heavy cream – Oven Love

Papaya Cream Popsicles (Papaya Paletas)

Natalie — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 22:18:01 +0000

Popsicles, again?
Yes, always.

Orange popsicles, that is, since I apparently that’s my specialty. (See these creamsicles and mango yogurt pops for the proof.)

While cleaning out the fridge last week, I came upon half a papaya that needed some love (aka I didn’t have the heart to throw it out.) Usually I buy papaya strictly for juices (it’s anti-inflammatory and ya’ll know I need some of that!) but it looked past it’s juicing prime. So popsicles seemed the obvious choice in the heat of summer and because for some reason I couldn’t just cut it up and eat it like a normal person.

I could have made them straight papaya, but I love to add a bit of creaminess to my pops. I was out of any useful coconut products, so I used the cream from the top of the raw milk jar. It was a wise choice, believe you me. A little bit of lime, vanilla and honey and BAM- papaya pops comin’ at ya.

Next time you have half a papaya sitting alone in your fridge, this recipe can be your go-to. I assume that probably won’t happen to most of you, but a girl can dream.. someone out there thinks my blog is useful and actually makes my recipes, right? haha

Really, though- I love you guys. Thanks for reading my crazy popsicle posts and sticking around Oven Love for all these years. You’re the bees.

1.0 from 1 reviews

Papaya Cream Popsicles (Papaya Paletas)

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

This recipe will make 4-6 large popsicles and 8-12 small popsicles, depending on the size of your mold.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Serves: 4-12

Ingredients

½ large ripe red papaya, peeled and seeded
⅓ cup heavy cream, coconut cream, or full-fat coconut milk (or omit all together, if you like)
juice of one lime
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons raw honey (optional)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour into popsicle molds and add popsicle sticks.
Freeze for 3-5 hours or until firm. Run warm water over the mold if the popsicles don’t come right out. Serve immediately.

Sweet Cannoli Fruit Dip

Natalie — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Looking for something to do with that homemade ricotta?

Who am I kidding? None of you have made any ricotta since Monday. (If you have, I salute you and we are destined to be BFFs.) I must be the only crazy person with a fridge full of raw milk and an interest in cheese making.

But maybe you have some store-bought ricotta in your fridge that needs to be used?

Time to bust it out, people! We can work with that.

This dip is.. gah. So good.

This is basically a cannoli in a bowl. Tastes exactly the same. Dip anything you want into it- fruit, crackers/cookies/carbs of your choice, heck- spread it on a vegetable and just try not to eat it.

The cute little crackers pictured are actually made with some spent grain from Mr. Nick’s homebrewing adventures. They are dark and lovely and perfect vessels for dipping. Grahams or waffle cookies would be lovely, too.

If you’d prefer a smoother dip, keep adding cream until it’s as thin as you like. I like it thicker, with an almost cookie-dough-consistency- you could probably roll it up and make it into truffles if you wanted to. Umm, yeah- let’s definitely do that.

(I just realized that this looks eerily similar to my white bean cookie dough– there are no beans in this, I promise! And tastes better, if you ask me. Probably because there are no beans in it?)

Put this one on your list.

Sweet Cannoli Fruit Dip

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Appetizer, Snack, Dessert

Ingredients

8 oz ricotta cheese (try my homemade recipe here)
4 oz mascarpone cheese (you can sub cream cheese if you need to)
2 tablespoons honey
¼-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
zest of ½ an orange, plus more zest for topping
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping
sliced fruit, crackers, etc for dipping

Instructions

In a stand mixer, combine ricotta and mascarpone cheeses and blend until smooth. Add honey, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and mix to combine. If the dip is still too stiff, add more cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Scoop into a bowl and serve.
If you have any leftovers, store in the fridge- it should keep for a week or so.

Homemade Raw Milk Ricotta Cheese

Natalie — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Ever since we started drinking raw milk, I have been itching to make some cheese with it. The only thing getting in my way is a tiny human with a serious appetite for milk- we almost never have any milk leftover for cooking or experimenting.

Last week I got hit with The Lucky Stick and had a whole half-gallon left for my own enjoyment. I finally had my chance to make cheese! I scanned my saved recipes to find a cheese recipe that didn’t require rennet, since I don’t have any cheese-making items on hand.

Lucky for me, this recipe requires only four ingredients- milk, cream, salt and a lemon. That’s all, friends. And there is only about 15 minutes of work involved. And by work, I mean pot-watching.. so it’s pretty basic.

You can certainly make this with store-bought milk, but I wanted to make the distinction that this cheese was made with raw milk- mostly because it has a yellowish color to it. The yellow color is just like the color of our raw milk, not because anything went wrong in the cheese-making process.

My favorite way to eat ricotta is just to smoosh it onto some toast and salt the heck out of it, but these are other good ways to use it, too.

Chicken, Kale and Broccoli Casserole – Spicy Kale Lasagna – Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

Pumpkin Bread with Ricotta Swirl – Strawberry Ricotta Galettes – Zucchini Ricotta Galette

That pumpkin bread needs to happen now.

And I want that lasagna!

I think I’ll be needing some more ricotta.

Homemade Raw Milk Ricotta Cheese

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

adapted from The Comfort of Cooking **You can certainly make this with store-bought milk as well.**

Author: Oven Love

Ingredients

1 half-gallon of raw milk
1 cup cream (either skimmed from other raw milk or bought separately)
1 teaspoon sea salt
juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

Cut a square of cheesecloth to line your strainer. Place the strainer over a large bowl.
In a stockpot, combine the milk, cream and salt. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring often to prevent scorching.
When the milk is at a boil, add the lemon juice. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until small curdles start to form.
Pour the mixture into your cheesecloth-lined strainer and let drain for 10 minutes. Discard the remaining liquid (or feed it to your pets/animals). Store the cheese in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Natalie — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:12:00 +0000

I love posts that have the labels “chocolate” and “vegetables” together. Sometimes it seems my main goal in life is figuring out how to fit chocolate into every meal.

Still working on it.

Chocolate-covered broccoli probably wouldn’t go over well with my crew. Or would it..

Back to reality!

I made this cake last night because

a) we had nothing sweet in the house to consume (????)

b) we have a fridge bursting with garden produce

c) I need chocolate to survive.

I really want to say this cake is healthy, but it would be more accurate to say it is healthier than most cakes. It has lots of ingredients I deem healthy (zucchini, olive oil, greek yogurt, whole wheat flour), but also a few of the usual suspects like sugar and chocolate chips and butter (which I actually think is not so bad if you get it from a good source- we need good fats, people!). If you are feeling like a super-healthy person, I’m sure you could sub out the sugar for another sweetener and switch out anything else you don’t like, but it will probably taste less like cake and more like a chocolate-flavored brick. But, by all means- eat, drink and make chocolate bricks if that’s your thing.

I’m going to be real and tell you the reason I didn’t photograph the full cake is because I cut two giant slices for the hubs and I to eat not more than 10 minutes after it was out of the oven. Hot chocolate cake with smooth chocolate ganache running down the sides is like a big chocolate party in your mouth. For research purposes only (ahem), I tried it at room temperature today- it was still tasty, but I could tell it was losing a little moisture (due to all that healthiness inside). This can surely be remedied with another batch of ganache. Or some ice cream. Or a giant glass of cold, cold milk.

Raise a glass of raw milk and get your forks. Here’s to your health!

(Recipe adapted from Buttered Up.)

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
½ cup yogurt (I use greek)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1¼ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cake pan (I used a 10-inch round springform pan because there’s a lot of batter) with butter and flour or baking spray.
Cream the butter, oil, sugars, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt together until well-combined. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add half of the flour, stir; add the yogurt, stir; and add the rest of the flour, cocoa powder and espresso powder (if using) and stir again. Add the zucchini and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Meanwhile, place the chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream, sugar and water until warm (not boiling) and pour it over the chocolate. Stir to combine. Let sit until thickened.
When you’re ready to serve, you can pour the chocolate sauce over the whole cake or on individual sliced. You can serve hot or at room temperature, but it is best enjoyed in the first day or two of baking.

Orange Creamsicles

Natalie — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:21:00 +0000

The summer heat has got me overflowing with popsicle ideas, people! I have been trying out lots of different flavors and a few different molds to find my favorite combinations. One of my recent favorites is this recipe for Creamsicles.

Orange Creamsicle is a classic summer flavor in my mind. My first taste of this pop took me right back to my favorite childhood memories (Orange Flintstone Push Ups, anyone?). These pops are smooth and creamy with just the right amount of orange flavor- a not-too-sweet treat that’s the perfect way to complete a summer meal.

You could also substitute other citrus flavors- blood orange, grapefruit, etc- for a tasty twist on the classic. Just make sure to invite me over, okay? I never met a Creamsicle I didn’t like.

4.5 from 13 reviews

Orange Creamsicles

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

6 hours

Total time

6 hours 5 mins

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: dessert

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice (fresh or frozen. you could also use orange juice concentrate for a stronger orange flavor)
1 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk (you could also substitute melted/very soft vanilla ice cream)
3 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon orange extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together.
Pour mixture into popsicle molds. Let set for 30-60 minutes, then add popsicle sticks. Freeze for another 4-6 hours or until frozen.
When you’re ready to serve, run some warm water along your popsicle mold to loosen the popsicles and serve immediately.

Cream Puff Cupcakes [My 500th Post!]

Natalie — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:29:00 +0000

FIVE HUNDRED posts. Wow.

That is a lot of food, people! I am amazed that the little food blog I started on a whim in September of 2008 has survived (and thrived!) until today.

There’s been a little bit of everything here on Oven Love, hasn’t there? Lots of sweet desserts, tons of breakfast and brunch recipes, a fair amount of Dorie Greenspan recipes (thanks to TWD), some vegetables every once in a while, a rainbow cake, some lessons in freezer cooking, and everything in between. I can’t believe I’ve filled 500 posts with my culinary ramblings.

To celebrate, I thought I’d take you back to my roots with some help from Dorie. I came up with the idea for these cream puff cupcakes after randomly seeing Meg’s post and I knew I could count on Dorie’s recipes to guide me through transforming the classic cream puff into a cupcake.

Please understand that this is not a recipe that you can whip up in a few hours. This one takes time and planning. This one should be reserved for special occasions and special people. This one should be savored and enjoyed until the last bit of ganache is licked off the wrapper.

First, you’ll prepare the cream puffs. Or you’ll skip that part and buy them at the store. Then, you’ll bake the cupcakes, fill them with pastry cream, cover them with gorgeous, dripping ganache and top them with a cream puff. Be sure to sit back and enjoy your beautiful creation before diving mouth-first into this indulgence. You WILL be full after eating this cupcake, but I make no promises about keeping yourself from eating another one.

I have so loved this blog and the joy that comes with sharing my recipes with the world. This 500th post is just a milestone on the way to greater things. There is so much more in store for Oven Love- and you will get to hear all about it soon enough. Thank you for always visiting, putting me in your reader, pinning my posts, sharing Oven Love with friends, and for all of your encouraging and thoughtful comments over the years. I really do cherish this little blog and all the eyes that fall upon it. Here’s to 500 more!

Buckle your seat belts- there are a lot of recipes below.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Dorie Greenspan (Baking from My Home to Yours)

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Bring the cream, sugar and water to a full boil, then pour the liquid over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Working with a whisk or rubber spatula, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles, starting at the center of the bowl and working your way out in increasingly larger concentric circles.
If you are pouring the glaze over a chilled cake or cupcakes that is already frosted, the glaze can be used soon after it is blended. If you are pouring it over a room temperature cake or cupcakes, leave the glaze on the counter until it thickens just enough to pour in a ribbon.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Author: Dorie Greenspan (Around My French Table)

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup cornstarch
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits, at room temperature

Instructions

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch until thick and well blended. Whisking without stop, drizzle in about ¼ cup of the hot milk- this will temper, or warm, the yolks- then, still whisking, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (make sure to get into the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil- still whisking- for 1-2 minutes, then pull the pan from the heat.
Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk in the bits of butter, stirring until the butter is fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape the cream into a bowl. You can press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the custard to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the pastry cream until cold (at least an hour).

Cream Puff Dough (Pate Choux)

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

Author: Dorie Greenspan (Around My French Table)

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

½ cup whole milk
½ cup water
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs at room temperature

Instructions

Bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the boil in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. When the mixture is boiling rapidly, add the flour all at once, reduce the heat to medium and, without a second’s hesitation, start stirring the mixture like mad with a wooden spoon. The dough will come together very quickly and a slight crust will form on the bottom of the pan, but you have to keep stirring – vigorously – another 2 to 3 minutes to dry the dough. At the end of this time, the dough will be very smooth.
Turn the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or, if you’ve still got some elbow grease left, you can continue by hand. One by one, add the eggs to the dough, beating until each egg is thoroughly incorporated. Don’t be discouraged – as soon as you add the first egg, your lovely dough will separate. Keep working and by the time you add the third egg it will start coming together again. When all the eggs are incorporated, the dough will be thick and shiny and, when you lift some of it up it will fall back into the bowl in a ribbon. The dough will still be warm – it’s supposed to be – and now is the time to use it. ]
Using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each puff, drop the dough from the spoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each mound of dough.
Slide the baking sheets into the oven, bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the sheets from top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking until the puffs are golden and firm, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the cream puffs to a cooling rack.
When the puffs are cool, use a pastry bag with a small tip to poke a hole into each cream puff and fill them with Vanilla Pastry Cream (see recipe below). Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

makes 15 cups (enough to frost and fill approximately three 8″round cakes) This is more than enough for the cream puff cupcakes. The buttercream freezes well, so you can make the extra and save it for later.

Author: Sweetapolita

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

16 large egg whites (30g each–total 450g, or 2 cups)
4 cups granulated sugar (800g)
5 cups (2.5 lbs, 10 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened but cool, cut into cubes
30 ml (2 tablespoons) pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

Instructions

Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk attachment, small bowl, and whisk with paper towel and lemon juice (or vinegar), to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot (you can feel a drop in between your fingers to ensure no granules.).
Take off of stove, and place bowl back on electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and neutral (you can feel outside of the bowl to test temperature).
Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on low speed continously, add butter one cube at a time until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth).
Add vanilla and salt, mix well. If buttercream is too runny, the butter was possibly too soft–place into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then beat again. If still too runny, add a few more cubes of butter and keep beating until it reaches Use immediately, or refrigerate/freeze.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Oven Love, slightly adapted from The Cupcake Project

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

1¾ cups (175 grams) cake flour, not self-rising
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (225 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
⅓ cup (75 grams) full-fat sour cream
¼ cup canola oil or vegetable oil (60 ml)
1 tablespoon pure (not imitation) vanilla extract
⅔ cup (160 ml) whole milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the sugar and mix until well combined.
Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes. Because there is so little butter, you’ll end up with a very fine crumb texture.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
Slowly add milk and mix on low speed until just combined. The batter will be liquid. (Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s supposed to be that way.)
Fill cupcake liners just over ½ full.
Bake for 14 minutes and then test to see if they are done. They are done when a toothpick comes out without wet batter stuck to it. The cupcakes should appear white with specks of vanilla bean. They should not turn a golden brown. If they are not done, test again in two minutes. If they are still not done, test again in another two minutes.
When the cupcakes are done, remove them immediately from the tins and leave them on a cooling rack (or just on your counter if you don’t own a cooling rack) to cool.

Cream Puff Cupcakes

Disclaimer: this is going to take a while. There are a lot of components. If you plan to make the cream puffs from scratch, I would do those first before you start the cupcakes. You can make the cream puffs ahead and refrigerate or freeze them until you’re ready to use them.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 16

Ingredients

1 batch Vanilla Cupcakes, baked and cooled
1 cup Vanilla Pastry Cream (in addition to the pastry cream used to fill the cream puffs, if you are making them from scratch)
1 batch Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
2 batches Chocolate Ganache Glaze, cooled slightly (2 batches is an estimate, you made need more/less)
16 Cream Puffs (purchased or made with the Cream Puff Dough and Pastry Cream below)
powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Use a small, serrated knife to cut a round hole into the top of your cupcake. Remove cake from the hole with a spoon.
Fill the cupcake with pastry cream. You can do this with a spoon or with a pastry bag.
Pipe the buttercream in a circular motion on top of the cupcake, covering the pastry cream filling. Let set in the refrigerator until frosting seems firm.
Remove the cupcakes from the fridge. Using a spoon, drip the ganache on top of the cold buttercream and top with a cream puff. Let cool in the fridge until set. These cupcakes are best enjoyed at room temperature, so if you are storing them in the refrigerator, allow them to come to room temperature before you serve them. Add a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy.

Mint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Natalie — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Happy Wednesday!

I’m here to introduce you to the most popular treat in my freezer- Mint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream. I’ve mentioned my abundance of garden mint before, but things have gotten even wilder! This mint is taking over the garden like a boss! I’ve been thinking about making mint ice cream with it for a few weeks, but a little twist came to me when I discovered Newman-O’s Hint-O-Mint cookies. They’re just like Oreos, but with a creamy mint filling. The perfect add-in for mint ice cream.

Now, this is not your run-of-the-mill mint ice cream. The fresh flavor that comes from steeping the mint is crisp and lingers on the tongue- you won’t find anything like it in the store. The mint ice cream alone would be a great palate cleanser at the end of a meal or between courses, but I prefer it doctored up with the cookies. If you’re a fan of regular Cookies and Cream, you’ll be in love with this brisk, minty edition.

If you don’t have the fresh mint, you can still make the ice cream with some mint extract (not peppermint!) and I’m sure it will be tasty, too. Whatever you do, stock your freezer with cool desserts like this for easy summer entertaining. Or just come share a scoop with me- that giant mint patch guarantees that there will be gallons and gallons in my deep freezer at all times.

Mint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

adapted from David Lebovitz

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream, divided
pinch of salt
2 cups packed fresh mint leaves
5 large egg yolks
10-15 mint cream-filled chocolate cookies, like Newman-O’s Hint-O-Mint

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream, salt, and mint.
Once the mixture is hot and steaming, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for an hour to infuse the mint flavor.
Remove the mint with a strainer, then press down with a spatula firmly to extract as much mint flavor and color as possible. (You can also use well-washed hands to do it as well, making sure the mixture isn’t too hot to safely handle.) Once the flavor is squeezed out, discard the mint.
Pour the remaining heavy cream into a large bowl and set the strainer over the top.
Rewarm the infused milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then slowly pour some of the warm mint mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Cook the custard, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. If using an instant read thermometer, it should read around 170ºF (77ºC).
Immediately strain the mixture into the cream, then stir the mixture over an ice bath until cool.
Refrigerate the mixture thoroughly, preferably overnight, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
While the mixture is freezing, melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pot of simmering water, or in a microwave oven on low power, stirring until smooth. Place a storage container in the freezer.
When the ice cream in the machine is ready, scribble some of the chocolate into the container, then add a layer of the just-churned ice cream to the container. Scribble melted chocolate over the top of the ice cream, then quickly stir it in, breaking up the chocolate into irregular pieces. Continue layering the ice cream, scribbling more chocolate and stirring as you go.
When finished, cover and freeze until firm.

Farfalle con Broccoli

Natalie — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:28:00 +0000

Before I dip into the vegan recipes, let’s warm up with something vegetarian.

Let’s keep the cheese and cream for just a little while longer, shall we?

This dish feels like something you would make if you lived in Italy, went to market, saw a beautiful head of broccoli and just came home and put dinner together on a whim. It’s a picture of simple Italian-style cooking. If only every dish was this easy.

Preparation here is low-maintenance. The pasta and broccoli are cooked in the same pot and the sauce comes together quickly in the meantime. All you have to do next is toss the pasta with the sauce and add your cheese and you’ve got a lovely dish. It’s also an easy introduction to vegetarian cooking. The recipe calls for a little anchovy paste (don’t freak out- it’s not gross, it just adds a salty flavor), but that can be replaced with a little extra salt to make the dish truly vegetarian. Most kids will go for it, too (you don’t have to tell them about the anchovy).

If you’re cooking for a pickier/non-veg crowd (little ones or men used to eating more meat), you can easily add a little grilled chicken or some crisp bacon to the dish.

While you give this one a try, I’ll be busy daydreaming about Jess making me this dish when I come to visit her in Italy..

Farfalle con Broccoli

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

adapted from The Geometry of Pasta, via Suzie the Foodie- http://suziethefoodie.blogspot.com/2010/11/geometry-of-pastas-farfalle-con.html

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients

⅓ lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 salted anchovy filets or anchovy paste (omit if necessary and add a little extra salt to compensate)
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and broccoli florets and boil until al dente (it should still have a little bite to it). Meanwhile, fry the garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Turn off the heat and add red pepper flakes to the garlic oil.
Crush the anchovies with a little oil to make a paste (or use a bit of anchovy paste per your taste). When the garlic oil stops sizzling, add the anchovies and mix with a wooden spoon. Mix in the cream and return it to the heat. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.
Cook together until the sauce thickens. Add the parmesan and some freshly ground black pepper. If the sauce gets too thick and sticky, add some pasta water.