I’ve known and loved this cake for at least 25 years! It was one of my mom’s signature summer desserts. She loved whipping it up to show off the many varieties of basils she grew in her garden, often using a mix of cinnamon, Genovese, and purple basils. The recipe calls for a whole whopping cup of chopped basil! You can use any variety, so long as it’s fresh, fragrant, and chopped very finely, it will add the most exquisite perfume and depth of flavour to this rich and moist chocolate cake.

To this day, whenever I make this recipe and smell the aromatic chocolate and basil wafts of goodness that mingle and meander through the house as it bakes, I immediately feel my mom’s presence around me.

Although this cake doesn’t use a leavener, the egg whites do give it an elegant lift. But it’s not a fluffy cake and will not rise very much. Its texture is similar to a brownie, though not quite as dense, sweet, and chewy. There’s no flour in this cake. It gets its bulk from ground almonds and a bit of cornstarch so it somehow manages to be rich and satisfying but also relatively light. And a little bonus for those who care is that this cake is entirely gluten-free!

Chopping the basil for this recipe does require a bit of love and attention, as fresh herbs usually do. If you’re not sure how to ‘chiffonade’ basil, I recommend watching this helpful little video. You want to make sure your basil leaves are clean and fully dry, then make tidy stacks of leaves, rolling them like a cigar, and slice across with a very sharp knife so you get thin delicate shreds of basil. Afterwards, I cheat a bit and give a few quick chops across the strands so that they aren’t too long and stringy. Stringy basil in a cake is not so appealing. Basically, you want to chop the basil as finely as possible without mangling it. You definitely don’t want it to turn black or lose its delicate aromatic oils.

This cake is delicious simply served with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar and some fresh basil leaves as a garnish, but you can also pour a ganache over it for a more decadent dessert, or pile on some whipped cream and fresh berries. I’ve also served it with strawberry coulis, or a generous scoop of zesty berry sorbet. It pairs well with so many things. I find myself returning to this recipe again and again because it has few ingredients, is easy to make, and always elicits an enthusiastic reaction, no matter how it’s served. The basil just sings through! Enjoy!

Basil Chocolate Cake

The recipe calls for a whole whopping cup of chopped basil! Sprinkle confectioner’s sugar and some fresh basil leaves as a garnish or drizzle on berries. Aube Giroux shares more about this dish in the Kitchen Vignettes blog.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. dark bittersweet chocolate (I like to use 4 oz unsweetened and 4 oz bittersweet)
• 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter (3/4 cup)
• 1 cup finely minced fresh basil, loosely packed
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. cane sugar
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 2 Tbsp. non-GMO cornstarch (or tapioca flour)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Optional garnish:
• 1 tsp confectioner’s sugar for dusting
• Fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and lightly dust it with flour. Gently heat the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, just until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the minced basil. Mix well and allow to cool slightly (not fully or it will harden).
3. In a large bowl, beat the 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture turns pale yellow and forms silky ribbons when the whisk is lifted.
4. Whisk together the ground almonds, cornstarch, and salt, and incorporate into chocolate mixture, mixing well.
5. Beat the 4 egg whites with 1 Tbsp sugar to stiff peaks. Gently and gradually fold into chocolate mixture. Mix delicately so the whites don’t lose their spring, until fully incorporated. Immediately pour into prepared pan and bake in 350 F oven for about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature. To garnish, dust with confectioners sugar, top with a few sprigs of fresh basil and serve.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post A Summer Family Recipe: Basil Chocolate Cake appeared first on PBS Food.

This luscious little salad delivers serious crunch. The crisp juicy cucumber marries the toasty rye croutons and the whole crackling affair is coated in velvety dilly sour cream dressing. Pickled shallots, capers, and feta deliver tart and salty punches with each bite, leaving you wanting more.

This recipe came about from my combined love of summery cucumber salads and rye cucumber sandwiches. I wondered if there was a way to combine the two and beef up my usual light cucumber salad to turn into something more substantial, hearty, and packed with bolder flavors. This salad is the result and I’m so pleased with it. It pairs well alongside grilled trout or wild salmon, but also holds up perfectly well on its own.

Now. A few words on cucumbers… and sour cream… and pickled shallots. First, the sour cream. Please use full-fat, real sour cream if you make this recipe. I can think of few things that are as guaranteed to ruin a dish as the low-fat, artificially-soured gunk that tries to pass for “sour cream” on so many grocery store shelves. I will spare you a longer rant on the topic, but just trust me on this one. Life is too short for low-fat, artificially-soured cream. As for the pickled shallots… if you’re tempted to skip these, allow me a few words in their defense: yes, they do need to be made ahead but they take literally minutes to prepare and then all they have to do is marinate for a bit.

This salad is just not the best possible version of itself without them. They give it pizazz. The pickling mellows the onion flavour and leaves you with sweet tart goodness. (In a pinch, use red onions instead of shallots).

And finally, our dear friends the cukes. I encourage you to explore what’s available at your local farmer’s market and to use local and organic cucumbers if you can. Conventional cucumbers are repeatedly shown to be high in pesticide residues and it’s one of the vegetables that I highly recommend buying organic whenever possible. Plus there’s nothing like a fresh-off-the-vine juicy crunchy cucumber!

Finally, be sure to slice up the rye croutons and the cucumber cubes quite finely. Small, delicate bite-sized cubes make for a nicer presentation and offer up better bites (with better crunch!) that aren’t unwieldy.

Do let me know if you make this salad in the comments below. Bon appétit!

Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad with Rye Croutons

This luscious little salad delivers serious crunch. The crisp juicy cucumber marries the toasty rye croutons and the whole crackling affair is coated in velvety dilly sour cream dressing. Aube Giroux shares more about this dish in the Kitchen Vignettes blog.

Ingredients

• 3 medium cucumbers (about 4 cups cubed)
• 5 slices rye bread (about 2 cups cubed rye bread)
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp small capers
• 2 oz. feta, finely cubed (about 1/3 cup)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Pickled Shallots
• 5 to 6 small shallots (or 1 medium red onion)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Sour Cream Dressing
• 1/2 cup full-fat organic sour cream
• 2 tsp vinegar from the pickled shallots
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Half a small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup chopped)

Directions

1. A few hours in advance or the day before, prepare the pickled shallots. Peel the shallots and slice them as thinly as you can. You should get about 1/2 cup of finely sliced shallots. Place them in a small jar and cover them with the apple cider vinegar. Stir in the sugar and water, and place in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of one hour, preferably overnight.
2. If you wish, peel the cucumbers (I like to leave the skins on if they’re organic). If using field cucumbers, de-seed them by slicing in half lengthwise and running a spoon down the center. (English cucumbers or baby cucumbers don’t need to be de-seeded). Finely chop the cucumbers into small cubes. You should get about 4 cups cubed cucumber.
3. Cut the rye bread into small cubes. Toss with 3 Tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Oil a baking sheet with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and spread the cubed bread across it. Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and crisp. Remove and allow to cool.
4. In a medium-large bowl, combine the cubed cucumber and cooled croutons. In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, salt, and vinegar, and 2 Tbsp of fresh chopped dill (save the rest for garnish. Toss the cucumber and croutons with the sour cream dressing. Top with about 1 to 2 Tbsp of pickled shallots (shake off any excess vinegar and keep the rest for another dish), 1 capers, and finely cubed feta. Top with more chopped dill. Taste and season as desired with a bit of salt and pepper. (Be careful not to over salt this salad as the capers and feta are already quite salty). Serve within the hour so that the croutons maintain their crisp. (If you wish to make this a few hours in advance, add the croutons at the last minute so they stay crispy). Enjoy!

Yield: Serves about 6 people, as a side dish

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Picnic Ready: Cucumber Dill Salad with Rye Croutons appeared first on PBS Food.

Lemonbalm is a fragrant herb that always seems to grow lush and strong in the garden. It sadly doesn’t get used nearly enough in cooking and as a result, it can be hard to find in stores or even at farmer’s markets.

But it’s a very easy to grow and if you don’t have your own, a friendly neighbour might not mind you harvesting a bit from their patch, since it grows back in a flash all through the summer months. Lemonbalm is a perennial in the mint family. Its scent is quite intoxicating and lemony, hence the name. It is known for its numerous medicinal properties including its calming effect on the nervous and digestive systems, and its high antioxidant content. Preliminary studies have even shown it could promote brain health and memory!

I often use fresh lemonbalm to make a delicious aromatic tea (simply place 4 to 5 leafy stems and steep for 5 to 10 minutes in hot water). But its delicate citrus-like flavour also lends itself well to desserts.

Classic shortbread is ridiculously simple to make. You can easily whip up a shortbread batter in about 5 minutes flat and the best part is it can all happen in just one bowl. These cookies take a little longer than that, because of the chopping, which needs to be executed attentively and delicately in order not to bruise the tender green leaves (there’s nothing worse than a pile of roughly chopped, mushy, dark bitter herbs). The unbaked cookies also do need to rest and cool in the fridge before baking. But other than that, they’re relatively quick and easy to prepare.

I tested a few batches of these cookies and found that somewhere in the baking, the fragrance of the herb diminishes, hence why my recipe calls for 3 to 4 tablespoons of the chopped fresh herb, which by some standards may seem like a lot. But don’t worry, it won’t be overpowering, the flavour is very subtle. So much so that I like to give these cookies a little lemony “boost” by adding a teaspoon of lemon zest. The two play off each other’s perfumes and the result is quite delightful. Serve it up with some fresh lemonbalm tea and you’ve got yourself a decadent little treat for a summertime afternoon. Enjoy!

Lemonbalm Shortbread

Serve lemon balm shortbread with some fresh lemonbalm tea and you’ve got yourself a decadent little treat for a summertime afternoon. Aube Giroux shares more about this dish in the Kitchen Vignettes blog.

Ingredients

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh lemonbalm (about 2 dozen leaves)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest

Directions

1. Rinse the lemonbalm well and shake the excess water off, then allow to air dry completely. (A salad spinner speeds up the task). Fresh herbs should never be chopped when wet, so be sure the leaves are 100% dry after rinsing. Pick off the leaves and discard the stems, then pile the leaves on top of each other, a dozen at a time, and roll into a tight “cigar”. Using a sharp knife, slice very thinly. Pile the shredded herbs into a mound and chop them up a bit more, until quite fine. Use right away.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the room temperature butter, chopped herb, fresh lemon zest, salt, and sugar until well mixed. Add the flour and mix well. You may need to use your hands for the final part of mixing. You can also use an electric mixer, just be sure not to overwork the dough after the flour has been added. Once the dough is smooth and coming together, roll it into a ball and flatten it. Wrap tightly in wax paper and chill for 20 minutes.
3. Roll the flattened disc out on a lightly floured countertop and cut into shapes using a cookie cutter. Quick tip: shortbread dough can be a bit finicky to roll out (it can’t be too warm or too cool because of all that butter). So you can skip the whole rolling out step by shaping the ball of dough into a large cylinder shape, then cooling it in the fridge for 2 hours, and slicing about 1/4 inch thick. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart.
4. If you rolled the dough, refrigerate the unbaked cookies for 20 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape and bake more evenly.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 8 to 10 minutes on a rack placed in the top third of your oven. If your oven is on the hot side, check the cookies after 6 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning.

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Summertime Tea with Lemonbalm Shortbread appeared first on PBS Food.

For folks who like to grow their own food or eat seasonally, springtime holds the promise of many new beginnings and upcoming harvests. But April and May can be somewhat desolate months when seeds are being put in ground but not many crops are actually ready to eat. Having parsnips overwinter provides a surprisingly luscious, seasonal treat that can be harvested before any other crops are ready to eat.

Spring-dug parsnips are coveted for their unique sweetness and depth of flavour. Instead of being harvested in the fall, these parsnips are left in the ground through the winter months and harvested as soon as the soil fully thaws. While they slumber under a bed of mulch and snow, the cold works its magic, converting their starches to sugar and turning them into a highly sought-after treat.

My friend Ume grows the most beautiful parsnips in her garden and she invited me to take part in her spring harvest last year. It was quite magical to spot the bright, promising roots against the cold dark earth. Ever since, I’ve had parsnips on the brain and have experimented with a whole bunch of parsnip recipes. Parsnip gnocchi has become a favourite. I’ve always loved classic potato gnocchi but when parsnip is added to the dough (I use half parsnip, half potato), the little white pillows take on an enticingly sweet flavour. I like to serve them with a lemony arugula walnut pesto. The tartness of the lemon, the spice of the arugula, and the saltiness of the parmesan all provide a balanced counterpoint to the sweet gnocchi. The whole thing is lip-smacking good.

A few words on gnocchi. It’s one of those things that intimidates people but it’s really not very hard to make. The trick with gnocchi is to avoid the gummy factor. Although I personally have always loved a chewy little gnocchi with some bite to it, once you’ve had a light and tender melt-in-your-mouth-gnocchi, it’s hard to go back.

I read up on how to make the most tender and light gnocchi and I find myself always going back to this article on Serious Eats. It’s incredibly informative and Daniel Gritzer offers up some great tips. Using dry, starchy potatoes such as Russets is key (though there are other equally starchy varieties, for the potato growers and connoisseurs out there). Baking them is recommended to get the maximum moisture out of the potato (though many traditional Italian recipes simply boil them, so don’t think it actually matters THAT much). He also recommends using minimal flour (starting with 1/4 cup per pound of potato and working your way up if the dough needs it) and not overworking the dough because you don’t want to develop the gluten. He recommends using a pastry cutter to “cut” the flour in and then folding the dough on itself instead of kneading it. You’re supposed to use a “potato ricer” for gnocchi but I have a real aversion to specialized kitchen tools that end up sitting at the back of your drawer unused, so I refuse to buy one. But I had read that you can instead grate the baked potato using a box grater and I found it worked fairly well. Use the large holes, not the small ones as I did in the video (it will go quicker). The trick is that the potatoes should ideally still be hot, but if you’re grating them, just cooled enough to handle will do the trick. As for the parsnip, it isn’t nearly as finicky as the potatoes. I mashed it with a fork and it was fine, but if you can, puree it with a blender for smoother gnocchi dough. In large parsnips, the heart can be tough, so remove it if need be.

The instructions to my recipe are detailed, but don’t worry if you want to do things differently, there are a million ways to make a good gnocchi! Enjoy!

Parsnip Gnocchi with Arugula Walnut Pesto

An enticingly sweet flavor is created when parsnip is added to a classic gnocchi dough. Served in a lemony arugula walnut pesto and it's lip-smacking good. Aube Giroux shares more about this dish in the Kitchen Vignettes blog.

Ingredients

• For the gnocchi:
• 1 pound of Russet potatoes (or an equally dry variety), about 3 medium-sized potatoes
• 1 pound parsnip, about 2 large parsnips
• 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (more, as needed, and for rolling)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 
  
• For the pesto:
• 2 cups tightly packed arugula
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup freshly-grated parmesan
• Juice of one large lemon (about 3 Tbsp)
• Zest of one lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
• 1 clove chipped garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Prick the potatoes with a fork and rub about 1 tsp of olive oil all over the whole parsnips. Roast the potatoes and parsnips on a baking sheet in a 400F oven for approximately one hour or until very tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Allow to cool sightly and as soon as you can handle them, remove the skins from the hot potatoes and parsnips. Press the potatoes through a potato ricer if you have one, or grate them over the large holes of a box grater. Puree the parsnips using a stand or immersion blender, until smooth. (Or simply mash them with a fork as a did in the video). If the parsnips are large, the hearts may be tough, if this is case, simply remove and discard them and work with the tender flesh only. Place the grated potato and parsnip on a clean board. Whisk the egg yolks and pour over the parsnip and potato mash. Using a flour sifter or fine-mesh sieve, sprinkle on about 1/4 cup of the flour and begin to incorporate the flour very loosely, using a pastry blender or a wooden spatula. Avoid overworking or kneading the dough. Cutting in the flour prevents the gluten in the flour from developing and yields a more tender gnocchi. Keep adding flour and incorporating it until the dough becomes less sticky. You can begin folding the dough gently onto itself to incorporate the last amounts of flour. Add more flour as needed, to obtain a dough that holds together well and is not overly sticky, but is not stiff and dry either. Roll the dough into a log, cover with a cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes while you prepare the pesto.
3. Place all the pesto ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and pulse just until incorporated, or until your pesto reaches the consistency you prefer. (Some people like a smooth pesto but I like to see flecks of green and I try to avoid a puree). Taste and add salt, pepper, and more lemon juice as needed.
4. Take the gnocchi log and slice it into about 6 even pieces. Roll each piece into a long snake about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut the gnocchi pieces so they are about 1-inch long. Dust with flour and avoid piling them together so they don’t clump.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Delicately drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, in about 3 or 4 separate batches. They will drop to the bottom and after about a minute, they will float to the surface. Let them float for about 30 seconds and then remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and transfer into a heated pan with the 2 Tbsp of butter. Allow the gnocchi to turn golden brown and at the last minute, add a generous dollop of pesto, making sure not to leave the pesto in the hot pan for more than a few seconds otherwise it will begin to turn a brownish green. Serve hot, with a bit of extra grated parmesan.

Yield: Serves 3 to 4

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Sweetness and Depth Added to the Table: Parsnip Gnocchi appeared first on PBS Food.

Up here in the North, maple syrup season is often the first real sign of spring. There’s something invigorating about standing on a crunchy remnant of shrinking snow and peering into a bucket filled with maple sap, a promise of sweet things ahead, the beginning of the land thawing out and coming back to life after its long slumber.

For anyone who follows my blog, it will come as no surprise that maple syrup is a staple more common even than flour in my pantry. I’m not sure what I’d become without maple syrup, I use it to sweeten most of my desserts, and even to make my all-time favourite pie! As my dad likes to say, maple syrup is a gift from the trees, and all that’s required of us to accept that gift is to make a small hole in a tree and gratefully collect the sap, and then boil it down to get that heavenly golden syrup. It’s a slow process, but there’s nothing particularly complicated about it, and as my dad loves to point out, you don’t need a fancy boiler or sugar shack to do it. He just boils the sap in a big pot on his woodstove.

There’s some kind of magic that happens when you combine whipped cream and maple syrup. This rich decadent mousse is an unabashed celebration of that perfect marriage.

I first tasted this dessert when my stepdad made it for a recipe contest at a family reunion. It was awarded a proud first prize ribbon and soon became one of his signature desserts. A few years ago, I found myself pining to recreate the exquisite flavour and I was grateful that he still had the recipe written down and was able to share it with me.

Now. This is certainly not one for the faint-hearted, heavy with cream and egg yolks as it is, but I promise it will keep you coming back for more and have everyone licking their lips! There are a few things to love about this recipe: for starters, it’s a no-bake dessert so you won’t need to turn your oven on. I also love that it bypasses refined sugar altogether; the sweetness comes entirely from the maple syrup… and the raisins. Yes, that’s right, the raisins. Now before you start to scheme about leaving them out (I certainly tried to!), I’ve got to say that they really do lend a lovely chew and flavor and this mousse would not be the same without them. The same can be said for the sliced almonds. But if you prefer, you can certainly opt out of either and truly make it all about the maple syrup and cream.

You can either serve this mousse in one large shallow bowl or as individual servings in shallow glasses or jars. I recommend the individual servings so that you don’t have to ruin the beautiful presentation by having to scoop out big messy dollops into separate bowls.

Sometimes though, it’s nice to present the whole wonderful mess in one big bowl, especially if it’s a dessert you’re taking somewhere. And the big messy dollops are actually part of the great pleasure of this dessert. Either way, the taste is going to be amazing! Enjoy!!

Maple Mousse

There’s some kind of magic that happens when you combine whipped cream and maple syrup. Maple Mousse is the answer. Aube Giroux shares more about this dish in the Kitchen Vignettes blog.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp water
• 1 envelope (2 1/2 tsp.) gelatin
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, lightly toasted
• 1 Tbsp rum or brandy
• Optional for garnish: cocoa powder, chocolate curls, sliced almonds, maple syrup

Directions

1. Place the water in a medium bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top; set aside for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, heat the maple syrup over medium heat until warm but not too hot. Whisk the warmed syrup into the gelled water mixture until smooth, thick, and bubbly.
2. Whip the egg yolks until light and frothy. Add the whipped egg yolks into the syrup mixture, whisking vigorously. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for about 30 to 60 minutes, stirring the mixture frequently, so that it thickens but doesn’t fully set.
3. Using a rubber spatula, stir the raisins and most of the slivered almonds (reserving some as a garnish) into the thickened syrup mixture.
4. Beat the heavy cream until soft peaks are formed; set aside about a quarter of the whipped cream for the garnish. Gently fold in the other three-quarters of the whipped cream into the thickened syrup mixture until everything is well mixed. Pour the mousse into one medium-large shallow serving bowl (5-cup capacity) or into 6 to 8 individual glasses or jars (wide-rimmed wine glasses work well for this).
5. Refrigerate the mousse and the reserved whipped cream for 2 hours (and up to 24 hours) to set. Just before serving, gently whip the rum or brandy into the remaining whipped cream. Decorate the mousse with a dusting of cocoa powder, dollops of the whipped cream, a sprinkle of sliced almonds, chocolate curls (if using), and top it all off with a quick drizzle of maple syrup.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8 (Makes about 4 1/2 cups of mousse)

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post A Sure Sign of Spring: Maple Syrup Mousse appeared first on PBS Food.

Many of us have special recipes that are in our lives because they have been passed down from our parents or grandparents, and these recipes are often deliciously wrapped up in our cultural identity. Recipes that are passed down from previous generations can take on an important significance in our lives, as a treasured link to our ancestry, to the passage of time, to the people who lived before us. A simple dish can become a much-needed connection to our roots, and the region and terrain and climate that it was born out of.

My friend Joe recently described such a recipe, one that’s been in his family for a long time, frequently made by his Italian grandmother, passed down to his mom, and then to him.

The recipe is a very traditional one from Abruzzo called Crespelle in Brodo (or known regionally as Scripelle ‘mbusse ). It consists of crepes served in a hot chicken broth, and I must admit, I was initially quite skeptical. You see, I grew up on crepes. In our house, crepes were the equivalent of kraft dinner. When my mom didn’t know what to make for dinner, she would whip up a batch of crepes. They were fast, cheap, and the ingredients were always on hand. Usually she’d serve them stuffed with mushrooms or cheese and vegetables, but sometimes sweet crepes with maple syrup or molasses was a perfectly acceptable thing to eat for dinner. To this day, even now that my mom is no longer with us, I do the exact same thing. Crepes are a go-to for me, whether sweet or savoury, made with wheat or buckwheat, rye or whatever whole grain flours I happen to have on hand. But never in my life had I entertained the idea of pouring broth all over them! So when Joe told me about these, I was totally puzzled and intrigued and I knew I had to try them, despite my dubiousness. Well, as you might expect, they were a revelation. A true comfort food, particularly on a cold winter’s day. The crepes soak up the broth and take on a delightful squishy texture, for lack of a better word. The parmesan and the salty broth lend a great satisfying depth of flavour that lingers in the mouth and makes you just want to eat more and more and more.

I was so grateful that Joe allowed me to share his family’s recipe with you all and film him in one of my videos. As with most traditional Italian recipes, there are many subtle variations in the way they are prepared and I’m sure the recipes vary from family to family. Some versions call for a simple light chicken broth, Joe’s version incorporates creamed carrots and potatoes to thicken the broth. The cheese used can vary from parmesan to pecorino romano, and the crepe batter can be prepared with either milk or water. I highly recommend a generous pinch of chopped fresh parsley for the garnish, it adds a lovely burst of flavour and colour! As a final note, the crepes should be served in a wide shallow bowl. (The bowls you see in the video are not quite wide enough, ideally, they should be a bit broader to fit the full crepe). Some people also cut the rolled crepe into slices for ease of serving.

If this is a recipe that is traditional in your family, please share your own variations and stories. Buon appetito!

Crepes in Broth (Crespelle in Brodo)

Crespelle is a traditional Italian dish featuring crepes served in a hot chicken broth. Aube Giroux shares more about this dish and her holiday traditions in the Kitchen Vignettes blog.

Ingredients

• For the Soup:
• 1 whole small organic chicken
• Enough water to cover the chicken (about 8 to 10 cups)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped or pressed
• 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 1 large carrot, chopped (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For the Crepes:
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups cold water
• About 1/4 cup grapeseed or sunflower oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• About 3 to 4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

1. In a large heavy-bottomed stock pot, sauté the chopped onion, celery and garlic over medium heat until translucent and fragrant. Add the whole or chopped chicken and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for at least 3 hours. About an hour in, as the chicken cooks, you can use scissors to cut it into pieces to extract more flavour.
2. After about 3 hours of simmering, strain everything out of the broth. Reserve the chicken meat for sandwiches or other recipes and use the bones to make a bone broth. Compost the veggies. Pour the strained broth back into the pot and if using, add the chopped carrot and potato, cooking for about 20 minutes. Once tender, use an immersion or stand blender to purée them into the broth, which will thicken it slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep broth warm on low heat until the crepes are ready.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the salt and flour. Make a well into the centre of the flour and crack all 6 eggs. Whisk together well and gradually add the water, a little at a time, whisking well to avoid lumps. After all the water has been added, if the batter is lumpy, you can run it through a fine-meshed sieve to get rid of any lumps.
4. Grease up a heavy skillet, using about 1 tsp oil per crepe. Make the crepes using about 1/8 cup of batter per crepe. Swirl the batter around, cook for about 30 to 60 seconds on each side or until golden and bubbly. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water, a couple tablespoonfuls at a time. Stack the crepes on a large plate.
5. Sprinkle a generous handful of grated cheese on each crepe and roll it up into a cigar shape. (Divide the cheese evenly among the crepes but save some for garnish). Place the rolled crepes seam down into a large serving bowl. Serve two to three crepes per person and ladle a generous scoop or two of broth on top of the crepes. Garnish with a little cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Yield: Serves about 4

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Soothe Your Soul with Crespelle in Brodo, Italian Crepes in Broth appeared first on PBS Food.

For a large chunk of this year, I’ve had the sweet pleasure of living under the same roof as a spritely little miss who is completely obsessed with brioche, or as she says it “baweeyoche!” Always with an exclamation mark. And since there are few things quite as enchanting as a warm festive sweet bread on Christmas morning, I decided this would be my pièce de résistance this year. It does not disappoint.

First thing that must be said, although this recipe might give the impression of being complicated, it’s actually relatively easy. The dough can be ready in about 20 minutes flat (with a stand mixer), and then allowed to rise and rest overnight (or for up to two days in the fridge) so that all you have to do on Christmas morning is assemble it, let it rise again, and bake it. The showy star is achieved by rolling out the dough and sandwiching it with bright red jam, then making cuts in a circular pattern and twisting the ends together. I use cranberry jam which takes just 10 minutes to make (use organic cranberries if you can find them because conventional cranberries are grown in a bit of a chemical soup, unfortunately). If you prefer, you can substitute any jam of your choice.

This brioche throws some dazzle and flair on the Christmas breakfast table, it also makes a unique gift to bring to friends and family.

If you’re looking for more savory Christmas breakfast recipe ideas, be sure to check out my post from last year on Tourte Milanaise, and two years ago on Kale and Sun-dried Tomato Strata!

Please let me know if you make this in the comments below. May you and yours have a delightful holiday season, surrounded by good food and your loved ones.

Cranberry Orange Brioche Star

A holiday morning is the perfect time for a homemade, warm sweet bread. This cranberry orange brioche won't disappoint. Aube Giroux shares more about this dish and her holiday traditions in the Kitchen Vignettes blog.

Ingredients

• Brioche:
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated organic orange zest
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 x sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 egg + 1 tsp milk (for the egg wash)
• Cranberry Jam: (this can be replaced with any jam of your choice)
• 2 1/2 cups cranberries (about 8 oz)
• 1 cup cane sugar
• Juice of one orange (about 1/4 cup)
• About 2 Tbsp water (more if needed)

Directions

1. About an hour before you begin making this, place the milk and butter on the counter to bring them to room temperature.
2. Stir the yeast into the room temperature milk with a pinch of the sugar and let it rest for about 10 minutes until it has dissolved and started to froth. (Yeast takes a bit longer to bloom in milk than in water so give it a good 10 minutes).
3. While the yeast blooms, place all the remaining dough ingredients into a stand mixer bowl (except the butter, and the egg wash ingredients). Once the yeast and milk mixture is frothy, add it to the ingredients.
4. Using the dough hook attachment, knead everything together in the stand mixer on low speed for about 2 minutes or until it has come together into a ball. (I recommend a stand mixer because this dough is messy and can take some skill and time to knead… but in the absence of a stand mixer, here is a good primer on how to hand knead brioche dough.
5. Be sure your butter has softened to room temperature. After an initial 2-minute slow knead in the mixer, increase your speed to medium. Add the butter, one tablespoonful at a time. Wait between additions until the each tablespoon of butter is almost fully incorporated into the dough, 10 seconds or so, between each new piece of butter.
6. After all the butter is incorporated, knead on medium speed for another 8 minutes or so, until the dough is smooth and glossy. Brioche dough is soft, resist the urge to add more flour. The dough will become more easy to handle after it rests in the fridge.
7. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rise for about 1 1/2 hour in a warm kitchen. After this rising period, cover the dough well with a thin sheet of plastic or re-useable beeswrap and transfer it to the fridge overnight or for up to 2 days. It will rise some more so be sure it’s in a large enough bowl. (I just leave it in the stand mixer bowl, less dishes to wash.)
8. Make the cranberry “jam” (or use your own favorite jam). Place the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let it all simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and purée with a hand blender until smooth.
9. After an overnight rise, remove your dough from the fridge and turn it onto a floured board. Cut it into 4 equal pieces and shape them roughly into balls. Take a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle a little flour on it, and roll the first ball into a 10-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick (use a cake pan as a guide to cut them into even circles). Spread approximately 1/4 cup of cranberry jam on top of the dough. Spread it evenly and don’t lay it on too thick, leaving about 1 inch “jam-less” along the outside edge. Roll out the second ball of dough to a 10-inch circle. Transfer it gently on top of the jam-covered first circle. Repeat this until your reach the final fourth ball of dough but don’t spread jam on this last one. Try to work quickly because as the butter in the dough begins to reach room temperature, the dough will become more difficult to work with. If at any moment you find your dough too difficult to work with, simply return to the fridge for 15 minutes. Or use a little more flour to roll it out, brushing it off after the rolling is done.
10. Slide the parchment paper and brioche carefully onto a baking sheet. Place the whole thing in the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes to make it easier to slice cleanly.
11. Using a 3 to 4-inch round cookie-cutter (or the rim of a glass turned upside down), make a delicate imprint right in the center of your jam sandwich. Using a sharp chopping knife (serrated knife is not recommended), slice 16 even cuts all around the outer edge of the center circle. If needed, slide the parchment paper back onto a countertop to make it easier to cut. Pick-up 2 strips at a time and twist them outwards from each other twice. Press the edges together and repeat until you have a lovely star! You can adjust the points of the star after to clean up any untidy ones. Cover with a clean towel and put the brioche in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 hour. (Don’t leave it for much more than that, unless your kitchen is very cold).
12. Before putting the brioche in a 350F preheated oven, whisk the egg and 1 tsp milk together. Brush the brioche with a light layer of this egg wash to give it shine and color. Bake the brioche for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve warm.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Celebrate Christmas Morning with a Cranberry Orange Brioche Star appeared first on PBS Food.

I’m always trying to think up new ways to eat squash at this time of year, and I thought this one was worthy of sharing with you all. I first tried these fries with butternut squash but was disappointed with the results. Butternut can be on the watery side and they just didn’t have the right texture. I wanted a fry that was a little more meaty so I opted for buttercup squash which has more of a rich and dense texture and is also sweeter, reminiscent of sweet potatoes which make my all-time favorite fries.

I was pleased to find that buttercup squash fries are very similar in taste and texture to sweet potato fries. (I have a hunch delicata squash would make an equally lovely fry, though I haven’t tried it yet).

Once they were done, all they needed was a little dipping sauce and because sage and squash are a bit of a match made in heaven, I threw some fresh chopped sage into a homemade aioli and BAM, found a brand new way to serve up squash at the Thanksgiving (or any) table!

This recipe is relatively simple and you can make it either using the light cornmeal coating specified in the instructions below or just with plain olive oil and salt, it’s up to you. Both are delicious. Best of all, these fries are baked in the oven, which is good news for your arteries and doesn’t involve hot frying oil. I do have one disclaimer though: cutting up a whole squash into fry-sized pieces is fairly time consuming, the timelapse in my video might make it seem quick and easy but I actually wrestled with those squashes for quite some time. So just set aside a good chunk of time for the squash-wrestling, at least 30 to 45 minutes – put on your favorite tunes, and go to it! (I’ve also figured out a little trick to speed things up which I’ll share with you in the recipe below).

If you’re looking for other squash recipes in anticipation of Thanksgiving, here are some of my long-time favorites which I’ve previously posted: Roasted Squash Cornbread, Delicata Squash and Sage Biscuits, and Squash and Maple Tarte Tatin.

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones. May there be a spirit of gratitude and giving of thanks around your table, and may it be a time to listen to each other with both head and heart during this challenging political climate which has been so divisive.

Buttercup Squash Fries with Sage Aioli

These buttercup squash fries are very similar in taste and texture to sweet potato fries.

Ingredients

• Buttercup Squash Fries
• 1 medium-sized buttercup squash (about 3 to 4 pounds)
• About 3 Tbsp. olive oil (add 1 Tbsp for greasing pan if you aren’t using parchment paper)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Optional coating for the fries
• 2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp cornmeal
• Sage Aioli
• 1 raw egg yolk at room temperature
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup mild olive oil
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic (more or less depending on your taste)
• 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves chopped very finely

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450F.
2. Slice the squash in half and scoop out all the seeds and stringy flesh. Next, you can either peel the two squash halves using a potato peeler, but I found it was less time-consuming to initially leave the skin on and begin by slicing the squash into fry-sized pieces and then cut away or peel the skins off. I found that a slightly thicker fry yielded best results. Somewhere between a half to three quarters of an inch thick.
3. Next place all the french fry sticks in a bowl and toss with about 3 Tbsp of olive oil (start with 2 Tbsp, and add more as needed to cover all fries and make them nice and slippery but not dripping with oil). If using the coating, mix the cornstarch, cornmeal, and salt together in a little bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the oiled fries and toss gently to coat all the fries. (If you prefer to opt out of the coating, simply sprinkle the salt on the fries and toss).
4. Lay down the fries on either a parchment-lined baking sheet or an oiled on (about 1 Tbsp. olive oil is plenty to oil the pan). (I recommend using parchment paper because the fries will bake more evenly and be less prone to burning). Be sure the fries are spread out and not touching or overlapping. If you need to, use a second pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Check the fries and if they are getting nicely browned underneath, flip them over (very delicately so they don’t get mashed) and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Remove from the oven and serve hot!
6. To make the aioli, be sure your egg yolk is at room temperature. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in with the egg yolk. Very very slowly, pour in a tiny stream of olive oil while whisking vigorously. Continue until the mixture thickens significantly and both oils are used up. Whisk in the crushed garlic and chopped sage and voila! Be sure to refrigerate your aioli if not using right away because it has raw egg yolk in it.

Tips/Techniques

As a serving suggestion, place the fries in little paper cones with your guests’ names written on them and little dipping bowls with the aioli. Enjoy

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Sweet Potato Fry-lovers will Devour These Buttercup Squash Fries appeared first on PBS Food.

The first time I went to Tunisia when I was 19 years old, I remember watching my host mom in amazement as she nonchalantly plopped some green peppers, tomatoes, an onion, and a few cloves of garlic right on her stovetop burner. I had never seen anyone cook food directly on a burner like that before. As the vegetable skins began to sizzle and char, they released an intoxicating aroma into the house and before I had even tasted it, I was already smitten with this dish.

Slata Mechouia is a staple in Tunisian cuisine. It translates from Arabic as “Grilled Salad” but it is really more of a grilled salsa than a salad. You’ll find it on just about every Ramadan dinner table in Tunisia, and since the month of Ramadan is soon coming a close, I thought it would be a good time to share this recipe with you.

I’ve shared my love of Tunisian cuisine before, with video recipes for Tunisian Spinach Rice and also traditional Zrir dessert which is eaten to welcome the arrival of a new baby. And if you follow my blog, you might remember my friend Synda and I’s crazy baby adventure a couple years ago! Well, it was during that period that we filmed this Slata Mechouia video together, just a couple weeks before her little one came into the world.

Synda is such a gifted cook. Everything she touches is imbued with the indescribably fragrant flavours of her country. Whenever we visit each other, I beg her to make Slata Mechouia. But since there is a long distance between us and our visits are precious few, I’ve had to learn to make it myself.

It’s hard to find the slender, deep green, slightly spicy peppers that are common in Tunisia. The ideal pepper for this recipe is dark green, mildly hot, long and slender, and deeply flavorful. I usually use whatever green peppers I can get my hands, sometimes combining green bell pepper with a couple jalapeños. Poblano peppers are great if you can get them. But any dark green pepper will do the trick. You can adjust the type and amount of peppers to the level of heat you want the dish to carry. I like a Slata Mechouia that has a bit of kick to it, but won’t burn the tastebuds so it can be enjoyed in generous amounts. In the video, we used the wrong type of tomato because that’s all we had. You should ideally use Roma tomatoes, or any kind of paste tomato. It will hold its shape better when grilled and has less juice and more flesh which is exactly what you want. You can prepare the vegetables on an outdoor grill or roast them in the oven (Synda and I even experimented with roasting them on top of hot embers in a woodstove, which worked fairly well). But I love to do it directly on the stovetop because it reminds me of being in Tunisia.

Slata Mechouia is generally served with an optional garnish of olives, flaked tuna, and chopped hardboiled eggs. It is usually scooped up by hand, with torn up pieces of fresh baguette. But for ease of serving, you can also spread it on toasted bread and place the garnishes on top. Do let me know what you think if you make this!

Tunisian Grilled Salad (Slata Mechouia)

Tunisian Grilled Salad is also known as Slata Mechouia featuring stovetop roasted peppers, onions, and tomatoes on baguette slices.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 medium-large green peppers (I use 3 poblanos, or 2 bell peppers and 1 jalepeno)
• 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes (or any plum or paste tomato)
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground caraway (or sub with 2 tsp ground coriander)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• Optional garnishes:
• 1/4 cup flaked tuna
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• A dozen olives
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Grill all the vegetables on a medium-hot grill, or in the oven (475 until lightly charred and softened), or directly over a burner. Grill until softened and skins are charred.
2. Remove the vegetables from heat source and place directly in a tightly-lidded pot to make them “sweat” and for easy removal of the skins.
3. Once cool enough to handle, remove all the skins as well as any seeds from tomatoes and peppers, and any charred flesh. (It’s ok for there to be the occasional charred bits, this will add flavor).
4. On a chopping board, finely chop everything together until the pieces are smaller than or about the size of peas. (You can also use a food processor to do this, but don’t process so far that you get a puree, there should still be small chunks.)
5. Transfer to a bowl and add the ground caraway, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Taste, and add more seasonings if needed.
6. Top with the optional garnishes if you wish, and serve with a fresh or toasted baguette.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Tunisian Grilled Salad (Slata Mechouia) appeared first on PBS Food.

I’m so excited to share this post with you because this one’s a special collaboration with a fellow gardener and food blogger: the talented Sofia of From The Land We Live On. I’ve been admiring Sofia’s gorgeous food and gardening photography for quite sometime and I had the idea at the back of my mind that it would be fun to feature her in one of my videos. I was so thrilled when she agreed to join forces on this one! We spent a delightful day together: she made decadent mint and chocolate ice cream with freshly harvested mint from her garden (with the help of a very keen little helper as you’ll notice in the video!) and I filmed the whole wonderful adventure.

Sofia’s mint and chocolate ice cream is truly exquisite! Rich and balmy, the freshness of the mint lingers on the tastebuds. It was very hard to hold myself back from eating all the ice cream until after I was done shooting the photos and video.

Aside from the fact that it’s absolutely over-the-top delicious, there are a few very specific things I love about this recipe. First, it uses both white and dark chocolates, and really, why restrict yourself to only one type chocolate when you can have two?!

Second, using fresh mint instead of mint extract makes all the difference in the world. I did a side-by-side taste test of mint chocolate ice cream made with extract and it was not nearly as vibrantly aromatic as using fresh garden mint. Sofia grows several different varieties of mint in her garden and she used spearmint for this recipe. I recommend sticking to that if it’s available to you.

A third reason to love this recipe is that because white chocolate is used in the body of the ice cream, there’s no additional sugar required and as a result, the ice cream is not overly sweet.

Finally, I was intrigued by the idea of using tapioca starch instead of the standard egg yolks and I was impressed with the results. Sofia did a test of the recipe using egg yolks so we could sample both versions and compare. The results were surprising! Although generally speaking, I’m all for yolks in ice cream, the tapioca version was much better. In the egg yolk version the mint aroma was muted somewhat, whereas in the tapioca version it really sparkled with its full minty potential. The tapioca version was also lighter in body, and had a lovely pale green hue from the mint leaves, whereas the egg yolk ice cream was a more yellowish color and felt heavier. So although I wouldn’t use it for every ice cream type, tapioca is a lovely option for more delicate, herbal ice creams such as this one, and a good trick to have up your sleeves if you make you own ice cream! (You can always use cornstarch instead of tapioca, if necessary).

Enjoy!

Fresh Mint and Chocolate Ice Cream

This dessert uses white and dark chocolates as well as fresh mint instead of mint extract. (Recipe Credit: Sofia Eydelman of From The Land We Live On)

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream (35%)
• 2 cups packed fresh mint leaves (spearmint is best), removed from their stem (about 2.8 oz)
• 4 tsp. tapioca starch
• 8oz white chocolate, finely chopped
• 2oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

1. Warm up the milk and cream in a medium pot. Add the mint leaves, push them down to submerge them, and let the mixture steep for about an hour.
2. Strain the mint-infused mixture over a large pot and remove 1/4 cup of the mixture.
3. In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch with the reserved 1/4 cup of liquid, set aside.
4. Place the chopped white chocolate into a medium bowl and set a fine-mesh strainer on top.
5. Bring the pot of milk and cream up to a boil and let it roll for a few minutes, whisking constantly so that it doesn’t boil over.
6. Reduce the heat to low, add the tapioca starch slurry to the hot milk/cream and continue cooking and whisking, to thicken the mixture.
7. Pour it over the white chocolate, through the strainer, and whisk until the chocolate is fully melted.
8. Cool the mixture over an ice bath or in the fridge until fully chilled, then process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the churning is complete, stir in the chopped dark chocolate, transfer to a container, and freeze until set.

Yield: 6 servings

Aube Giroux is a food writer and filmmaker who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table blog, Kitchen Vignettes.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

The post Fresh Mint and Chocolate Ice Cream appeared first on PBS Food.