Pistachio Almond Ice Cream Bread

Today I want to share with you one of the most versatile, easy and awesome recipes I've found to date!

I'm all about the easy stuff lately since I'm ready to pop pretty much any day now.

I still have this need to bake, but I can't be on my feet for too long or I get way tired.

So easy recipes like this are freaking awesome! 

I made my first ice cream bread about a month or two ago and I absolutely fell in love.

See...ice cream bread has 2 required ingredients. Ice cream and self rising flour. Yup...that's it!

The flavors are absolutely endless! 

The first time I made it, I used vanilla ice cream and threw in cinnamon chips, coconut and a praline topping. Yes. It was as delicious as it sounds.

My niece has made pumpkin with white chocolate chips and pecans. She also recently made butter pecan ice cream bread.

I think my next ice cream bread will be with coffee ice cream, chocolate chunks and almonds. But I have to have this baby first. LOL!!

Today I'm sharing my current favorite ice cream. Pistachio almond! I love how the bread is green because of the ice cream. However, I forgot I had wanted to sprinkle the top of the bread with cinnamon sugar because I love getting this ice cream in the cinnamon sugar waffle cones. YUM!

So. What kind of ice cream do you love? What are your ideas for making your own ice cream bread? 

Let me show you how easy it is:

Put your flour, semi melted ice cream and any mix ins in a medium mixing bowl. Stir it up until just incorporated.

Pour the "batter" into a prepared 8x4 inch (I only had a 9x5 inch) loaf pan. Bake it up until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let it cool then slice it up and enjoy!! 

Now go forth and create!!! 

Ice Cream Bread

Adapted from The Tale of Two Kitchens

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

• 1 pint (2 cups) semi melted ice cream (any flavor of choice)
• 1 1/2 cups self rising flour
• Assorted mix ins of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pan with baking spray.
2. Stir together flour, ice cream and mix ins in a medium mixing bowl until just combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (there may be a few crumbs), about 40-45 minutes.
5. Allow to cool in the pan about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
6. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Daring Bakers June 2011: Baklava

Okay people! I think I'm losing my mind over here!

Where the heck did Monday go???

I realized last night that it was Monday and that I was supposed to have posted this already.

But alas, Monday escaped me so it is now Tuesday and I'm going to share this awesome recipe with you.

I have loved baklava for many years now and have been considering making it for some time.

However, I never intended to make my own dough!

Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

This recipe was super delicious. As all baklava is to me...

I feel extremely proud of the fact that I finally made this delicious treat...I just wish The Hubble could have been here to enjoy it with me.

I have to say, I will never be making my own phyllo dough again. This was tough. It took a lot of time and was super frustrating. I think I tore just about every piece of the phyllo. Except one...there was ONE piece I didn't rip. But what can you do??

It's about the experience right?? At least I can now say I made phyllo from scratch. Not many people can say that.

I did have to double the dough recipe to get enough to make all the layers I needed. I also had to piece together the trimmings to make more sheets. Either I didn't roll my dough thin enough or...well...I didn't roll my dough thin enough. I got annoyed and figured whatever. I needed three dough recipes to make all the layers...but I made due.

Also, the syrup I made was WAY too much. It didn't quite soak up and I had to pour some of the syrup out at the end. Only half the syrup was needed. I made the adjustments in the recipe I shared below.

No matter what, this was definitely a challenge that I am glad I stepped up to. The baklava was delicious and I'm so thankful to Erica for giving us this great challenge!

Here's what you can do to make your own phyllo and baklava at home! Let's get daring!!

With the paddle attachment of your electric mixer, combine the flour and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the water, oil and vinegar.

With the mixer on low speed, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Mix until a soft dough forms.

Switch to the dough hook and "knead" until a smooth, elastic dough forms; about 10 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball, lightly coat with oil and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Allow to rest 1 1/2-2 hours.

While the dough rests, make the syrup.

And the nut filling. Set both aside.

Cut off a chunk of dough slightly larger than a golf ball. Use whatever means available to roll it out as thin as possible. Once it's as thin as you can get it with the rolling pin, carefully pick it up with well floured hands and stretch on the backs of your hands like pizza dough.

Lay the sheets on a well floured surface, flouring between each sheet. Continue rolling the dough until all the dough is used up.

Trim the dough to fit your pan. Butter the bottom of the pan, place the first layer of phyllo in the bottom of the pan. Butter the phyllo. Continue to layer the phyllo and butter 5 more times.

Then layer with 1/3 of the nut filling. Continue to layer the phyllo and nut layers until all used up.

Tuck the corners of the phyllo into the sides of the pan to look nice.

Cut into the shapes you desire.

Bake, cut then bake some more.

When the baklava is done baking, pour the cooled syrup over the hot dough, it will crackle. Let it sit overnight to soak up the syrup.

Serve and enjoy!!!


Apricot Baklava

Printer Friendly Version


Phyllo Dough
Retrieved from The Daring Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup, minus 1 Tablespoon, water, plus more if needed
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for coating the dough.
• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar 
• 2 cups butter, melted (for assembly of baklava)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour and salt with the paddle attachment.
2. In a small bowl, combine water, oil and vinegar.
3. With mixer on low speed, add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms (add more water if dough is too dry).
4. Change to the dough hook and allow to "knead" about 10 minutes (20 minutes if kneading by hand) until a smooth, elasticy dough forms.
5. Remove dough from mixer and knead by hand about 2 minutes more (during this process, pick up the dough and throw it on the counter a few times).
6. Shape the dough into a ball, coat with oil and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
7. While dough rests, make the syrup and nut mixture; recipes follow.
8. Unwrap the dough and cut off a chunk slightly larger than a golf ball. (While rolling, keep the remaining dough covered so it doesn't dry out)
9. Flour hands, rolling pin and counter (add as necessary, you can't over flour). Roll the dough as thin as possible (don't worry about tearing it but try to keep a nice sheet for the top layer)
10. When you get it as thin as possible with the rolling pin, flour your hands well and stretch it on the backs of your hands like pizza dough. The dough should be thin enough to see through.
11. Set the sheet of dough on a well floured surface, flour the top of the sheet and continue rolling the dough until you have rolled it all out into thin sheets.
12. When the dough is rolled out, trim your dough sheets to fit the bottom of your pan.
13. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
14. Melt the butter, butter the bottom of the baking dish. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the butter, butter the dough, place another sheet of phyllo, butter the dough. Continue in this manner until you have 5 layers of phyllo and butter, end with the butter. Then layer with 1/3 of the nut mixture. Then more phyllo.
15. You should have several layers: 5 sheets phyllo, 1/3 filling, 4 sheets phyllo, 1/3 filling, 4 sheets phyllo, 1/3 filling, 5 sheets phyllo.
16. When the layers are finished, poke the edges of dough into the pan. Cut the baklava into desired shapes. Butter the top layer of dough.
17. Bake about 30 minutes, remove from oven and cut the shapes again, making sure to cut all the way through all the layers.
18. Bake another 30 minutes. Or until golden brown.
19. Remove from the oven and pour the cooled syrup over the baklava, it will crackle. Allow to set overnight to soak up the syrup.
20. Serve and enjoy!

Apricot Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium high heat until sugar dissolves.
2. Without stirring, allow the syrup to reach 225 degrees F. Set aside and allow to cool.

Filling:

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces walnuts
• 8 ounces almonds
• 6 ounces pistachios
• 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pinch ground cloves

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Pulse until finely chopped.

Easy Chocolate Tart with Pistachio with Me, My Food and I

Hi all!!


Do you miss me yet??


Well...things are going pretty slow around here. Little Butt and I have been sick for the last few days. We are fighting hard to get over it but it doesn't make it easy to unpack boxes when I have to stop every other minute to blow my nose. 


Even if you are missing me now, once you read today's post you won't even remember my name! LOL!!


Today I present to you: Michael from Me, My Food and I. 


I discovered Michael when he guest posted for Chef Dennis and I have never looked back. Michael is one of those kind and genuine people that you count yourself lucky to know. I'm so glad I've been able to get to know him better through our blogs and emails. 


Once you read this post you will understand my love and adoration for this fellow food blogger. And once you are done here, please jump over to his blog to say hi. 


Thanks for this delicious treat Michael!!! Give me a couple months and I will hop across the pond to have a chocolate martini with you...as long as you have one of these tarts waiting as well!

Hello readers of Jolts & Jollies! My name is Michael Toa. I am 23 and I live in Sunderland, UK. Like you, I also know and completely understand: there are times when only chocolate will do. In my life, I can only think of a few situations that cannot be conquered with chocolate. When I am down, a plateful of chocolate chips cookies and a glass of cold chocolate milk never fail to cheer me up; when I am feeling celebratory with friends, all I can think about is my flourless chocolate cake piled high with cream and berries; in a moment when I want to find calm, I turn to my favourite bar of dark chocolate; when I need to bribe work colleagues, I bake brownies; my chocolate mousse with Frangelico (hazelnut liquor) and raspberries creates the perfect mood for a romantic dinner date, and when I want to indulge, it’s got to be a chocolate tart...

Chocolate tart and I had a terribly flaky start, but I can assure you, we are now solid. I still often dread the thought of making pastry which sometimes can be a bit tricky. One day it occurred to me that chocolate tart doesn’t have to have a pastry base; I could also make it with a biscuit base which is much, much easier.

So, this is my stress-free, no-bake version of the good old chocolate tart. The tart is best when made in advance to give both the base and the filling time to set. It looks rather elegant for an afternoon tea or a dinner party. Just make sure you save an extra slice for yourself for moment of self-spoiling later... dark, crumbly, buttery base and creamy, velvety, chocolate mascarpone filling with crunchy pistachios. Who could resist? Not me.

I use bourbon biscuits here, but there’s nothing to stop you to use other chocolate crème filled sandwich cookies, like Oreos. You can also as easily alter the flavour here, both in the base and in the filling by adding your favourite pairings with chocolate, like orange zest, coffee or berries.

Feel free to use all dark chocolate if you’re feeling very sophisticated; or all milk chocolate if you fancy something really sweet, but I find combining the two chocolates together create such beautiful balance of flavours. Though I also think that’s just because I cannot decide and I am passionately greedy.

At last but not least, I also know there are times when only certain concoctions will do... but let’s keep this for some other time... chocolate martini anyone?

Easy Chocolate Tart with Pistachio

Serves 8 - 10

For the base

300 g bourbon biscuits

75 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

50 g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

For the filling

250 g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons of caster sugar

100 g good-quality dark chocolate

50 g good-quality milk chocolate

300 ml double/heavy cream

Crème de cocoa blanc (white chocolate liquor), optional

Handful of pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

1 loose bottomed 10 inch fluted tart tin, about 2 inches deep

In a food processor, process the biscuits, chopped dark chocolate and butter until they form a crumb mixture. Press into a high-sided tart tin, with your hands or the back of a spoon, making a smooth base and sides. Put into the fridge to chill and harden.

In the meantime, melt the chocolates in either a double boiler or microwave and set aside to cool a bit. In another bowl, whisk the mascarpone cheese with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. You can easily whisk by hand, but I use a hand mixer because I’ll be using it again later to whip the cream. Add the slightly cooled pool of melted chocolate to the mascarpone and mix well.

In another bowl, whip the cream with another 2 tablespoons of sugar and a good splash of crème de cocoa blanc, if using, until it starts to hold soft peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolatey mascarpone mixture to make a smooth mixture. The filling should be rather thick but still soft.

Spread the filling into the chilled base, swirling it about with palette knife or spatula to create an even surface, then put the tart back in the fridge, covered with cling to chill for at least 4 hours, but preferable overnight.

Take the tart out of the fridge for half an hour before serving and sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top of the tart.