Mini Mud Pies with Coffee Ice Cream and Hot Fudge

It’s From Scratch, remember? I do cheat on the cookie crust, but we’re making the ice cream and the hot fudge, so I feel OK about it.  Make this dessert.  It’s worth the steps.  But, then again, I think all these recipes are worth the steps.  I like the idea of making these in smaller pans unless you’re serving a crowd, then use a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan.  They sell the little guys at Michael's or another baking supply place. 

Top with whipped cream and pass the spoons.  This one is a keeper.

Make sure you have a pre-frozen ice cream making vessel ready to go.  But, if you make ice cream often, splurge on a commercial quality machine.  It will always be ready when you are.   

Cookie Crust

This makes a bunch, but, when you’ve finished lining the pans freeze the rest.

1 box Oreo® cookies or other chocolate sandwich cookie

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. Add Oreos to food processor and let it go until you have fine crumbs.

2. Stream in cooled melted butter until fully incorporated into crumbs.

3. Pat crumb mixture into the bottom of your pans  and up the sides.  I used a combo of mini tart pans and spring form pans.  Place in freezer until ice cream is ready (If you’re not making your own ice cream, let freeze at least 30 minutes)

Coffee Ice Cream

3 egg yolks

1 ½ cups whole milk

¾ cups brown sugar

Pinch salt

¼ cup crushed coffee or espresso beans

2 cups heavy cream

1. Place your egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside.  Save your whites for another use.  Keep in the fridge or freeze!

2. Create an ice bath.  Fill a large bowl with ice and place a medium sized bowl inside.  Add the heavy cream to the medium bowl and set aside.

3. Bring whole milk, brown sugar and salt to a simmer in a saucepan.  Once sugar is melted and mixture is simmering, add crushed coffee beans to pan.  Be sure to use good quality coffee beans.  We want this to be better than the grocery store stuff.  Cover and turn off the heat.  Allow coffee to infuse the milk for 30 minutes. 

4. After 30 min, strain mixture and discard coffee beans.  Wipe out any remaining beans from pan and return strained mixture to pan.  Over medium heat, bring mixture back up to a simmer.  With a whisk on hand, add a ladle of the simmering mixture to your egg yolks and whisk to combine.  This is called tempering.  We don’t want to add the raw egg yolks directly to the milk mixture, because they will scramble.  No one likes scrambled eggs in ice cream.  Once you’ve tempered the eggs, add the egg/milk mixture to the pan to combine with the rest of the milk mixture.

5. Simmer over low heat until the custard coats the back of a spoon or until it reaches 175° on a candy thermometer.  Do not bring to a boil!!! 

6. Strain mixture into the bowl with the 2 cups of heavy cream.  Stir mixture to speed up the cool down process.  Refrigerate, if necessary 

7. When ice cream base is cold, add to ice cream maker and churn according to directions- they are all a little different.  It takes about 30 minutes in a commercial machine.

8. Once ice cream is ready, fill each cookie crusted pan, wrap with plastic wrap or top with wax paper and pop back into the freezer until ice cream has completely set.  This takes a few hours, depending on the size of your pans.

 

Hot Fudge

Again, make a bunch and freeze the leftovers so you don’t have to remake it next time.

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3 Tbs light corn syrup

3/4  cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Melt chocolate and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Be careful not to scorch the chocolate.  Once melted, add the corn syrup and stir constantly until mixture thickens.  Cool slightly before adding to mud pies.

This recipe is a bit of an experiment.  Sometimes, I need to add more cream if it’s too thick.  Play with it until it tastes the way you like it.  Don't obsess about the measurements. 

Assembly

Once ice cream is set and fudge is cool, spread as much fudge over top and enjoy!

MJM

Garlic Soy Pork Skewers with Bulgur Quinoa Stirfry

Some of my favorite things on a skewer: garlic, soy, piggy.  Simple marinade, nothing too crazy and just damn good.  If the bulgur and quinoa scare you, sub in some brown rice.  I also like to serve with with farro, but again, if you're phobic, make what you like.  The skewers are nice if you're entertaining, since you don't need to worry about cooking 30 individual pieces of pork.  I made this with slightly larger pieces of pork.  In hindsight, I suggest slicing thinner pieces and threading it onto the skewer (think satay).  This recipe uses one of the two pieces that typically come in pork tenderloin pack and made about 6 of these skewers.

   

Skewers

Pork Tenderloin, sliced thin or cubed

2-3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 scallions, sliced (white and tender green parts)

2 Tbs tamari/soy sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ cup sake or dry white wine

1 Tbs sriracha or dash of red pepper flake

Safflower or canola oil

4-6 skewers, soaked in water for 10 minutes

Stir fry

½ cup cooked quinoa

½ cup cooked bulgur

Broccoli florets, chopped

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp safflower or canola oil

Splash of soy sauce

1 Tbsp Sesame seeds

Scallions, chopped for garnish

1. Soak wooden skewers for 20 minutes. Set aside.

2. Cube pork tenderloin or cut into ½ inch slices.  Combine garlic, scallions tamari/soy, mustard and sriracha to bowl and mix well.  Add pork and coat with marinade.  Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes (can sit in marinade up to 24 hours).

3. When ready to grill, take skewers and add 3-4 cubes to each one or thread 3-4 slices.  *Note: slices will cook faster then cubes.

4. Heat grill pan until smoking.  Combine sesame and safflower oil.  Brush skewers with the oil combo before adding to pan.

5. Sear for about 5 minutes before turning over.  Continue cooking over high heat for another 3 minutes.  Lower heat to medium, add the sake or white wine and cook skewers until pork is medium rare, about 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your pork is.  It’s OK for the pork to be slightly pink on the inside.  The internal temp should be 145°.

Stir fry

1. Over high heat, add sesame and safflower oil to pan.  Swirl to coat the bottom, then, add chopped broccoli florets.  Cook until slightly browned, then, add the cooked quinoa and bulgur to heat through. 

2. Add a splash or more of soy to taste and complete the dish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

3. Serve skewers on a bed of the stir fry and enjoy!    

MJM



Pan Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes and Zucchini

Inspired by a dish seen at the Food & Wine Classic, Jacques Pépin (Grandfather of French cuisine) dazzled the crowd with a simple but amazing pan roasted chicken dish.  Use simple, fresh ingredients and always include fat (butter/oil), acid (wine, vinegar) and salt.  These elements will balance your dish and make it pop! 

Whole, cut-up chicken
1 pint ripe grape or cherry tomatoes

2 ripe zucchini or summer squash

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine, sauvigon blanc (no chardonnay)
1/2 cup water
3 Tbs butter

1. Heat skillet and melt butter.  Add chicken pieces, skin side down, in batches.  Let brown, about 5 minutes over high heat.

2. Flip chicken and place the lid on the pan.  Lower heat to medium and allow to continue cooking until chicken is cooked through; about 20 minutes.  Dark meat needs to cook longer, so check the white meat for doneness sooner.  Juices should run clear and the internal temp should be 165 degrees.    

3. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. 

4. Add tomatoes and garlic.  Saute for 5 minutes until garlic is fragrant.  Add zucchini, vinegar, wine and water.  Stir ingredients together and cook over medium heat until wine is reduced and zucchini is tender.

5. Season with salt and pepper.  Plate vegetables as a side dish or over top of the chicken. 

*Note: if you wish to crisp the chicken skin before plating, heat under the broiler for a few minutes. 

Enjoy!

MJM

Meeting Chef Pépin was a true highlight of the weekend!