Orange Blossom and Madagascar Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Orange blossom water is made of fragrant petals of orange blossoms, and has citrus and jasmine notes. It has been used in Middle Eastern and French cooking for centuries. I decided to use orange blossom water in my ice cream after tasting the yummy Orange Blossom Beignets (french donuts) at Piperade, a cute basque restaurant in San Francisco. Be careful ~ orange blossom water should be used sparingly or else it will taste like you are eating perfume!

The other key ingredient in this ice cream is whole Madagascar vanilla bean. Whole vanilla beans make a huge difference ~ pretty black flecks of vanilla and a natural, subtle taste of vanilla. You can also use Tahitian or any other kind of vanilla bean. If you don't have vanilla beans you can always use vanilla extract. 

You need an ice cream maker of course to make this ~ I love my ice cream maker! After you make your own ice cream you will never want to eat store-bought ice cream again, it tastes a million times better homemade. I got lucky and found my Cuisinart ice cream maker open-box at at TJ Maxx  for about $40, a little scratched up but works great. Unfortunately this isn't something they carry all the time, but you can still find it online Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker - 2 Qt.

As for finding orange blossom water and the vanilla beans: I like the Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water - 2 oz , it's only about $8.  You can find vanilla beans at your local grocery store and I have also seen it at Trader Joe's for a reasonable price if you live near one. I buy my vanilla beans from The Spice House online for about $2 each.

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 large egg yolks

* 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons sugar

* 1 tablespoon honey

* 2 cups whole milk

* 1/2 madagascar vanilla bean- slice open the pod and scrape out the grainy black paste inside (use
this part for the ice cream), discard the pod casing. (If you don't have vanilla beans you can substitute 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)

* 1/2 cup heavy cream

* 3 teaspoons orange blossom water

* 1/2 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon juice or regular lemon juice

* Zest of 1 orange

* Pinch of salt


DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the custard: In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes.

2. In a saucepan, combine the milk with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 tablespoon honey, and vanilla bean paste. Bring to a simmer.

3. Remove saucepan from heat and SLOWLY (first only add spoonfuls) beat the warm milk into the egg yolks at low speed, making a custard. The reason you have to do this slowly is because you don't want the hot milk to cook the eggs. Scrape the custard back into the saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes; don’t let the custard boil or it will turn into scrambled eggs!

4. Pour the custard into a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water and whisk in the heavy cream, orange blossom water, lemon juice and salt. Let stand until chilled, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. (Can transfer to refrigerator if it’s not getting cold, just cover with plastic wrap touching surface of custard so it doesn’t form a skin while chilling).

5. Pour the custard and lemon zest into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (Cuisinart requires 25-30 minutes). Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Seared Scallops with Caviar Sauce, Crispy Potato Pancakes

I couldn't resist trying this recipe after seeing it in Food & Wine mag, my friend Manj and I were literally drooling at the picture. You just can't go wrong with scallops, champagne (in the sauce) and caviar.

Tsar Nicoulai caviar

This dish isn't very complex but cooking it the right way ~ getting a good sear on the scallops, reducing the base for the sauce, frying the cakes in the right temperature oil ~ is the difference between a good vs. an out of this world dish that will have your guests licking the sauce off their plates (they did!). Here is the Food & Wine recipe ~If you do the following 3 things correctly you should be all set:

1. Getting a good sear on the scallop: My foolproof way for getting a good golden brown seared scallop with a tender and slightly underdone inside requires:

• Room temperature scallops: super crucial because if your scallop is cold when you put it in the pan it will bring down the temperature of the oil and a HOT pan is necessary for getting a nice crispy golden sear.
• Super dry scallops: pat dry the scallops very well with paper towels. If the scallops are wet they will end up steaming in the pan - you want as little water as possible between the scallops and the hot oil.
  
• Smokin' hot oil: heat the oil just until it starts smoking a little ~ this is when you know the oil is hot enough. You can turn down the temperature a little after the first 30 seconds of cooking if it gets too smokey for you. Have your vent on high and friend ready to shoo smoke away from the fire alarm when it goes off.
  
• No crowding the pan: Don't stuff all the scallops into a small pan or else they will end up steaming and the temperature of the oil will go down quickly, resulting in no sear!
  

2. Taking time to make a good base for the sauce: I couldn't believe how much work and ingredients went into the base of the sauce and you end up with only 1 tablespoon of it after reducing it for 15 minutes! But trust me it's worth the time and care because that 1 tablespoon has a concentrated flavor that makes the caviar sauce unbelievably good. Follow the recipe directions and WATCH THE SAUCE because you don't want to turn around after all that work and find that it has evaporated to nothing.

This will all reduce to 1 tablespoon

3. Frying crispy and not soggy/oily potato pancakes: This was my first time making potato pancakes and the first few were either too dark outside/undercooked inside (oil too hot) or too soggy (oil not hot enough). I don't use a thermometer and would suggest just taking a small ball of the potato pancake mix and testing out the oil- it should bubble and fizz when you put the pancake in and should turn golden brown within a couple minutes ~ it will really be trial and error for the first few pancakes until you find the perfect temperature. Don't crowd the pan here either because it will make the oil temperature go down quickly.

Bon appetit!

Homemade Meyer Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is a British favorite traditionally spread on scones, muffins and other teatime treats. I like to serve this sweet, tart and creamy condiment with lemon ricotta pancakes instead of the usual maple syrup.

It's fairly simple to make and does not involve many ingredients ~ just lemons, sugar, butter, eggs and salt. The most important thing is to make sure that you don't cook the eggs and end up with a curdled lumpy mixture. A smooth lemon curd can be achieved by keeping the heat low and stirring very frequently (or constantly). If you follow these simple directions you will have a beautiful velvety smooth lemon curd in just 10 minutes!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Meyer lemons*
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• pinch kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using the fine side of a vegetable grater, zest 3 lemons into a small bowl, avoiding the bitter white pith. Mix the sugar into the lemon zest, mashing together until well combined.

2. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

3. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then refrigerate.

* Of course if you don't have Meyer lemons you can use regular lemons.

THE Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This recipe makes THE BEST chocolate chip cookie I have ever tasted, let alone baked on my own. I've tried dozens of recipes for chocolate chip cookies, each claiming to be the best one ~ in my opinion the NM signature chocolate chip recipe is the best so far. Something about this cookie is just so chocolately good - I think the addition of instant espresso powder* is the key to these cookies tasting so exceptionally melted-chocolate-finger-licking good...Medaglia D'Oro makes my favorite espresso powder for baking and you can find it at most supermarkets. Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) often uses espresso powder in her recipes to intensify the chocolate flavor, and her chocolate recipes have turned out quite well in my experience.

Whatever it is, this cookie recipe actually bakes up to all the hype, and it's one of the few chocolate chip cookie recipes I've tried that results in perfectly shaped cookies (not too flat and spread out), nice and crispy on the outside and tender inside (reduce time by 2 minutes if you want more chewy ones), and a really intense chocolate flavor.

Here is the recipe for Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ Bon appetit!

* I would not recommend using regular ground coffee, instant espresso powder has the concentrated flavor and fine ground that blends well into baked goods.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Meyer Lemon Glaze

I've recently become obsessed with lemons (Meyer in particular) and ricotta: lemon ricotta pancakes, lemon curd, candied Meyer lemon zest, and now Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Meyer Lemon Glaze. Lemons and ricotta are a perfect pair and have been used together in Italian cuisine for centuries. It makes sense as the bright acidity of lemons nicely balances the rich ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese, like marscapone, has a natural subtle sweetness to it, which makes it perfect for cheesecakes and cookies.

Now onto these cookies! This recipe is basically Giada DeLaurentiis' recipe with very minor changes, the main change being that I used Meyer lemons instead of regular lemons in the glaze. Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons.

Ingredients
Cookies:
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

* 2 cups sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

* 3 tablespoons lemon juice (meyer lemon or regular lemon)

* 1 lemon, zested


Glaze

* 1 1/2 cups confectioner's/powdered sugar

* 3 tablespoons meyer lemon juice

* 1 meyer lemon, zested

Directions for Cookies (see glaze directions below)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and
salt. Set aside.

3. In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an
electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy,
about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until
incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients just until
incorporated.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about
2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets.



5. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden at the edges.



6. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet
for 20 minutes (this really makes a difference)!



7. Place cookies on a cooling rack and cool completely (about an
hour) before glazing. *Be patient ~ if you glaze it too early the
warm cookie will absorb the glaze and become soggy.




Directions for Meyer Lemon Glaze:

1. Whisk the powdered sugar, meyer lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl and
stir until smooth.




2. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to
gently spread. Let the glaze harden completely - for about 2 hours.

Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

* 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

* 2/3 cup granulated white sugar

* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

* 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries, coarsely chopped

\Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk the flour with the salt.

2. Using an electric hand mixer, cream the softened butter until smooth (about 1
- 2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Fold in the chopped nuts and cranberries.

3. Divide the dough in half. Place each half of dough on the center of a piece of parchment or wax paper. Shape the dough into an evenly shaped rectangle that is about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide.

4. Form the dough into a log. Then wrap the shaped logs in the parchment or wax paper,place in a ziploc bag and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Alternatively, if you are in a rush to bake the cookies you can put the logs in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a thin sharp knife, slice the logs into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick cookies. ( If they are cracking this means they are too cold and let them soften for 5 minutes or so. If they are getting smushed then it means they are not chilled enough and need to be chilled longer). Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from oven, slide cookies off the cookie sheet and onto a wire rack to cool.

Healthier Banana Cream Pie

I usually like to make everything from scratch but this is just as good semi-homemade. This comforting banana cream pie tastes rich and creamy but is made with low-fat milk and cool whip. Not exactly a sophisticated recipe but good nonetheless~

Ingredients:
- Pre-made refrigerated pie crust (I use pillsbury)
- One 3 oz. package vanilla pudding (I used Jello vanilla flavor)
- 2 cups 1% milk
- 1 container of cool whip lite (1 g fat), thawed slightly
- 3 bananas, yellow with no brown spots, tossed in a little fresh lemon juice (to
prevent browning)
- 10 or so Nilla Lite wafers

Directions:
Bake the pie crust according to package directions. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile whisk 2 cups milk with the vanilla pudding mix for 2 minutes. Fold in ½ container of cool whip into the vanilla pudding, gently mixing until combined.

When pie crust is completely cooled place nilla wafers on the bottom of the crust, making a neat layer. Spread a thin layer of the pudding mixture on top of the wafers, just so it moistens them and forms a bottom layer. Put a layer of sliced banana on top of the pudding. Then put the rest of the pudding mixture on top of the bananas, followed by another layer of bananas. Then put the rest of the thawed whip cream on top, leaving a 2 inch border uncovered and revealing the vanilla pudding mixture. Then put more slices of bananas on top of the whip cream. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.