Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

The first ice cream recipe I tried with my ice cream maker was a strawberry. It came out so creamy and delicious with tons of fresh strawberry chunks in it. Sadly, I did not take any photos of the entire process or even of the ice cream afterward.
The next recipe I decided to try was a coffee ice cream. It took a little more time and effort, but man was it worth it. Even Cory thought it was fabulous and he doesn't even like coffee.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole milk (I use 2% if that's all I have)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans--I chose a nice chocolate-y coffee bean
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground coffee (press grinds through a fine mesh sieve)

1. Heat the milk, sugar, beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of cream in a saucepan until warm and steamy, but not boiling. Once warm, cover, remove from heat, and steep at room temperature for 1 hour.


2. Pour remaining cream into a medium metal bowl, set on ice over larger bowl. Set mesh sieve on top and set aside.
3. Reheat first mixture until hot and steamy. Whisk yolks together in a separate bowl. Slowly pour heated mixture into yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape warmed egg yolks back into saucepan.
4. Stir mixture constantly over medium heat scraping the bottom until mixture thickens and coats the back of your spatula, about 10 minutes.
5. Pour custard through strainer and stir into cream. Press on coffee beans to get all liquid through and discard the beans. This process took me quite some time.

6. Mix in vanilla and ground coffee and stir until cool.
7. Chill thoroughly (at least 4 hours) and then freeze according to ice cream maker instructions.

Makes 1 quart.

[My apologies for lack of photos of this amazing ice cream. This is probably one of the best coffee ice creams I've ever had.]

Pizza Dough!

Due to a combination of both delicious looking flat-bread recipes on my food blogs, and my co-worker's mention of making her own pizza dough last week, I have taken it upon myself to try a home-made pizza dough as well. And I'm throwing a pizza party to test it all out.

Before the party, though, I first must pre-make the dough. That's what tonight's adventure shall be about.

Here's what you'll need:

1 package dry active yeast (2 tspns)
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour (I used whole wheat again)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
3. Make a well in the center of flour mix and pour olive oil and yeast mixture into it.
4. Mix dough until a ball starts to form, then knead on lightly floured surface for 4-5 minutes.


5. Lightly oil a glass bowl and the ball of dough, cover, and let rise for about an hour. Set in warm location.

I let my dough sit for an hour, walked my dogs, and when I came back I was very happy to see that my pizza dough had indeed risen. I have read about other bloggers not having the same luck. Then...I poked it down and let it rise for one more hour.


Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface. Trying to achieve a nice, round, pizza-like shape is probably the hardest part of this whole process.
Then spread your sauce and add your toppings. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling!