Pecan Pie and Vanilla Ice-Cream

Happy Thanksgiving folks   I'm going to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner in Balally in Dublin tonight.  And I will be bringing some of these pecan pies (because I have a bottle of Karo) and some homemade ice-cream made with condensed milk (because traditional egg custard based ice-cream is rich with protein which will not be welcomed by the Move 4 Parkinsons choir that will be present).

This is Bakerella's recipe for Pecan Pie (Irish-ised).


Mama’s Pecan Pies
Makes 3 pies or about 33 mini pies

450g pecans
200g Butter
450g package light soft brown sugar
1 heaped tablespoon Self Raising Flour
16 oz. bottle light corn syrup (Karo)
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
6 eggs
3 regular size (not deep dish) pie crusts

Melt butter in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until melted and set aside.
Prepare your pecans. Remove any unwanted brown pieces from the pecan crevices and shake out pecan crumbs in a colander.
Place brown sugar in a large bowl. Work out any lumps with the back of a spoon. If the brown sugar is too hard, you can loosen it up in the microwave. Heat it for a few seconds and it will be fine.
Add a heaping serving tablespoon of self-raising flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.
Add a bottle of light corn syrup. Then add 1 serving tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined.
Add melted margarine. Fold carefully into the mixture so it doesn’t splatter. Fold until the margarine is thoroughly worked in and disappears.
In a separate bowl, crack open six eggs. Remove the “roosters” and loosely beat the eggs with your spoon.
Fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.
Add pecans and stir until completely coated.
Remove three pie shells from the freezer at this point and check for cracks. If you do have a crack, thaw and knead the crack together and refreeze.
Pour the mixture evenly into the three shells. You’ll probably have a little bit leftover in the bowl. Tap tops with a spoon to check consistency and make sure there is the same amount in each pie. Redistribute pecans if necessary to make equal.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 175. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.
Remove and cool for about three hours. Store on the counter or in the refrigerator depending on how you like your pie.


Eggless Vanilla Ice-Cream
1 can of condensed Milk
1.2Ltr Double Cream (I know insane right)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1. In a stand whisk ingredients together until thick and quite stiff.
2. Pour into a freeze proof container and cover with cling film (this ice-cream does not need to be churned.

Footnote
I wound up being too late and now have much Ice-cream in the freezer and Pecan Pie in the fridge

Christmas is coming...and I'll be getting fat ;)

About this time every year I get to thinking about Christmas or at least the food part of Christmas which is my favourite.

The reason I am thinking about Christmas so early is because I like a mature Christmas cake.  Many families have their own cake recipes and mine is no exception and in the spirit of generosity I will give you my Mamas recipe which is essentially an Oxford Lunch.  My own recipe for Christmas cake kind of evolved from that and became something else entirely.  My cake is a whiskey fed Christmas cake and the 9" round cake takes an entire bottle of Jameson over the following few months.  Last year I made almond paste for the first time (again with the whiskey) and it tasted infinitely better than the crap that I've been buying in the shops for years and it's really easy to make too.  Theres also a guide on how to apply almond paste.  This year I'll take a crack at making fondant for the first time and let you know how I get on.

I made Christmas puddings with my Mama every year but have never made one of my own.  This year I'll make a crack at it and I also have a version of it that is Gluten, Dairy, Egg and Sugar Free that I'm going to try (for my sister in law Melina) and a dairy free cream that goes with that.  I have recipes on Mince pies from last year and of course whiskey/brandy butter.  I also have a recipe for Mincemeat Gingerbread that you should take a look at for an easy winter pud.

For edible decorations there is nothing nicer than gingerbread which can be made into tree decorations and gingerbread houses which make lovely gifts too.  There is a huge range of easy to make greatly appreciated edible gifts for the christmas too.  Sweets, truffles, fudge, biscuits. I'll make, bake and post over the next few months and you'll find everything under the Christmas Baking label on my blog.

Frozen Mudslide Cocktail

So tasty it should be illegal.

2 parts Vodka
1 part Kahlua
1 part baileys
3/4 Glass of Ice
Mars Bar / Baileys IceCream Sauce

Method

1. Drizzle a tall glass with Mars Bar/Baileys Sauce
2. Place Ice in a blender with alcohol and blend
3. Pour into Glass

Mars & Baileys Ice-Cream Sauce

Warm gooey sauce for grown ups who like ice-cream

A couple of mars bars
Baileys

Method

1. Chop up your mars bars nice and small  so that it melts really quick (patience isnt always a strong suit of mine)
2. Add Baileys a little at a time and mix well. I havent specified how much Baileys (after all who am I to judge) but you want a thick pouring consistency

Malteser and Mars Bar Chocolate Brownie Sundae

1 Small Bag Maltesers
Brownies
Vanilla Ice Cream
Mars Bar Ice Cream Sauce
whipped Cream

1. Break up some brownies and place a layer down the bottom of a Sundae Glass
2. Add a scoop of Vanilla Ice 
3. A layer of sauce and a sprinkle of crushed Maltesers for texture
4. Repeat 1-3 until you top it with cream and sprinkle crushed Maltesers on top.

Ice Cream Sundae

The perfect low effort end to any meal where you have a good few guests. This is a dessert that allows people to express themselves. I've suggested ingredients but it is really limited by your imagination.  A bowl (or even a highball glass) and spoon is all that's needed but if you can lay your hands on them an Ice Cream Spoon and Sundae Glasses look so pretty.

Sweets - Smarties, M&Ms, Revels, Maltesers, Mini Marshmallows, Jellies, Space Dust

Chocolate - Milk Dark White, Crushed Crunchie, Daim Bars, 

Sprinkles - Chocolate Vermicelli, Sugar Strands, Hundreds and Thousands

Biscuits - Bourbon Creams, Cookies, Oreos, Chocolate Digestives, shortbread, pinwheels

Cake - Brownies, Meringues

Nuts - Whole or Praline

Fruit - Soft fruit, maraschino cherries, bananas, Coconut

Cream - Whipped by hand or out of a can 

Ice Cream - just vanilla will do but the more the merrier

Sauce - Chocolate, Fudge, Caramel

Alcohol - For those old and bold enough to drink it how about some liqueurs?

Method

1. Layer Ice Cream and other ingredients until you reach the top 
2. Top with Cream
3. Add Sprinkles 
4. And for the cherry on top - a cherry!

How to make ice cream without an ice cream machine or ice cream maker

If you're wondering how to make ice cream without an ice cream machine or ice cream maker this is it.  It's not a complicated method but it serves the same purpose.  The main thing is that you must keep an eye on it or else it just becomes unpleasant so set a timer to go off every 30 mins.  The more often that you break up the ice-crystals the smoother your ice cream will be, which is essentially what's happening in the ice cream machine.

You will need
Ice Cream mix of your choosing**
A lunch box with a lid
A Whisk
A freezer

1. Pour your ice-cream mix into the lunch box. 
2. Freeze for 30 mins 
3. Whisk to break the ice crystals and return to the freezer
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you have ice cream (you can't whisk anymore)

**Examples of some ice cream flavours that you might like to try

• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Spiced Rum and Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Ice Cream Machine/Maker

Domestic Ice-Cream Machines usually have a bowl that you place in the freezer to freeze before making the ice cream.  When the ice cream mix hits the walls of that bowl it starts to freeze.  There is a paddle that slowly stirs (or churns) the ice cream so that the ice crystals form evenly and you end up with a smooth and consistent Ice Cream.

Originally Ice-Cream churns consisted of a bowl of ice and sea salt, into which sat a smaller bowl where you  would put the ice cream, into which sat a paddle for churning.  These are still available today if you have a nosey around the 'net.

Mars Bar Ice Cream Sauce

I have the palate of a child and adore sweet sticky goodness.  This is the very definition of simple and sinful.  For the grown ups you can add a little Irish Cream Liqueur for a Baileys and Mars Sauce.

250ml Cream
1 x Mars Bar

Method

1. Chop up the Mars bar really fine 
2. Add Mars bar and cream to a pot and heat over a low heat, stirring all the while until the Mars bar melts. 
3. Serve warm with Ice-Cream. 

Vanilla Ice Cream

If you're going to make Ice Cream then start with the basics good Vanilla Ice Cream can hold its own again just about any other flavour in my books.  This recipe came from http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com with a few adjustments.


Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
500ml Cream
100g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod

1. Pour the cream into a saucepan and simmer. Place the vanilla pod into it and leave to infuse for about 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, beat and mix together the egg yolks and sugar until thick. 
3. Carefully remove the vanilla pod from the pan of milk and scrape out the seeds into the milk. Pour the milk into the mixture of egg yolks and sugar whilst stirring. 
4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat gently, stirring until the custard thickens - DO NOT BRING TO THE BOIL OR IT WILL PROBABLY CURDLE.  
5. When you can see a film form over the back of your spoon it's time to remove the saucepan from the heat. Leave to cool. 
6. Transfer the whole mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

Spiced Rum and Butter Pecan Ice-cream

This was a tweaked butter pecan recipe.  I adjusted the recipe to make it financially more viable and the spiced rum gives the flavour a bit of depth.  The result is awesome and indulgent.

Ingredients
500ml Cream
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup pecan
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp spiced rum (Captain Morgan)

Method

1. Roughly chop the pecans and then brown in a pot with butter.  Be careful not to burn the butter or bitterness will ensue.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients and simmer stirring all the time with a wooden spoon.  You're making a custard so let it thicken up a bit.  You will know when its ready because it will coat the back of a spoon.
3. Leave the custard cool completely then pop it in the fridge to chill down some more before popping it in an ice-cream machine with the pecans.  Turn on the ice-cream machine for 40 mins or so and then into a container in the freezer.  If you don't have an ice-cream machine stick the mix in the freezer and break up the ice crystals every 30 mins or so.
4. Take the ice cream out of the freezer for a least 10mins before serving.