you may be cooking for your loved one(s) tomorrow. For this batch of granita I used grapefruit that were labeled pink, but as you can see the finished batch was decidedly pale yellow. Try using texas ruby red grapefruit or a splash of hot pink Campari in your granita if you'd like a more pink finished product.

Are you all cooking tomorrow? What are you making, I still need some ideas!

Honeyed Grapefruit Granita
yield about 1 1/2 pints

1/2c sugar
1/2c water
1/4c mild honey
2c fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
juice of one lemon
mint leaves and grapefruit segments to garnish (optional)
sparkling wine to serve (optional)

1. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil to make a simple syrup. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and chill the mixture. Measure 2/3c of the finished chilled syrup, you may have a bit extra that you can save for a cocktail or to sweeten iced coffee.
2. In a medium bowl, add the simple syrup, honey, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice. Whisk well to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Slide the dish into the freezer and chill for 1hr. Remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the granita with a fork to break up the mixture, cover and place back in the freezer. Scrape the granita every 30min or so until it is frozen and crystals have formed.
3. To serve: Spoon the granita into small dishes and top with fresh grapefruit segments, mint leaves, and a splash of champagne, cava or prosecco if you are feeling festive.

Notes:

-If you have an ice cream machine, you can churn this mixture into a delicious sorbet.

Peach Sorbet with Frangelico

See you guys, I told you I loved peaches. They were on sale this weekend so I picked up few too many pounds (as is my custom) with the intention of cooking up some ginger-peach butter, but then it got too hot and I couldn't muster the courage to stand in front of the stove stirring hot jam for a few hours. So sorbet it was! This refreshing sorbet has been my go-to dinner party dessert all summer, and as long as I've remembered to freeze the canister of my ice cream machine it is so easy to put together. I love using a little nip of booze in my sorbets and have somehow amassed a drawer full of little bottles (thanks mom!). This time I chose Frangelico which is a hazelnut liqueur but I imagine it would be mighty tasty with Amaretto, Chambord, Kirsch, or Bourbon.

Peach and Frangelico Sorbet
Adapted From David Lebovitz's, The Perfect Scoop
2lbs ripe peaches
2/3c water
3/4c sugar
1t lemon juice
2T Frangelico or other liqueur (optional, but tasty)

1. Pit and chop the peaches, but don't bother peeling them. Cook them with the water in a medium saucepan until they are soft and cooked all the way through.
2. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the sugar. Cool the mixture to room temperature then blend thoroughly in a blender or food processor, I used my immersion blender for this step. If there are any large bits of peel remaining, fish them out. Stir in the lemon juice and liqueur and chill thoroughly.
3. Freeze the chilled mixture in your ice cream machine, following manufacturer's instructions. Store in the freezer in an airtight container.

Notes:
- Try a scoop of this sorbet topped with champagne or prosecco for an amazing, Bellini inspired dessert.
- I've also made this with white peaches and they make the loveliest pink sorbet, as pictured here.