Grape-Nut Ice Cream
Well, that was interesting. As many of you kind people noticed this site was down last week. Suffice it to say, it was a frustrating time. I will save you the gory details but there was law breaking, internet scamming, and money demands involved. Some days I felt like I was a character in some weird movie. The good news is that it is all over with.
The whole event made me realize, more than ever, what this site means to me. I have been writing this blog for almost 7 years. It has allowed me to have a space of my own, a sliver of life separate from my children and household. It has made me see and strive for career goals that once felt off limits. It has made me feel connected, supported, and encouraged after long days alone with my kids.
If I haven’t said it enough then please hear me now – thank you for checking in here, cooking this food, sharing it with friends, and saying hello. I am very grateful.
I have a pile of recipes ready to share. A couple weeks ago we explored The Polly Hill Arboretum with friends. The arboretum has these genius backpacks for kids filled with magnifying glasses, compasses, identification guides, and binoculars. We also broke out our ice cream maker this week. If you have never tried Grape-Nut ice cream you totally should. It is a flavor I used to order as a teenager and have always had a soft spot for. (I think the emotional roller coaster of this week sparked the craving). The Grape-Nuts add a little crunch to the creamy vanilla. This is the first time I’ve made an egg yolk based ice cream and really like the way it came out.
GRAPE-NUT ICE CREAM
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons agave nectar
dash of sea salt
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Grape-Nuts
In a sauce pan, combine half and half, whole milk, heavy cream, 3/4 cups of agave, and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of agave. Over medium-high heat, heat milk mixture until agave dissolves and it begins to simmer. Slowly pour about one cup of the simmering milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Add egg mixture to sauce pan, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Turn heat off and add the vanilla extract.
Pour the ice cream mixture into a large bowl, cover, and place in fridge to cool (about 3 hours). Once the mixture is cold, stir in Grape-Nuts, and make ice cream according to your machine’s instructions. I like to top mine with extra Grape-Nuts.