Homemade Ice Cream from 101 Gourmet Ice Cream Creations (and a Giveaway)

July is National Ice Cream Month!  This is a rambling review and recipe post that has been a long-time coming.  I'm weird that way. I like to really use a book a lot before I review it and to be honest with y'all in every way.   About a year ago I purchased the book, 101 Gourmet Ice Cream Creations Here from Amazon. At the time it was one of the new books from my darling, adorable friend and fellow cookbook author, Wendy Paul ( 101GourmetSeries). She's written quite a few amazing cookbooks and every one I have purchases I have loved.  Plus. I just love ice cream (for all the right reasons).

 I can admit that initially buying an ice cream book seemed strange for a pastry chef, but this was, at the time, an area that I felt like I could improve my skills.  I, for some reason, found ice cream making to be intimidating.   Say no more.  I bet there are a few out there who would totally agree with me.  It seemed cheaper to me to just buy pre-made ice cream and then...I got the book.  Boom! Wendy made me a pro. Well...the book made it simple anyway.

A few weeks ago, Wendy sent me a copy of her book that I could give away here on the blog. {Eeeeek!!! Soooo Awesome!!}   Mind you, the first copy I had didn't have this awesome autograph in it...

So that means I'm keeping this one. Sorry dudes. I can't fly to Utah this week and get her to sign another and I just can't part with the autographed copy...It is toooo pretty. Can I admit that I squealed like a little girl and ran into show my kids that Wendy signed it? Can I also admit that they looked at me like I was a freakin' loon?    

 I don't care. Loonie moms unite! 

Wendy touched my copy of the book. 

Neeener Neeeeener. 

Okay. Now I'm just being mean. 

Here the deal. I can't part with this copy. I can't. 

I can however part with 3 more copies from Amazon. 

Pay attention. I'll tell you how to win.

One thing I've really loved about Wendy's book is that it gives simple recipes in the beginning of the book called, "The Basics". Those recipes are the base for all the ice cream variations in the book so it makes it very very simple for anyone to create something awesome.  You know what I loved best? The recipe for the basic ice cream was just four ingredients. Four. Simple. Ingredients.  Nothing gourmet or hard to find. Simple. From that basic she makes things like maple bacon ice cream, roasted strawberry ice cream,  Silky fudge, mint truffle...the list goes on and on 101 times. Yup. I'm converted. 

My personal favorite and one I've made about 10 times now is the Peanut Butter Bliss on page 73.  It is the basic recipe plus a bunch of peanut butter and peanut butter cups. I'd share the recipe but you really should buy the book.   {Or you can win it here...I'll tell you how.}

Wendy did say I could share couple other recipes and I think you'll agree, once you try them that you've found pure ice-cream heaven.  I know I have.  Keep reading. I promise we'll talk about the giveaway...

Recipes from:

 101 Gourmet Ice Cream Creations for Every Craving

 by Wendy Paul ( Here from Amazon) Shared by permission.

Creamy Vanilla
"This recipe contains less fat than Rich and Creamy Vanilla, and does not have any eggs in it. Perfect for specific dietary needs, but still has the heavy creamy texture you desire.

½ to ¾ cup sugar
2 cups cream
1 cup 2% milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Whisk together all ingredients until combined. Transfer your cream liquid into your ice cream machine and make according to manufacturers directions." 
Key Lime Pie

Wendy Said, "Yes, of course I had to include key lime in this recipe book. It wouldn't be complete without it. It’s a keeper!"

1 Basic recipe
2 limes zested and juiced or Nellie and Joe's Key Lime juice
½ cup crushed graham crackers

Add the lime zest to your Basic recipe, whisking together until combined. Place mixture in your machine and follow manufacturers directions in freezing. The last 5 minutes of the freezing process, add the lime juice and the crushed graham crackers.
Wendy Paul can be found here: Instagram  reasonstobake or Facebook 101GourmetSeries

 Amazon book purchases of  101 Gourmet Ice Cream Creations are Here.

Okay. So here's the deal on the giveaway.  I'm giving away 3 copies, One copy to three different people.  Shipped from Amazon.  If you want to participate here's what you need to know.

Must be 18 years or older.

 Must have a non-PO box mailing address (US residents only).

 No purchase necessary to win.  

Winner will be chosen at random and announced Monday July 21st.  

To enter:

Leave a comment below telling me your favorite flavor of ice cream. PLUS Send an e-mail to chef-tess@hotmail.com Telling me your name and  "I love Ice Cream!" to enter. That's the only way I can contact you darlings. I'm not collecting or selling e-mail addresses. 

That simple. 

Winners will be chosen and contacted Monday July 21st by midnight.  

 There you go darlings!  Ice cream is coming your way!! I hope you win a copy of this book. I for one know I can't live without it in my kitchen collection. It is perfection! 

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Baking Basics and Beyond! Recipes and a Review!

Recently my friend Pat Sinclair  sent me a copy of her outstanding second edition  Baking Basics and Beyond ! Literally  it's the ultimate baking guide both for beginners and bakers looking to perfect their skills. It has more than 100 classic and updated recipes. I'm a huge fan!  Pat is also the author who wrote Scandinavian Classic Baking.  I adore that cookbook! This second edition  of Baking Basics and Beyond was presented with the "Baking Cookbook Award" by the Cordon d' Or--Gold Ribbon International Annual Cookbooks and Culinary Arts Program.

So, when I got this book I jumped in! Her recipes were so beautiful that I had a horrible time deciding what to bake! Thanks a lot Pat. You speak to my Baker's heart!  I bookmarked 12 recipes and poured over the wonderful descriptive pages. She does such a great job of describing baking skills. Her tips were perfect not only for beginners, but seasoned bakers as well. Here recipes, as always, made me drool. I finally settled on two recipes to whirl around. The first was one of the final recipes in the book. It was an Onion, Fig, and Asiago Focaccia. She described it so beautifully I couldn't resist! " A traditional Italian focaccia is sprinkled with herbs, usually rosemary, and drizzled with olive oil, making it a nice addition to an Italian Dinner...the contrast between the sweet figs and the caramelized onion is outstanding."   What more can I say?! Well, I can say, "Wow! This really is amazing!"  

 Onion, Fig, and Asiago Focaccia

 by Pat Sinclair from Baking Basics and Beyond  

2 3/4 cup (333g) All purpose flour
1 T (15 g) sugar
1 (1/4 oz[7g]) package active dry yeast
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) course salt
1 cup (236 mL) very warm water (120-130 degrees Fahrenheit [49-54 degrees Celsius])
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 cup (150 g) sliced onion (1 medium) {I used red onion}
1 cup (90 g) grated Asiago Cheese
8 dried figs, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons (10 ml) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
Coarse salt


Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Olive oil and mix until a sticky batter is formed. 

 Cover bowl and let batter rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Dough will have risen, but may not be doubled. Punch down, forcing out any large air bubbles. Cover loosely and allow dough to rise 15 minutes. 

 While dough is rising, heat remaining olive in a  9 inch (22.5 cm) skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook until tender. You will need to stir occasionally so onions don't burn. When cooked through, onions will be transparent. Cool slightly before placing onions on the dough. They will brown during baking. 

Lightly spray a 12 inch (30 cm) pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Press dough in pan, pressing so it sticks to the pan sides. Use handle of a wooden spoon on your knuckles to press dimples in the dough. Place onion slices on top and sprinkle with cheese, figs, rosemary, and course salt. The oil will fill in the dimples. 

 Cover loosely and let rise 30 minutes.  Heat oven to 425 degrees (220 Celsius) with rack in the lower third of the oven. Bake 20-25 minutes or until focaccia edges are brown and cheese is melted. Cool to room temperature and cut into wedges before serving. 

The second recipe made me weep.  It was *that* beautiful.  It also made my husband get up at midnight and eat 6 bars and drink half a gallon of milk. It was a gorgeous lemon bar that Pat called the Sunny Citrus Bar!

Pat Sinclair's Sunny Citrus Bars

 Pat described, "Here's my favorite lemon bar recipe. I use orange juice, in addition to lemon juice, to balance the sharpness of the lemon juice..." I stopped reading after that description. I ran outside. As random as that seems, we have an orange tree in my backyard full of sweet beautiful oranges that have been begging for something like this.  I think that's the first time I've had that literal reaction to a baking book. I just dropped what I was doing and ran outside for an orange! Add the lemon from a friend's tree and I was ready to run with these bars! Run and hide! Run and not share! Run...and run for 5 miles so I could burn enough calories to eat a couple more! I really loved these. Pat called for a 9 by 13 baking pan, but I did use a 10 by 10. My filling and crust are a little thicker than they would be if you used a 9 by 13...so keep that in mind. However...these bars are going to taste divine. They were a perfect balance of tart and sweet with the buttery shortbread-like crust that melts in your mouth. Pat also uses a glaze for her bars. Remarkable. 

Sunny Citrus Bars

by Pat Sinclair from Baking Basics and Beyond . 

Yield 36 bars

Crust: 

2 cups (242 g) all purpose flour

1 cup (115 g) powdered sugar

3/4 cup (170 g) butter

Filling: 

1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar

3 tablespoons (23 g) all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder

1/8 teaspoon (.7 mL) salt

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup (118 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)

1/4 cup (59 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice (1 orange)

1/4 cup (57 g) melted butter

1 teaspoon (5  mL) grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon (5 mL) grated orange peel 

Glaze: 1 1/2 cups (171 g) powdered sugar

           2-4 tablespoons (30-60 mL) orange juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) with oven rack in middle.  Lightly spray the bottom of a 13 by 9 -inch (33 X 22.5 cm) baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

Crust: Mix flour and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Press crust evenly in bottom and slightly up sides of baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Reduce heat to 325 degrees (165 Celsius).

Filling: Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Beat in egss using a wire whisk. When smooth, stir in lemon juice, orange juice, butter, lemon peel and orange peel and mix well. Pour over hot crust.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until filling is set in the center and a knife comes out clean, although it will still be wet. Cool on a wire cooling rack to room temperature. 

Glaze: Combine powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon (30 mL) orange juice in a small bowl and beat with a small whisk until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled bars. Store bars in refrigerator. 

Thank you Pat Sinclair for sharing this "baking bible"! It's a masterpiece full of timeless baking wisdom, well tested recipes, and just down-right good advice. It's made understandable to not only the beginner, but the experienced baker as well. Pat is a food consultant and cooking teacher with a master's degree in foods and more than twenty-five years of professional experience. Throughout her career she has worked with high profile clients such as Land O'Lakes, General Mills, and Pillsbury.  She lives in Minneapolis...but visits Arizona often in the winter. In fact, it was on one such visit, that we had the chance to meet in person just outside the NBC studio as I was heading in for a segment! She's just a doll. That is of course, how I've come to share this book and her last book Scandinavian Classic Baking with you. Oh the kindred spirits!  I'm certain I'll use this Baking Basics and Beyond with great joy for years to come.  I highly recommend it!  

There you go! Baking Basics and Beyond  now in it's second edition.  A beautiful book by a wonderful lady!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Danish Aebleskivers and "Scandinavian Classic Baking" by Pat Sinclair

Just over a month ago as I was walking into the NBC 12 studio here in Phoenix, a charming woman named Pat Sinclair was finishing up her Arizona Mid-Day Segment.  I met her outside the studio and we started talking briefly, only to find a common passion as sisters in baking (oh laaaawd-koom-bye-yaaa...). We did not bust out our blocks of butter and nutmeg mills and set up base camp right there in the lobby (tempting as that might have been)...Oh be still my heart when she told me she had been on the show introducing her new book entitled "Scandinavian Classic Baking", and asked if I would be willing to read it. Could someone please pinch me now?! It was a pure stroke of Divine Intervention! Pat,  who is a food consultant with almost 25 years experience in test kitchens and recipe development, was offering the Bakeresse more ammo to bake with?! What's not to love about that? 

When the book arrived in the mail, I could hardly wait to pour over the many breathtaking photos and descriptions of this magnificent region. It felt like I was going home as I saw and read the many baking styles from country to country. Why did it feel like home?

I'll tell you why. When my mother, born and raised  of almost pure Danish descent brought home a Swedish-English fiancée...it could have ended badly. However, Dane's are know for their stubborn streaks, and mom was not an exception to that rule. She knew a good thing when she had it. I was born a few years later to both parents of Scandinavian decent. There it is folks. I am a Scandinavian Classic Baker! Pat Sinclair meeting me at the channel 12 studio was not just an accident. Her book of heirloom quality recipes falling into my hands has been like a breath of heaven. In fact, each new page and recipe made my heart almost sing. I wanted to jump a flying leap out of my chair, grab a wedge of Land-o-Lakes...I digress.  The final kicker was  near the end of the book. Aebleskivers. Moment of silence for the fat little Danish fingers of my childhood...daggumit. I love those little puff balls of love. What are they? Well, they're pure fluffy golden heaven in a swirly-whirly butter fried mass of joy. Lightly crisp on the outside with almost a popover note.  I used to eat them until I could see them in my sleep. *Used to* being the operative. Dang diets. Now we eat them on Christmas and birthdays.

  Danish grandmother Dorothy, mother of eleven children gave my mother a family heirloom aebleskeiver pan. 

Grandmother's Aebleskiver pan passed from mom's hands to mine at the time of my wedding. She shared her secrets to perfect Danish aebleskivers at the time as well. So, imagine my joy when I saw Pat's cookbook include a recipe of authentic Danish Aebleskivers! They are not just pancakes. They're almost a cross between a popover and a pancake. The flavor is mild and the texture should be exceptionally light and slightly sweet. The secret is the method. 

The  spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver. I saw some version of my beloved æbleskiver being sold with a commercially changed pan, It was branded as "Pancake Puffs" and stuffed with all kinds of filling...but truth be known, it wasn't grandma's recipe. Not even close. It was just a pancake.  I'm a pure freak. Pure freak. If you're calling it a classic, it better dang-tootin' be a classic. This one is. Pat Sinclair...you're my hero!

Danish Aebleskiver from

 Classic Scandinavian Baking by Pat Sinclair

yield 35 pancake balls

4 large eggs, separated

2T sugar

2 cups All purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups 2% milk

1/4 cup butter, softened

confectioners sugar

applesauce if desired

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until foamy. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour and milk to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.

Beat the egg whited in a large bowl with the electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. When you lift the beater, the whites will make peaks that fold back slightly.

Gently fold the egg whited into the batter until smooth. (Pat's book has a great tutorial on how to fold).

Get out great-great grandma's pan. Try not to cry. Remember you're loved...

Heat aebleskiver pan over medium heat until drops of water sizzle.  (You can use any ol' aebleskiver pan.)

 Place about 1/4 tsp butter in each cup. Add about 1/4 cup batter in each cup. Each cup will be about 3/4 full.

Pat uses a knitting needle to turn over her aebleskivers...I use one of these chop stick thingies...

Cook 1-2 minutes until bottom half is brown. Use the knitting needle (or chop stick) to slowly turn the balls to cook the other sides.  Balls are done when a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Turn out pancake balls onto plate and keep warm in a low oven. 

Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm

Be it braided breads or tarts, muffins or rolls...Pat Sinclair has won perhaps forever, my loyalty and love for her attention to detail and her wonderful book. Thank you Pat. From one baker to another...you have truly inspired! Anyone would be blessed to have this classic baking book in their home. Especially, however, anyone with an appreciation for the baking of the Scandinavian region. It really is an outstanding book. Chef Tess Bakeresse  Pulla Braid approved!

 Once again, special thanks to Pat Sinclair  who is a food consultant with almost 25 years experience in test kitchens and recipe development. Her newest cookbook, Scandinavian Classic Baking was published by Pelican Publishing in Spring 2011. Her first cookbook "Baking Basics and Beyond", published by Surrey Books, has been presented the Baking Cookbook Award for 2007 by the Cordon d’Or- Gold Ribbon Award International Annual Cookbooks and Culinary Arts Program. She has worked for corporate clients Land O'Lakes, Pillsbury and General Mills. She is currently working on her second cookbook, "The Ultimate Empty Nesters Cookbook". She also teaches cooking classes in the Twin Cities.

Buy Scandinavian Classic Baking here

Refried Bean Soup Mix (Dinner Is In The Jar)

Feast your eyes on this amazingly simple and delicious soup!

I received a great book called Dinner Is In The Jar in the mail several months ago from a wonderful author named Kathy Clark. It's taken me a while to do a review of it, because, frankly, I loved it! I didn't want to do it a disservice by not really giving it my full attention! As you all know I do recipes every Monday for making a mix with our food storage or using some kind of homemade convenience food. This is a great way we have of saving money on our grocery bill, and having wholesome food that isn't loaded with a lot of chemicals. I was happy to receive this book a few months ago and have been experimenting with quite a few of the recipes. Kathy obviously put a lot of thought and organization into her book. As a mom, I appreciate how each recipe was so organized. Most exciting to me has been that each recipe has been so tasty and convenient! Kathy said that the premise of the book is this, "Create a 90 day supply of easily prepared dinner mixes your family will love using food storage ingredients in mason jars or mylar bags for emergencies and convenience on busy days.Wouldn't it be nice if your pantry was filled with premixed dinners that you could put together with little effort and have healthy homemade meals that your family would love? Not only would you have a supply of easy dinners, but you could also give them away as gifts that anybody would absolutely love to receive."

Some of the recipes included things like: Chicken Pot Pie, Biscuits and Gravy, Enchiladas, Pizza, Spaghetti and Meatballs in Mushroom Parmesan Tomato Sauce, Italian Cheese & Sausage Calzone and many more.

Since we're mostly vegetarian, I went with the recipe for Refried bean soup as the one I wanted to share here on the blog. This is Kathy Clark's original recipe. One thing I really liked was the fact that all the "brain work" was done. I just had to make the recipes and then tape labels to jars (labels are included in the book).

The recipe was pretty basic too. If you don't have a great source for food storage, may I suggest my favorite: Preparing Wisely Online Store

We used rice,

Freeze Dried Corn #10 Can ,

Freeze Dried Mixed Peppers #10 can ,

Dehydrated Onion #10 can ,

dehydrated Refried Beans,

and dehydrated celery.

The spices Kathy used in her recipe were really nice for a mild soup. If you want something more spicy, use an added teaspoon of ancho chile powder or some nice New Mexico chile powder.

Dehydrated re fried beans are easy to use. I liked using them mainly because they help with cutting down on the cooking time.
Oh all the cans in a circle of love make me smile.
I keep this stuff on hand anyway, so for me it was like making free dinners. If by chance you need to purchase the products, it will cost a little up front, however, I have found that in the long run, it's worth it to me to have the freeze dried stuff on hand. It's so fast, easy, and healthy. I don't have to worry about the vegetables going bad in a short time if we don't eat them. I also love that each meal is contained in a jar. It makes a great "grab and go" meal for giving away or for having on hand for fast meals. Camping...these would be perfect!
Everything for the refried bean soup fit right in a quart size jar. If you planned on having this once a week for a year, it would take 4 cases of quart mason jars to make the meals. It makes it easy to plan for food storage in this way. The best part was this jar made about 12 cups of soup!

Prepared according to the recipe with the addition of fresh chopped cilantro, sour cream, cheese and it was a huge hit!

There you go! Thank you Kathy Clark for the great Dinner Is In The Jar book and the awesome recipes. We'll be using this one often in our home!

For more recipe ideas, check out Kathy's Menu Page!

French Onion Soup Mix

In the middle of gearing up for a rather busy week of Fall break and the kids being home, we made some crazy awesome onion soup mix this weekend. I have two cooking segments this week so I'm going to be busy! One will be Wednesday morning at 8:45 on Fox 10 AZAM Phoenix doing some amazingly fun Fall kitchen craft ideas and activities for the kids. Friday, my second segment will be on NBC 12 Valley Dish on fun Fall cupcake decoration ideas at 3:30 PM. It seems right to be this busy doesn't it?! Let's just hope that these appearances lead to something more permanent for Chef Tess. I sure would love to have a solid home base. Not that I'm complaining! Ever!! I love what I do! That being said, I did mention the onion soup mix we made.

I won this cookbook from a giveaway on Pantry Eats. I know...I could probably write one of my own with all the homemade mix recipes we have here already, but what can I say...I'm a dope for a good cookbook. The idea of trying more mixes is always high on my list. Perhaps because I can save so much money and time. I control the ingredients. I was excited to see what the folks who wrote theMix-A-Meal Cookbook had to offer. So far, I'm impressed. 46 mix recipes and 100 original recipes using those mixes. Everything from salad dressing mixes to baking mixes to sauce and bread mixes. It's quite the little book. I think it's well worth the price of the book if you ask me. So I decided to go straight to the source and contact the folks down atMix-a-Meal.com When I talked to their representative I asked her which recipes she liked best, she suggested I try the onion soup mix recipe first. It looked simple enough. She said I could share it with all of my friends here too...so don't worry. I have permission to show you this...

For one thing, it also looked like something anyone can do! That's good! The other thing is that this recipe is what "normal" people eat. Ask my friends...I'm normal. Ask my husband...I'm a gourmet freak-fest. Just saying, "normal" is subjective. My sister would eat this. She's normal. I can vouch for that.
Things I did a little differently from the original recipe.

I omitted the dehydrated butter, since I just didn't want to open a can. I know that changes the recipe, but it worked great without it. Second, I toasted the dry onions in a dry skillet until they where lightly browned. This makes a very nice French Onion soup mix having the caramelized onion. Certainly, this step can be skipped all together if you don't want to toast them. I'm not checking your cupboard.
I also was sure to use a very good Veal Base or my favorite...
Beef Base Instant, clear beef consommé. Fat free. MSG-Free.
For a more gourmet mix, Herbes De Provence in place of the plain parsley is a good choice as well as granulated garlic instead of the onion powder.

The big test of course, was using it in a real application. Would my kids eat it?! The cookbook suggested mixing one cup of sour cream and two teaspoons of the onion soup mix to make onion dip. I adore onion dip. So, we got out our tub of fat free Homemade yogurt and measured a cup. Yogurt works people. Sour cream does too.

It really did only need the 2 tsp of mix! I was so excited! Face was so excited to stir.

He ate half a pound of carrots dipped in the onion dip...and licked the bowl clean. Yeah...I'd say that it passed the kid test.

So...there it is. It made a good 2 cups of mix.

The book gave a lot of other ways to use the onion soup mix as well...

I don't work for these guys and I don't make any money by telling you this...but...
The other good news is they are having a special! Order today and save 33% off the regular price!Click here to find out more.

Thank you Deanna Bean and Lorna Shute for a great reference to have around. No doubt, I'll be delivering a few more gems to my friends here from this book!

There you go! Way to go!