Kumquat Ice Cream - I Scream For Ice Cream Challenge.And Ice Dream Cook Book Give Away

Been yearning to taste this delight ever since bookmarked last summer.With right ingredients in hand and the ambiance warm enough,finally got the chance to contain the desire.



Eralda's original recipe of the ice cream follows David lebovitz's approach ,while my recreation here is influenced by the by Rachel Albert-Matesz's dairy free recipes from her latest book, The Ice Dream Cookbook ,replacing heavy cream with coconut milk.Smitten by the superb benefits of coconut,all of my home made ice creams now incorporate coconut milk for dairy cream.


Besides the coconut milk,the other supreme element in the ice cream are Kumquats.I always keep an eye out for unusually healthy foods,glad I noticed kumquats in a market here.Kumquats are like the concentrated mini oranges or clementines with edible peel.But if these tangy little morsels are not in your reach,you could still make the ice cream,simply substitute them with some fresh orange zest and orange juice instead.

Recipe : Dairy free Kumquat Ice cream ,inspired by Eralda's recipe at 5 star foodie and Rachel Albert-Matesz as in Ice Dream Cookbook.

Yields 1 3/4 cup
Ingredients
one 14 ounce can Coconut milk(preservative free,I use Thai Kitchen brand)
5-6 kumquats,seeded and chopped(or use 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest and 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice)
1/4 cup honey,agave nectar or 1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup cool or cold filtered water
2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin or 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (not the flakes)
pinch of salt
Kumquat syrup and Caramelized kumquats for garnish(recipe follows)

Method
1.Warm the water in small sauce pan.Sprinkle the gelatin or agar-agar,do no stir,let dissolved completely 4-5 minutes.Turn off the heat.
2.Process the kumquat in a food processor or vitamix until finely chopped,the add the coconut milk,sweetener(honey or agave),salt,the gelatin or agar-agar mixture and blend again until well combined and smooth.
3-Pour into one or more wide-mouthed jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning.

4-Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5-Serve immediately or spoon into several 8-to 16-ounce freezer safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.

6-Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Without the Ice cream machine method
After the step 2,transfer the Ice Cream mixture in to a freezer proof container,preferably air tight.Freeze for about an hour,then get the container out and whisk the mixture using a spatula or hand held whisk or electric whisk to break the ice crystals forming over the edges of the container.Freeze and whisk again after 30-40 minutes ,repeat this for about 6 hours until the mixture is almost frozen.Serve immediately or freeze.Do as in step 6 to serve.

Kumquat Syrup with caramelized Kumquats
Ingredients
8-10 kumquats,seeded,sliced or chopped(2 tablespoon fresh orange zest)
1/4 cup agave or honey
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon virgin pressed coconut oil
Method
In a small pan,heat the oil and add the kumquats(or zest),let soften and caramelized,about 3-4 minutes.Now add the honey or agave and warm,let heat up on low heat,when bubbles start to emerge,3-4 minutes.Turn off the heat.Cool for few minutes and serve over the ice cream.



Health Nut Challenge 6 - I Scream For Ice Cream!

Nothing can beat the summer's scorching heat like the frosty treat.Gearing up for the heat,I invite my creative foodies to scream for the summer's best refreshment,take the next Health Nut challenge of creating one fresh ,healthy and home made frozen treat.

Homemade Ice creams are far superior than store bought,for one can customize it for sweetness , flavors ,calories without any need for preservatives or artificial colors.Also the home made quality ice cream costs less.Even if you don't treasure an ice cream machine,just following the method in my recipes to closely match the texture of machine made.

Please read the following rule carefully before submitting your recipe for the "I Scream For Ice Cream!" Challenge:

1.Delight your family with a home made frozen treat on a sizzling hot day - Ice cream,Frozen yogurt,Sorbet,Juice pop,Ice cream sandwich or cone,gelato,kulfi or any other chilled dessert or snack.Refer to Health nut recipes to get the idea.

2.Make it a healthier ice cream,use a healthier substitute for heavy cream like the coconut milk,also using nut butters like cashew cream or peanut butter or almond butter are simply wonderful for making creamy healthy ice creams.Or use light cream along with whole milk ,almond milk or soy milk.

3.Keep the sweetness in moderation.Again using substitutes like honey ,agave nectar or maple syrup are much better than plain white sugar.


4.Flavor up them with fresh fruits ,berries,nuts ,cocoa or dark chocolate.For sorbets one can also use fresh herbs like basil.

5.Limit to one entry per participant.Send me your creative frozen treat using the convenient form below, by June 31st.And please do not forget to link your post to this announcement page.


Health Nut Challenge Form

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Ice Dream Cook Book Give Away!

Rachel Albert-Matesz,author of Ice Dream Cookbook, has been kind enough to give a copy of her Ice Dream Cookbook,as reward for one unique recipe submitted to the Health Nut Ice Cream Challenge ,that closely abides by the rules of the challenge.

I totally love the book for introducing the healthier alternatives in home made ice creams,clear and descriptive recipes with fabulous variety of flavors.I've been using her recipes to make most of my Ice creams ever since I did the review.The cookbook is a best buy for any diet-conscious ,Ice-cream aficionados and those on restricted diets(low-sugar,gluten-free,dairy-free).You can read my complete review here.
ORDER YOUR COPY of The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert-Matesz at Rachel's blog or at Amazon.com .

Orange Tian with Kumquat Marmalade and Saffron Citrus sauce

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.


Orange Tian is a dessert sure to tickle your taste buds with sunny citrus flavor shining through in every layer.The dessert is made of 4 luscious layers: a pate sablee with orange marmalade, a cream layer topped with fresh orange segments and served with an orange sauce.The dessert is assembled upside down and unmolded,so that the bottom layer (the orange segments) becomes the top layer.We had the liberty to use any kind of citrus and fortunately I had access to a range of citrusy delights,I went for distinct citrus element in each layer.With Orange and Grape fruit in the segment layer,followed by orange blossom in the cream,finally kumquat marmalade over the zesty pate sablee.


Recipe : Orange Tian with Kumquat Marmalade and Saffron Citrus sauce
A notable change I made for the cream layer is of use agar-agar(the extract from seaweed available in most Asian markets),vegan substitute for gelatin to stabilize the light cream,it worked perfect.Also I did not treasure any cookie cutters,so for molding ,the used olive tin cans were an economical substitute.Just had to carefully cut the other end of the can like the opening end.



Makes 8 round desserts(about 3 inches diameter)
Ingredients
For the Pate Sablee
All-purpose flour 1 /2 cup(200grams)
Baking powder(alum-free) 1 teaspoon(4 grams)
1 Organic Egg
2 tablespoon dark brown sugar or palm sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder(optional)
1 teaspoon Orange zest
Unsalted butter 2 tablespoons ice cold, cubed
Salt 1/3 teaspoon


Directions:
Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
In a separate bowl, add the egg, orange zest and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.
Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogeneous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a 1/4 inch thick circle.
Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Kumquat Marmalade or Orange Marmalade:
Freshly pressed orange juice 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams
8-10 kumquats or 1 large orange
pectin 5 grams
1/4 cup brown sugar or palm sugar

Method
Finely slice the kumquats or orange. Place the slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water.
For kumquats no blanching is required ,cook 20-22 minutes until tender.
For Oranges ,Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them(kumquats or oranges).In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).
Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

For the Orange Segments:
For this step you will need 4 oranges and 1 large Grape fruit or 6 oranges.

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.


For the Saffron Citrus Sauce :
2 cups fresh squeeze Orange juice
2 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar
pinch of saffron
1/4 teaspoon agar-agar(for thicker sauce)

Place the juice ,saffron and sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.Reduce to 1/2 its original quantity and dissolve agar-agar for a little more thicker sauce.Cool in fridge.


For the Light Cream :
Light cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
3 tablespoons of hot water
2 tablespoon Agar-agar or 1 tsp Kosher\Halal unflavored Gelatin
1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon Orange blossom water

Bring the milk to a slow boil,add the gelatin or agar agar,stir well and cook until completely dissolved.Turn off heat.Mix in blossom water.Let cool just until the mixture starts to set.Then proceed to layering it.

Assembling the Dessert:
Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snugly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of prepared cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.


Check out other daring beautiful attempts of Tian at DB blog roll.

Rotini in Kumquat Jalapeno Compound Butter

Enlarged to entice,kumquats are miniature oranges with completely edible aromatic peel and tart juicy center.Almost the size of large grapes ,these are perfect pop-in-your-mouth snack.I fancied them to create exciting eats.Here is the compound butter for starters.


Why compound butter with kumquats? Also ,isn't butter the unfavorable ingredient of a Health Nut?.Not really,dietitians recommend up to 2 tablespoon of daily serving of butter for those without diagnosed heart disease and a tablespoon(30mg) for those with the heart condition.For the following recipe I use pure butter,that is Organic.Or a good butter substitute for those watching fat calories.As for the flavoring,the Kumquats blended ,gives the zesty kick and the sweetness of the juices complements well with the heat from chili peppers.The fusion butter can be savored as a spread on whole grain crackers,toast or used to flavor up grilled fish or pasta.

Recipe : Kumquat Jalapenos Compound Butter
Ingredients
1 stick Organic butter(cut in cubes) or 1 cup(4 ounce) butter substitute(I Can't Believe It's Not Butter or Smart balance)
1 big or 2 medium Jalapeno,seeded and chopped
3-4 kumquats ,rinsed ,seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon parsley,chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Method
Process the jalapenos,kumquats,parsley in a food processor until finely chopped.Add in the butter or butter substitute and blend until well combined,takes longer if using real butter.
Remove from the processor,place on a parchment paper or plastic wrap,shape in to a log.Chill for an hour or two,longer for the butter substitute.

Recipe : Rotini with Stir-fry Vegetables and Kumquat Jalapenos Compound Butter

Use whatever form of pasta in the pantry,rotini boxes were surplus in mine.The amount of compound butter can be doubled,1 tablespoon is for strictly keeping the fat calories under dietary guidelines for those with heart condition.Cooked together with copious serving of vegetables this an comforting pasta meal.

Serves 2-3


Ingredients
1/2 pound Whole grain Rotini pasta.
1/2 pound Stir-fry mix Vegetables(beans,sugar snap peas,broccoli,carrots,peppers and mushrooms)
1 tablespoon Kumquat Jalapenos Compound Butter(recipe above)
2 big cloves garlic,finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
2 tablespoon fresh parsley,finely chopped
few slices of fresh kumquats for garnish

Method
Cook the rotini pasta until al-dente as per the package directions.Drain.
While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in sauce pan on medium heat,add the vegetables and garlic saute for few minutes 6-7 minutes until tender.Season with salt,pepper and herbs.Mix in the cooked pasta and compound butter,saute another 2-3 minutes.turn off the heat.Garnish with fresh kumquat slices and serve.

The Kumquat compound butter is my entry for 5 star make over : Compound butter and the pasta for Presto Pasta Nights,host of the week is Our Taste of Life