Buttermilk Strawberry Sherbet
May 12, 2013
Ingredients
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Preparation
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of berries and the sugar. Set aside, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
While waiting for sugar to dissolve, in a separate bowl, add the buttermilk, half-and-half, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Mix until blended.
Press the processed strawberry mix through a fine-mesh sieve into the buttermilk bowl. Stir, cover and chill for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
Whisk the sherbet mixture and pour into your ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the remaining 1 cup chopped berries.
If sherbet is too thin, you can transfer it to the freezer for a while, checking often until it reaches the desired consistency.
No Bake Chocolate Cake
May 7, 2013
Enough butter to grease the pan
8 ounces of 70% chocolate, well chopped
8 ounces of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of allspice, optional
2 teaspoons of finely ground espresso, optional
1/4 teaspoon of fine grain salt
cocoa powder, to serve
Begin by lightly buttering a 6-inch springform pan or something similar. Line the pan with parchment paper and then set it aside.
Place the chocolate in a double boiler over low to medium-low heat and barely melt it.
In a medium pan over low to medium-low heat, heat the cream. Stir in both the allspice and the espresso, if you choose to use it. When the cream becomes very warm to hot to the touch, remove the pan from the heat and then add salt.
Pour the barely melted chocolate into the cream and slowly stir it in until the combination is mixed smoothly. It is important that the two do not separate. Then pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust, cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator until it is chilled throughout, which will take a few hours, or leave it overnight.
When you are ready to serve it, remove the No Bake Chocolate Cake from the springform pan and allow it to set out for about 10 minutes. Dust the top with cocoa powder or powdered sugar and then slice it. Cut the cake into 12 slices and serve.
Raw Kiwi Lime Bars
May 7, 2013
1 cup of dates (pitted or you can remove the pits before making the recipe)
1 cup of cashews
1/2 cup of raw almonds
1 lime
2 peeled kiwi fruits
1/2 cup shredded coconut (to sprinkle on top)
Begin by soaking the dates for at least 30 minutes. Drain them well and then put them into a food processor. Add the cashews, almonds and lime. Process these ingredients until roughly chopped. Next, add the peeled kiwis and pulse until they are thoroughly combined.
Press the mixture into a glass baking dish (8 or 9-inch square) and then sprinkle the coconut over the top. Cut the mixture into bars. Place the baking dish into a warm oven (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit) and bake them for about an hour. It may take a little while longer as you want the bars to be firm and dry.
Remove them from the baking dish, put them on a platter and then serve them. Leftovers would be best stored in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.
