Sheep's Milk Cherry Fro Yo

This frozen yogurt took me four tries to churn up. Four! I would say it's well-earned by now but that implies the first three tries were somehow difficult or the recipe is tricky, and it's not at all. But it's been a little while since I've taken my ice-cream maker down from its shelf, so it was good to get a reminder of what not to do with it.

A PSA:

1. Definitely do not add a fruit puree of any kind to an almost-finished churning ice cream base. It WILL immediately become liquid again and if you are using the kind of ice cream maker that you have to pre-freeze, it will definitely not be cold enough to re-freeze your mixture. Remember to add that to the dairy base at the beginning, like the intelligent person you are.
2. Freeze your churning container fully before use. If you make the mistake of #1, you have to wait another 12 hours or so until you can try again. Sorry, you do not get a cone today.
3. If, after two attempts, you finally get your act together and successfully churn a batch of frozen yogurt, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, decide to start watching a binge-worthy show of any kind. You will forget that you are churning ice cream and return an hour later to find it has gone from almost frozen to liquified, and again, see #1 for why you are now screwed.

Soooooo, not my finest moment, no. But in the end, after four days and four tries, I finally got to try my frozen yogurt, and oh my, it is lovely. I never did get a meta moment of eating Rainier cherries at Mt. Rainier, so I used them here, and they have a very mellow, but still tart cherry flavor that pairs excellently with sheep's milk yogurt, which I think is a bit tangier than its bovine counterpart and forms a rich, creamy frozen yogurt. I left half the cherries whole, so you get a nice, frozen fruit treat every few bites.  

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Sheep's Milk Cherry Frozen Yogurt

• 3 cups sheep's milk yogurt
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lb rainier cherries (or other cherry variety)
• 1/2 tsp kirsch (optional)

1. Pit and halve cherries. Add to a pot with 1/4 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved and cherries are soft and begin to break down and release juice, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and divide in half. Puree half the mixture in a blender and then return to remaining cherries. Stir together with the kirsch, if using, and set aside to cool completely, then chill. 
2. Whisk together the yogurt, vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Mix with the cherry mixture and chill for at least 1 hour. 
3. Freeze, according to manufacturers instructions, in an ice cream maker (see note). Spoon churned mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze until hard. Scoop and serve as desired!

Notes:

• The kirsch adds a bit more cherry flavor, but it is alcoholic, so if you do decide to use it, it will make the final product a bit softer. You may find that the yogurt mixture does not churn up as frozen as usual, but don't worry, it will freeze up fine and be easier to scoop, no thawing required!

Charred Veggie Guacamole

Ok, maybe I am stretching the limits of “guacamole” here, and this may truly be more of an avocado salad, but I ate it with chips so I’ll stick with guac. At least I didn’t put peas in it! 

Am I the only person though to whom that does not sound so terrible?

My guacamole here may not have legumes, but it is full of summer deliciousness like cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, jalapeños and scallions, all cooked to peak char on a grill pan (or a real grill, if you’ve got one). They get a rough chop and then tossed in with some diced avocado, lime juice, and cilantro (not pictured in this yearbook spread, because sometimes I am dumb).

Years ago, on an episode of Barefoot Contessa, I watched Ina make her version of guacamole, where she just cut up some avocado and tomatoes and tossed them together with some lime juice in a giant wooden bowl, and the whole thing was so simple and beautifully elegant that I always remember it, even if I prefer my regular guac a little more streamlined and mashed. 

But I can see the inspiration from her recipe here, despite my preference. The whole pile of veggies together becomes something a little more substantial than just a dip, and you could definitely serve it as a side to some grilled meat or fish or tacos or whatever this late summer season is serving up for you.

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Charred Veggie Guacamole

• 1 ear corn
• 3-4 scallions
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 limes
• vegetable oil
• 2-3 large avocados
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• sea salt

1. Heat a grill pan or grill on high and prep veggies: husk corn, cut roots off scallions, stem and seed jalapenos, cut cherry tomatoes in half, cut limes in half. Brush veggies and lime with a bit of vegetable oil and grill until softened and well-charred.
2. Cut the corn off the cob, thinly slice scallions and jalapeno, and add to a large bowl with the tomatoes. Squeeze the grilled limes over everything and toss together.
3. Seed and dice the avocados into large chunks, then toss all with a generous pinch of sea salt and the chopped cilantro. Serve.

Seattle and Mt. Rainier

Seattle is so beautiful in the summer, they said. The sky is so blue, they said. The weather is so lovely, they said.

They said, they said, they said. All I can really say positively about the hot weather last weekend in Seattle is at least it wasn't humid. Though, anyone who's lived through an east coast summer can tell you that is actually a HUGE silver lining, so I take back my snark, it was beautiful and lovely. 

Plus, I got to wear some of the shorts that usually sit useless in my closet! Yay?

But those skies were most certainly not blue. It might look merely hazy in these photos, but it was actually smoke from the Canadian wildfires that made it feel like a simultaneous flashback to smoggy, pre-Clean Air Act Los Angeles and a frightening preview of 50 years in the future. No thank you.

But apart from the heat and the smoke, it really was a lovely weekend in Seattle with some of my best girlfriends! We visited salmon at the Ballard Locks and did a little pizza eating and wine tasting on Bainbridge Island. We ate lunch at Microsoft, sampled some of the best ice cream in Seattle, and I confirmed pink peppercorn is lovely with sweet things (so lookout, future cake plans!).

We took a gentle hike near Mt. Rainier, where I took too many photos of wildflowers and got as close to Wild as I'm ever going to get on a teeny portion of the Pacific Coast Trail. I got annihilated by mosquitos, who apparently will just ignore all bug spray in favor of my sweet, sweet blood (I knew this already though, see: East Coast summers mentioned above).

I spent my last, itchy morning taking my very happy, inner 13-year-old self on a mini 10 Things I Hate About You tour to the Fremont Troll and Gasworks Park. You most definitely cannot play paintball but you can sit and imagine Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles paddle boating under the Seattle skyline on Lake Union. You might even find yourself whelmed (and feeling ancient).

So thank you, Seattle, you were hot and hazy, but I'm coming back for you! Just next time, please be drizzly and cool like a normal person, ok?

Sweet Corn, Blackberry and Lime Cake

My cake lust strikes again! I'm steadily working down my list of weird cakes I've dreamed up, one month at a time. I'm still finding the whole process a wonderful stress reliever, giving myself over to entire days of crafting cakes. It demands my full attention and creativity and when I'm done, it's like waking up from the best meditation. Probably.

What am I saying? I don't meditate.

So, this particular cake went through several iterations in my mind, until I recently got around to watching the David Chang episodes of Mind of a Chef. One binge session later and I was buying freeze-dried corn, ring molds and acetate online and prepping to be the best Christina Tosi I could be. 

I don't think she'd hire me to work at Milk Bar based on this cake but I was pretty happy with it! I successfully turned cornmeal into a light and fluffy cake, freeze-dried corn into a super-stable whipped cream, and blackberries into, well, it definitely was more sticky goo than jam, but let's say jam. And after I stacked it all up and froze it, it didn't fall apart on me! 

Best of all, I fed it to friends and they seemed to like it? Though they had had A LOT of wine at that point.

It's kind of all over the place, texture-wise, with fluffy cake and soft cream, sticky filling and crunchy cookies. And the flavor makes you think a little bit, coasting to the savory side of the spectrum through the cake and whipped cream layers, before slamming back to sweet with the blackberries. I was into it. 

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Sweet Corn, Blackberry and Lime Cake

Cake adapted from Alice Medrich, whipped cream adapted from Serious Eats, corn cookie crumbles adapted from Flour. There are a few components here, but cake and all fillings can be made ahead and stored before assembling.

For the Sweet Corn Cake:

• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup corn flour (masa)
• 1/4 cup white rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 2 limes, zested
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

For the Corn Cookie Crunch:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

For the Corn Whipped Cream:

• 1/2 cup freeze dried corn
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 16 oz heavy whipping cream

For the Lime Blackberry Jam:

• 2 cups blackberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• zest 1/2 lime
• 2 tbs lime juice

1. Make the cake layers: Add the sugar to a large mixing bowl and set aside 1/8 cup of the sugar. Add flours to the bowl, with baking powder and salat, then add the egg yolks, oil and 1/4 cup water. Add lime zest to bowl and whisk all to incorporate. Set aside for 15 minutes to let the flours absorb the moisture. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the whist attachment on medium-high until creamy and white and the beater leaves a trail. Slowly sprinkles in the 1/8 cup sugar while beating on high speed until firm, not dry peaks form. If you aren't sure you are there yet it's better to under-beat the whites.
3. Fold half of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites until full blended. Divide batter between 3 ungreased 6-inch pans, and bake, checking for doneness at 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the middle (see note). If it comes out dry, the cake is done, otherwise bake a few minutes more. When done, place pans on a cooling rack and slide a thin knive or icing spatula around the sides to loosen, then let cool completely in pans. When cool, remove from pans for assembly or to store in fridge or freezer wrapped tightly in plastic.
4. Make the corn whipped cream: In a food processor, grind the corn and sugar together for 1 minute, until fine. Add the heavy cream and stir around a bit with a fork to break up any chunks of the corn sugar mixture. Pulse together for up to 2 minutes, until thick, being very careful not to cross the line from thick whipped cream to butter. If you aren't sure, it's best to stop and finish with a mixer. Transfer to an airtight container and chill until needed.
5. Make the corn cookie crumbles: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, rub together the sugar and the lime zest. Add the butter and cream together on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 2-3 more minutes, until combined, again scraping the bowl as needed.
6. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, then beat into the mixture at low speed until completely combined. Drop by 1/4 cup spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes, until slightly browned around the edges. Let cool a bit, then break up a few of the cookies into a rough crumble. Spread out on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Enjoy the remaining cookies as a snack for the baker!
7. Make the blackberry lime jam: Place a plate in the freezer. Combine the berries, sugar and zest in a large pot over medium heat. Stir while the sugar dissolves, crushing the blackberries against the side of the pot with the spoon to help release their juice. 
8. Bring to a rolling boil on high heat for 1 minute, then remove from heat and run through a fine sieve or food mill to remove the seeds.
9. Return to the heat and bring to a simmer, cooking until the jam is thickened, about 15 minutes. Test for jelling by dropping a bit of the jam mixture on the frozen plate. Wait a few seconds, then push the jam with your finger. If it wrinkles, it's done. Stir in the lime juice and set aside to cool completely.
10. Assemble the cake: Using a six-inch cake ring and a sheet of acetate at least 20 inches long, start stacking. On a cake board, place a layer of cake in the cake ring, line with the acetate. Spread half the corn whipped cream across the cake as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with a good amount of cookie crumbles, then spread a third of the jam over the crumbles. Top with another layer of cake and repeat layers until you have topped with the last cake layer, adding another layer of acetate if needed. Spread last 1/3 of jam across the top of the cake and then chill the entire layered cake in the freezer at least 3 hours. Thaw before slicing and serving.

Notes:

• If you don't want to bake 3 layers, you can divide the batter between 2 pans and bake 20-25 minutes. When assembling, slice each layer horizontally about 2/3 of the way up. Stack the thinner layers together into 1 layer on the bottom of the cake.