(#141-#162): Sweet Winter Churnings

And here are some more of my Winter Churnings:

Jasmine Rose Habanero & White Chocolate - Floral, spicy, sweet. Made with organic dried jasmine flowers, the slightest bit of habanero pepper, rosewater, organic dried rose petals, honey, and white chocolate. I just love how layered this flavor is!

White Chocolate, Cranberry & Orange Zest - The joys of white chocolate! (Even though it's not "chocolate.")

White Chocolate, Coconut & Clove - White on white on white. One of the flavors I brought along to Mirah's Jamaica Plain show.

Grapefruit Orange Cayenne Chip - A customized flavor for Flashnotes.com's holiday party. They asked for "a spicy, sour, sweet-looking flavor with a surprising kick" and orange in color. So I came up with this gem. Wasn't sure if it would be a hit, as it's a bit more avant-garde (a layered citrus base with equal parts sweet and spicy?). It was, though! And it sold out at The Dirty Dottys album release show the next day!

Cardamom Hot Chocolate - At a Scoopsies taste-testing for an after school program, one student described it as: "It tastes the way an old lady smells. I like it!"

Mexican Hot Chocolate - Dark chocolate with cayenne, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Each ingredient truly does its job and the result is perfection for spicy and chocolate lovers. This one is signature status!

Moscow Mule - Ginger beer, lime, and vodka. Served in a copper mug!

Hot Toddy - Whiskey, honey, mulling spices. Eat in place of an actual Hot Toddy and you'll be surprised how soothing it is! It'll cure your cold and you'll be pretty tipsy!

Poppied Almond - Inspired by Snoqualmie Ice Cream's Almond Poppy. First tried it when I did my Seattle Ice Cream Tour!

And MORE:

Curried Apricot & White Rum 

Coconut Ginger & Candied Roasted Pecans

Vegan Spiced Caramel

Blood Orange & Fennel

Quince Sorbet

Coconut Oreo

Coconut Ginger

Just Maple

North Carolina Blackberry

Vegan Salted Caramel

Sprinkled Butterscotch

Butterscotch Surprise 

Brown Butter Surprise 

(#140) Deep Fried Oreo Mint Chocolate Chip

This dirty delight of a flavor was inspired by Action Bronson's foodie web-series (NSFW). In this episode, Action takes Manhattan-made DEEP FRIED OREOS to Mikey Likes It (a homemade ice cream shop in the East Village) and folds them into a Mint Brownie Chip ice cream. He puts the ice cream over some sweet fried plantains and tops the sundae off with some freshly whipped whipped cream. I couldn't not...

I made my first batch today. Frying is the perfect remedy for the snowed-in-blues. I love frying...anything. After I finished with the Oreos, I asked my roommate "do we have anything else that I can fry?" Those sour patch kids?...

The fried Oreos were showered with powdered sugar and, along with some hefty chunks of dark chocolate, were mixed into a marshmallow peppermint schnapps batter. Mmmm...

(#129) Baked Apples & Honey

Buttered apples baked in cinnamon and clove with a spoonful of honey. 

(#128) Pistachio & Rose Kulfi: Indian Ice Cream

Indian ice cream (kulfi) is made with sweetened condensed milk and typically pistachio, cardamom, rose, mango, or saffron. For this one I used organic dried rose petals, rosewater, pistachios.

(#127) Roasted Plantain & Coconut

I haven't been posting to the blog enough. And it's a shame because I've been coming out with some pretty out-there flavors. Like this one -- Roasted Plantain & Coconut. Plantain is the latest ingredient to be added to my stash and I can certainly say that I'll be working it into my list of regulars (alongside anise, cardamom, cayenne, ginger, and...rum). 

(#123) Chocolate Cayenne: Hott Chocolate

It's Hott Chocolate. Chocolate with a spicy kick. I love watching people eat this flavor. I'll warn them beforehand that it's "very spicy!" They'll take a bite, hold a neutral face, and a delayed few seconds later, nod their head as the cayenne hits.

(#122) Rose with Rose Caramel Swirl

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sharing three fairytale-themed ice cream flavors at the Nave Gallery Annex in Somerville for their exhibit opening. I brought along Sweet Pea (it had one single pea in the middle that brought good luck to whoever found it in their scoop), Red Bean, and this Rose Ice Cream. The homemade rose caramel, made with organic rose petals, was just...magical!

(#121) Butter Pecan with White Chocolate & Oreos: Buzz Bickerton's Buttered Bonanza

Two things I love: making custom ice cream flavors for my friends and making my own version of classic flavors. This one is for Andy. 

Butter Pecan with a twist (white chocolate and Oreos, to be exact!). 

(#119) Mint Chocolate Chip: With Peppermint Schnapps!

Catching up on posts from months of ice cream making. This one's a classic with a boozy twist -- Mint Chocolate Chip with Peppermint Schnapps. 

(#118) Mango + Wineberry Sorbet: Fresh Off The Bush

My dear family friends invited me over for lunch and to pick some wineberries in their backyard. WHAT is a wineberry? I had no idea either until I picked them. They're much like raspberries, but way cuter! And pulling them off the bush was so satisfying.  I came home and made Mango & Wineberry Sorbet. Perfectly sweet with a touch of tartness from the berries. 

(#117) Riesling Poached Pear & Apricot Sorbet: A Collaboration With 90+ Cellars

Who doesn't love a good collaboration? Especially when it's nice and boozy! 

I met the folks behind 90+ Cellars at a BBQ festival along the Charles River a few months ago and I have to say -- we're a match made in foodie heaven! They gave me a few bottles of their Riesling (and a bottle of their Cabernet Sauvignon -- Sangria Sorbet?) and I whipped up an elaborate sorbet with an assortment of dainty ingredients. With hints of vanilla bean and cardamom, Riesling Poached Pear & Apricot Sorbet is a real trip for the taste buds. 

For those of you who aren't familiar with 90+, they buy wine from top vineyards all around the world and sell them under their brand for a decent price. Grab a bottle of Riesling at and try whipping up this sorbet!

Scoopsies' Riesling Poached Pear & Apricot Sorbet
(yields 1 quart)
1 1/2 cups 90+ Cellars' Riesling
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 bosc pears, peeled and cored
3 apricots, halved and pitted
1 cup sugar
12 cardamom pods
1 vanilla bean, split in half length-wise

Directions: 
1. Pour all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes or until pears are tender.

2. Strain fruit out (but keep wine!) and discard cardamom and vanilla pods. Puree fruit in a food processor and set aside. 

3. Pour the strained wine back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once mixture starts to boil, lower heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, until wine becomes a thick syrup. 

4. Add a 1/2 cup of the wine syrup to the fruit puree and stir. You can discard the rest of the syrup.

5. Pour the wine and fruit puree into a container, let cool to room temperature, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge to cool for a few hours. When mixture has cooled, pour in ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Enjoy!

(#116) Magic Mangan's Minty Nuts: Peppermint Pistachio

I made this one for my friend Tom. He's the only person to ever to ask for peppermint stick. 

Here's my deal with peppermint stick: When I used to work at J.P. Licks, it was the only lactose-free flavor available. It was the saddest flavor in a row of proud, scoopable ice cream and the bin was always full because only those with severe lactose intolerance ordered it. It was so soft, it couldn't even go on a cone. Now, I'm not hating on the flavor! That was just the only interaction I've ever had with it. When Tom requested it, I asked what his second favorite flavor was. I couldn't get the drippy, bright pink peppermint stick out of my head, but I didn't want to give up on it! So I combined Tom's two favorite flavors.

Magic Mangan's Minty Nuts is Peppermint Pistachio Ice Cream made with peppermint schnapps, peppermint stick, and pistachios! 

(#115) OMFG: Vietnamese Coffee

How much different can each coffee flavor be? A lot, actually! Vietnamese Coffee stands out with its over-the-top creaminess and deep, dark-roasted coffee flavor. Made with homemade sweetened condensed milk, the texture is sinfully smooth. 

(#114) Carrot Ginger Sorbet: Featuring Turmeric, Lime, and Honey!

I've only made a few sorbets before this Summer. But I've been really enjoying putting together some flavor combinations that wouldn't necessarily work as ice cream flavors. Like Carrot Ginger. 

 I used fresh carrots and ginger and threw in some lime juice, honey, and a bit of precious turmeric for this sorbet. Yes, it's really good for you--another reason why I love making sorbets! They're all so refreshing and still very satisfying. 

(#113) Le Colonel: Lemon Vodka Sorbet...HAPPY BASTILLE DAY!

Joyeux Quatorze Juillet! In honor of Bastille Day, here is Le Colonel; a sorbet based on a french dessert of lemon sorbet bathed in a shot of vodka. Instead of floating the lemon sorbet in the vodka, I combined the two together to make one epic, light, and insanely refreshing dessert. I'll be making this one all Summer long, celebrating my favorite country on Earth! 

BON APPETIT! 

P.S. For all of you francophiles out there, here is a madeline s'more I made with white chocolate, toasted coconut and black raspberries! 

(#112) Rosewater & Cardamom: The Aphrodisiac

When two aphrodisiacs join forces in an ice cream, the result is.....(don't make me say it). Rosewater & Cardamom Ice Cream - it's one fine flavor! 

P.S. Cardamom is the love of my life!

(#111) Thai Iced Tea: Earthy, Bold, and Orange.

Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream has been on my list forever. It was in the running to be flavor #100, as it pretty much sums up Scoopsies in a flavor (I've never, ever seen this one in an ice cream shop). Bold, intense, earthy and very orange--this one is a hit. It also tastes JUST like thai iced tea!

(#110) Coconut Chai: Not Really Vegan

This one's a coconut milk-based ice cream (but with a bit of heavy cream and egg yolks--sorry, vegans!). Coconut and chai = BFF.

 

(#109) Mystery Cookie: I'll Never Tell.

Mystery Cookie -- it's a dirty little secret in ice cream form. 

Here's the scoop on #mysterycookie: It's six cookie varieties in ONE flavor. If you try Mystery Cookie at any future Scoopsies event(s) and guess all of the cookies correctly, you will be deemed "The Ultimate Cookie Monster" and win a gallon of Mystery Cookie and...a Golden Cookie. Your guesses must include brand and type of cookie and I can only tell you if your six guesses are correct as a whole. All are considered "cookies" on their packaging. 

Hint: There are two of the same type of cookies in Mystery Cookie, though they are different brands. 

You'll never guess unless you truly are a Cookie Monster. Happy guessing, you little piggies! 

(#106) Lavender Cardamom: Let's Get Lost

I just planted my first lavender plant! It's the start of a little lavender garden that I'll be growing on my back patio. I'm about to start composting, too! It'll mostly be Scoopsies scraps (scrapsies!) that will help the lavender grow. It's a beautiful cycle! 

I couldn't wait, though. I stopped in to Cambridge Naturals and grabbed a few ounces for my most recent flavor, Lavender Cardamom. Katelyn (of Scoop Sights) came over and made her own lavender delight--Vegan Lavender Lemon Ice Cream. Both scrumptious. 

Scoopsies' Lavender Cardamom with Scoop Sights' Vegan Lavender Lemon Ice Cream

Light and delicate, this flavor is my companion for the Summer. 

Scoop Sights' Vegan Lavender Lemon Ice Cream