(#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

(#94) CHOCOLATE CHIP CANNOLI: Holy Cannoli

I'm at flavor #94 (holy...cannoli...six left!) and I honestly mean it when I say: THIS IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE! More than "S'moresies" and Ginger Chocolate Chunk. 

However much I ignore it, I'm lactose intolerant and rarely eat more than a few bites of ice cream at a time. But I've been devouring this one and craving for it when I'm not near my freezer.  It makes me want to use ricotta in all of my flavors. Ah, so good! So good! Want a bite?

 

Scoopsies' Chocolate Chip Cannoli Ice Cream--bon appetit! 

(#85) PB & J: Peanut Butter & Jolie

This one is for my twin sister, Jolie. Last week, she put in a request for "Peanut Butter & Jolie" so I went ahead and made it for her.  As I'm in the homestretch of this project, my last flavors are all really personal and some are odes to the people who have inspired me the most. While my sister has never made ice cream (and can't even eat it!) I'm inspired by her "hustling" attitude. Scoopsies owes a lot to my sister (and her boyfriend, Jeff, who has been designing my logos in exchange for Anna's Taqueria). And even though she can't try PB & Jolie, I wanted to show my gratitude by dedicating one of my last "scoopsies" to her. 

Trouble makers. This was probably taken right before we shut off our brother's Zelda game, one minute before he was about to beat it!

Us twins with our friend S.C. 

Now, back to the ice cream...(sort of...)

Deciding on the "Jolie" was easy...

Not too long ago a friend of ours had saved a few newborn kittens from a shelter that was going to put them all to sleep. They were taken away from their mother too soon and were in very poor health.  Jolie adopted one of the kittens and named her Raspberry.

Raspberry could fit in the palm of your hand and would meow if you left her alone for more than fifteen seconds. 

 

Raspberry had to be rushed to the animal hospital on more than one occasion, and the vet told Jolie that it was unlikely she would make it. Raspberry bounced back and today she is a healthy feline inspiring homemade jams for my ice cream. 

Peanut Butter & Jolie ice cream is a peanut butter base with a Raspberry jam swirl. 

Scoopsies' Peanut Butter & Jolie Ice Cream is made with: peanut butter, heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, egg yolks, raspberries, and vodka.

"I hate ice cream, but I love Scoopsies."--Jolie

(#78) COFFEE & DONUTS: Breakfast for Dessert

Coffee and donuts--two of the best things on this planet. Together they make one hell of an ice cream!  Made with chunks of actual donuts and a cinnamon sugar crunch, this is surely the breakfast (dessert) of champions. 

Scoopsies' Coffee & Donuts Ice Cream is made with: heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, coffee beans, donuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, egg yolks and butter. 

(#77) BLACKBERRY SAGE: Sweet Wisdom

This flavor is for my brother, Sage. 

The buttermilk and blackberries make this flavor super tart and heavy and the sage adds a refreshing touch. 

Scoopsies' Blackerry Sage Ice Cream is made with: fresh sage leaves, heavy cream, buttermilk, sugar, egg yolks, blackberries, corn syrup, fresh lemon juice and cornstarch.

(#76) CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CHERRY CHEESECAKE: Enough Said!

Between S'moresies and Chocolate Brownie Cherry Cheesecake, it's been a really scrumptious vacation. Another flavor to add to my "top Scoopsies" list! 

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake was suggested by my cousin, Danielle. If you have a suggestion, please do share it--I've had the best luck with recommendations!

Scoopsies' Chocolate Brownie Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream is made with: heavy cream, whole milk, cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract, cherries, and chocolate brownie chunks. 

(#71) SMORE: Please Sir, I Want S'moresies!

It has been a crazy few weeks between the holidays and Harvard Book Store's Holiday Warehouse Sale (Scoopsies had a booth and we premiered some unbelievable seasonal favorites)! But I'll be catching up on flavors like crazy this week (Apricot Brandy, Mulled Wine and Chocolate Stout are all coming up--notice a theme here?) 

As I approach 100 scoopsies, deciding on the flavors is getting harder. I want each flavor to be better than the last, and I want to continue to challenge myself. But I'm still finding room for those classics, like S'more--ahem--S'MORESIES!  It might seem like a simple flavor, but making it this late in the project was a wise decision. It is perfection! A pint in and I found myself asking "please sir, I want s'moresies!" This flavor makes my top 10 "scoopsies," standing beside Ginger Chocolate Chunk and our first flavor, Turkish Coffee. 

Scoopsies' Smoresies Ice Cream is made with: marshmallows, heavy cream, whole milk, egg yolks, graham cracker, bittersweet chocolate and sugar. 

(#68) DATE PECAN PIE: Date-worthy

I love asking my parents for their opinion of our flavors.  If I give my Mom a taste and she likes it, she'll go on about how impressed she is and then she'll send me an email about it later that night.  If she doesn't like it, she'll always find a kind way to break it to me: "it wasn't my favorite." My Dad almost always gives his "this is great!" in his over-enthusiastic Dad voice. But when I gave him a bite of this Date Pecan Pie ice cream, he paused for a minute, took another bite, and told me that this was his favorite flavor so far! My Dad approves of my Date (sorry, I had to!)

For the sweet pecans: Cook them in butter and maple syrup (try sprinkling some cinnamon on them, too!) and let them cool in the freezer before churning them with the ice cream.

Scoopsies' Date Pecan Pie
(yields 1 quart)

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

10 medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

Pecans, toasted

1 tbl butter 

2 tbl maple syrup

(#67) COQUITO: Puerto Rican Cocktail Turned Ice Cream

This cocktail-turned-ice-cream is the Puerto Rican version of eggnog.  It's super sweet and creamy with all of the essential Fall flavors.  Give or take a tablespoon of Bicardi depending on preference, but I think this is the perfect amount--a subtle kick that makes this flavor! 

Scoopsies' Coquito Ice Cream

(yields 1 quart)

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

1 tsp whole cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbl Bicardi (or another white rum)

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

(#65) PERSIMMON HONEY: Fall Fruits of Haymarket

I hadn't even heard of persimmons until I went to Haymarket last weekend.  My friend has a stand there and when I asked what they tasted like, he cut one up.  My first thought was "this would make a tasty ice cream!" 

We paired it with a little bit of honey and the result is subtle yet sweet.  If we weren't running behind on our 100 flavors, I would have loved to try this flavor with some cardamom. How delightful is the Fall? 

Scoopsies' Fuyu Persimmon Honey Ice Cream

(yields 1 quart)

2 cups puréed fuyu persimmons

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar

2 tbl honey

6 egg yolks

(#57) APPLE CINNAMON: Scoopsies Goes Apple Picking!

Oddly enough, Sarah and I rarely get to spend time together unless, of course, it's Scoopsies-related. Excluding business, it feels as if we go out together only once or twice a month. It sounds ridiculous because we are best friends and business partners, but when the rare occasion of us both being free arises, it's always really special! 

Carlson Orchards, Harvard, MA

A few weeks ago, we reserved the day for apple picking in Harvard, MA.  We brought along two of Sarah's Korean friends who had never been apple picking before (see cute photos below!)  The day was a delight, as is this rich apple cinnamon ice cream!

Sarah, Younji & Hyun

 

For this recipe, we baked four (peeled and chopped) apples for about 20 minutes, glazed with a bit of maple syrup, cinnamon and butter.  We let the baked apples sit in the cream and milk mixture for about an hour and strained them out.  After letting the mixture ripen in the fridge overnight, we cooked two sliced apples smothered with butter and cinnamon in a pan over medium heat, and mixed them in to the ice cream base a few minutes before it was done churning:

Scoopsies' Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream

(yields 1 quart)

6 apples, peeled and chopped, divided

1 tbl maple syrup

1 tbl butter

2 tbl ground cinnamon, divided

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp cloves

4 egg yolks

(#46) ESPRESSO CHIP: Coffee & Chocolate

Our coffee-based flavors are some of my favorite! Coffee Oreo, Turkish Coffee, Dirty Watah Java--we've had quite some luck with them!  An "espresso" flavor has been on our master list since we started "100 Scoopsies," so we figured it was about time we whipped something up!   

A dripping scoop of espresso chip

Scoopsies' Espresso Chip Ice Cream

(yields about 1.5 pints) 
2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3/4 cups sugar

2 TBL espresso powder

1 vanilla bean

pinch of salt

4 egg yolks

bittersweet chocolate bits (we used about 3/4 cup)