Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

For the first time in a long time, I had a day off on Friday.  The last day off I had that wasn’t a stat holiday was back in MARCH.  WTH?  I had the day planned out:  Bob and I were going to take Mum out for crepes at Kawaii Crepe, go to Boonstra’s for strawberry picking, and then maybe go to Home Sense to check out some new wares.  But before all the shenanigans were to begin, I had to come up with a dessert to bring over to the ladies night dinner I was attending later that evening.

What to make?  What to make that’ll be quick and ready to go by the time I get back?  Out of our small group of awesome, foxy ladies, one has food allergies.  And the two things that she could not have were: citrus and nuts.  CRAP!  So, I’m online looking for “great!” “summer!” “desserts!”.  And what comes up?  Citrus something-or-other.  Lemony thing-she-can’t-eat.  Nuts’n-butts disaster.  I was totally boned.  Why did everything that was sounding SO amazing were the things I couldn’t make?  So, I emailed Ms. T and asked her specifically which citrus and which nuts (because it can be specific).  Turns out ALL citrus :(.  But, she was ok with peanuts.  Translation: peanut butter is an option.  HALLELUJAH!

Chocolate + Beer = breakfast

I’m not a big beer drinker.  I haven’t gotten over the bitter taste and strange after-taste that lingers in my mouth.  I’m still curious to try sips here and there, but my reaction is always the same: “blah! how can you drink this?” while I grab for the closest non-alcoholic beverage near by.  Only one brand has made me realize why people all over drink it and that’s Innis & Gunn.  Mind you I can only drink a 1/4 of the bottle before I pawn it off to Bob.  Since I can’t drink beer, stouts are even worse for me.  Am I ever going to enjoy Guinness??

Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice cream
from David Lebovitz’s “Perfect Scoop”

• 7 ounces milk chocolate finely chopped
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream, divided
• 3/4 cup Guinness Stout
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Once you’ve finished chopping your chocolate, put it in a large bowl with a mesh strainer over top.

Next, in a medium sauce pan on low-medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, and 1/2 cup of the cream.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved and wait for the mixture to heat up.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks with the remaining cream.  Check on your milk/cream/sugar mixture.  I test it by poking my finger and  if it’s hot I know it’s ready.  (What professional advice, eh?  I know I should use a thermometer, but I’m so used to doing it this way and it’s worked – no sense in fixing something that ain’t broke…)  Slowly pour about 3/4 of the warmed mixture into the egg yolks/cream, whisking constantly.  [If you get "scrambled eggs", you've poured your mixture too quickly and the only remedy is to start again :( ].

Afterwards, pour your warmed egg yolks back into the sauce pan and cook until it’s “thickened”.  This term is kind of deceiving because your custard won’t get thick like a normal custard; it’ll still be rather runny.  Your custard is deemed “thickened” when after coating the back of your wooden spoon, your run your finger down the centre and make a trail.  If that trail remains for several seconds, your mixture is done.  If the trail “closes up” right afterwards, you still have to cook your mixture a little while longer.  Since I’ve made more ice cream than I can shake a stick at, I find once you’ve returned the eggs back into the sauce pan, more often than not, your custard’s done.

At this point, you’ll pour the custard through the strainer on top of the chocolate pieces.  Stir the chocolate until melted.  Then add your vanilla and Guinness.  Cool in an ice bath and then chill thoroughly for about 4 hours or overnight; freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

My verdict is this:  David Lebovitz is a Genius.  Possibly one of the best ice creams I’ve made since my caramel macchiato.  When you first put a spoonful in your mouth, you get a lovely taste of milk chocolate.  And then it evolves into the heady, rich taste of the Guinness.  Guinness on its own doesn’t entice me.  But combined with the chocolate and in a frozen custard form, I can finally understand why people appreciate this stout.  While I won’t be able to enjoy a nice pint at the pub, I can enjoy it with crepes and a dollop of whipped cream.  Isn’t beer for breakfast lovely??  -  If you’re interested, check out this album of ice creams I’ve made this past month.

Deck update:

Bob working hard while I laze around and take pictures.

The hard work has paid off and now the deck is ready for use. (Special thanks to Brian who's helped us out so much with our yard and deck. Thanks dude!)

Happy (belated) Canada Day!  And of course, Happy 4th of July!  How are you celebrating this weekend?  Do you enjoy a nice pint of stout or are you more of a lager kind of person?

On the opposite end of the spectrum…

In light of the zen and healthy state of mind I’ve been in lately, my stomach has put in a request for something different and quite opposite.  Actually not so much requested, but demanded unhealthy, fattening, horribly artery-clogging eats.  I don’t know if anyone else suffers from this affliction, but there’ll be periods where I’m eating healthy.  I’ve been a good girl.  Then from the depths of some place unseen, my body is really, REALLY wanting the bad stuff.  And this isn’t even when I’m PMS’ing!

What am I craving?  What exactly do I want dancing on my tongue?  Who do I turn to?

Nigella Lawson.

If I have to have any kind of girl crush besides Angelina Jolie (sorry Team Aniston fans), it’d be Nigella Lawson.  I love watching her on tee vee.  I love how she bashes things about; makes no apologies for her love of food; and makes raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night almost seem guilt-free.

Several months ago, I was watching one of her Nigella Bites episodes.  I watched rapt, still, and hungry while she made Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding.  I saw it, tried to find when it would air next and hit record on the PVR.  I wanted to make this and I wanted to make it quite badly.  But, as aforementioned, that was several months ago.  How could I go from such a state of sheer absolute need and NOW! to one of, I can wait several months??  I’m not entirely sure.  My parents came over for Sunday dinner and I needed to make a dessert.  Well, I didn’t need to but since mum had made dinner – it was the least I could do.  Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding it is!

Chocolate Pudding

When I'm busy making macarons and saving the world, Bob gets to feast on boxed pudding.

Hmmmm…. pudding.  It is so good, non?  Love it as a snack for work and sometimes as a sweet treat after dinner.   When I get a chance, I do make it from scratch with the milk, the cream, the chocolate and the corn starch.  But lately, I’ve been buying the Hunt’s Snack Packs for my Bob because i) he likes them and ii) I simply haven’t made much time or effort to make homemade pudding for him.  Horrible wife – YIKES!

I stumbled upon this Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding when I was looking for recipes with chia seeds.  I’ve tried making it twice because I actually wasn’t all that fond of the original.

Tarte au Citron

"One of these things just doesn't belong..."

I don’t know what’s up with me, but lately I’ve been wanting to express myself in French.  Sometimes, things just make more sense in French or maybe it’s just that it sounds better?  My once-mad skillz aren’t all that excellent enough to write fluently anymore.  And when I’ve been calling La Belle Province, they pick up right away that I’m Anglophone and they switch on to Language: Anglais.

Sigh.