Happy Anniversary

Wow, it’s been just over a year since My Edible Journey went live. In that time I’ve learned quite a bit, enjoyed some great food and taken a lot of pictures. I never planned om having a photo blog, expecting to pick up where my previous blog left off, but with a focus solely on food. With time though, I’ve realized that there really is no getting around needing images of the recipes I’m sharing. I’m still learning that part. Me and my awesome Nikon Coolpix P510 ( an advanced point and shoot, and Christmas present to myself) have worked hard to rise to the challenge. But we still have a nemesis or two. Including ice cream…

Ice Cream is Hard

Ironically, my first post was Maple Ice Cream.  An eggless frozen pudding type confection, set off with some whiskey and garden fresh raspberries.  It was delicious, but the colours in the pic are a little… well, they’re circus-bright.  The camera was my Nikon Coolpix L15, a traditional little point-and-shoot.  The editing program was and continues to be Sagelight. It’s not flashy, but I’m getting the hang of it and I really like it.

I need new bowls. I love these, but they don’t always show off food well.

I’m not sure I’ve gotten the hang of taking pictures of ice cream, though.   My recipe for honey ice cream with dark chocolate shards was also delicious, but again, the images were wanting.   Ice cream is hard to shoot.

Not Giving Up

But still, I persist.  Why?  Well, honestly we just like ice cream.  I love playing with flavours to create something that we just can’t buy (I know there are a zillion flavours out there, but woefully few are safe for a family with a peanut allergic child).  My latest endeavour was toasted marshmallow ice cream.  I’d read about a milkshake made with the same flavour somewhere, and was inspired to attempt something of a s’mores sundae.  Googling produced some very similar recipes, and so I started from there.  If I make this again, I’d cut back the sugar to 1/4 cup.  Ironically our peanut allergic child didn’t like it at all.  He doesn’t like toasted marshmallows and claimed the flavour to be too strong.  I thought it tasted a bit like burnt caramel, to be honest.

Before I get to the recipe, I want to say thank you to all of you who have taken time over this past year to read, comment and follow my little blog.  I love sharing food with people, which is why this blog exists.  Your interaction encourages me and keeps me going.

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream

I toasted the marshmallows over a bowl of wood chips, safely contained in my barbecue. Others have used the oven broiler with success. I didn’t want to take the risk.

5 large egg yolks
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
10 ounces marshmallows, toasted (don’t be afraid to get a little char on them)

Instructions

To make the custard base, combine the milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Heat the mixture until it steams and small bubbles appear around the edges.  Don’t boil it.  As that heats, whisk together the egg yolks in a large bowl.  Slowly add the scalded liquid to the yolks, while whisking constantly.  Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook it gently over medium heat until thickened and coats the back of a spoon, stirring often.  Strain it into a large bowl to catch any bits of cooked egg.  Add the vanilla and salt.

Whisk in the marshmallows while it’s still hot.  I did this in my Kitchen Aid.  Chill completely in the fridge.  Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Let it set up in the freezer for a few hours before serving.

I drizzled it with some chocolate sauce (recipe here) and crumbled some graham crackers over the top for something of a s’mores sundae.