Custard Ice cream:Very indulgent, very delicious

I still spend my day in my kitchen, there are so many things I want to do and it's not easy to be able to do them all. As my list is longer and longer everyday.

24 hours are not enough for me, but my sister said that if I have 48 hours per day, I will think that it's not enough again, haha. May be she is right, because I would add a lot of activity into my 48 hours and say that I need more time. 

One thing that I really want to do is "trying at least 1 recipe from each cookbook that I have". It's one of my mission ^^, as you know that I have too many cookbooks, even I read them but it will be better if I can use them. So, each time that I get new cookbook, I will open it and stick a piece of sticky note (small one) on the recipe that I want to try. It's funny that some book will have a lot of sticky notes hanging out of it, but it's a habit that I think it helps help me a lot.

Usually I will choose the recipe that doesn't need a lot of preparation (well if it's the first recipe from new book and it's not as good as I hope it will drain a load of my energy, haha). With this way, I use many recipes from my cookbooks lately. 

But I still have problem with my equipments and gadgets, haha, I bought a lot of them whenever I traveled, I have to use them more too. That's why I made this delicious ice cream. I bought this ice cream cone holder from Japan, and really want to use it, ^^. So, I make simple custard ice cream, it's a bit creamy than normal vanilla ice cream and have more egg yolks. 

You can serve it with caramel sauce (imagine, it's a custard, hehe), but if you want more grown-up taste, serve it with a splash of liquor (chocolate, coffee, vanilla, Irish cream or etc.), it's very indulgent and very delicious 

 Custard Ice cream

200g ................................... Whipping cream
175g .................................... Whole milk
4 .......................................... Egg yolks
85g ...................................... Granulated sugar
............................................. Pinch of salt

 Put egg yolks, granulated sugar, and pinch of salt in a heavy base medium saucepan, and whisk to combine.

 Put milk and whipping cream in a pan and bring to boil, or boil it in a microwave at 600W for 2-3 minutes. 
Pour the hot mixture into the saucepan, whisk all the time.

 Place the saucepan over low heat, whisk all the time until the temperature reach 82C.

 Pour the mixture pass a sieve into a bowl, let the mixture cool completely.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for overnight or 12 hours.

Pour into the ice cream making machine, and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
When the churning is completed, put the ice cream into a freezer-proof container, place baking paper or a piece of plastic wrap directly on the ice cream, freeze until firm enough to scoop.

Suggestion:
For children: Serve with sprinkle or caramel sauce.
For grown-up: Serve with a splash of liquor (chocolate, coffee, vanilla, Irish cream or etc.)

Custard Ice cream:Very indulgent, very delicious 

Pecan Caramel Tart: Because you need some sweetness in your life

 I started to pay attention to different kinds of diet lately, as I notice that there are a lot of people who need to avoid some type of food because it's dangerous for their health.

 We are different, something that we accustom to and be able to eat on daily basis can be someone's poison. So, each time that I crate this kind of recipe, I don't want to stick with the one allergen. This time is a request from one reader, sweet treat for someone who can't eat baking soda, baking powder, egg and dairy product, and that's person is a child, I think it's good that he still can be able to enjoy nut.
This time I tried to make gluten free pastry shell by using rice flour and almond powder, it's very easy to make, no egg, no dairy product and made with natural sweetener. 
For the filling, it's sweet (and you know it, haha), it's a caramel, that made from coconut milk, natural sweetener (maple syrup) and Non-hydrogenated rice barn oil shortening, no dairy product. You can use more or less nut, it depends on your taste. 
I didn't say that it's a very healthy sweet (as I believe that everything is healthy as long as you eat it in moderation), but it's a good choice for some people who don't have so much choice in their life. I hope that this little treat will bring smile on some children's face because they can enjoy it without fear. 
Note: This tart recipe is dairy free, gluten free, egg free chemical free and made from natural  sweetener. 

Pecan Caramel Tart

Make 18cm tart (or 3- 9.5cm tarts)

Rice flour and almond Pastry 
50g ................................. Rice flour
40g ................................. Almond powder
30g ................................. Non-hydrogenated rice barn oil shortening
40g .............................. Maple syrup (or honey)
..................................... Pinch of salt

Pecan caramel filling
250g ........................... Coconut milk
85g ............................. Maple syrup (or honey)
7g ................................ Non-hydrogenated rice barn oil shortening
1tsp ............................. Vanilla extract
..................................... Pinch of salt

100g ........................... Pecan nuts, lightly roasted and chopped
20g ............................. Pecan nuts, lightly roasted

I use this Shortening  (non-hydrogenated rice barn oil shortening).

 Put all the ingredients for pastry into a bowl.

 Mix until smooth.

 Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

 Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Roll the pastry until 4mm thickness.

 Line the tart pan with the pastry, and prick it.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.
Note: If it has a hole or torn while lining, just patch it with a small piece of pastry.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

 Put all the ingredients for the filling except the pecan nuts into a medium saucepan.
Place over medium heat.
After the mixture becomes boil, lower the heat.

 Boil the mixture for 30-40 minutes until it thicken and turn into caramel colour.

 Remove from the heat, let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then stir it until smooth.
Put both of the pecan nuts into the saucepan, stir until all the nuts covered.

Pour the filling into the pastry, (use the whole nut for decorating ^^).
Let it cool completely before serving.

Pecan Caramel Tart: Because you need some sweetness in your life

Giant Chocolate Chip cookies

 Hello ^^, it's a long time since my last post, well there're a lot to do, see, eat  (and learn) while traveling, I didn't have much time for baking.

 Actually I really want to write about my trip but a bit lazy, haha, there are so many information I want to share with you, maybe next post. Every times that I'm away from home, I still think about baking. Staying at my sister's house is good, as I can use her kitchen, but I can't bake as much as I want, she doesn't have a lot of equipments (or I have too much, hehe). So, I always come home with a lot of ideas that I want to do. 
It's not easy, as there are so many things to do (work, and work -*- after a long vacation). I can only make easy thing now. But easy doesn't mean bad, or not interesting, I had chance to try delicious cookies from one of famous bakeries in London and fell in love with them. Thin, soft and rich with butter and chocolate flavour it's one of the best chocolate chip cookies. I try my best to make it at home. 
This cookie is very easy to make, but it takes time, not in making process but in waiting. As it contains a lot of butter, so refrigerate it before baking is a must. You need at least 2 hours to refrigerate the batter (or overnight if you could) before rolling it into a ball. And 30 minutes more before baking. Don't rush, it's the most important thing that you have to do to get this delicious cookie.
Place the dough apart is recommended, as the cookie will spread a lot while baking. The cookie that I had it London is about 15 cm in diameter, I just make it smaller (easier to manage in our oven ^^), but it's still large, haha.
Don't worry if the cookie is a bit soft when coming out of the oven, it will firm up while cooling.
PS. It's soft cookie anyway, haha.

Giant Chocolate Chip cookies

Makes 16 pieces

170g ...................................... Unsalted butter
110g ...................................... Superfine sugar
80g ......................................... Dark brown sugar
1 ............................................. Egg
1 ............................................. Egg yolk
1tsp ......................................... Vanilla extract
220g ...................................... All purpose flour
1tsp ........................................ Baking soda
3/4tsp ..................................... Fine sea salt
200g ....................................... Dark chocolate (70%), chopped if large 

Beat the butter until soften, add both of the sugar and beat until light in color.
Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, beat until combine.

 Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the bowl.
Beat until combine.

 Put the dark chocolate into the bowl.
Fold to combine.

 Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Line the baking sheet with baking paper or silpat.
Divide into 16 pieces (about 50g/piece), roll each one into a ball, place on the prepared baking (about 15 cm apart) press lightly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat an oven to 170C.
Bake for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown, let the cookies cool in the baking sheet. The cookies will firm up as cool.

Giant Chocolate Chip cookies