july 4th mixed berry sherbet

Happy 4th of July my celebrating friends! I hope you all have fun plans in store for this long weekend, filled with loved ones and sunshine and delicious food.

If you're looking for a festive, summery, oh-so-easy dessert to contribute to a backyard barbecue, I've got just the treat for you. This sherbet is perhaps the best I've had. That may be because the berries were grown in my own backyard and I am a bit biased, but I do think even with store-bought or frozen fruit it would be quite delicious. So tart and refreshing; even the bright fuchsia hue screams summer!

Enjoy, and have a safe and happy holiday!

Mixed Berry Sherbet

from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop (listed as raspberry sherbet), makes 1 quart

Ingredients

• 4 cups berries, fresh or frozen (I used blackberries, black + red raspberries, and strawberries)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

1. Puree the berries, milk, and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all seeds. Stir in the lemon juice.
2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.
3. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

citrus popsicles for grown-ups

Two weeks ago I collaborated on a photography session with Soiree. and Rock Paper Scissors. Actually, it was a 6-week process of planning, shopping, meeting, envisioning, and shopping some more. The result was this Mid-Century Modern Wedding concept shoot that I shared on Andrea Hubbell Photography today, and I couldn't be more proud of what we created! I've said it before, but I love my job!!! These adult popsicles were created to help set the mood for a fun afternoon wedding and meal, meant to cool down energetic dancers when they step off the floor. 

I've only recently discovered Aperol, an Italian aperitif similar to Campari, but with more sugar and less alcohol. It is a blend of bitter orange, gentian rhubarb, and an assortment of herbs and roots. It happens to complement grapefruit juice beautifully, and adds a nice kick of color to a classic greyhound, or these popsicles that required an extra bit of orange to fit in with our 'wedding' decor. 

You have no idea how hard it is to find a simple, cylindrical popsicle mold! So, instead, I used double shot glasses and 'cookie sticks' bought at a craft store. The shot glasses worked really well, provided a place to wrap the fun pattern created by Rock Paper Scissors, and looked adorable!

Aperol Citrus Popsicles (fit for a wedding...)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups grapefruit or orange juice (pulp free...fresh is best)
• 1/2 cup Aperol

Method

1. Mix the water and sugar together in a small pan over a low heat, and bring up to boil until the sugar dissolves. Allow the simple syrup to boil for 4 minutes, remove from heat and cool (makes a little over 1 cup).
2. Combine the citrus juice and Aperol and add 1 cup of the cooled syrup. Adjust to taste: for the grapefruit pops, you may want to add a tablespoon or two extra syrup if you prefer them less tart. Remember, the mixture will taste slightly sweeter in liquid form than it does when frozen.
3. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze at least 8 hours or overnight. To remove, run the molds quickly under hot water, and gently pull out the pops.

banana pudding ice cream

There are a few foods that take me way, way back to my childhood. Orange danishes. Cheesecake. Anything combining peanut butter and banana. My momma's macaroni and cheese, her banana bread, and especially her banana pudding. Do you see a trend here? Banana popped up several times...I really, really, like banana. So you can imagine my excitement when my Charlottesville friend Stephanie, someone whom I think very well could have been separated from me at birth, brought homemade banana pudding ice cream to her dinner table one evening. And then again when Steph was spending an afternoon at my house, pointed to the pile of overripe bananas on my counter and said "Let's make ice cream! Right now." And now, when I sneak out to the kitchen mid-day, slip a spoon from a drawer, and sink it into the container of what's left for an afternoon pick-me-up. 

This flavor will forever remind me of my Momma. Banana pudding was one of my very favorite edibles while growing up, but sitting here today I can't remember ever making it for myself as an adult. Its the kind of recipe that mommas make, and until I am one, I don't know that I will. But this ice cream, it takes the best of what banana pudding is...the creamy texture, the crunch of vanilla wafers, the real bananas puréed smooth...and creates a simple, elegant, dinner-party-worthy dessert. One that leaves you mostly speechless, lost in thought, and thoroughly happy.

My life has been a little sweeter lately because of banana pudding ice cream mingled with memories of home and youth. Steph, I owe you. Big time.

I wish that I could take credit for this fabulous recipe, but I cannot.  This one I owe to my dear friend Stephanie, ice cream goddess and all-around awesome lady.

Banana Pudding Ice Cream

makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

• 5 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed or puréed
• 1/2 cup vanilla wafers, broken to small pieces but not crumbs

Method

1. In a medium-size bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt, and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk and 1 cup of the cream just to a slow boil. Remove from heat and add to the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
3. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 170˚. Do not bring to a boil or it will most likely curdle. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Pour custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Add the remaining cup of cream and the vanilla, and stir to incorporate. Add the puréed banana and stir to combine.
5. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. When the mixture is cool, cover the bowl completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
6. The next day, pour the mixture into the frozen bowl of your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions. About 3 minutes before the ice cream is done freezing, add the vanilla wafers.