RECIPE: HOMEMADE VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

My mom used to make homemade ice cream for us all the time. There was just nothing like it and we’d all fight to get to lick the paddle. When I was really young, we had one of those churn kind. I used to think it would never freeze. When I got a little older, we graduated to an electric freezer but it did not make as much... a problem for an ice cream loving family of six. We would usually have both going at the same time so there was enough for everybody.

You can add fresh fruit to this recipe if you want but add it in right at the end after you spin the ice cream for best results.

MOM'S HOMEMADE VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

Skill Level: Easy  

Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups milk

2 cups whipping cream

1 vanilla bean

1 cup sugar

Pinch salt

10 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

 DIRECTIONS

Prepare an ice bath in a large heat-proof bowl.

Add the milk, cream, and the vanilla bean to a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium heat until little bubbles start to form around the edges but do not let it come to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand for 15 minutes to allow the vanilla bean to infuse the milk. Remove the vanilla bean.

In a medium bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks with sugar and salt until they are thick and pale yellow. With the mixer on low, very slowly add a cup of the hot milk to the eggs to temper them, adding a little at a time. Whisk the egg mixture into the remaining milk in the saucepan. Change to a wooden spoon. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat back of the spoon. You will know it is done if you use your finger to draw a line down the back of the spoon and it holds. This will be around 160 degrees if you are using a thermometer. Do not let the mixture boil. (If it goes over 180 degrees F, it will likely curdle.)

Strain custard through fine-mesh sieve into large heat-proof bowl placed over the ice bath. Stir the custard until cooled. Split the vanilla bean pod and remove ½ of the seeds and put them into the custard. Stir in vanilla extract. Taste. Add additional salt or vanilla as desired. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled; up to 24 hours before freezing.

Freeze according to manufacturer instructions.

RECIPE: SOUTHERN PECAN DIVINITY

One holiday tradition I grew up with is Pecan Divinity. I can remember standing on a kitchen chair at the counter, two teaspoons in hand, waiting for the moment my mom said “go” and I’d start dropping those little puffs of sugar onto the wax paper in front of me. It was something we did every year from as far back as I can remember… and we’d often package up the treats to swap with family and friends.

Pecan Divinity is a classic Southern holiday item... we only have it at Christmas. That's probably because it does not turn out well when it is humid outside.

Divinity is nothing but sugar and egg whites… it is hard to imagine that something so simple can be that delicious but there are a few tricks to getting it just right. If you notice in the photo, the ones on top are smooth and pretty- the ones on the bottom are more craggy. That is because I let the mixture cool too much before dropping the candy. You have to work quickly to get the pretty, silky looking texture. Here are my secrets to making it look and taste just right:

1. Cook divinity on a day with no rain and no humidity. Let dry completely before storing. At least one hour.
2. Make sure you have an accurate candy thermometer. It is important to get it to exactly 260 degrees (hard ball stage) before you mix the sugar into the egg whites.
3. Work quickly. The candy looks best (somewhat shiny, not craggy) if you drop them while still hot. Once the candy cools off, it doesn’t hold the shape as well and looks rough, not smooth on the exterior. It still tastes good, just doesn’t look as pretty.

 SOUTHERN PECAN DIVINITY RECIPE

*You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe and wax or parchment paper. 

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white Karo or light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

DIRECTIONS

Prepare two baking sheets with wax or parchment paper.

Toast pecans on a baking sheet in the oven just for a few minutes. Allow to cool completely. Set aside.

Add sugar, salt, syrup and water to a large heavy 2 quart saucepan.  Stir. Attach candy thermometer to the side of the pan but don’t let it touch the bottom. Over medium high heat, cook the sugar mixture to the hard ball stage or 260 degrees. Don’t stir it but you can swirl the pan around until the sugar dissolves, then just leave it alone. Watch the sugar carefully. It will take about 15 minutes to get to 260 degrees. While you are waiting, use a mixer to beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, beating constantly on high speed, about 4-5 minutes.

When the mixture reaches 260 degrees, remove it from the heat. With the mixer on the lowest setting, very slowly stream the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites. Add vanilla. Then turn up the speed to high and beat constantly until the mixture holds its shape, about 5-6 minutes. Quickly fold in the pecans. Work rapidly and drop the candy by teaspoon onto the prepared baking sheet.

Let cool and dry at least one hour before storing the candy in an airtight container.

RECIPE: MY MOM’S POUND CAKE

We had pound cake a lot growing up. While my mom made a lot of pies, she rarely made cakes except this pound cake. We rarely let it cool before it was gone; my mom would serve it with homemade ice cream or use it for Strawberry Shortcake which was our family favorite.

My mom was a “pinch of this” cook and rarely wrote down her recipes. When I was living in Chicago back in the 1990′s, she gave me this recipe over the phone for my co-worker, Janet Radziejeski. I did not keep a copy of it. Sadly, my mom passed away and most of her recipes were never written down. Many years later, when I reconnected with Janet via Facebook, she told me she always makes my mom's recipe for Easter and it has been a family tradition ever since I shared the recipe with her all of those years ago. She photocopied the original recipe (which was in my handwriting) and sent it to me. Now I am able to share it with you and with the kids in our family who never got to experience Mom’s cooking.

Many Southern cooks have a similar pound cake recipe. The difference in this one is the addition of almond extract. You can omit if your family doesn't like it but to me, that's what makes this pound cake so special. Here's another opportunity for me to remind you to get those favorite family recipes down on paper... before they are lost forever. Thank you, Janet and Facebook, for reuniting me with this treasure!

MY MOM’S POUND CAKE RECIPE

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean

INGREDIENTS

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 – 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

3 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan… grease and flour or spray with Baker’s Joy.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese and the butter at medium speed until creamy. Then add the sugar, a little at a time. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until they are combined. Turn the speed on the mixer down. Combine the salt and the flour; adding a little at a time until it is blended. Add the almond and vanilla.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire cooling rack to allow it to cool completely.

Serve with berries, whipped cream or ice cream. I like it warm, straight out of the oven. Divine.