Hey Lovers of all things pretty! I’m back to this (strangely strange) space. Hello, blogosphere, it’s me, the foreigner, just checking in. And I brought chocolate…! To compensate and win you over, you know? Kind of. Lol, no, honestly. I hardly remember how to do this thing called “blogging” anymore. It’s been wayyyy too long since I last posted something, anything, properly, other than on good ol’ Insta, anyway. Although there has been so much goodness in my life – both the edible and the non-edible but rather emotional and experiences kind, laugh. But listen up, first things first… Because: ICE CREAM! And then, well, I’ve got some real-life, full-on news to share…
The list of good things that have been happening in my – or rather our – lives is pretty long and amazing. For starts, I managed to score a new blogger / columnist job! Over on Neue Zürcher Zeitung. For they’re new lifestyle platform, Bellevue. It’s just a spare time activity for now, but it’s been a really exciting time so far. I will be covering all things “table and eating culture”, if you want. So not primarily recipes, but really the bigger picture of eating (together), and of the little things that help turn an everyday into a decent little celebration of life. So I haven’t actually been “absent” (as such) from blogging (caughing…), and not even really taking a down-town to put my feet up. Just… brooding over new things and ideas, and slowly but steadily working on them to bring them to life. So you will be in on all the news and the fresh, sexy, inviting new content, of course! Like table manners! And tablescapes! And center pieces! And entertaining tips! All in due time, friends.
Then, in other, less work-related and more intimate kind of news, we’re expecting a baby girl in January! Which makes me… 22 weeks pregnant, currently. We’re thrilled, obviously! And so, so blessed. It’s kind of like everything in my life suddenly fits together. I’m enjoying the ride so much, and the anticipation for little Miss E. She will come into a home that’s thoroughly ready for her (well, at least I think so now, haha, but ask me when she’s really here and I realize I lack an extra set of arms…). Filled with love, I am, and gratitude and an intense joie de vivre, to be given such an opportunity and an adventure. So very special, this time in our lives.
So, yes, that was my whirlwind couple of past months. And now that the news are out, we might as well switch to the delicious topic of this super creamy, ultra rich and chocolatey chocolate ice cream, might we not?
I’m stoked, because to make ice cream at home is kind of an obsession of mine. I’ve been wanting to make some, for, like, ever. Of course you can use your fork to make “no churn ice cream”, but let’s be frank, it’s just not the same. (Side note: hello, Granita, I love you, but just not now). You can google “no churn ice cream make at home recipes” as much as you like; the truth will be same: that it just won’t be as creamy and rich as ice cream is supposed to be. I mean, it doesn’t say ice “CREAM” for nothing, right? When it comes down to it, you just really need an ice cream machine. Like, a good one (or, read: one that actually fits in your freezer, if you must work with a pre-freeze bowl option, duh). “Good one” translates to “an actual proper, fully automatic, push-the-button-and-it-does-all-the-work-for-you-magically, kind of fancy-shmancy” gelatiera. “Gelatiera”… let that melt on your tongue! A good word, gelateria is. Luckily, my mom owns one (because she’s fab like that). Did I say I love her to bits? Yeah. So when she’s away, like, on vacation and stuff, she would let me borrow her beloved gelateria. For making ice cream and bribing you guys into loving me. No kidding!
The rest is history: you just need a really good – but simple, but good – chocolate ice cream recipe. And another good recipe for making your own cones. At home. Without so much as a waffle iron. Beat this!
Because, ice cream cone waffle irons are so. hard. to. find in Switzerland? I don’t get it. You get pancake / breakfast waffle irons. You get lace cookie irons (called “pretzel irons” here). Just not what I really needed. So, off I went, all Kamikaze, me, and made them in a pan. Ha-di-effing-ha, and it actually worked! It would have been a little better still, if I had one of those cute, wooden, flattener kind of, professional crêpe making devices..? You know the ones? Well, I didn’t have one on hand, shm. But I just put all my effort into making the waffles nice and thin and crispy. The additional vanilla I put in (busted! I always do that! Every chance to put in additional amounts of vanilla? I’m in!) certainly didn’t hurt. They were THE BEST waffles ever.
To put the cherry on the top (quite literally, no), I crumbed some extra goodies on top of the ice cream servings. Like, extra double chocolat chip cookies and extra, super smooth and moist brownies that I had left (I figured it would be quite lovely with these, hmm)? Just because I can. And, well, because cookie dough ice cream is kind of like my favorite? (Side note: I’ve been meaning to lay my hands on a Ben&Jerry Ice Cream Sandwich for much too long…. no woman should be refrained from ice cream cravings, for so long, guys. But oh, once I did score one… I’m now officially doomed!)
So, your weekend plans: make this extra chocolatey chocolate ice cream! While it freezes, make a simple batch of these waffle cones. And then just try not to eat everything with your hands, face dived first into the goodness, before assembling, okay? Not. Cute.
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Lindt Chocolate Ice Cream
Makes about 6 large scoops, but no more, sadly. Or you’ll have to work in batches.
Ingredients:
300 ml heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsweetened dark chocolate powder
100 g Lindt Crémant Noir 49%
1 tbsp. Amaretto (the alcohol helps keep the ice cream from turning into crystals)
3 large egg yolks
150 ml milk
40 g sugar
1 pinch salt
Directions:
Pour half of the cream (150 ml) and the chocolate powder in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir nicely. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the Lindt chocolate (broken into pieces by hand) and stir until the chocolate is fully melted. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the remaining cream and the Amaretto, stir to combine and put aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks lightly. In a clean saucepan, heat milk, sugar and salt until it comes to a boil. Then pour the milk-sugar mixture carefully to the beaten up egg yolks. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan, and now put it back on the heat. Stir continually and heat, until the mixture begins to thicken nicely. Strain through a fine meshed sieve and add to the chocolate mixture. Fold together. Cover the mixture and chill in the fridge, ideally overnight or at least for 4 hours (to speed things up put in the freezer for a while, instead).
The next day, put the mixture in the gelatiera and let it run according to the directions of your machine. Let it cream up and freeze. Fill into a bowl, cover and freeze for 2-3 hours before using.
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Home Made (No Waffle Iron) Vanilla Ice Cream Cones
Makes about 8 large cones. Recipe adapted from my friend’s beautiful blog Gaston le Gourmet, that you have to check out.
Ingredients:
170 g sugar
170 g flour
60 butter, melted
1 egg
1 pack (20 g) vanilla sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
2 dl ice cold water
Directions:
Combine all ingredients to a smooth dough and let rest for at least one hour, covered, in the fridge. Put some butter in a small pan and heat well. Then pour about 1/2 ladle full of the dough into the pan and spread and smooth it up immediately with the back of the ladle (or that professional crêpe making device, you know, if you are one of the well organised ones and call one your own). Fry on each side until browned and darkened up a little (about 1-2 minutes on each side). Fold around a cone shape (or, really, just shape a cone out of some aluminum foil, voilà, easy). Let cool on the cone.
To assemble:
That’s basically a piece of cake: take one of your fabulous cones, use an ice cream spoon that you run under the hot water for a while, scrape out a nice scoop of your ice cream, sprinkle over some crushed cookies and brownies. And you’re done! Lick your tongue. Note: yes, as it was occasionally a very hot summer (as summers are bound to be), chances are, this will be a messy kind of dessert. But who the F cares? Enjoy it while it lasts, and eat dessert first. [/twocol_one][fourcol_one_last][/fourcol_one_last][gap height=”20″]
Are we still friends now?
xo
Scarlett
Thank you, Lindt, for sponsoring this post
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