Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Creamdl.booktolearn.com/ebooks2/cooking/9781570618109_molly_moons… · Pumpkin Clove Ice Cream Cinnamon Ice Cream Maple ... tangerine sorbet. I loved the

Copyright © 2012 by Molly Moon’s Homemade IceCream

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may bereproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic,mechanical, or other means, without the prior writtenpermission of the publisher.

Published by Sasquatch Books

Cover photograph: Kathryn BarnardCover design: Gregory FloresInterior photographs: Kathryn BarnardFood styling: Callie Meyer and Patty Wittmann

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data isavailable.

eISBN: 978-1-57061-797-3

Sasquatch Books1904 Third Avenue, Suite 710Seattle, WA 98101(206) [email protected]

v3.1

formy grandparents

all of whom, in very much their ownways, shaped who I am and how I havehoped to contribute to the world. It wasmy Grandpa John’s allowing me to haveice cream before lunch on so very manysummer days that instilled in me a loveof the cold, creamy treat, and a ritual ofspoiling myself and those I love withsweet trips to the local ice cream shop. Itwas under the tutelage of mygrandmothers, Angela and Faye, that Ilearned the arts of social responsibilityand social grace that have pushed meforward in life, with my head held high.It is my Grandpa Herb’s humor that

keeps me light and gives me hope thatlife should be as fun as he seems tothink!

contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

recipe list

thank-yous

introduction

Sustainable Ice Cream:What Does That Mean?

What You Need to Get Started

spring

summerfallwinteralways

About the Authors

recipe list

springHoney Lavender Ice CreamCarrot Cake Ice CreamSalt Licorice Ice Cream“Scout” Mint Ice CreamThai Tea Ice CreamBlueberry Goat’s Milk Frozen YogurtStrawberry Rhubarb SorbetLavender Lemonade SorbetBaby Beet SorbetLemon CurdCajetaBee Pollen Sugar

Rhubarb Rose Compote How to Make an Ice Cream Cake

summerGinger Ice CreamStrawberry Ice CreamCherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Ice Cream SandwichesBlackberry Sage Ice Cream

Make a Shake!Peach SorbetRaspberry Mint SorbetTomato Basil SorbetCucumber Mint SorbetWatermelon Sorbet

Cold Chocolate SauceRaspberry CoulisButterscotch SauceGrilled Stone FruitCrispy Nut Cobbler-Top Crumble

Corn Syrup Substitute

fallPumpkin Clove Ice CreamCinnamon Ice CreamMaple Walnut Ice CreamBaracky Road Ice Cream

Homemade MarshmallowsCheese Ice CreamFig Ice Cream

The Joy of Pie and Ice CreamPear SorbetCranberry SorbetSpiced Cider SorbetApple Pie ToppingPepita BrittleVanilla Bean CaramelCandied Hazelnuts

winterCardamom Ice CreamMeyer Lemon Ice CreamMaple Bacon Ice Cream

Candied BaconMexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Olive Oil and Toasted Pine Nut IceCream

You Put the Lime in the Coconut!Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice CreamKiwi SorbetMeyer Lemon SorbetMulled Wine SorbetBlood Orange SorbetSpiked Whipped CreamSpiced HoneyDeep, Dark Hot FudgeBlood Orange MarmaladePort Reduction

always

Vanilla Bean Ice CreamMelted Chocolate Ice CreamCappuccino Ice CreamSalted Caramel Ice Cream

thank-yous

I couldn’t have opened an ice cream shopor created the amazing community I havearound my favorite treat without the loveand support of Zack; my parents; my littlesister, Anna; my grandparents; Charlie atthe Big Dipper in Missoula; Debi; Andyand Deborah; and the kids at Music forAmerica who taught me how to (and hownot to) be a leader. And I couldn’t keep itall going without Christina, Cindy, Jen,Kendal, and Sophia by my side. Specialthanks to my mom and Zoe for reading this

manuscript so many times. Thank you allso very much!

molly moon neitzel

Thank you to my parents, Marty andTracy, for letting me waste countlessamounts of groceries growing up as Icreated edible, and less than edible,concoctions in my quest to perfect mycraft. For courageously eating, orpretending to eat, whatever I had mostrecently disguised as food, they, as wellas my sisters, Brooke and Blair, are owedmore thanks than I can sum up in thisparagraph. Thank you to Angela andPatrick for holding down the kitchens inWallingford and Capitol Hill,respectively, while I worked on this

project; to Zoe for her recipe testing andediting; and to Molly for giving me theopportunity to contribute to this book. Andthank you to Brian for his continued loveand support.

christina spittler

Huge thanks go out from both of us toShelley Bjornstad, our most enthusiasticrecipe tester, and to the amazing DirtyHappy Girls: Kathryn Barnard and CallieMeyer. We couldn’t have done thiswithout you!

introduction

I have always loved ice cream. I could eatit every day. And I probably have eatenice cream almost every day of my life.When I was growing up, my mom alwayskept ice cream in the freezer for my dad,my little sister, and me. And mygrandparents all knew it was my favoritetreat. Ice cream sundaes were a big to-doat my Grandma Angle’s house. She lovedpulling out her special sundae dishes andthe long spoons she saved just for extra-tall parfaits. She had bottles and jars oftoppings in the fridge, and she alwaystopped our creations with a cherry. I guessthese ice cream affairs after familydinners had something to do with the way

my grandmother met my grandfather, Herb,when he was a “soda jerk” in herneighborhood, the Chicago suburb of OakPark. She would push her baby brother ina stroller up the street to the soda fountainand order a “double dip” on a cone. WhileHerb was scooping, she made sure hecould see her jaunty little hat, on whichshe had embroidered her name, Angie, inpretty script. Once he had finished, andjust before he handed her the cone, mygrandma would scrunch up her nose andsay, “Oh, I wanted the vanilla on top ofthe chocolate. Could you switch them?”just to keep him there a little longer!

In my late twenties, after years working inpolitics and the music industry and gettingburned out on both, I desperately sought a

new career that would satisfy my need forindependence. It was then that Iremembered my first love, ice cream, andI set out to create a place in Seattle wherethe Angies and Herbs of 2008 could meet.

You see, before a brief fundraising career,and before I was the executive director ofa political nonprofit that worked withbands to politically engage their fans, Ihad a college job. And like most collegegirls, I sought work at a place where Icould get my favorite thing for free. Forme it wasn’t a clothing boutique or arecord store—it was an ice cream shop.From 1998 through 2000, I worked at theBig Dipper in Missoula, Montana, first asa scooper and later as an ice cream maker.In a few years, I learned most of what it

takes to run an ice cream shop from anunorthodox college mentor—Charlie, theBig Dipper’s punk rock owner. I lovedCharlie. And I loved what he had created—a multigenerational communitygathering place in Missoula where collegekids, families with little ones, and emptynesters alike would line up for the BigDipper’s huckleberry ice cream andtangerine sorbet. I loved the way that icecream could bring so many peopletogether from around town, and I lovedhow, every evening, the picnic benchesoutside the shop felt like a lightheartedcongregation.

And so, over the summer of 2007, with alittle moxie and some great businessplanning software, I wrote a plan to create

what I thought Seattle was missing most: amultigenerational community gatheringplace of our own where ice cream couldbe the vehicle to get neighbors togetherand put young professionals in a crowdwith toddlers, teenagers, and retirees alike—a place where it was affordable tospend an evening with the neighborhood.

I also had a bit of a political point toprove with my favorite dessert. After mytime in politics, I was convinced that Icould run a business that embodied all ofmy political values, like living-wage jobs,environmental responsibility, and goodhealth insurance for workers, and thatthose concepts and making a profit werenot mutually exclusive. Right from thestart, I have paid for 100 percent of my

workers’ health insurance, givenconsistent raises to ensure my employeesearn a living wage, and used all localingredients and compostable materials. Alot of people told me I wouldn’t be able tomake a profit with those kinds ofexpenses. Yet with the May 2008 openingof my first little ice cream shop in theWallingford neighborhood of Seattle, wefound that the Seattle community did avery good job of proving them wrong. Weare now a growing company with five icecream shops and an ice cream truck!

From our relationships with local farmers,beekeepers, and chocolatiers to ourhappy, healthy employees and ourdonations campaigns that support localfood banks, the Seattle community has

embraced Molly Moon’s as neighbors andtrusted members of our local economy andcommunity. It has been an honor to growwith so much love and support for whatwe do. And one of the beautiful thingsabout ice cream is that almost anyingredient or combination of ingredientsyou find in your community can be turnedinto an ice cream or sorbet that willimpress your dinner guests.

Cherry Chocolate Chunk was a recipe wethrew together after a local farmer showedup in our Wallingford kitchen that firstsummer with one hundred pounds ofcherries. Honey Lavender is an “always”flavor for us because we just can’t believehow delicious Olympic Mountainwildflower honey is. And our Vivace

Coffee flavor is the ice cream version ofmy morning “walk the dog to the coffeeshop for a cappuccino” ritual.

Christina and I had a ton of fun writingthis book, trying out different versions ofour recipes, and choosing which of ourfavorite concoctions we wanted to sharewith the world (or with those who willlisten)! Christina has been by my sidesince spring 2009, armed with a degree inenvironmental studies from the Universityof Washington and a pastry certificatefrom the Seattle Culinary Academy. Shehas been the perfect collaborator as weinvent new flavors and menu items, andshe has the technical knowledge to makesure that all of our frozen treats turn outjust right.

We’re hoping our cookbook will showyou how fun and accessible gourmet,locally and organically sourced ice creamcan be for anyone with an affordableappliance and a little bit of time. Therecipes are simple, and once you make afew you should be well on your way tocreating impressive sundaes for yourfamily and friends with variouscombinations of the ice creams, sorbets,and toppings made with your local fruitsand other offerings. The book is structuredthe same way our shops are structured—into four seasons. Although you can usefrozen fruit and find most of the otheringredients year-round, I love makingmyself wait until the seasonal peak offreshness for local ingredients. The

flavors are so much more intense, and theanticipation is part of the fun!

My life has become completely centeredaround a handful of basic ice creamrecipes and a team of people who lovethese little ice cream shops that bring ourneighbors so much joy. I hope this bookcan help you use these recipes for joyfulgatherings in your own neighborhood withyour own favorite people. Soon you’ll bedoing my Grandma Angie proud, findingthat special set of sundae dishes andparfait spoons for your homemadecreations. Good luck and happy scooping!

sustainable ice cream:what does that mean?

In creating our company, we committedourselves to being an environmentallysustainable business. It is a philosophythat influences everything we do. Whetherwe are creating a new sundae with localfruits or nuts or using nontoxic cleaners totidy up the shop after a busy day, we arealways aware of our impact on theenvironment—locally and globally. Thismeans doing our best to use local andorganic ingredients whenever possible, aswell as taking the seasons into fullconsideration when we create newtoppings, ice creams, and sorbets.

choosing between local andorganicIn a perfect world, we would all be ableto purchase organic foods grown by localfarmers in our communities, all the time.Unfortunately, we know that it is just notthat easy. With all the choices and varietyavailable to consumers these days, takinga simple trip to the grocery store canbecome a perplexing and bafflingexperience. Do I buy the organic carrotsfrom California? Or the nonorganiccarrots from a nearby farming community?What about the hormone-free milk from alocal dairy versus the organic milk froman out-of-state dairy? Are these organicraspberries available in January any better

than the ones in the freezer case year-round? The truth is, there aren’t easyanswers to these questions, but takingsome simple principles into considerationcan dramatically help your decision-making process.

local

Why is using local ingredients soimportant to us? There are severalreasons. For one, the fewer miles yourfood has traveled to become your nextmeal, the fewer fossil fuels are burned.Whether your food travels by rail, ship,plane, or truck, it all requires some formof fuel to get from the farm to your kitchen.The shorter the distance, the smaller theamount of fossil fuels burned—and the

smaller the amount of greenhouse gases,namely carbon dioxide, released into theatmosphere.Eating locally also ensures that your foodwill taste better. Produce that must endurean arduous cross-country truck ride isoften harvested prematurely to preventbruising in transit. Choosing local foodsthat have not been harvested with shippingor packing as a priority means producepicked at the peak of freshness and, moreimportantly, ripeness. And ripe foodmeans better flavor! Similarly, dairy thattravels long distances between the cowand the kitchen means a more intensepasteurization process, which eliminatesmany of the healthy benefits of fresh milkand much of that fresh dairy taste.

Eating seasonally is a key component toeating locally and limiting the number ofmiles your food travels to get to you. Totruly embrace the goods your localenvironment can offer, it is important toacknowledge that certain foods areavailable only during certain times ofyear. So does this mean weNorthwesterners can enjoy the bounty ofhuckleberries only in the fall? Or that weare destined to enjoy a juicy peach solelyduring the fleeting month of August? No!Whether you freeze it, can it, jam it, pickleit, dehydrate it, smoke it, or cure it, any ofthe seasonal delights in your neck of thewoods can be preserved using the time-tested techniques of the generations beforeus.

And of course, eating locally helpssupport your local economy. It is not newsthat farmers receive only a fraction ofwhat you pay at the store for the food thatthey grow. The rest of that money pays forgetting the food from the farm to yourshopping cart in one piece. Fuel, truckmaintenance, refrigeration, processing,and marketing are a few of these otherexpenses. When you buy foods grownlocally, you are eliminating theseadditional costs, so more of the money youspend can go straight back to the farmers,contributing to the wellness of your entirecommunity.

organic

At Molly Moon’s, we love to use organic

ingredients in our ice creams and sorbetswhenever possible. We believe thatorganic farming practices are thehealthiest and most environmentallysustainable option and produce the tastiestfood, and we want to pass that goodnesson to our customers. Farming organicallyis a better option than chemical-dependentfarming, for a number of reasons. Itpromotes the development of healthy soilsand water conservation because it doesnot make use of dangerous pesticides,herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers.Organic farmers use crop rotationtechniques as well as beneficial insects tocombat weeds and pests, and use naturalfertilizers like manure and compost tohelp their crops grow. Avoiding

chemically dependent farming methods notonly keeps our bodies free from anylingering pesticide residues, but alsokeeps local watersheds free of harmfulpollutants and keeps neighboringecosystems intact.

Possibly the most important element ofmaking the right food choices for yourfamily or community is arming yourselfwith as much information as possible.Sometimes an organically certifiedproduct—using milk as an example—maycome from cows raised on organicallycertified feed that was grown on othercontinents and required tons of fossil fuelsto transport it to the dairy farm. At MollyMoon’s, we are mindful that complicatedfood chains deserve careful attention.

molly moon’s american-styleice cream

There are two commonly used styles ofice cream base: Philadelphia, or“American” style and French “custard”style. Philadelphia-style ice cream usuallyconsists of a combination of milk, cream,sugar, and any number of added flavoringssuch as vanilla, melted chocolate, lemonzest, and the like. Custard-style recipescall for nearly identical ingredients butinclude the addition of egg yolks. AtMolly Moon’s, we prefer to makePhiladelphia-style ice cream, so therecipes in this book are all of that variety.

Our thinking is that by adding fewer

elements to our ice cream bases, we arenot only emphasizing the unadulterated,fresh, sweet cream taste of the local dairywe use, but also sourcing from one lessanimal, and using fewer resources to bringyou the ice cream that you love.

However, French “custard” style icecream is by no means inferior in taste orquality. In fact, many pastry chefs wouldargue it is the classic and traditional wayto make ice cream. There are plenty ofcookbooks out there that describe thismethod; our favorite is The Perfect Scoopby David Lebovitz.

what you need to get started

ice cream toolsice cream maker or churnerheavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepanliquid and dry measuring cupsmeasuring spoonswhiskflexible spatula, preferably siliconesharp knifeshallow pan or bowlglass or plastic airtight food storagefreezer containers in pint or quartsizes

for added funfood mill or blenderstrainer or fine mesh sievecandy thermometerice cream scoopcherry pitterelectric stand mixerspice grinder or coffee grinderjuicercitrus reamer graterkitchen scaleparchment paper or a silicone bakingmatpizzelle iron or cone baker forhomemade waffle-style cones

We are so excited that you are about tostart your ice cream–making journey!There are just a few common kitchenitems you’ll need to gather, an ice creammachine for you to choose, and a coupleof quick tips to know. First, please realizethat making ice cream is FUN! And youshould treat it as such. These recipesshould not intimidate you as much as, say,a baking cookbook might. Yes, you canmess up ice cream by scorching the milk,or not churning it long enough, or burningthe caramel, but ice cream making is notrocket science. These recipes will be fundesserts to make by yourself or with apassel of kids helping you in the kitchen.And now for the tools and tips!

notes for best resultsWhen you churn ice cream or sorbet inyour home machine, you are basicallymixing in air while simultaneouslyfreezing the water particles in the base.This creates a consistency that is lighterthan the liquid you started with (becauseof the air) and more solid and stable (dueto the freezing). It might soundcomplicated, but don’t worry, your icecream machine will take care of it. Hereare a few things to remember to get themost out of these recipes and help you andyour ice cream machine make the bestfrozen desserts possible.

choosing a machine

There are several ice cream machines onthe market to choose from, and they allpretty much do the same thing—churn airinto your liquid ingredients while freezingthem. The biggest question to answer inbuying a machine is, “Do I want to makemore than one batch in a twenty-four-hourperiod?” If the answer is yes, you willneed a machine with a freezer componentbuilt into the unit. These are typicallymuch more expensive machines, usuallypriced upward of $200. Our favorites arethe Whynter 2-quart Ice Cream Maker andthe Lello Musso Lussino 1.5-quart IceCream Maker. If you think you can livewith one batch of homemade ice creamper day, then you have many moreaffordable options produced by

dependable companies like Cuisinart andKitchenAid. These machines have just asimple churning mechanism, along with abowl that must be chilled in your freezerfor 24 hours before you make a batch.Another category altogether is the human-powered ice cream churner—a barrel,crank, and ice combination that will makeyou feel like the homesteader you’vealways wanted to be, and a very goodtire-the-kids-out activity, as well. Any ofthese choices will work. You’ve just gotto find one that will fit your needs andlifestyle.

volume

Don’t overfill your machine. Theserecipes are for you, the home cook, but not

all ice cream machines are the same size.A good rule of thumb here is to fill yourmachine only two-thirds full, so you mayneed to do a little experimenting. Youwant there to be room for the ice cream orsorbet to expand and freeze relativelyquickly. If you fill your machine to thebrim, it will take longer to freeze, and thelonger it takes to freeze, the larger the icecrystals will be, which will make thetexture grainier—not to mention the longertime you’ll have to wait to eat it! If youhave extra ice cream or sorbet base, grabsome freezer pop molds and check out ourtips on this page for making tasty treats ona stick.

chilling

If you are using a machine with adetachable freezer bowl, make sure it hasbeen in your freezer at least 12 hoursbefore you are planning on using it. Anddon’t take it out of the freezer until you aretotally, completely, 100 percent ready topour the base into the machine and get itchurning. Again, the colder everything isand the faster the freezing happens, thebetter the texture of your dessert.Everything must be chilled thoroughly.Make sure that your ice cream or sorbetbase is completely chilled before pouringit into your machine. Not roomtemperature, not kind of cold, butcompletely chilled. If you want to gettechnical, between 35°F and 40°F isideal. Patience is a virtue, and if you

remember this, you will end up with icecream and sorbet with a perfectly smoothtexture.

texture

So what are you looking for exactly? Ingeneral, your ice cream or sorbet is readyto be pulled from the machine as soon asthe base has gone from a liquid to a semi-solid. For ice cream, the surface willappear more matte and won’t look shinyor wet. It will look considerably thickerand more voluminous as well. The same istrue for sorbet, but you are dealing with abase that has considerably more water, sothe surface might still look slightly wetwhen it is ready to be pulled from themachine. The churning blade will appear

to be pushing the sorbet around, asopposed to sliding underneath it. Some icecream machines have timers and othersdon’t, but we recommend checking up onyour dessert after the first 10 minutes andthen every 5 minutes until it is done.

storage

The worst enemy of ice cream and sorbetis thawing and refreezing. This will createice crystals and eliminate all that air thatyour ice cream machine worked so hard toget in there. Prevent this by acting quicklyto get your dessert out of the ice creammachine and into the freezer as quickly aspossible. Put your storage container in thefreezer before you need it. To keep weirdfreezer aromas out of your ice cream or

sorbet, cover the surface directly withplastic wrap and then secure the lid. Makesure you have cleared some space in yourfreezer before you begin churning—and nomatter how badly you want to try a bite,keep that freezer door shut until the icecream is set and ready to serve!

Ice cream and sorbet are best stored at ascold a temperature as possible, ideally0°F or below. A freezer that is not coldenough can cause partial thawing, whichcan ruin that desired smooth and creamytexture. Your freezer at home may be coldenough for veggies or ice cubes, but tomake sure it is going to keep your icecream and sorbet in good shape, invest ina simple refrigerator/freezer thermometer.You can get one at most grocery or kitchen

supply stores. Even if your freezer is setat 0°F, with a thermometer you can makesure it is operating properly so itmaintains that temperature.

tips to remember

Read the recipe all the way through beforeyou start! We promise, you’ll be grateful.

Patience is really key when making icecreams and sorbets. To make a perfectfrozen treat, you often need to wait a littlelonger than you want, to let the ingredientschill before putting them in the ice creammachine. Don’t rush!

All ice cream makers are a little differentand churn a different amount of air into thefinal product, so the number of servingsyou actually get will vary a bit.

Aluminum cookware that is unanodized—that is, not chemically treated—is notrecommended for use in these recipes.

Unanodized aluminum reacts with anyeven slightly acidic foods, like milk,cream, and most fruit, and the chemicalreaction can taint the flavor and color ofyour final product. We recommendanodized aluminum and stainless steelcookware.

Your homemade ice cream will keep forabout a week, depending on theconsistency of your freezer’s thermostat.But you can always make more!

honey lavender ice creamcarrot cake ice creamsalt licorice ice cream“scout” mint ice creamthai tea ice creamblueberry goat’s milk frozen yogurtstrawberry rhubarb sorbetlavender lemonade sorbet

baby beet sorbetlemon curdcajetabee pollen sugarrhubarb rose compote

honey lavender ice cream

This recipe is truly fresh from theNorthwest—specifically, the lushOlympic Peninsula. Roy at Tahuya RiverApiaries (www.hiveharvest.com) hasbeen beekeeping in the foothills of theOlympic Mountains for decades. He keepsus stocked with the most deliciousNorthwest wildflower honey and hassince day one. You can find Roy or hisson at many Seattle area farmers’ markets.Just twenty miles away, nestled in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains, isPurple Haze Lavender(www.purplehazelavender.com) inSequim, Washington. They supply ourkitchens with fragrant, certified organic,

dried lavender flowers year-round.

MAKES 1 TO 1½ QUARTS

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup honey

1 tablespoon finely ground dried food-grade lavenderflowers (see note)

Pinch of kosher salt

NOTE

If your lavender comes as dried whole flowers,grind them into a fine powder in a spice grinderor well-cleaned coffee grinder. A mortar andpestle will work too, as will a sharp knife andsome elbow grease.

Put all the ingredients into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid and cook,uncovered, over medium heat, whiskingoccasionally, until the sugar and honey aredissolved. Before the mixture comes to aboil, remove from the heat. Cover and letthe mixture steep for 30 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a shallow pan orbowl and place in the refrigerator to chillthoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

carrot cake ice cream

Spring flavors can be tough in the PacificNorthwest, as our winter-to-springtransition can sometimes be a nail biter.June is the start of carrot season, and thisflavor showcases them in their best form:carrot cake! No shortcuts were taken here,so we use real cream cheese, gratedcarrots, brown sugar, and spices in thisrecipe. It has proved to be a real hit withour customers, so we think you will loveit. If you are a stickler for tradition, enjoyyour scoop with a sprinkling of choppedwalnuts or raisins!


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk, divided

¾ cup packed light brown sugar


1½ cups finely grated carrot (about 3 medium carrots)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

4 ounces (½ cup) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the cream, ¾ cup of the milk, and thebrown sugar, salt, carrots, cinnamon,nutmeg, and cloves into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, uncovered,over medium heat, stirring occasionally todissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, thenreduce the heat to low and let simmer

gently for 20 minutes, stirring frequently toprevent scorching.

In a medium bowl, whisk the creamcheese and vanilla together untilcompletely smooth. Gradually add theremaining ¼ cup milk, 1 tablespoon at atime, whisking vigorously until smoothafter each addition. Pour the cream cheeseinto the carrot mixture and whisk untilthoroughly combined. Pour the mixtureinto a shallow pan or bowl and refrigerateto chill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.

Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

salt licorice ice cream

When I worked my first ice cream job as ascooper at Goody’s, an old-fashioned icecream parlor and candy shop in Boise,Idaho, the older scoopers used to make thenew hires chew on a piece of double-saltlicorice as a kind of hazing ritual. When Ibit into my first piece, I disappointed themall by exclaiming, “Mmmmmm! I lovesalty licorice!” Though it’s a punishmentto some, salt licorice is a much-anticipated flavor for many of our regularcustomers who share my affinity for thisDanish-style treat. We release it everyyear on National Licorice Day, April 12,and keep it on the menu for a month or so.We like our Salt Licorice Ice Cream with

a good bit of salt, but do not hesitate toadjust this recipe to your own personaltaste.


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

15 whole star anise pods (see note)

1 tablespoon ouzo or other anise-flavored liqueur

NOTE

When buying star anise, took for pods with as fewbroken pieces as possible. The pod itself, not theseeds inside, is where the licorice flavor resides,so resist any temptation to break or crush the

pods.

Put the cream, milk, sugar, salt, and staranise into a small, heavy-bottomedsaucepan with a lid. Cook over mediumheat, whisking occasionally to dissolvethe sugar. When the mixture begins tosimmer gently, remove from the heat.Cover and let the mixture steep at roomtemperature for 1 hour. Transfer themixture to a shallow pan or bowl andplace in the refrigerator to chillthoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.When the mixture is cold, strain it througha fine mesh sieve. Discard the sievecontents. Whisk the liqueur into themixture. Pour it into an ice cream makerand process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using a

rubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

“scout” mint ice cream

This ice cream is the embodiment of oneof my very favorite community aspectsabout Molly Moon’s. I learned more of mybusiness skills than I should probablyadmit as a Girl Scout selling cookies allover town. The “camperships” offered tothe girls who sold a lot of cookies playedan important role in the affordability ofGirl Scout camp for me. Camp was one ofthe very best parts of my childhood andended up shaping who I am in many ways.As a grown-up, I find it amazingly fun tobe able to support little Scouts now bybuying tens of thousands of cookies everyspring. We buy enough Thin Mints duringcookie season to supply all of our shops

with an entire year’s worth of cookies forone of our most popular flavors. Thesepurchases often shock the girls, who getbigger sales if I think their pitch isparticularly good (teaching those businessskills early!). Last spring, when I bought325 boxes of cookies from one articulatelittle lady, her mom started crying—ourpurchase had just gotten her a full ride tocamp! “Scout” Mint is sure to be a crowdpleaser—especially with the under-ten-years-old set!


1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup sugar


2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1½ cups crushed Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies (about 15cookies) (see note)

NOTE

The cookies can be crushed into pieces as big orsmall as you want them to be in your ice cream.We shoot for pea-size pieces and leave a cookieor two mostly intact—because who doesn’t lovefinding a big cookie in their ice cream?

Put the milk, cream, sugar, and salt into asmall, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cookover medium heat, whisking occasionallyto dissolve the sugar. Before the mixturehas come to a boil, remove from the heat.Pour the mixture into a shallow pan orbowl and place in the refrigerator to chill

thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, stir in thepeppermint extract. Pour it into an icecream maker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. During thelast few minutes of processing, add thecookies. Using a rubber spatula, transferthe ice cream to an airtight glass or plasticfreezer container. Cover tightly and freezeuntil the ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours.

thai tea ice cream

This ice cream is rich and exotic tastingwhile still being light. Something aboutthis taste gives me a satisfaction similar togood dark chocolate. I love a sweet Thaiiced tea with my Pad See Ew, and now Ican make the perfect dessert to pair withmy amateur homemade version! Note: Tryand get your hands on organic and fairtrade Rooibos and Assam tea leaves thatare not scented or combined with othertypes of tea or flavorings. Good-quality,bulk loose leaf tea is available in thecoffee and tea section of some grocerystores, but if you are having troublefinding some, check outwww.mountainroseherbs.com to get just

what you need.

MAKES A SCANT 1 QUART

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar


1 cup red tea leaves, such as Rooibos

2 tablespoons black tea leaves, such as Assam

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon anise seeds


Put the cream, milk, sugar, salt, tea leaves,cinnamon, and anise into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid. Cook,uncovered, over medium heat, whisking

occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.Bring the mixture to a simmer, thenremove from the heat and cover. Let steepfor 30 minutes at room temperature. After30 minutes, pour the mixture through a finemesh sieve and press down firmly with aspatula or the back of a ladle to squeezeout any remaining liquid. Discard thesieve contents. Pour the reserved mixtureinto a shallow pan or bowl and place inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2hours.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thevanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker andprocess according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the ice cream to an airtight glassor plastic freezer container. Cover tightly

and freeze until the ice cream is firm, atleast 4 hours.

blueberry goat’s milk frozenyogurt

Tim and Grace Lukens of Grace HarborFarms supply us with goat’s milk yogurtfresh from their farm in Custer,Washington, about a hundred miles northof Seattle. Swirled with sweet blueberrycompote, this frozen yogurt is such arefreshing treat, and it’s a great option forMolly Moon’s fans who must avoid cow’smilk products. You are sure to gain afollowing when you share this uniqueflavor with friends and family. Be sure tocool the compote completely beforeadding it to the frozen yogurt … otherwiseyou could end up with yogurt soup!


For the blueberry compote:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the frozen yogurt:

2½ cups goat’s milk yogurt

½ cup sugar

½ cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

To make the compote, put the blueberries,sugar, and lemon juice into a small,nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmerover medium-low heat and cook, stirringoccasionally, until thick, 10 to 15 minutes.Remove from the heat and pour the

compote into a shallow pan or bowl.Place in the refrigerator to chillcompletely, about 1 hour.

To make the frozen yogurt, in a large bowlcombine the yogurt, sugar, honey, andvanilla. Whisk until the sugar and honeyare completely dissolved. Place in therefrigerator to chill thoroughly, about 1hour.

When the yogurt mixture is cold, pour itinto an ice cream maker and processaccording to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Remove the blueberrycompote from the refrigerator. Using arubber spatula, transfer one quarter of thefrozen yogurt to an airtight glass or plasticfreezer container and top with one third of

the compote. Repeat until all of the yogurtand compote are layered. Cover tightlyand freeze until the frozen yogurt is firm,at least 4 hours.

strawberry rhubarb sorbet

You know it’s spring in the PacificNorthwest when fresh, bright red andgreen rhubarb is everywhere at thefarmers’ markets. The combination ofstrawberries and rhubarb gives this sorbetthe perfect texture. It is smooth, creamy,and the kind of tangy-sweet that makesyour cheeks pucker before you dig in foranother bite!


2 cups water, divided

5 stalks rhubarb, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)

¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen strawberries(fresh berries should be rinsed and hulled)

2 cups sugar


Pour 1 cup of the water into a small,nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmerover low heat and add the rhubarb. Gentlycook the rhubarb over low heat until it istender and the pieces are falling apart, 10to 12 minutes. If the mixture starts to dryout, add more water, ¼ cup at a time. Pourthe cooked rhubarb and the strawberriesinto a blender and purée thoroughly.Measure out 2¼ cups of the strawberry-rhubarb purée. If your purée falls short,add enough water to make 2¼ cups. Pourit into a shallow bowl and refrigerate untilcompletely chilled, 1 to 2 hours.

While the purée is cooling, bring the

remaining 1 cup water and the sugar justto a boil over high heat, whisking todissolve the sugar. Remove the sugarsyrup from the heat and pour into ashallow bowl. Place in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, about 1 hour.

When both the purée and the syrup arethoroughly chilled, combine them and addthe lemon juice. Pour the mixture into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

lavender lemonade sorbet

This sorbet wins the award for prettiestcolor in my book. I’ve seen it vary from alight purplish pink to a dark fuchsia hue,depending on how finely the lavender isground and how long it is steeped. In ourconstant search to come up with the nexttasty and exciting ice cream or sorbetflavor, we occasionally refer to ourcustomer suggestion inbox, and that iswhere we found this flavor combination.Do you have a creative flavor idea thatcan be locally sourced and is delicious?Submit it on our website today!


2 cups sugar

2½ cups water

2 tablespoons ground dried food-grade lavender flowers(see note on this page)

¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 largelemons)

Put the sugar and water into a small,heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid. Overhigh heat, bring just to a boil, whisking todissolve the sugar. Remove from the heatand whisk in the lavender. Cover and letthe mixture steep for 20 minutes at roomtemperature. After 20 minutes, whisk inthe lemon juice. Pour the mixture into ashallow pan or bowl and place in therefrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2hours.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream makerand process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

compotes of everything!

At Molly Moon’s, we make deliciouscompotes out of almost anything we canget our hands on. Our very first shopopened with a strawberry-rhubarbcompote on the menu that really set the barhigh. Our seasonal compotes are now oneof the things customers look forward tocoming in to try. Some of our favoriteNorthwest ingredients to use in compotesinclude apples, blueberries, cranberries,huckleberries, peaches, pears,blackberries, and strawberries.

A basic recipe for compote follows.Remember that all fruit is different andshould be tasted for sweetness. Feel freeto adjust the amount of sugar based on

your fruit.

2 cups fruit, fresh or frozen

¾ cup sugar


Put all the ingredients into a small,nonreactive saucepan. Over medium-lowheat, bring to a simmer and cook, stirringoccasionally, until thick, 10 to 15 minutes.For a thicker compote, cook for 5 to 8minutes more. Serve warm or chilled.

baby beet sorbet

This sorbet was a product of one of ourvery early spring creative meetings. Wewere tired of winter, craving springingredients, but it just wasn’t warmenough for rhubarb or berries or cherries.One of our ice cream makers, a young,aspiring locavore chef named Nick, hadseen baby beets at the market and came upwith this flavor. We created a sundaearound it called “Sweet Dirt,” topping thisintensely hued sorbet with shaved carrots,balsamic vinegar reduction, and gratedParmesan. It was a total hit!


12 ounces baby beets (12 to 14 beets), unpeeled, washed

and quartered, ends trimmed

2 cups sugar

1 cup water


Place the beets in a small, heavy-bottomedsaucepan and add water to cover by aninch. Bring to a boil over high heat.Reduce the heat to low and let simmer,uncovered, until the beets are thoroughlycooked and tender all the way through, 25to 30 minutes. Test their doneness byinserting a fork into the thickest beet. If itslides in and out without resistance, yourbeets are done; if not, continue to cook. Ifnecessary, add enough water to keep thebeets partially submerged while cooking.When done, remove from the heat, pour

the beets and cooking liquid into ablender, and purée thoroughly. You shouldhave 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) of beetpurée. If your purée falls short, add waterto yield 2 cups. Pour it into a shallowbowl or pan and place in the refrigeratorto chill thoroughly, about 1 hour.

While the purée is chilling, bring the sugarand water just to a boil in a smallsaucepan over high heat, whisking todissolve the sugar. Pour the sugar syrupinto a shallow pan or bowl and place inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, about 1hour.

When the beet purée and sugar syrup arethoroughly chilled, combine them andwhisk in the lemon juice. Pour the mixture

into an ice cream maker and processaccording to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the sorbet to an airtight glass orplastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the sorbet is firm, at least4 hours.

lemon curd

I find lemon curd really rewarding tomake. I have zero formal dessert or pastrytraining, but I can easily make a perfectbatch of lemon curd if I just pay attention.It always comes out feeling like a feat andimpresses anyone with its rich and intenseflavor. It just feels fancy to me! Lemoncurd is the ideal topping for honeylavender ice cream, but I also love it ontoast.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

8 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

2 cups sugar

1½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 8large lemons)


½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup heavy cream


Set up a double boiler by placing a largepot filled with 2 inches of water overmedium-low heat. In a glass or metalbowl that rests securely on the top of thepot without touching the water, whisktogether the eggs, yolks, and sugar. Bringthe water to a simmer and set the bowlover the pot. Gradually whisk the lemonjuice and salt into the egg and sugarmixture. Keeping the water at a simmer,allow the curd to cook on the double

boiler until thick, 12 to 15 minutes,whisking and scraping the sides of thebowl occasionally. When the curd isnoticeably thicker, carefully remove thebowl from the pot.

While the curd is still warm, whisk in thebutter, cream, and vanilla. Strain through afine mesh sieve to remove any overcookedegg particles or shell. Discard the sievecontents. Transfer to a shallow storagecontainer and place plastic wrap directlyon the surface of the curd to prevent a skinfrom forming. Place in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, about 2 hours. Lemoncurd will keep in the fridge for about 4days.

cajeta

Cajeta is a caramel made by slowlycooking and caramelizing sweetenedgoat’s or cow’s milk. It is a commonconfection in Central and South America,especially popular in Mexico, and it istruly delicious drizzled atop meltedchocolate ice cream. Spring is the seasonfor local goat’s milk in the PacificNorthwest. The most important ingredientin this recipe is patience! Do not rush thisone, or your cajeta will foam over and youwill have a sticky mess on your stovetop.

MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS

4 cups goat’s milk

2 cups sugar

¼ cup honey

¼ teaspoon baking soda


Put all the ingredients in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk overmedium heat to dissolve the sugar andhoney. Carefully bring to a boil and thenreduce the heat to low. Adjusting the heatas needed, keep the cajeta at a simmeruntil the color changes to a dark brownand the mixture reaches 225°F on a candythermometer, about 45 minutes. Keep aneye on the mixture throughout, as it caneasily boil over if left unattended, but stirinfrequently—it tends to foam over themore it is stirred.

When it reaches 225°F, remove from theheat and let cool at room temperature; itwill thicken as it cools. Store in an airtightcontainer in the refrigerator for up to 1month. Cajeta can be served warm, cold,or at room temperature.

bee pollen sugar

This topping started out as an experimentfor our “April Showers” sundae. Wewanted a pretty sprinkle of something totop honey lavender ice cream, lemon curd,and fresh whipped cream. This mixturebecame one of our favorites. It is alsogreat on top of yogurt, oatmeal, andsmoothies. You can buy bee pollengranules at most health food stores and atsome smoothie shops. Be aware that somepeople are allergic to bee pollen, so makesure you know your audience if you areserving this to guests.


½ cup bee pollen granules

½ cup clear crystal sugar, clear sanding sugar, ordemerara sugar

¼ cup dried food-grade lavender flowers, whole

½ cup dried food-grade rose petals (optional)

Combine and thoroughly mix all theingredients together. Stored in an airtightcontainer in a dry place, bee pollen sugarcan keep for about 1 month.

rhubarb rose compote

We love rose! Rose water is one of oursecret weapons in the kitchen. However,please note: it should be used withcaution, as a little goes a long way. Youwould be surprised at how easy it is tomake your favorite dessert taste like yourgrandmother’s perfume. In this recipe, itssubtle floral flavor really complements thesweet and tangy bite of the rhubarb. Thiscompote was first featured on our menu inApril 2009 for the opening of our CapitolHill shop. Pair this with some vanillabean ice cream and Crispy Nut Cobbler-Top Crumble (this page). Yum!

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

3½ cups coarsely chopped rhubarb (about 6 stalks)

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon freshly

squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons rose water

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and lemonjuice in a medium nonreactive saucepan.Cook over medium-low heat, stirringoccasionally with a wooden spoon, untilthe rhubarb begins to break down and fallapart, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from theheat and stir in the rose water. Serve hotor cold. Store in an airtight container inthe refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

… an ice cream cake

Here are some tips and tricks for makingyour very own ice cream cake at home:

Pick a cake that you like. Bake it. Cool it.Freeze it. You can pretty much turn anycake into an ice cream cake. If you don’tbelieve me, give it a shot! The worst thatcan happen is that you end up with cakeand ice cream. The only rule is that youshould bake your cake in basic roundbaking pans or in a springform pan. Youcould go with a square or rectangle shape,but any baker will tell you that thosecorners can be tricky to frost. Wrappedwell in plastic wrap, many cakes can storein the freezer for at least a week or two.

Freezing the cake before assembly makesit easier to cut and helps keep the icecream from melting as quickly.

Cut the cake into layers. How many layerswill it be? Two? Three? If you areambitious, go for four! When cutting thecake into layers, be sure it’s mostlyfrozen, and use a serrated knife. Making ashallow initial cut in the cake as a guidebefore you cut all the way through willensure even layers. Inserting toothpicks asguides at intervals along that cut line isessential for beginners. Keep the cakelayers frozen until you need them.

Make some ice cream. Be sure to pick aflavor that will complement your cakewell and vice versa. Some of our favorite

combos are chocolate cake with “Scout”Mint or Cappuccino Ice Cream, andvanilla cake with Strawberry Ice Cream.Whatever flavor of ice cream you decideto make, just be sure you make it on thesame day that you want to assemble thecake. Making an ice cream cake with icecream fresh out of the machine is ideal foreasy spreadability. The quantity of icecream needed will depend on how bigyour cake is and how many layers youwant to make.

Assemble your cake. This part can beintimidating for beginners, but just relaxand have fun! To start, make sure you haveplenty of space cleared in your freezer foreasy storage. Keep everything you are notusing frozen. Dividing the ice cream

evenly based on how many layers you areplanning to fill is a great way to ensureeven layers. For example, if you havethree layers of cake, that means two layersof ice cream, so you would split the icecream in half evenly. Start with one layerof cake and dollop its portion of ice creamon top, smoothing it out with a knife or,better yet, an offset spatula. Put this firstlayer in the freezer. Repeat this processwith the other layers (except the top layer,of course). Once all of your lower cakelayers have an even layer of ice cream ontop, stack the layers and freezeimmediately. The cake will need to set upin the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Leave the cake naked or feel free to frostthe sides and top with freshly whipped

cream, buttercream frosting, or more icecream. Store it in the freezer until you areready to serve. You did it! Now enjoy!

ginger ice creamstrawberry ice creamcherry chocolate chunk ice creamblackberry sage ice creampeach sorbetraspberry mint sorbettomato basil sorbetcucumber mint sorbet

watermelon sorbetcold chocolate sauceraspberry coulisbutterscotch saucegrilled stone fruitcrispy nut cobbler-top crumble

ginger ice cream

This flavor had a long run on our“always” menu, and its well-balancedsweetness with a bit of spice created morethan a few followers. To make it at home,we suggest tracking down some freshorganic Hawaiian gingerroot at your localco-op or gourmet grocer. Or you cancheck out the selection at the Web-basedlocal product database,www.localharvest.com. If you’d like ahint of texture in your ice cream, TheGinger People (www.gingerpeople.com)are a great resource for the optionaladdition of organic crystallized gingerchips.


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar

One 2-inch section gingerroot (about ¾ ounce), peeled(see note) and finely grated (about 2 tablespoons)


⅓ cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

NOTE

To peel fresh ginger, use the side of a smallspoon and gently scrape off the skin in shortstrokes. If you can’t get it all off, don’t fret, asyou will be straining out the ginger beforeprocessing the ice cream.

Put the cream, milk, sugar, grated ginger,and salt into a small, heavy-bottomed

saucepan. Cook, uncovered, over mediumheat, whisking occasionally, until thesugar is dissolved and the ginger isincorporated. Just before the mixturecomes to a boil, remove from the heat.

Pour the mixture into a shallow pan orbowl and place in the refrigerator to chillthoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, strain it througha fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract allthe liquid. Discard the sieve contents.Pour the mixture into an ice cream makerand process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. During thelast minute of processing, add thecrystallized ginger. Using a rubberspatula, transfer the ice cream to an

airtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

strawberry ice cream

For most of my elementary school–erasummers, I spent the weekdays with mymaternal grandparents, Faye and John.They owned Pengilly’s Saloon, a Cheers-y feeling little bar where Idaho’s lawyers,politicians, judges, and hooligans wouldgather at happy hour. On summermornings, I would go with mygrandparents to collect the night’searnings, make the bank deposit, and headto the grocery store. I will neverunderstand why we needed to go to thegrocery store every day, but I will alwaysremember my Grandpa’s little tradition:he and I would lose Grandma Faye in thedeli section and order ice cream. Every

day! Before lunch! I was the luckiest kidin the world. Grandpa always gotstrawberry on a wafer cone. The taste offresh strawberry ice cream will alwaysremind me of Grandpa John. It is one ofthose nostalgic flavors that almosteverybody loves—no matter what age.Use the freshest strawberries and thefreshest cream you can find for this classicAmerican treat.


1¼ cup crushed strawberries (see note), fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons sugar, divided


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk


NOTE

For perfect texture and ideal flavor, werecommend crushing the strawberries for thisrecipe. If you’re using fresh strawberries, rinse,hull, and slice them in half. If you’re using frozenberries, thaw them completely in your refrigeratorbefore use. To crush the berries, place them in aplastic storage bag and lay the bag flat on a hardsurface. Using the heel of your hand, press downfirmly on each berry to crush.

Place the strawberries in a small bowl.Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar andthe vanilla extract over the berries andtoss gently. Cover with plastic wrap andlet the berries macerate at roomtemperature for 30 minutes, then transfer

to the refrigerator to chill.

Put the cream, milk, salt, and remaining 1tablespoon sugar into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over mediumheat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved.Just before the mixture comes to a boil,remove from the heat. Pour the mixtureinto a shallow pan or bowl and place inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2hours.

When the mixture is cold, stir in theberries. Pour it into an ice cream makerand process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the ice

cream is firm, at least 4 hours.

make it balsamic strawberryice cream

You can turn almost any ice cream into amore complex dessert by adding a ribbonthrough it. The most popular instance ofthis at Molly Moon’s shops is ourbalsamic strawberry ice cream. When Iwas growing up, my mom made anamazing salad with baby spinach,strawberries, and a tangy balsamicvinaigrette. It was one of my favorites,and I really wanted to replicate the flavorsin an ice cream. We use organic honeybalsamic vinegar from the PacificNorthwest, but you can use any balsamicvinegar you would like!

balsamic reductionMAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

2 cups balsamic vinegar

⅔ cup sugar

Place a ceramic plate in the freezer tochill for testing the consistency of thereduction. Whisk the vinegar and sugartogether in a small, heavy-bottomed,nonreactive saucepan. Set over mediumheat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat tolow and let simmer until the mixture hasreduced by half or reaches 230°F on acandy thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Totest the consistency, spoon a couple ofdrops of reduction onto the chilled plateand hold the plate vertically. If the drops

run rapidly down the plate, the reductionis too thin and needs to cook more. If thedrops run slowly down the plate, thereduction is ready. Transfer the reductionto a shallow container and set aside. Coolto room temperature before use.

To assemble, make strawberry ice creamas instructed, but layer the room-temperature reduction into the processedice cream as you transfer it from the icecream maker to the container.

cherry chocolate chunk icecream

This is another one of my favorites!Cherry season is a brief one in the PacificNorthwest. Washington’s best cherriesgrow in Eastern Washington, specificallyin the Yakima Valley. We love the deepred color and sweet, juicy flesh of theBing cherries, but you should feel free toexperiment with other types that grow inyour neck of the woods. At the shops, wealways scramble to get the cherries pittedand into the ice cream as soon as possibleto retain that fresh cherry flavor. Wesuggest inviting some friends over for apitting party and then rewarding their hard

work with a scoop of Cherry ChocolateChunk Ice Cream!


2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup whole milk

1 cup sugar



1¼ cups pitted and coarsely chopped cherries

1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (about 6 ounces)

Put the cream, milk, sugar, and salt into asmall, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cookover medium heat, whisking occasionally,until the sugar is dissolved. Just before themixture comes to a boil, remove from the

heat and add the cherries. Pour the mixtureinto a shallow pan or bowl and place inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2hours.

When the mixture is cold, stir in thevanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker andprocess according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. During the last minute ofprocessing, add the chocolate. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

ice cream sandwiches

The Earl of Sandwich was on tosomething when he slapped that breadaround a hunk of meat oh so long ago.What better way to enjoy a scoop of icecream than squished between two tastycookies? Ice cream sandwiches aresimple to make on your own, but youshould follow these tips for Molly Moon–caliber treats:

• Choose the right cookie: A good icecream sandwich needs a foolproofcookie. For easy handling andmunching, we suggest a more flat thandomed style of cookie. To achieve this,you can halve the quantity of bakingsoda and baking powder in yourfavorite cookie recipe. Using cookie

dough that is at room temperature,rather than frozen or straight out of therefrigerator, will also make for a flattercookie. Also, a greased sheet pan willhelp the cookie dough spread whilebaking.

• Underbake to perfection: For a perfectice cream sandwich, it is imperative tounderbake your cookie ever so slightly.Keeping the cookie on the chewier sideof things ensures texture perfection afterthe whole shebang has set up in thefreezer for a couple of hours.

• Keep your cookies cold: After you havebaked and cooled your cookies, getthem into a heavy-duty plastic bag andinto the freezer for at least an hour. Thiswill help keep the ice cream from

melting prematurely when you assembleyour sandies.

• Do your wrists a favor: When the timehas come to put that scoop of ice creambetween your lovely frozen cookies,help yourself out by using ice creamthat either (1) you have just recentlymade and is setting up in the freezer, or(2) has been in the refrigeratorsoftening for 20 to 30 minutes. Not onlywill the ice cream be easier to scoop, itwill conform to the desired shape muchmore readily.

gingerbread andcinnamon ice cream sandwiches

MAKES 10 TO 12 ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

1½ cups all-purpose flour½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon kosher salt2 teaspoons ground ginger1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground allspice¼ teaspoon ground cloves½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened¼ cup granulated sugar¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

¼ cup molasses2 large egg yolks½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

(optional)1 batch Cinnamon Ice Cream (this page),

made fresh and almost set, or softenedin the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes

Now that you know the tricks of makingice cream sandwiches, here is one of ourfavorite recipes for you to try.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 bakingsheets with parchment paper and set aside.In a small bowl, whisk together the flour,baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon,allspice, and cloves. Set aside. In anotherbowl, cream the butter, sugars, and

molasses until light and fluffy. Beat in theegg yolks one at a time, scraping down thesides of the bowl after each addition. Beatuntil smooth. Carefully fold the flourmixture and the crystallized ginger into thebutter mixture. Cover with plastic wrapand let the dough sit at room temperaturefor 30 minutes.

Pinch off pieces of dough and roll intoballs about 1 inch in diameter. Evenlyspace the dough balls on the preparedcookie sheets. Cover the dough balls onone baking sheet with a piece ofparchment paper or a silicone baking mat(slick side down). Using another cookiesheet or a cutting board, gently pressdown on the dough balls to slightly flattenthem and create small disks. Carefully

remove the parchment paper or siliconemat and repeat with the remaining doughballs on the other baking sheet. Bake for 4to 5 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet, andbake until the cookies’ surface appearsslightly puffed but the edges have notbrowned at all, 2 to 3 minutes more.Remove from the oven and coolcompletely on the baking sheets. Whencompletely cooled, transfer the cookies toa heavy plastic bag and place in thefreezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.

To assemble the sandwiches, arrange halfof the frozen cookies on a cookie sheet,top side down. Using a round scoop, disha 2- or 3-ounce scoop (¼ to ⅓ cup) ofsoftened cinnamon ice cream onto eachcookie. Working quickly, top each scoop

with another cookie, top side up, andpress down gently. Immediately place inthe freezer and allow the ice creamsandwiches to set for 2 hours beforeeating. Ice cream sandwiches can bestored in an airtight container or securelywrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer forup to 2 weeks.

blackberry sage ice cream

Blackberry bushes are perhaps the mostprofuse plant in the Pacific Northwest,which makes a blackberry ice cream anabsolute necessity in our shops. I get alittle tired of blackberry fever—that timeeach August when every restaurant menuand farmers’ market has blackberry items—so I decided to punch up our blackberryoffering with an herbaceous twist. I lovethis flavor combination alongside a sliceof pound cake.


3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

1½ cups sugar, divided

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2lemons)

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

10 fresh sage leaves, finely minced (about 1½tablespoons)


Put the blackberries, 1 cup of the sugar,and the lemon juice into a small,nonreactive saucepan. Place over mediumheat and cook, stirring occasionally, untilthick, 10 to 13 minutes. Divide theblackberry mixture in half by pouring itinto two separate bowls. Strain one half ofthe blackberries through a fine mesh sieve.Discard the sieve contents. Pour thestrained blackberries into a shallow pan

or bowl and combine with the unstrainedblackberries. Place in the refrigerator tochill completely 45 minutes to 1 hour.

While the blackberries are cooling, put thecream, milk, remaining ½ cup sugar, andsage into another small saucepan with alid and cook over medium heat,uncovered, whisking to dissolve the sugar.Bring the cream mixture just to a boil andthen remove from the heat. Cover and letsteep for 20 minutes at room temperature.Pour the cream mixture into a shallow panor bowl and place in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the blackberries and the creammixture are both thoroughly chilled, whiskthem together in a large bowl, then add the

vanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker andprocess according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the ice cream to an airtight glassor plastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the ice cream is firm, atleast 4 hours.

make a shake!

Making a milkshake out of your homemadeor store-bought ice cream is super easy.Simply put three large scoops (about 5ounces each) of ice cream into yourblender, and pour milk over the top until itreaches half the height of the ice cream.Blend until thoroughly combined. Serveimmediately! Fun fact: A traditional old-fashioned chocolate milkshake is actuallymade with three scoops of vanilla icecream, hot fudge or cold chocolate sauce,and milk—not with chocolate ice cream.Use as much hot fudge or chocolate sauceas you like to make your shake aschocolately as you prefer.

peach sorbet

We love our local fruit purveyor,Remlinger Farms. They grow tastystrawberries, raspberries, peaches, andapples. Their peaches are bursting withtangy peach flavor, but this year, we werefeeling like the peach sorbet needed alittle more intense peach flavor and aslightly smoother texture, so we found afun secret ingredient: peach schnapps!Don’t worry—you won’t get tipsy.(Unless you sip from the bottle while youwork!)


2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2 large or 3 small peaches, peeled, pitted, and quartered


1 tablespoon peach schnapps or peach-flavored liqueur

Combine the sugar and water in a small,stainless steel pot. Cook over mediumheat, whisking occasionally, until thesugar has dissolved. Remove from theheat and set aside. Meanwhile, put thepeaches in a blender with the lemon juiceand purée thoroughly, 30 to 45 seconds.Pour the peach purée into a large bowland whisk in the reserved sugar syrup.Transfer to a shallow pan or bowl andplace in the refrigerator to chillcompletely, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is thoroughly chilled,

whisk in the schnapps. Pour the mixtureinto an ice cream maker and processaccording to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the sorbet to an airtight glass orplastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the sorbet is firm, at least4 hours.

raspberry mint sorbet

The first time I tasted fresh mint with ripesummer fruit, I just about died from flavorexplosion happiness. It is one of my veryfavorite parts of summer, and the mostcommon breakfast in our house in July andAugust. Raspberry mint sorbet is a littletaste of summer that can easily be madeyear-round with frozen raspberries andgreenhouse mint. I try to pick twice asmany berries as I think I’ll ever need, thenfreeze half, so I can get this summer tasteduring the January doldrums!


1 cup water

2 cups sugar

½ cup finely chopped spearmint leaves, divided

3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (if using frozen, makesure they are completely thawed before using)

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2lemons)

Put the water, sugar, and all but 2tablespoons of the mint into a small,heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid. Cookover medium heat, whisking occasionally,until the sugar is dissolved. Before themixture comes to a boil, remove from theheat. Cover and let the mixture steep for30 minutes at room temperature. Pour themint syrup into a shallow bowl andrefrigerate until completely chilled, about1 hour.

Meanwhile, thoroughly purée theraspberries with the lemon juice in ablender, 30 to 45 seconds. Evenly dividethe purée between two bowls. Strain onehalf of the purée through a fine meshsieve. Discard the sieve contents.Combine the strained and unstrainedpurées and place in the refrigerator tochill.

When the mint syrup is thoroughly chilled,strain it through a fine mesh sieve.Discard the sieve contents. In a mediumbowl, combine the strained mint syrup andthe raspberry purée.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream makerand process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Sprinkle the

reserved 2 tablespoons mint leaves intothe machine during the last minute ofprocessing. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the sorbet to an airtight glass orplastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the sorbet is firm, at least4 hours.

tomato basil sorbet

A ripe tomato in season is truly a beautifulthing. This recipe works well with alltomatoes, but our favorites are organicheirloom varieties from Billy’s Gardensin Tonasket, Washington—they are trulythe best. We like to keep the skins on formore texture and flavor, but if you like asmoother consistency, strain the tomatoand lemon juice mixture after blending itand before combining with the basil syrup.


2 cups sugar

1 cup water

¼ cup finely chopped basil leaves

4 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered


Put the sugar, water, and basil into asmall, nonreactive saucepan with a lid.Over medium heat, bring the mixture justto a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar.Remove from the heat, cover, and let steepfor 30 minutes at room temperature.

Put the tomatoes and lemon juice into ablender and purée thoroughly, 30 to 45seconds. Pour the tomato purée into alarge bowl and whisk in the chilled basilsyrup. Pour the mixture into a shallow panor bowl and place in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into an

ice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

cucumber mint sorbet

This sorbet is a favorite of Christina’s.S he loves cucumbers! And what betterway to eat your vegetables than in arefreshing sorbet? Cucumbers do verywell in Eastern Washington, where it ishot and dry in the summer months. We useorganic cucumbers from Inaba Farms inWapato, Washington, and fromTonnemaker Family Orchard in RoyalCity, Washington. We like to use the basicgarden cucumber because that bright greenskin makes a beautiful emerald-coloredsorbet. Try to avoid using cucumbers thathave a waxed skin, and if the green colorisn’t appetizing to you, peel your cukes fora different look.


1 cup water

1¾ cups sugar

2 cups cucumber juice (from about 2 mediumcucumbers; see note), chilled


¼ cup finely chopped spearmint leaves

NOTE

If you don’t have access to a juicer, you canthoroughly purée 3 or 4 coarsely choppedcucumbers in a blender and strain through a finemesh sieve to yield 2 cups liquid. Discard thesieve contents.

Put the water and sugar into a small,heavy-bottomed saucepan. Over mediumheat, bring just to a boil, whisking to

dissolve the sugar. Pour the syrup into ashallow pan or bowl and refrigerate untilchilled thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the sugar syrup is cold, whisk in thecucumber and lemon juices. Pour themixture into an ice cream maker andprocess according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. During the last minute ofprocessing, add the mint. Using a rubberspatula, transfer the sorbet to an airtightglass or plastic freezer container. Covertightly and freeze until the sorbet is firm,at least 4 hours.

watermelon sorbet

We have made cantaloupe mint sorbet afew times, but last year we triedwatermelon sorbet, and this melon flavorknocked it out of the park! Create ahomemade Bellini by pouring a bit ofchampagne or sparkling wine over a mini-scoop of this sorbet.


2 cups sugar

1½ cups water

1½ pounds seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch chunks


Put the sugar and water into a small,

heavy-bottomed saucepan. Over mediumheat, bring just to a boil, whisking todissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture into ashallow pan or bowl and place in therefrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2hours.

Meanwhile, purée the watermelonthoroughly in a blender. Place in therefrigerator until completely chilled, about1 hour.

When the sugar syrup is cold, whisk in thelemon juice and the watermelon purée.Pour the mixture into an ice cream makerand process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.

Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

turn anything into amollypop!

When you make a list of fun things to dowith homemade ice creams and sorbets,don’t forget frozen pops (or MollyPops,as we call them)—the stuff of sweetchildhood memories! Any of our recipescan be poured into frozen pop (or ice pop)molds, instead of going into the ice creammaker, to create sweet treats on sticks. Welove any sorbet turned into a pop, as wellas chocolate ice cream for fudge-pops. Ifyou want to get really fancy, make twokinds of sorbet and layer them, or layer asorbet and a vanilla ice cream for theCreamsicle effect.

cold chocolate sauce

Made with cocoa powder and melted darkchocolate, this sauce is super chocolatybut quite a bit less rich than our hot fudge—and more satisfying on a warm day.Serve it at room temperature or chilled.For a thinner, more syrupy kind of sauce,increase the water by ½ cup.


½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1½ cups water

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup Corn Syrup Substitute (this page)

8 ounces 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped (about 1cup)



Put the cocoa powder into a medium bowland set aside. Put the water, sugar, andcorn syrup substitute into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boilover medium heat, whisking to dissolvethe sugar. Add ½ cup of the hot syrup tothe cocoa and whisk to make a completelysmooth paste. Add the remaining syrup tothe paste and whisk until smooth. Add thechocolate and salt and whisk until all thechocolate is melted. Whisk in the vanillaextract. Let the sauce cool at roomtemperature and store in an airtightcontainer in the refrigerator for up to threeweeks.

raspberry coulis

“Coulis” is just a fancy word for a smoothsauce, and a simple raspberry coulismakes a great topping. Be sure to useraspberries when they are in season inyour neck of the woods. If you can’t findraspberries, you can substitute otherberries like blackberries or strawberries.Frozen raspberries will do the trick in apinch, but make sure they are completelythawed before using, and be aware thatyou may have to adjust the sugar to taste.


2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (if using frozen,completely thawed)

¾ cup sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Put all the ingredients into a blender.Purée thoroughly, 30 to 45 seconds. Strainthe purée through a fine mesh sieve.Discard the sieve contents. Serve cold.The coulis will keep, refrigerated, for upto 1 week.

butterscotch sauce

Butterscotch sauce is a simple summerclassic that’s just too good! Use qualityscotch in this recipe if you can, becauseits flavor plays a big role in the end.Something aged in oak for around 12 yearswould be ideal, like Singleton ofGlendullan. Pair your butterscotch saucewith a scoop of Cappuccino or VanillaBean ice creams.

MAKES 2½ CUPS

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1¾ cups heavy cream

1½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons single-malt scotch

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan,melt the butter over medium-low heat.When the butter has melted, stir in thebrown sugar using a wooden spoon.Continue cooking and stirring until thesugar does not appear grainy but looksthick and smooth, 8 to 10 minutes.Remove from the heat. Slowly andcarefully whisk in the cream. Return tomedium-low heat and let simmer foranother 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.Remove from the heat and whisk in thesalt.

Transfer the mixture to a large glass ormetal bowl and let cool at room

temperature for 30 minutes. Whisk in thevanilla and scotch. The butterscotch saucecan be served warm or at roomtemperature and will keep in an airtightcontainer in the refrigerator for about onemonth.

grilled stone fruit

As a kid from Idaho, I was always taughtto get as much use out of a fire as youcould. In honor of frontier-styleresourcefulness, use the hot coals left overfrom your summer barbecue to grill up afew peaches, plums, or pluots, and pairthem with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.Simply delicious!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

4 not-so-ripe stone fruits, cut into thick slices or justhalved

Olive oil

Honey

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (this page)

Brush the fruit slices or halves with a lightcoating of olive oil. Place the fruit on thegrill, cut side down. Grill until thesurfaces have nice grill marks, about 5minutes. Turn the fruit over, drizzle withhoney, and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes.Serve in individual dishes topped with ascoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

crispy nut cobbler-top crumble

Not feeling like baking a pie to go withyour ice cream? No problem—we’ve gotyou covered with this tasty topping. Turnyour favorite flavor of ice cream or sorbetinto an à la mode treat by sprinkling thiscrumble over the top, or add it and adollop of fruit compote for the ultimatedeconstructed pie and ice cream dessert.


1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup almonds, pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts (optional)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into smallpieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a bakingsheet with parchment paper or a siliconebaking mat. In a medium bowl, combinethe flour, sugars, salt, and nuts. Add thebutter and work it into the dry ingredientswith your hands. The mixture should beclumpy, but with the butter pieces mostlyincorporated. Distribute the crumblepieces evenly on the baking sheet. Bakefor about 20 minutes, tossing and stirringevery 6 or 7 minutes to prevent burning,until golden brown and evenly toasted.Remove from the oven and let cool.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Thecrumble can be stored in an airtight

container at room temperature for about 2weeks.

corn syrup substitute

This syrup will work as a substitute inmost recipes that call for corn syrup. (Theexception is certain kinds of candymaking. Although this syrup is practicallyidentical to corn syrup in texture and taste,it does not have the same molecularstructure, so it may not be appropriate touse in some more advanced candy-makingrecipes.) Be sure to have all theequipment you need for this recipe readyto go. After you have started to cook thesugar, you won’t have time to be searchingfor anything.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

1¾ cups water

4 cups sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon salt

Have a shallow stainless steel ortempered glass container at the ready forthe cooked syrup. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan fitted with a candythermometer, add all the ingredients inorder: first the water, then the sugar, thecream of tartar, and the salt. Bring to aboil over high heat and do not stir. Whilethe sugar is cooking, use a pastry brushdipped in water to carefully brush off anddiscard any crystallized sugar that formson the sides of the pot. Cook the mixtureuntil it reaches 234°F on a candythermometer, just prior to the soft-ball

stage (see note).

Working quickly and carefully, removefrom the heat and pour the hot liquid intothe shallow container. Let cool to roomtemperature. Once cool, cover securelywith plastic wrap, or pour it into a clean,odor-free plastic container with an airtightlid. Stored in a cool, dry place, this cornsyrup substitute will keep for up to a year.

NOTE

The sugar should be cooked to 235°F.Because hot sugar has a tendency tocontinue cooking after it has beenremoved from the heat source, removingit from the heat at 234°F helps ensurethat it does not overcook.

pumpkin clove ice creamcinnamon ice creammaple walnut ice creambaracky road ice creamcheese ice creamfig ice creampear sorbetcranberry sorbet

spiced cider sorbetapple pie toppingpepita brittlevanilla bean caramelcandied hazelnuts

pumpkin clove ice cream

We get organic pumpkin purée fromsouthern Oregon just before Halloweenand keep this popular fall flavor on themenu through Thanksgiving. Make (orbuy) a graham cracker crust, then fill itwith this favorite for a homemade icecream pumpkin pie. Drizzle the top withhot fudge, and you’ll be the most popularperson at the potluck!


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar


½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves


¾ cup pumpkin purée


Put the cream, milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon,cloves, and nutmeg into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook, uncovered,over medium-low heat, whiskingoccasionally to dissolve the sugar. Justbefore the mixture comes to a boil,remove from the heat. Pour the mixtureinto a shallow pan or bowl and whisk inthe pumpkin purée. Place the mixture inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2hours.

When the mixture is cold, stir in thevanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker andprocess according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the ice cream to an airtight glassor plastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the ice cream is firm, atleast 4 hours.

cinnamon ice cream

Different kinds of cinnamon pack verydifferent punches. For our cinnamon icecream, we use an organic version of youreveryday cinnamon, but there are other,more pungent types of cinnamon if youwant to experiment and find which kindyou like best (see note). Our cinnamon icecream is a huge seller around the holidaysand pairs well with almost every pie youcan think of.


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar


2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (see note)

NOTE

If you are looking to play around with differenttypes of cinnamon, we recommend heading toWorld Spice Merchants at www.worldspice.com.Physically located near the Pike Place Market inSeattle, they are a favorite among home cooksand professionals alike. If you want to substituteVietnamese or Chinese cinnamon, which are muchmore rich, sweet, and strong than conventionalcinnamon, we recommend using only 1¾teaspoons in this recipe.

Put all the ingredients into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over mediumheat, whisking occasionally to dissolvethe sugar and incorporate the cinnamon.

Just before the mixture comes to a boil,remove from the heat. Pour the mixtureinto a shallow pan or bowl and place inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

maple walnut ice cream

Maple walnut ice cream is a very oldflavor that both Americans and Canadiansclaim as their own. This classic treat issure to trigger nostalgia for anyone at yourdinner table who is old enough toremember having a Victory Garden.


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar


1 cup dark amber (grade A) maple syrup, chilled


1 teaspoon maple extract

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine all the ingredients except thewalnuts in a large bowl. Whisk until thesugar is completely dissolved. Pour it intoan ice cream maker and process accordingto the manufacturer’s instructions. Duringthe last few minutes of processing, add thewalnuts. Using a rubber spatula, transferthe ice cream to an airtight glass or plasticfreezer container. Cover tightly and freezeuntil the ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours.

baracky road ice cream

During the 2008 presidential electionseason, we had a little fun with seriousmatters and came up with a local hazelnut-based version of a classic. It was a sell-out flavor on November 4th! Hazelnutsgrow well in Washington State, and weget ours from Holmquist HazelnutOrchards in Lynden, Washington. Buymarshmallows or make your own tocomplete this traditional favorite.


11 ounces 70% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (about1⅓ cups), divided

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar



¾ cup blanched, skinned, coarsely chopped hazelnuts

1 cup miniature marshmallows (see this page)

Place 7 ounces (about 1 cup) of thechocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.Put the cream, milk, sugar, and salt into asmall heavy-bottomed saucepan and cookuncovered, over medium heat, whiskingoccasionally to dissolve the sugar. Justbefore the mixture comes to a boil,remove from the heat. Pour the hot mixtureover the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutesat room temperature. Whisk until the hotcream and chocolate are completely

combined. Pour the mixture into a shallowpan or bowl and place in the refrigeratorto chill completely, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thevanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker andprocess according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. During the last minute ofprocessing, add the hazelnuts, theremaining 4 ounces of chocolate, and themarshmallows. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the ice cream to an airtight glassor plastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the ice cream is firm, atleast 4 hours.

homemade marshmallows

MAKES 5 TO 6 CUPS

1½ cups sugar

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Corn Syrup Substitute (thispage)


1 cup cold water, divided

2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin


Confectioners’ sugar, sifted, for dredging and coating

Line a 9- by 13-inch pan, jelly roll pan, orcookie sheet with shallow sides withparchment paper, allowing the paper tohang over the sides. Coat the parchmentwith a thin layer of vegetable oil or butter.

Set aside.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepanfitted with a candy thermometer, combinethe sugar, corn syrup substitute, salt, and½ cup of the water and bring to a boilover medium heat. While the sugar syrupis cooking, pour the remaining ½ cup coldwater into the bowl of a stand mixer fittedwith the whip attachment. Sprinkle thegelatin on top of the water to soften.

When the sugar syrup reaches 240°F onthe candy thermometer, remove from theheat. With the whip running on a lowspeed, slowly pour the sugar syrup downthe side of the bowl into the gelatin water,gradually increasing the mixer speed untilall of the sugar syrup is combined. On

high speed, whip the mixture until thickand slightly cooled, 10 to 15 minutes. Addthe vanilla and whip for 1 more minute.Remove the bowl from the mixer. If youwant to make fluff topping, there you haveit! Use immediately or store in a cool, dryplace for up to 4 days.

To continue and make marshmallows,pour the fluff into the prepared pan anduse a rubber spatula or offset spatula tosmooth it out evenly. Sprinkle the entiresurface with sifted confectioners’ sugarand cover the pan with plastic wrap. Letthe marshmallows set up in a cool, dryplace for at least 5 hours or overnight.When the marshmallows are set, sprinklesifted confectioners’ sugar liberally onto aflat work surface. Carefully invert the

marshmallows out of the pan onto a worksurface and remove the parchment paper.Sprinkle more sifted confectioners’ sugaron top of the marshmallows. Using a knifecoated in confectioners’ sugar, evenly cutthe marshmallows into ½-inch cubes,dredging the knife in confectioners’ sugarbefore each cut. Place each marshmallowin a bowl with 1 cup of siftedconfectioners’ sugar and toss to coatevenly. Use immediately in Baracky RoadIce Cream or store in an airtight containerin a cool, dry place for up to 4 days.

cheese ice cream

This recipe is a fun one. Use Danishfontina cheese and pair with a figmostarda to impress your foodie friends.Or for a campier version, use a mediumcheddar instead, and top a slice of applepie with it. Both are delicious but willgive you extremely different results. Anddon’t skip the beer: the scant bit ofalcohol really helps soften the texturestraight out of the freezer.


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

2 ounces (¼ cup) mascarpone cheese, at roomtemperature

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) cream cheese, at roomtemperature

3 ounces (about 1½ cups) finely grated Danish fontina ormedium Cheddar cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons lager-style beer, like Pilsner or Bock

Put the cream, milk, sugar, salt,mascarpone, and cream cheese into asmall, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Overmedium-high heat, bring to a simmer,whisking constantly to dissolve the sugarand the cheeses. When the mixture hasreached a gentle simmer, remove from theheat and whisk in the fontina. Continuewhisking to melt the cheese and

incorporate it, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain themixture through a fine mesh sieve. Discardthe sieve contents. Pour into a shallow panor bowl and place in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thebeer. Pour the mixture into an ice creammaker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

fig ice cream

Surprisingly enough, there are a handful offig varieties that love the cool, wet PacificNorthwest climate. Black Mission figsfrom California are also readily available,and figs also grow well in Arkansas,Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, and SouthCarolina. Regardless of the type youchoose, make sure your figs are ripe andthat they taste sweet on their own beforeusing them in this recipe. Try a scoop withsome blue cheese crumbles and a drizzleof honey.


12 ounces black figs (10 to 13 small), stems trimmed,quartered

½ cup plus ⅓ cup sugar, divided

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk



Put the figs and ⅓ cup of the sugar into asmall, nonreactive saucepan and cookover medium-low heat, stirringoccasionally, to break down the figs to ajam-like consistency, about 10 minutes.Transfer the figs to a large bowl and placein the refrigerator to chill.

In another small saucepan, combine thecream, milk, remaining ½ cup sugar, andsalt. Cook over medium heat, whiskingconstantly until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour the mixture into a shallow pan orbowl and place in the refrigerator to chillthoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When both the fig and dairy mixtures arecold, combine them and whisk in thevanilla. Pour the mixture into an ice creammaker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

the joy of pie and icecream

What’s a piece of pie without a scoop ofice cream? Really only half the fun, wesay! Try one of our suggestions for pie andice cream pairings to make your nextholiday twice as tasty!

• Apple Pie and Cheese Ice Cream• Cherry Pie and Meyer Lemon Ice Cream• Chocolate Silk Pie and Salted Caramel

Ice Cream• Pecan Pie and Maple Walnut Ice Cream• Peach Pie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream• Pumpkin Pie and Ginger Ice Cream

• Lemon Meringue Pie and HoneyLavender Ice Cream

• Banana Cream Pie and MeltedChocolate Ice Cream

• Summer Berry Pie and Lemon VerbenaIce Cream

• Chocolate Hazelnut Pie and CappuccinoIce Cream

pear sorbet

Another one of Christina’s favoritesorbets! We like to use organic Bartlettpears from Oregon, because they are extrasweet, juicy, and soft when ripe. Theyalso have thin and flavorful skin that addscolor and texture to the final product. Ifyou would prefer a smoother texture,strain the liquid through a fine mesh sievebefore pouring it into your ice creammachine. Find a pear local to your areathat you love on its own. Try a scoop ofpear sorbet paired with a drizzle of PortReduction (this page).


1½ cups sugar

1 cup water

3 ripe Bartlett pears, cored and quartered


Combine the sugar and water in a small,heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook overmedium heat, whisking occasionally, untilthe sugar is dissolved. Before the mixturecomes to a boil, remove from the heat.Pour the mixture into a shallow pan orbowl and place in the refrigerator to chillcompletely, 1 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, in ablender, thoroughly purée the pears andlemon juice, 30 to 45 seconds. Place inthe refrigerator to chill.

When the sugar syrup is cold, whisk in thepear purée. Pour the mixture into an ice

cream maker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

cranberry sorbet

Cranberries don’t grow just anywhere, butlucky for us, the cold and wet of thePacific Northwest is just perfect for them.I love this sorbet after any meal in late falland winter. It makes a random Tuesdaynight feel like a holiday! Try drizzling abit of hot fudge or cold chocolate sauceover a scoop for the ultimate flavorexplosion.


1¾ cups sugar

1 cup water

2½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries


Combine the sugar, water, and cranberriesin a small, nonreactive saucepan andcook, uncovered, over medium high heat,whisking to dissolve the sugar. When themixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat tomedium and simmer until the cranberryskins rupture, about 5 minutes. Removefrom the heat. Carefully pour the hotmixture into a blender and puréethoroughly, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour themixture into a shallow pan or bowl andrefrigerate until completely chilled, 1 to 2hours.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thelemon juice. Pour it into an ice creammaker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to an

airtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

spiced cider sorbet

For this recipe, any cider will do. Weonce used a pint of apple-pear cider fromthe Columbia Gorge here in Washington,and it turned out to be our best batch. Findout what ciders your local orchards aremaking and try this recipe for a fresh fallflavor. Pair a scoop of this sorbet with ascoop of Salted Caramel Ice Cream for atwist on a caramel apple treat!


2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups apple cider or juice


Combine the sugar, water, and cinnamonin a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.Over medium heat, bring just to a boil,whisking to dissolve the sugar. Pour themixture into a large, shallow pan or bowl.Whisk in the apple cider and lemon juice.Place in the refrigerator to chillthoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

apple pie topping

This recipe is a favorite among MollyMoon’s employees, especially whenpaired with apple compote atop CinnamonIce Cream. We put that combo on themenu, called it the “Just Like Apple PieSundae,” and scoopers and customerscouldn’t get enough.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into smallpieces

¼ cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a bakingsheet with parchment paper or a siliconebaking mat and set aside. Add the flour,salt, and sugar to the bowl of a foodprocessor fitted with the blade attachment.Pulse briefly just to combine. Add thebutter and pulse again briefly. The buttershould still be in very small chunks, butevenly dispersed throughout the dryingredients. Next, while pulsing, sprinklein the water; the mixture will appearlumpy and be slightly sticky to the touch.

Spread the mixture evenly onto the bakingsheet. Bake until light golden brown, 15 to20 minutes, rotating the baking sheethalfway through the process. Serve warmor at room temperature. Store in an airtightcontainer in the refrigerator for up to 2

weeks.

pepita brittle

This brittle is my favorite of all kinds ofbrittle—and there are so many! I loved thetaste of roasted pumpkin seeds from theHalloween pumpkin as a kid, and now wemake this more adult pumpkin seedconcoction to pair with fall sundaes. Ajagged piece of this brittle makes asophisticated accessory to a scoop ofalmost anything!

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1 cup pumpkin seeds

Large pinch of kosher salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup water

⅛ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a small bowl, toss together the pumpkinseeds, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.Line a baking sheet with a silicone bakingmat or a piece of greased parchment paperand set aside.

Put the sugar, butter, water, and lemonjuice into a medium, heavy-bottomedsaucepan. Begin cooking over high heat,stirring just once or twice before themixture comes to a boil. Let boil until thesugar begins to turn a medium ambercolor, at least 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and quickly but

carefully stir in the pumpkin seed mixturewith a wooden or metal spoon. Usecaution here, as the pumpkin seeds willpop and crackle slightly. Acting swiftly soas not to let the brittle cool in the pot, pourthe contents out onto the baking sheet.While the brittle is still hot, flatten itslightly using the back of a spoon: or aspatula sprayed with vegetable oil. Let thebrittle cool completely at roomtemperature before handling. Whencompletely cooled, break into bite-sizepieces. Store in an airtight container forup to 1 week.

vanilla bean caramel

This is a staple topping in the shops andhas been since opening day. Served warmor cold, atop vanilla or chocolate, thisrecipe is one to master. Please note thatmaking caramel is serious business, and itis imperative to pay the utmost attention atall times.


2 cups sugar

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

1¼ cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise


NOTE

Using a candy thermometer for this recipe is amust.

Put the sugar into a small, heavy-bottomedsaucepan. Over medium-high heat, slowlymelt and caramelize the sugar, stirringoccasionally with a wooden spoon, until ithas completely dissolved and turned agolden amber color and reaches 330°F ona candy thermometer (see note), 12 to 15minutes. Using a whisk, carefully mix inthe butter. When the butter is melted andcombined, remove the caramel from theheat and very gradually whisk in thecream. Be careful: the caramel willbubble up and steam significantly. Whenall the cream is incorporated, scrape the

vanilla beans out of the vanilla pod andinto the caramel, using a spoon or the backof a knife. Thoroughly whisk the beansinto the caramel. Serve warm or at roomtemperature. Store in an airtight containerin the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

candied hazelnuts

This recipe is very versatile—you can useit to candy any kind of nut you like. Welike to use hazelnuts, because they grow inthe Pacific Northwest. Nuts are full ofhealthy fat, so be sure to keep a close eyeon them while they are in the oven—theycan burn easily.

MAKES 4 CUPS

4 cups hazelnuts, skins removed

¼ cup boiling hot water

1 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking

sheet with a silicone mat or greasedparchment paper and set aside. Whisk ½cup of the sugar into the hot water until thesugar is mostly dissolved. Put thehazelnuts into a large bowl and drizzle thesugar syrup over the top. Toss gently tocoat. Using your hands or a slotted spoon,transfer the coated hazelnuts to anotherlarge bowl, leaving any leftover sugarsyrup in the bottom of the first bowl.Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup sugar andthe salt over the wet hazelnuts and toss tocoat. Pour the nuts onto the preparedbaking sheet and bake, tossingoccasionally, until golden, about 20minutes.

Remove the nuts from the oven and letcool completely on the baking sheet

before handling. Once cooled, break upthe nut clusters and store in an airtightcontainer in a dry place for up to 3 weeks.

cardamom ice creammeyer lemon ice creammaple bacon ice creammexican chocolate ice creamolive oil and toasted pine nut icecreamchocolate coconut milk ice creamkiwi sorbet

meyer lemon sorbetmulled wine sorbetblood orange sorbetspiked whipped creamspiced honeydeep, dark hot fudgeblood orange marmaladeport reduction

cardamom ice cream

There is something about this spice thatmakes the texture of the ice cream justperfect. This is a flavor I first experiencedat the Big Dipper in Missoula, Montana.We used to make gallons and gallons foran Indian restaurant on our block. It’s nowa winter staple at Molly Moon’s.


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar


1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Put all the ingredients into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid and cook,uncovered, over medium heat, whiskingoccasionally to dissolve the sugar. Justbefore the mixture comes to a boil,remove from the heat. Cover and let themixture steep at room temperature for 20minutes. Pour the mixture into a shallowpan or bowl and place in the refrigeratorto chill completely, 1 to 2 hours.


best winter breakfast ever!

Ice cream is good on just about anything,but it is a particularly fun incentive forgetting little ones to eat oatmeal on chillywinter mornings. You’re already addingmilk and sugar, so why not let the kiddoshave what they really want for breakfast?Ice cream! At Molly Moon’s, every yearon the first Saturday in February wecelebrate International Eat Ice Cream forBreakfast Day with oatmeal, ice cream,and an organic toppings bar that astoundsour guests. Invite the neighbors over, andmake a tradition of this fun holiday in yourhome!

meyer lemon ice cream

This is another one of my favorites! Meyerlemons taste like a cross between amandarin orange and a lemon. The scentand flavor are unique, and they’re muchsweeter than a conventional lemons. Theyare available for only a few months out ofthe year, and unfortunately they don’t growin the Pacific Northwest. But luckily theLemon Ladies Orchard in Emerald Hills,in Northern California, has plenty. Toorder a box of your own, visitwww.lemonladies.com.


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar


4 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)

Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and saltin a small nonreactive saucepan with alid. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat,whisking occasionally to dissolve thesugar. Bring to a simmer then remove fromheat. Whisk in the lemon zest, cover, andlet steep for 30 minutes at roomtemperature. Divide the cooled mixture inhalf and strain one half through a finemesh sieve. Discard the sieve contents.Pour the strained mixture back into theunstrained mixture. Pour into a shallowpan or bowl and place in the refrigerator

to chill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.


maple bacon ice cream

Oh, bacon. Everything is better withbacon, and for some reason the culinaryworld has especially embraced that fact oflate. Our friends are serving up baconjam, bacon-glazed bacon, and even joiningthe Bacon of the Month Club! We get ourbacon from Seabreeze Farm on VashonIsland. They usually slaughter one of theirbig girls in January, and we reap thebenefits all winter long. Candying thebacon is the most important step in thisrecipe, and after you have tried a bite, youwill know why!


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup dark amber (grade A) maple syrup


1 teaspoon maple extract

1½ cups candied bacon pieces (recipe follows)

Put the cream, milk, sugar, salt, maplesyrup, vanilla, and maple extract into alarge bowl. Whisk until the sugar iscompletely dissolved. Pour the mixtureinto a shallow pan or bowl and place inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, about 1hour.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according to

the manufacturer’s instructions. During thelast few minutes of processing, add thebacon pieces. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the ice cream to an airtight glassor plastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the ice cream is firm, atleast 4 hours.

candied bacon

MAKES 1½ CUPS

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ pound (about 10 slices) thin cut bacon (see note)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the sugarsonto a large plate and combine with afork. Set aside. Arrange the bacon slicesflat on an ungreased baking sheet and bakeuntil almost completely cooked, 10 to 12minutes. Remove from the oven. Usingtongs and working with one slice at atime, transfer the bacon from the bakingsheet to a platter. Pour the rendered fatinto a glass container to cool. (When the

fat has cooled, you can either discard it orsave and use as a substitute for butter).

Place the bacon slices one by one in thesugar and coat both sides well. Arrangethe sugared bacon on a separate, cleanbaking sheet and return it to the oven untilthe bacon is completely cooked and thesugar has caramelized to a medium brownshade, about 8 minutes. Remove thebaking sheet from the oven and promptlytransfer the candied bacon slices onto awire rack or parchment paper to coolcompletely. Chop into bite-size pieces.

NOTE

For perfectly crisp candied bacon, we recommendusing thin slices. This will ensure crunchy, crispybites in your ice cream. Thick-sliced bacon will

yield chewier candied bacon, but the extra fatmay give your ice cream a greasy mouthfeel.

mexican chocolate ice cream

Every year around Valentine’s Day welike to spice things up a little with thisvariation of our favorite chocolate icecream. Take a delicious chocolate icecream recipe, add a dash of pungentVietnamese cinnamon, and there you haveit! If you can’t find Vietnamese cinnamon,Chinese cinnamon will also do the trick.Indonesian cinnamon (the kind usuallysold at the grocery store) is less spicy, butwill still bring a warm kick of flavor.


7 ounces 70% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1cup)

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar


1½ teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon


Place the chocolate in a medium bowl andset aside. Combine the cream, milk, sugar,salt, and cinnamon in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over mediumheat, whisking occasionally to dissolvethe sugar. When all of the sugar isdissolved and just before the mixturebegins to boil, remove the saucepan fromthe heat. Pour the hot mixture over thechocolate and let sit for 5 minutes at roomtemperature. Whisk until the hot cream and

chocolate are completely combined andno specks of chocolate remain. Place inthe refrigerator to chill thoroughly, about 1hour.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thevanilla. Pour the mixture into an ice creammaker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

make it spicy!

Add even more spice to our MexicanChocolate Ice Cream by incorporatingsome real heat with dried chili peppers.There are countless varieties andcombinations of chilies that could workfabulously in this recipe, but our favoritesare the chipotle and the Pasilla de Oaxaca.The smokiness of the chipotle and thefruitiness of the Pasilla de Oaxaca reallycomplement the sweet chocolate andcreamy dairy. The standard cautionapplies: wear protective gloves andthoroughly wash your hands after workingwith the chilies. For this recipe, wesuggest whisking in ¼ teaspoon of yourpreferred ground chili after all theingredients have been combined, thenslowly incorporating more, ¼ teaspoon at

a time, tasting as you go, until the mixturereaches your desired spiciness. Keep inmind that the ice cream will get spicier asit sets in the freezer.

olive oil and toasted pine nutice cream

When I was growing up in the veryforested state of Idaho, one of my favoriteelementary school field trips was visitingthe pinyon pine nut factory and eating thefresh little nuts right out of the shakencones. American pine nuts are now farmore rare (though they can still be foundwith a little investigation), but they are theperfect addition to the subtle nuttiness ofolive oil in this ice cream.


¾ cup pine nuts

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar


¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread thepine nuts onto a baking sheet and bake,stirring halfway through, until fragrant andgolden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Watchcarefully, as they will burn easily.Remove from the oven and set aside tocool completely.

Put the cream, milk, sugar, and salt into asmall, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cookover medium heat, whisking occasionallyto dissolve the sugar. Just before themixture comes to a boil, remove from theheat. Pour the mixture into a shallow pan

or bowl and place in the refrigerator untilthoroughly chilled, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Add theolive oil as soon as the churning begins.During the last minute of processing, addthe pine nuts. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the ice cream to an airtight glassor plastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the ice cream is firm, atleast 4 hours.

you put the lime in thecoconut!

We have many vegan and lactose-intolerant customers who are constantlyasking for nondairy ice cream alternatives.Although it is hard for us to feel goodabout using organic coconut milk when itcomes all the way across the PacificOcean from Thailand, we have, onoccasion, made a version that customers(vegan or not) swoon over. Here are someguidelines for using coconut milk to turnany recipe into a dairy-free dessert.

• You are just some simple math away:Almost every ice cream recipe in this

book can be adjusted to be coconutmilk–based. Just substitute coconut milkwherever a recipe calls for milk orcream. The freezing time will beslightly longer, because there is morewater in coconut milk than in the dairy,but your patience will be rewarded.

• Not all coconut is created equal. Creamof coconut, coconut water, and coconutmilk are all very different products, soread your label carefully. Somevarieties of coconut milk have sugaradded. We do not recommend usingsweetened coconut milk or substitutingany other coconut-like products forpure, unadulterated coconut milk.

• Coconut milk tastes like coconuts!Coconut milk is not the neutral base that

milk and cream can be, so be mindfulwhen using it in combination withcertain flavors. Just ask yourself,“Would this taste good with coconut?”

• Coconut milk spoils easily, so if youopen a can, be sure to use it within aday or two.

• Give the can a good shake before youopen it, as coconut milk tends toseparate. Just to be sure, werecommend pouring the milk into abowl, giving it all a good whisk, andthen measuring.

• Do not overheat or boil coconut milk. Ifit gets too hot, the coconut milk willappear curdled; this is a separation ofthe fat and water. Avoid this by cooking

slowly over very low heat andwhisking constantly.

chocolate coconut milk icecream

Now that you are fully prepared to worksuccessfully with coconut milk, give thisrecipe a shot! This is the non-dairyversion of our very popular MeltedChocolate Ice Cream (this page). Thechocoholics in your house will love it!


8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

3 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1½ cups sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

NOTE

If you have a blender, blending the hot coconutmilk and chocolate is ideal. If the two componentsare not thoroughly combined, the chocolateparticles will set as the mixture freezes in themachine, and the texture will be grainy.

Put the chocolate into a large bowl and setaside. Put the coconut milk and sugar intoa small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cookover low heat until hot, whiskingoccasionally to dissolve the sugar, but donot bring to a boil. Pour the hot coconutmilk over the chocolate and let sit for 4 to5 minutes. Whisk the mixture untilcompletely combined and no specks ofchocolate remain (see note). Pour themixture into a shallow pan or bowl andplace in the refrigerator to chill

thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thevanilla. Pour the mixture into an ice creammaker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the icecream is firm, at least 4 hours.

kiwi sorbet

It’s hard to believe that a fruit usuallyassociated with the tropics is somethingwe grow in the Northwest. And in thewinter, no less! At Molly Moon’s, we getour kiwis from Pacific Crest Farm onVashon Island. They have one huge kiwiplant that supplies our shops with all thatwe need to feature this sorbet on our menufor a couple of weeks every winter.


2½ cups water, divided

2 cups sugar

5 ripe kiwis


Combine 1½ cups water and sugar in amedium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Placeover medium heat and bring to a boil,whisking occasionally to dissolve thesugar. Pour the syrup into a shallow panor bowl and place in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

Remove the skin from the kiwi fruit byeither paring it off with a sharp knife orusing a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Cutthe kiwi flesh into chunks and purée in ablender with the remaining 1 cup waterand lemon juice until smooth. Place in therefrigerator to chill.

When the sugar syrup and kiwi purée areboth cold, whisk them together. Pour themixture into an ice cream maker and

process according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the sorbet to an airtight glass orplastic freezer container. Cover tightlyand freeze until the sorbet is firm, at least4 hours.

meyer lemon sorbet

Another great way to enjoy deliciousMeyer lemons! We love supporting theLemon Ladies Orchard and really like totake advantage of the rare and tasty citrusthey grow. If you can’t track down Meyerlemons, you can substitute regular lemonsin this recipe. This sorbet would befabulous used as a base for a lemon dropcocktail or as a palate-cleansingintermezzo in a coursed meal. I love itwith some candied ginger sprinkled ontop.


2 cups sugar

2½ cups water

3 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)

¾ cup Meyer lemon juice (from about 3 large lemons)

Combine the sugar, water, and lemon zestin a small, nonreactive saucepan. Overmedium heat, bring to a boil, whisking todissolve the sugar. Remove from the heatand pour the hot liquid into a shallow panor bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice. Placein the refrigerator to chill thoroughly, 1 to2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet is

firm, at least 4 hours.

mulled wine sorbet

Here in Washington we are lucky to havesome great grape-growing weather. Thebest batch I’ve made of this sorbet wasfrom a Zinfandel recommended by myfriend Matti, who is a super taster. Ibought a few bottles that he suggested, andone batch was just amazing! Since then,I’ve been referring to that special batch as“Matti’s Mulled Wine Sorbet,” but asthings can go in a kitchen full of activityand wine, I can’t, for the life of me,remember which bottle I used! Try yourfavorite Zinfandel, Cabernet, DemiBeaujolais, or Bordeaux and see whathappens. This is a fun treat for a dinnerparty of wine buffs—see who can guess

which wine was used!


1 whole vanilla bean

2 cups sugar

3 cups red wine

1 cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

1 orange, cut into six wedges


2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

½ teaspoon whole allspice berries, or ¼ teaspoon groundallspice

Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwiseand, with the back of your knife, scrapeout the seeds. Place both the seeds and the

scraped pod in a medium, stainless steelsaucepan with a lid. Add the remainingingredients. Over medium heat, bring themixture to a simmer, uncovered, whiskingoccasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reducethe heat to low and let gently simmer for 5minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, andlet steep for 30 minutes at roomtemperature. Strain the cooled mixturethrough a fine mesh sieve into a shallowbowl or pan. Discard the sieve contents.Place the mixture in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.

Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

blood orange sorbet

The first batch of blood orange sorbet Iever made was based on a recipe postedon Shauna Ahern’s blog,www.glutenfreegirl.com. It was anamazing, bright flavor to have kickingaround my mouth in cold, wet January.This recipe is a bit simpler, but will stillbe the surprise you’re looking for in thatmid-winter slump!

MAKES 3 TO 4 CUPS

¼ cup water

1 cup sugar

2 cups blood orange juice (from 6 to 8 oranges)


Combine the water and sugar in a smallheavy-bottomed saucepan. Over mediumheat, bring just to a boil, whisking todissolve the sugar, then remove from theheat. Whisk in the blood orange juice andlemon juice. Pour the mixture into ashallow pan or bowl and refrigerate untilcompletely chilled, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into anice cream maker and process according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the sorbet to anairtight glass or plastic freezer container.Cover tightly and freeze until the sorbet isfirm, at least 4 hours.

spiked whipped cream

Easy. Simple. Delicious. Need we saymore?


1½ cups heavy cream

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted


1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, Kirsch, or other liqueur

Using either a stand mixer fitted with awhisk attachment, a stainless steel bowland a whisk, or a handheld electric mixer,beat the cream and sugar together until softpeaks form. Gradually sprinkle in thevanilla and liqueur and continue whisking

until firm peaks form. Serve immediately.

spiced honey

This recipe is so simple and useful thatyou might wonder why you didn’t make itsooner. Be sure to use a mild honey so thatthe warm spices can take a turn pleasingyour palate. Spiced honey is surprisinglygood paired with a huge variety of icecreams—from melted chocolate to Meyerlemon to honey lavender. It’s also perfectswirled into hot tea or, better yet, a hottoddy!

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

2 cups honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground ginger



1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine the honey, spices, and salt in asmall saucepan. Cook gently over lowheat, whisking occasionally. When thehoney and spices have warmed through,remove from the heat. Transfer to astorage container and whisk in the vanillaextract. Serve warm or at roomtemperature. Spiced honey will keepindefinitely if stored in an airtightcontainer in a cool, dry place. If it starts tocrystallize, slowly heat it in themicrowave or in a double boiler.

deep, dark hot fudge

This classic topping is a staple in myfridge at all times. I am not embarrassedto say that many a breakfast in the last yearhas consisted of a banana dipped in hotfudge. I can really smother anything withthis stuff. This extremely dark version ofhot fudge perfectly complements ourSalted Caramel Ice Cream (this page).

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART

1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ cups sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift the cocoa powder, sugar, and salttogether. Set aside. Combine the creamand butter in a medium, heavy-bottomedsaucepan. Bring the cream barely to asimmer over medium heat, whiskingoccasionally to melt the butter. Reduce theheat to low.

Gradually whisk the cocoa and sugarmixture into the hot cream, about ½ cup ata time, being sure to scrape the bottom ofthe pot with the whisk to preventscorching. When all of the cocoa andsugar is thoroughly incorporated, removefrom the heat. (If you like a thicker fudge,cook while whisking just a few minutesmore on medium heat.)

Transfer the fudge to a storage containerand allow it to cool slightly at roomtemperature, about 30 minutes. Whisk inthe vanilla extract. Serve hot or warm.The fudge can keep for about 3 weeks,stored in an airtight container in therefrigerator. To serve on top of ice cream,reheat in the microwave or in a doubleboiler.

blood orange marmalade

I love this topping on olive oil ice cream—and also on toast! It’s like a grown-upversion of Paddington Bear’s comfortingstaple.


3 blood oranges (skin on), washed, cut into ⅛- to ¼-inchthick slices, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon lemon zest


3 cups water

4 cups sugar

If you do not have a candy thermometer,place a ceramic plate in the freezer to

chill for testing the reduction. Place theorange slices in a medium, nonreactivepot. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, andwater. Bring to a boil over high heat.Reduce the heat to low and maintain asimmer, stirring occasionally, until theoranges are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.

Increase the heat and return to a full boil.Add the sugar, stirring the mixturecontinually until it darkens in color orreaches 222°F to 223°F on a candythermometer, 20 to 25 minutes. Keep aneye on the heat, as the mixture may boilover.

To test the consistency of the marmalade,drop a small spoonful of the mixture ontothe chilled plate and allow it to sit for 30

seconds. Then tilt the plate; if the mixtureappears to be a soft gel that movesslightly, it is ready. If mixture is thin andruns easily, it needs to be cooked longer.When the marmalade has reached thecorrect consistency, remove from the heatand let sit at room temperature to cool, 45minutes to 1 hour. Pour the marmaladeinto a glass or plastic storage containerand store in the refrigerator for up to sixmonths.

port reduction

Port is a fortified wine traditionally fromPortugal. Nowadays there are plenty ofdecent domestic producers of this fortifiedwine, and we encourage you to use yourfavorite for this recipe. We like to useruby port just because it makes the colorso gorgeous. For a sophisticated dessert,drizzle some on a scoop of pear sorbet.

MAKES ABOUT 1¾ CUP

3¼ cups ruby port

1 cup sugar

Put the port and sugar into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boilover high heat, whisking to dissolve the

sugar. Reduce the heat to low and letsimmer until the mixture has reduced byhalf or until the temperature reads 225°Fon a candy thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightlyat room temperature before pouring into aglass or plastic storage container. Thereduction will thicken as it cools. Servewarm or at room temperature. Store in anairtight container in the refrigerator or atroom temperature for up to 3 weeks.

vanilla bean ice creammelted chocolate ice creamcappuccino ice creamsalted caramel ice cream

vanilla bean ice cream

Most ice cream makers are judged by theirversion of vanilla. This simple flavor isone of the best—and quality, freshingredients make all the difference.Vanilla is one of the only ingredients inour shops that is not local, so we’ve madesure to taste test many, many kinds oforganic, fair trade varieties. Experimentwith the different vanillas available inyour own neck of the woods!


2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar


2 whole vanilla beans, split down the middle lengthwise

Combine all the ingredients in a small,heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook overmedium heat, whisking occasionally. Justbefore the mixture comes to a boil,remove from the heat. Using tongs,carefully fish out the vanilla bean podsand, with the back of a knife, scrape theseeds into the pot. Put the scraped podsback into the pot and stir to combine. Pourthe mixture into a shallow pan or bowland place in the refrigerator to chillthoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is completely chilled,remove the vanilla bean pods and discard.Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker

and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to aglass or plastic freezer container. Covertightly and freeze until the ice cream isfirm, at least 4 hours.

melted chocolate ice cream

This recipe will forever change how youthink about chocolate ice cream. We useTheo Chocolate Company’s 70% darkchocolate in our ice cream at the shops.Theo’s is an exemplary company, makingorganic and fair trade bean-to-barchocolate and confections just a mile or sodown the road from our Wallingford shop.They even give tours of their chocolatefactory—a must for anyone visitingSeattle.


7 ounces 70% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1cup)

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar



Place the chocolate in a medium bowl andset aside. Put the cream, milk, sugar, andsalt into a small, heavy-bottomedsaucepan and cook over medium heat,whisking occasionally to dissolve thesugar. Just before the mixture comes to aboil, remove from the heat. Pour the hotmixture over the chocolate and let sit for 5minutes at room temperature. Whisk untilthe hot cream and chocolate arecompletely combined and no more flecksof chocolate can be seen. This may take

quite a bit of whisking, but yourdetermination will pay off in thesmoothness of your final product. Pour themixture into a shallow pan or bowl andplace in the refrigerator to chillthoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thevanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker andprocess according to the manufacturer’sinstructions. Using a rubber spatula,transfer the ice cream to a glass or plasticfreezer container. Cover tightly and freezeuntil the ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours.

cappuccino ice cream

As Seattleites, we are almost obligated tolove good coffee. For most of my adultlife, my apartment location priority hasbeen anywhere within three blocks of thebest coffee I could find in the city: VivaceEspresso. Their stand and shops havebeen my morning ritual, sometimes office,and hangout spot since 2002. I start almostevery day with a cappuccino from myfavorite baristas. This ice cream is atribute to Don and Lisa, the best team atVivace. It is the dessert version of theperfect cappuccino—8 ounces, double,sugar the shot, please!


1 cup ground espresso beans

2½ cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar


Thoroughly combine all the ingredients inan airtight container with a lid. Cover andrefrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight.Strain the mixture through a fine meshsieve, pressing to extract as much liquidas possible. Discard the sieve contents.

Pour the strained mixture into an icecream maker and process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to aglass or plastic freezer container. Cover

tightly and freeze until the ice cream isfirm, at least 4 hours.

salted caramel ice cream

This is the most popular flavor at MollyMoon’s, by a huge margin. Don’t beafraid of the salt. If the end product is toosalty on its own, top this ice cream withhot fudge or serve it with a rich, densebrownie, and you’ll be the happiest soulalive. My friend Linda has been servingour salted caramel ice cream on abrownie at her restaurant, Smith, in Seattlesince 2008, making many fans of thiscombo. Be sure to make a very darkcaramel—the intensity is necessary tobalance out the complexity in this, oursignature flavor. Because of the high saltcontent, the finished product will never beas firm as your other ice creams. This

flavor is the softest ice cream we make.Be extra careful to chill everything beforeyour ingredients go into the machine. Getthis one into the freezer right away so itcan set up as much as possible, and whenyou serve it, serve it fast!


⅛ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1½ cups sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon kosher salt

NOTE

In this recipe, the darker the caramel, the richer

the flavor and the more balanced the salt will be.It is important to let the sugar caramelize to adark amber hue before adding the butter. If youhave a hood fan in your kitchen, this is a goodtime to use it, as making a darker caramel cansometimes get a little smoky. As with alt caramelrecipes, do not walk away from the stove, and beaware that the melted sugar is extremely hot.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepanover medium-high heat, add the lemonjuice and then the sugar, ¼ cup at a time,stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.Wait to add each batch of sugar until theprevious batch is completely dissolved.After all the sugar is added to the pot,continue to cook until it caramelizes to adark golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes (seenote). Switch to a whisk and carefully mix

in the butter. After the butter is completelymelted, reduce the heat to medium-lowand very slowly whisk in the cream andmilk, being extra careful, as the caramelwill steam significantly. Remove from theheat. Pour the mixture into a shallow panor bowl and place in the refrigerator tochill thoroughly, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, whisk in thesalt, then pour into an ice cream makerand process according to themanufacturer’s instructions. Using arubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to aglass or plastic freezer container. Covertightly and freeze until the ice cream isfirm (it will not freeze very hard), at least4 hours, but 24 hours is best.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

molly moon neitzel (left) is an expert icecream eater turned enthusiastic ice creammaker. After an exciting career in thepolitical and music industries, Neitzelgave in to her obsession for creamy,frozen deliciousness in the spring of 2008:aiming to give the people of Seattle whatthey were missing most, she opened herfirst Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Creamshop. Neitzel’s five scoop shops andsignature Molly Moon’s blue ice creamtruck have been recognized for bringingfun, locavore ice cream flavors to thePacific Northwest. Molly Moon’s hasbeen hailed as one of the best ice cream

brands in the United States by BonAppétit, Sunset, Food & Wine, and Travel+ Leisure magazines. Neitzel lives inSeattle with her lovable Frenchton pup,Parker Posey, and her even more lovablehusband, Zack.

Following an environmental studiesdegree at the University of Washingtonand an adventure hiking the Pacific CrestTrail, christina spittler (right) dove intostudying pastry at the Seattle CulinaryAcademy. Her environmental ethic,passion for all things edible, and culinaryexpertise led the Northern Californianative to the pastry kitchens at Seattle’sEarth and Ocean and Rover’s, and finally,to became head chef at Molly Moon’sHomemade Ice Cream. Spittler is also theauthor of the humorous food blog BeCoolinary.

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