Confection Ressurection - Butter Brickle Ice Cream

The 4th of July is here again and it's time to celebrate the "signing" of the Declaration of Independence penned with great pains by Thomas Jefferson for the second continental congress.  Though the "Shot Heard Round the World" occurred in April of 1775 and the fighting would continue until the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, today is the day we celebrate the signing of the document that justified the colonial rebellion and subsequent forming of our republic. 

Being a holiday that is near and dear to our hearts there are many "traditions" that have sprung up over the last 235 years.   Parades, Festivals, Fireworks and BBQ's being the most prevalent.  I was lucky enough to grow up in Corbett.  It may be a small "Hamlet" in eastern Multnomah county, but when it comes to the 4th, it's an all out block party on a grande scale with parade, festival and a massive firework display.  In between all this merriment, dad would BBQ hot dogs and hamburgers.  But the best part of our 4th of July celebration was the homemade Root Beer ice cream.  True, we had an old hand crank machine, and always had to call on the neighbors for reinforcements before our arms fell off, but the exertions were well worth it.

This tradition is so ingrained now, that it just doesn't seem like the 4th of July without ice cream.  Granted, I don't necessarily make Root Beer ice cream anymore, and I definitely don't use a hand crank machine, but Ice Cream is an absolute must for this occasion.

This year, I have decided to resurrect a flavor that seems to have disappeared from the common market.  Butter Brickle.  That inspired combination of butterscotch ice cream and toffee bits.  Honestly, it doesn't get much better than that. Which, consequently, makes my wonder why you can't find this evocative flavor of frozen deliciousness anymore.  I think it's high time that it was brought back for everyone to enjoy.

Butter Brickle Ice Cream

2 cups Whole Milk
2 cups Light Whipping Cream
2 oz Unsalted Butter
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 cup of Butterscotch syrup
6 large Egg Yolks
1 cup Heath Toffee Chips (bits o' brickle)

Heat Milk, Cream, Butter and salt in a large sauce pan over medium heat, just until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan.

Grab a 1 cup of the Butterscotch Syrup..... (You'll still have an additional cup for other applications)

and grab a bag of Health English Toffee bits (bits o' brickle)

Add the Butterscotch syrup and whisk until dissolved.

While the Milk mixture is heating, beat egg yolks lightly in a medium bowl.
Condition the yolks by adding about half of the hot Milk mixture while whisking constantly.

Add this back into the sauce pan (again, whisking while adding it) and return the mixture to medium flame.

Continue cooking the "custard", whisking occasionally, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat and strain through cheese cloth to remove any potential lumps.

Cover on the surface with plastic wrap to prevent crusting, and chill in the refrigerator until VERY cold.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker instructions.

Once frozen, move the resulting Butterscotch ice cream to a freezer container.

Add the Brickle chips and stir them in.

Freeze until solid.

Enjoy the sweet/salty goodness of old fashioned Butter Brickle Ice Cream!

Mangia!!
~~

United Kingdom of Shortbread - English Toffee Scottish Shortbread

When I said "'Tis the season" in my last post, I was referring to the season for beverages of good cheer.  Sadly, 'tis also the season of the flu.  (sigh)  Even more sadly, my sister-in-law has it.  Since I am unable to share her own Hot Buttered Rum recipe with her, I decided I would make her something to facilitate a quick recovery so she can partake of the good cheer.  ;)

There are several food related remedies for the flu.  Of these, Chicken Noodle Soup is the best known, however, Matzo Ball, Miso Soup and Hot -n- Sour Soup work wonders as well.  But, there is something that works equally as well, if not better.  It's truly good for whatever ails you.  A nostrum of epic power.  A sovereign specific, if you will.

Shortbread

Yes, shortbread (OK, and Rolo Cookies, but were are going to focus on shortbread right now).  The eggless elixir vitae, the panacean pastry, the catholicon cookie, that wafer of wonder.  Yep, Shortbread.

I wanted to do something a little special this time.  Partially to thank her for giving me the awesome Hot Buttered Rum recipe, but also because she really LOVES shortbread cookies and I have made simple Scottish Shortbread for her many times before.  Since I had been toying with this idea for awhile now, I decided it was time to stop contemplating and get to implementing my master plan for Scottish Shortbread made with English Toffee chips and Irish Cultured Butter (sort of a United Kingdom of Cookies).  Laced with Celtic Grey Salt, or course. 

Thus it was that I embarked upon shortbread-dom to banish the fiendish flu. 

This is the simple 1-2-3 Scottish shortbread recipe I posted last Christmas, though the method is slightly different due to one simple addition, Heath English Toffee Chips...  YUM.

UK Shortbread

1 tsp Celtic Grey Salt
4 oz Granulated Sugar
8 oz Kerry Gold Irish Butter (Unsalted)
12 oz Unbleached Flour
4 oz Heath English Toffee Bits

Place Butter, Sugar and Salt in a mixing bowl.

Cream together until light and fluffy.

Slowly work in the Flour until a crumbly dough forms.

Add the Toffee Chips and work in with a spatula (it works better than the mixer does)

Place on a large piece of waxed paper.

Press the crumbly dough into a log.

Roll the waxed paper around it and roll on the counter (this seems to work fairly well)

Remove waxed paper and wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 4 hours.

When you remove the dough from the refrigerator, begin preheating the oven to 325 degrees.

Slice into 1/4 inch slices and lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, just until the bottoms begin to brown but the sides are still pale.

Leave the Shortbreads on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to give the hot toffee bits a chance to cool a little bit, cause they are gonna be REALLY hot and REALLY sticky.

Move to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Serve with your favorite herbal tea.

or just eat them one by one....YUM!

Yep, my sister-in-law be 'right as rain' in no time.  :)

Mangia!!
~~