ice cream

Yup, its Saturday and I am in Mexico…well, not literally but virtually. After eating a bowl of this sinful, ultra glamorous and ever graceful ice cream, I can only imagine people enjoying their favorite Cafe De Olla in Mexico and sipping their way to renewed energy every day. Before you start wondering about my Mexican obsession, let me tell you I am way more obsessed about Tuscany and Austria…What brings me to Mexico is this lovely and decadent ice cream which is inspired by the Cafe De Olla coffee which is a traditional Mexican coffee beverage. This type of coffee is principally consumed in cold climates and in rural areas.

The “Olla” here refers to a tall, ceramic pot used in Mexico for simmering stews and beans. It is also the preferred vessel for brewing this traditional sweet coffee beverage as it gives a special flavor to the coffee. This method uses fewer beans than other brewing methods to produce a less concentrated extraction. Boiling the grinds enhances the beans’ bitterness and acidity, so piloncillo (a dark Mexican cane sugar with molasses-like flavors) and cinnamon are used to tame the coffee’s bite in Mexican households.

Being a marvelous adaptation of this ice cream and an inspiring delight in itself, it is really easy to make this ice cream as well. I have tried to mold the recipe on such a way that you enjoy an ice cream which is as creamy, light and rich in flavor as a market bought ice cream. Two secret ingredients – CMC powder and GMS powder give you a creation which won’t melt that fast and has the perfect texture. Just hop onto our all-time favorite – Amazon to get these products delivered and everything else you will find right in your fridge.

Let me tell you where the magic lies in this ice cream recipe and what makes it so incredible:

• The mild coffee flavor rather than a strong mocha one makes it superbly delicious and helps the coffee to blend rightly with the other ingredients.
• It superbly creamy, just so smooth and silky – you literally see a shine on the surface as you make it.
• I have used way less sugar and that makes it a little healthier if not more and extremely graceful. It’s not like any other ice cream which is loaded with a lot of sugar.
• The flavor of the orange and the spices added to it helps to distinguish the ice cream from all its peers. The orange blends with the coffee like long lost friends and the spices help to enhance their delightful combination.

One thing to note – I have used a dark roast Kenyan coffee here and Nescafe as well. The dark roast and strong Kenyan coffee gives the ice cream a different kind of flavor and to prevent the ice-cream from becoming too much of it (the strong dark roast flavor), the Nescafe is a good addition. You can use any strong coffee you have and mix it with Nescafe to do justice to this lovely creation.

Well, give this recipe a go and do post me updates….enjoy the impressive and delicate flavors of Cafe De Olla as you transport yourself to a Mexican sojourn within the confines of your balcony….its Mexico calling this season!

RECIPE:

A sinful combination of spices, orange and coffee, this ice cream is a tad hard to resist and forget. Inspired from the traditional Cafe De olla coffee from Mexico, it is the best coffee flavored ice cream you will ever have….Take my word….tastes like death!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup hot brewed coffee (I added 1 1/2 tbsp of dark roast coffee and 2 1/2 tbsp of Nescafe in some water to make this brew)

100 ml full fat milk

2 1/2 tbsp of Nescafe

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

4 tbsp sweetened condensed Milk

1 cup Amul cream

1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel

1/4 tsp CMC powder

1 Tbsp GMS powder

1 Tbsp cornflour

Method:

• Combine hot coffee, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in sweetened condensed milk until blended.
•  Cover and chill until cold.
•  In a small bowl add the corn flour, CMC powder and GMS powder . Take about 3-4 tbsp of milk from the 100 ml milk to make a smooth paste of these.
• Now heat the remaining milk in a pan and let it come to a boil. Add sugar and mix well. Then add this paste and stir well with the help of a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Keep the flame on medium.
• The mixture will tend to thicken in 2-3 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool down.
• Then strain the mixture with the help of a wire mesh to eliminate any leftover lumps.
• Add the cream in a bowl and add the above mixture to it. Combine them well. Now add the chilled coffee mixture and mix everything well together.
• Add the ice cream mixture in a container, cover it up and let it chill for 5-6 hours.
• Then take out the chilled mixture. Let it be at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• Use a beater to beat the ice cream mixture. Within minutes the volume will almost double up and the mixture will be smooth, creamy and thick.
• 
• Pour it into your ice cream container now. Cover the top with a foil. Place the lid on top and let freeze for next 10-12 hours.

Chocolate certainly has me crushing over it like nothing else…It makes me dance around, behave like a princess, like a mad lover, and like an annoying aunt! When it comes to white chocolate, it is way milder and little sweeter than the dark chocolate. If you love white chocolate, don’t look for a more prominent flavor of it in this ice cream, but it tends to enhance the taste of the banana and makes the simple banana ice cream much richer in flavor. Try and have an only banana ice cream and you will notice the difference. There is a certain change in flavor which I could perhaps gauge within the first bite (I am proud to have a strong sixth sense and an innate sense of flavor 🙂

When I decided to make this recipe, I had like loads, I mean literally loads of cranberry and had to put them to good use. Cranberry and pistachios could go well together, I thought. As I happened to open my freezer at that very instant, I saw my transparent frozen plastic container with a whole packet of pistachios as if they all were literally telling me to let them dance and merge together for a wonderful creation! A glance at the fridge door shelf and my white chocolates came handy. I always tend to keep some white and dark chocolate bars in the fridge just in case I run short of my Morde cooking chocolates at any time.

The only thing you have to remember here is that you can’t just melt the chocolate and add here. When the melted chocolate incorporates with the frozen bananas, it can freeze and solidify rather than mixing well with the bananas. The mixture of cream and chocolate here is the best way to go about it.

Also, be generous with the white chocolate. Be a little greedy with the chocolate, add a good amount. I added about a half cup but you can also add around one cup to this ice cream. It will, of course, have more of the chocolaty flavor then.

When it comes to cranberry and pistachios they both make the recipe complete. Cranberry helps it to stay away from getting too sweet and you will love the tiny bits as they come and melt away as the ice cream does in your mouth. These are smooth and silky in texture and never a hindrance. When it comes to pistachios, ahh….they add the crunchiness that I always look for in an ice-cream and the mild flavor helps in retaining the taste of the more flavourful bananas and white chocolate.

My folks went all crazy when I scooped out the perfect scoops for them. Well, yes they enjoyed their parts at an odd hour of 9:00 am in the morning leaving their breakfast halfway.

One thing very important to keep in mind, something I always stress upon when making an ice cream recipe which is without eggs or shipping cream – never freeze your ice cream for more than 12 hours. It tends to go too hard and you would never to able to get perfect scoops out of it. At 12 hours, it is simply in the best form.

Tell me if you have any queries here, just leave a comment……….I am sure you are going to fall in love with this adorable ice cream 🙂

RECIPE:

A deliciously rich white chocolate ice cream studded with pistachios and cranberries, to be had any time of the day. Made without a base of cream and a heavy dose of refined sugar, it is simply your healthiest choice. Just freeze some bananas and your healthy white chocolate ice cream is on its way!

Ingredients:

3 frozen bananas (cut into slices and frozen)

80 gms White Chocolate

1/3 cup Heavy Cream (Amul cream)

2 tbsp dried cranberries that were soaked in water for about 30 minutes and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible

1- 1/2 tbsp shelled roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped (make sure they’re coarsely chopped or any finer powder will give the ice cream a sandy texture)

METHOD:

• Peel the bananas and cut them into small pieces.
• Freeze them for 12 hours or more.
• Put the frozen bananas into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
• Take the cream in a pan and slightly heat it over. Do not boil. Then take it off the heat and add the white chocolate to it. Keep mixing the white chocolate until it melts and combines well. (Make sure you have broken the white chocolate into pieces here).

• Add the cream and chocolate mixture to the bananas mixture and combine well. You can also pulse this again.
• Add the cranberries and pistachios now and incorporate well. Transfer the ice-cream mix to an airtight container. Add some cranberries and pistachios again on the top. Cover the container with a foil. Freeze for 10-12 hours.

Like summers and ice creams go together, I and chocolate go hand in hand. We are practically inseparable. Yeah, rather than a prince charming, chocolates make me go weak in the knees, they literally make me blush and transport me to a way better world…I almost lose touch of reality whenever there’s that brown piece of heaven in my mouth.

As much as I love everything that’s sugary, dessert and just outstanding in taste, I also love to try out and explore healthier versions of the same. Being one of the most common flavors you must have enjoyed, you must have enjoyed chocolate ice cream a lot of times from gelato to full-fat ones from different brands but I bet never ever this one!

In three words- it’s decadent, dreamy and death like!

It’s also instant, doesn’t melt like normal ice cream (be assured, I have made in super humid Mumbai temperature), creamy, super chocolaty and of course healthier than you can imagine! Perfect to be made and had every single day of your life without worrying much about calories! Ask me how, well its made from our favorite bananas and that’s the base of the ice cream.

I used, cocoa powder, Hide & Seek biscuits, a few bits of chocolate along with the bananas to give the chocolate flavor. But what added the exotic touch to it is the addition of some special ingredients which made it all the more unique and added the special touch! I made a coarse mixture of some peanuts, fennel seeds and chili flakes and added to the ice cream mix. The result is, of course, palatable and luscious ice cream with the freshness of the fennel, spiciness of the chili flakes and the nuttiness of the peanuts! I bet you wouldn’t be able to control your taste buds after this deadly combination!

It is this wonderful spice blend which makes the ice cream different and wonderful creation in itself!

As far as the rest of the ingredients go, you can add just about add anything to give the chocolate flavor – cocoa powder, Oreos, any other chocolate biscuits, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, etc.

What’s also nice about this ice cream is that it can be had instantly or you can also freeze it as long as you want. It has a texture of gelato. When you freeze it, it will become a little firmer but still have a gelato-like texture……super creamy, I tell you!

Why you need this Chocolate Banana Ice Cream:

• It tastes EXACTLY like soft serve chocolate ice cream.
• It’s every bit as refreshing as your favorite ice cream recipe only made with healthy ingredients.
• This is the best recipe ever for tricking your kids, spouse, friends, or yourself into eating healthy food.

Tips:

• Try the ice cream when is done. If it’s too bitter, add some natural sweetener or more Hide & Seek biscuits and blend again. If you like bitter chocolate ice cream, add more cacao.
• I used cocoa powder, but sweetened chocolate powder and carob powder are okay.
• If you use very ripe bananas the ice cream will be sweeter. It’s best to use ripe ones.

Well, why waste more time…go ahead guys and let me know how do you like it? Happy weekending!

RECIPE:

Sinfully rich, indulgently dark, and secretly healthy chocolate ice cream! No cream, no added sugar, no guilt! My favorite way to eat it is as soft serve right out of the blender but you can also freeze so it’s firm enough to scoop into ice cream cones.

INGREDIENTS:

4 bananas chopped and frozen

2 tablespoon cocoa powder

7-8 Hide and seek biscuits

2 tbsp chocolate chunks (chocolate broken into small pieces). You can also add melted chocolate

1-1/2 tbsp mixture of fennel seeds, peanuts and chili flakes (roughly grind all these together to make a coarse powder)

METHOD:

• Peel the bananas and cut them into small pieces.
• Freeze them for 12 hours or more.
• Put the frozen bananas into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary.

• When the mixture is smooth, add the cocoa powder, Hide & Seek biscuits, chocolate chunks, spice mixture and blend until incorporated.

• For a soft ice cream, serve immediately.
• For a firm chocolate banana ice cream, transfer it back to the freezer for at least an hour. Enjoy!

Paan has a symbolic value in ceremonies in India. It is also offered to guests as a sign of hospitality after a heavy meal. Various spices like clove, cardamom, fennel seeds, when wrapped in a betel leaf to make paan, make an excellent mouth-fresher. Today, we will be using the readily available paan syrup to make this decadent ice cream. Of course, you can make it with fresh ingredients also but since I already had this syrup at home and the summers were driving me crazy, I thought why not put the paan syrup to some good use with good looking ice cream?

You will also like one more factor here – the fact that there is no additional sugar, no eggs, no heavy cream,  and the taste, well – something you will remember a lifetime! I have made use of coconut milk here, that too, the regular one which you get in the Indian markets (something which is devoid of a large amount of fat). The flavor of the coconut combines so beautifully with the flavor of the paan – like the north and the south of India, either of which, if taken out would leave the county incomplete.

I have again used custard powder here as I didn’t have corn flour at home. Use either of them, won’t really make a difference, corn flour though would prevent the color of the ice cream from turning a little yellowish which happens with custard powder. And of course, since its vanilla custard powder, there is a slight taste of vanilla also added to this ice cream which doesn’t happen with the addition of corn flour.

Feel free to garnish it as you like –  you can use tutti frutti, dried rose petals, sugar-coated fennel seeds, gulkand, rose syrup, chocolate chips, etc.

I always say this- any kind of homemade ice cream(especially that which is dairy free) should not be frozen for more than 12 hours. It’s the ideal best to freeze it for 12 hours, after that the ice cream tends to form ice crystals and becomes too hard to come along in the form of full lovely scoops. This is the trick to enjoy a homemade ice cream which looks and tastes just like a market bought ice-cream. Longer hours in the freezer will tend to spoil all your effort.

Also, make sure you keep your mixing bowl and beater in the freezer for at least a few hours (minimum 3-4 hours) before you start making the ice cream.

Ah well, how could I leave before telling you about some facts about ice creams, most probably you don’t know of them? So yeah, enjoy!

History of ice creams had probably begun around 500 BC in the Achaemenid Empire (Persia) with ice combined with flavors to produce summertime treats. In 400 BC, the Persians invented a special chilled food, made of rose water and vermicelli, which was served to royalty during summers. The ice was mixed with saffron, fruits, and various other flavors.

Kulfi is a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian subcontinent and is often described as “traditional Indian ice cream”. It originated in the sixteenth century in the Mughal Empire.

The most popular flavor of ice creams in North America(based on customer surveys) is vanilla and chocolate.

There is an Ice Cream Fruit in Hawaii. That’s right. There’s a Hawaiian fruit that tastes exactly like vanilla ice cream. It’s called the inga feuillei, but locals call it the ice cream bean.

It grows on perennial trees in hot climates, and it is enjoyed in many different ways by locals.

RECIPE:

This pan ice cream is eggless and no whipping cream or milk powder has been sued used here as well. It’s really healthy and super easy to make. It makes for the most refreshing summer treat helping you melt away all your worries within minutes.

2 cans coconut milk

3-4 tbsp vanilla custard powder

Paan syrup – according to taste

Method:

• Chill 2 cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
• Open the 2 cans of chilled coconut milk. The cream should have risen to the top. Carefully scoop the cream into a mixing bowl. (Reserve the coconut water that has separated from the cream to use in a smoothie). Even if the cream hasn’t separated, there’s no need to panic. Just use the entire coconut milk from the can.

• Now take about 3/4th of the mixture and add custard powder to it and mix well. Add the rest of the mixture to a pan and heat it on medium heat. When it just comes to the first boil, add the custard mix and stir it well. Keep stirring it continuously or else it will form lumps. When you see the first boil here, take the pan off the heat.
• Let it cool down a bit and add the paan syrup  and mix well.

• Transfer to a lidded container and cover with a foil before you place the lid on the top. Now use another foil to cover the entire container as well (this helps to minimize formation of ice crystals). Freeze for 4 hours first. Then churn the ice cream well in a blender or mixer. It tends to become a little thick after this process. Then cover the ice cream container in the same way and freeze for 10-12 hours. As this ice cream does freeze harder just give it a few minutes at room temperature to make it easier to scoop.

Ah!! Summers are here and well, they make me gloomy! Not if, of course, I am having ice-cream after my meals every now and then. Being a little screwy in the head, I always tend to feel the brightest in monsoon and the worst in summers. Well, but ice creams always give us all the kick that we need when we go mad with the scorching heat, right?

I don’t have any allergy to any food and I can certainly eat all kind of food including gluten. But when it came to making this particular ice cream, I thought why not go dairy free and make something which is really healthy. So I opted for coconut cream instead of heavy dairy cream or double cream (Amul cream included). Coconut cream is really low in fat as compared to heavy cream or double cream and is also a great option for people who prefer dairy-free ice creams.

In India, it’s difficult to find a full-fat coconut cream which is best for such a recipe but just get whichever coconut cream you are getting here. It needs to be kept refrigerated for at least a day before we start using it. (the longer the better actually)

Let me tell you, there’s a surprise ingredient here and that is condensed milk that I made from coconut milk for this recipe. You can simply store this condensed milk in the fridge and keep using it whenever you are making ice creams.

Do note – this recipe has custard powder added to it. You can use corn flour also, that will help retain the color of the ice cream. But I used custard powder because it is easily available in our kitchens and serves the same purpose as corn flour. You are free to use any – just make sure it’s vanilla flavor custard powder. The addition of this tends to make the ice cream thicker and more creamy.

Also, keep in mind this kind of homemade ice cream should not be frozen for more than 12 hours. It’s the ideal best to freeze it for 12 hours, after that the ice cream tends to form ice crystals and becomes too hard to come along in the form of full lovely scoops. This is the trick to enjoy a homemade ice cream which looks and tastes just like a market bought ice-cream. Longer hours in the freezer will tend to spoil all your effort.

Also, make sure you keep your mixing bowl and beater in the freezer for at least a few hours (minimum 3-4 hours) before you start making the ice cream.

Just feel free to add any flavors, or fruit purees here as per your taste, of course, there are more flavors coming here on the blog. Let me know how you like this ice cream made of coconut cream…I will definitely keep posting more of such gorgeous ice creams for you all……let’s make summers bright and gay every day with such heavenly desserts!

RECIPE:

This ice cream…, it’s silky smooth and so delicious. The creamy, dreamy decadence here will simply have you hooked to this dairy-free and no churn ice cream within minutes.

Ingredients:

2 cans coconut cream

Zest of 1 Orange (you can take more also)

2 tbsp Orange juice

2-3 tbsp Condensed milk (use it as per your taste)

3 crushed digestive biscuits

2 tbsp vanilla custard powder

How to make Condensed Milk?

Ingredients:

2 can coconut milk (400 ml)

⅔ cups to 1 cup white sugar

Method:

• Add the coconut milk and sugar into a heavy bottomed saucepan
• Heat it on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved
• Once all of the sugar has dissolved bring the mix to a simmer over low/medium heat. Do not stir once the mix starts to simmer otherwise it can crack and crystallize.
• Gently simmer until the milk has darkened to an almost grey color and has reduced by half and thickened.
• When ready, remove from the heat and pour into a jar to cool.
• Let the condensed milk cool completely before putting on the air tight lid.
• Store in a jar in the fridge and it will last for months.

ICE CREAM RECIPE:

Method:

• Chill 2 cans of coconut cream in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
• When you open the 2 cans of chilled coconut cream, the thickened cream should have risen to the top with the liquid at the bottom. Carefully scoop the cream into a mixing bowl. (Reserve the coconut water that has separated from the cream to use in a smoothie). Even if the cream hasn’t separated, there’s no need to panic. Just use the entire coconut cream mixture from the can.
• With an electric beater or a stand mixer, whip up the coconut cream on high speed for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the condensed coconut milk and whip on high speed for another 2-3 minutes.

• Now take about 3/4th cup of the mixture and add custard powder to it and mix well. Add the rest of the mixture to a pan and heat it on medium heat. When it just comes to the first boil, add the custard mix and stir it well. Keep stirring it continuously or else it will form lumps. When you see the first boil again here (it will have thickened by now), take the pan off the heat.
• Let it cool down a bit and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

• Transfer to a lidded container and cover with a foil before you place the lid on the top. Now use another foil to cover the entire container as well (this helps to minimize formation of ice crystals). Freeze for 12 hours. Just give it a few minutes at room temperature to make it easier to scoop.

One of our favorite things in the entire world is home-made ice cream. The creaminess, richness, flavor and your own touch can beat any regular ice cream in the market. Honey Cinnamon Ice Cream is such a favorite.  There is something amazing about the extra creaminess you get by using honey.  It also helps balance the great spiciness from the cinnamon. 

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream or Amul cream

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup honey

Method:

• Heat the milk, cream, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking occasionally until just warmed. Increase the heat to medium, and add the honey. Whisk until the mixture just comes to a boil.

• Immediately remove from the heat and chill completely. For the best results, let the mixture chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.
• After chilling, churn the mixture in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also churn in your regular mixture. Now place the mixture in your kulfi molds and store in your freezer.

Note: When you beat the kulfi mixture once, the texture comes out really smooth and utterly creamy. 

A ridiculously simple ice cream recipe that is also ridiculously delicious! This mango ice cream is done in a blitz (literally!) using only a blender and 3-4 simple ingredients. Trust me, you’ll be amazed, as I was, at how good this ice cream is given how easy and quick it is to make!

Ingredients:

2 ½ Mangoes cut into bigger pieces for puree

½ of 1 mango – cut into smaller squares

400 gms Condensed milk

1 pkt Amul cream (cold and chilled)

1-2 tsp sliced pistachios

Few Chilli flakes

Few chopped Mint leaves

Method:

• Take the bigger pieces of mangoes and make a puree out of them in a blender.
• Beat the cream with a hand beater till it is a little frothy. Add the condensed milk and beat again for a few minutes.
• Now add the mango puree to the cream mixture and again blend with the beater till it is mixed properly. Add the chilli flakes, mint leaves, small mango chunks and sliced pistachios now and mix well with the help of a spoon.
• Pour the mixture in a container and cover with a klean wrap before putting on the lid of the container. Let this freeze for at least 4 hours.
• After 4 hours, take out the ice-cream mixture and blend it all nicely in a blender till it is really light and creamy in texture.
• Now pour it all to the container again and cover with the klean wrap and the lid of the container.
• Let it freeze for about 12 hours.
• Take out your perfect ice-cream scoops after the 12 hours. Your ice-cream will be absolutely ready!