Ginger Spiced Ice Cream

Ginger Spiced Ice Cream

It's  been WEEKS since I posted anything!  I have had a slew of houseguests and visiting Bajans, so I have been busy cooking, eating and well, shall I just say "enjoying cocktails" with some great friends over the last few weeks.  So, now I am back on the job and should prob be back on the wagon...

When my Aussie's mum was visiting recently, we all decided to trek to Queens to check out Little India and enjoy its culinary offerings.  We had a brief look around but quickly, and hungrily, settled down to a highly recommended (thank you Yelp) buffet lunch at place called Delhi Heights.  The food was lovely, the service was great, and it came in at a meager $9.99 per head.  Nowhere in my blessed Bimshire can you find such a deal.  

Savoury, fried delicacies in Little India

After eating our fill, we dragged our lazy bums out into the sunshine and had a good look around - what a treat!  Tons of gorgeous, exotic fruits and veg, as well as heady spice markets and sweet shops to choose from.  

Not to mention offerings of colorful saris and über shiny, over the top jewellery. These treats, combined with twangy Indian music playing loudly from random shops and the sunshine kissing my shoulders... Well, I was one happy little Kitchen Witch. 

By the time we left  we were laden with spices, fruits, bad music, worse movies, a chapati press (can't wait to use and write about it!) and an awesome pair of earrings..

All around, a successful shopping day.

In our haul we bought a ton of fresh ginger with the intentions of making ginger beer.  These days I am so digging the flavour of ginger and the Aussie loves him some dark and stormies, so making ginger beer excited us both.  Well, as I had mentioned, we've been busy, so the project is on pause with the ginger safely stored in the fridge to be used this week, hopefully...  So this post is not about the ginger beer. It is however about an amazing ginger spice ice cream that would thrill Ganesha himself. 

My Aussie, who is a total gem, spoiled me with this:

Isn't she cute??

When my little ice cream maker was delivered I danced with joy.  Yes, I'm a bit of a food nerd...  So far I have made strawberry ice cream which was good, but my spiced ginger ice cream truly is money.  Now if only I could get someone to pay me for  it...

Spiced Ginger Ice cream

Makes approx. 32 oz.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup milk

3” piece of ginger, cut into coins

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole star anise

1 black cardamom pod, seeds only

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

10 black peppercorns

1 1/3 cup heavy cream

¾ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Process:

1.       In a medium saucepan bring the milk, ginger and spices just to a boil and simmer, stirring for 15 mins.  Mixture will reduce.

2.       Add cream, sugar and salt and bring back up to a simmer, stirring for 5 mins.

3.       Take off heat to allow spices to steep and the mixture to cool for half an hour. 

4.       Once cool, pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

5.       Strain spices out of mixture and pour into ice cream maker, following the manufacturers instructions.

Mmmm... ice cream awesomeness!

Pinky's Peppersauce

Oh my hotness!

For a West Indian there is nothing quite like the kick of an amazing peppersauce…  A kick that pleasantly burns the lips and can make even the lowliest of meals taste like mana from heaven. Growing up in Barbados, I naturally ate Bajan peppersauce,  however my it does not compare to the flavoursome,  albeit searing heat of my Trini mum's peppersauce... My Trini mum, who I have very fondly have nicknamed Pinky.  It suits her.  She for some reason answers to it, so it has stuck.  No meal in our Caribbean household is served without her peppersauce on the side.  My father has been known to carry a bottle with him when traveling.  "Tabasco," he'd scoff, "no thank you, I have my own..."    

While wandering through a street market in Hell's Kitchen recently, I happily came across an African lady selling her homemade peppersauces.  Of course I had to sample to see if her sauce was hot enough to make the Devil dance... For my West Indian tastebuds, the heat level was moderate, but the sauce was so full of flavour that I had to buy a bottle.  She has  creatively made spicy concoctions, combining flavours like mango and tamarind or ginger and lemongrass.  Here is a link to her page: nafishotpeppercondiments.com  I will enjoy my little bottle of Nafi's Hot Pepper Condiment, but it just doesn't compare to Pinky's...

Pinky's peppersauce came with me to University and was applied to many meals of Kraft Mac and Cheese and Mr. Noodles.  It was carefully rationed and treasured and has therefore become something dear to me and truly reminds me of home.  Currently, there is a tiny bottle in our fridge, which is on the last dregs... “Yup,” I thought to myself, “Somethin's gotta happen”.   

 

Jamaican Hot Peppers and Bishop's Crown

I managed to locate some Jamaican hot peppers in our local supermarket, as well as some others that were labeled Ajies.  I jumped online and did my research and according to Wikipedia, these particular ones are known as Bishop’s Crown due to their distinctive shape.  They are indigenous to South America, but can also be found in Barbados.  I’ve never seen them at home, but figured I would give em a shot.  Unfortunately they aren’t spicy in the slightest… BUT the Jamaican peppers pulled through and provided the necessary heat for my version of my mum's recipe.  Pinky would be proud.  

Pinky's Peppersauce

Makes 6 8oz bottles

Ingredients:

1lb hot peppers (can use any you like.  I used 2/3 Jamaican hot and 1/3 Bishop's Crown)

16oz jar Giardiniera, vegetables and all the brining liquid

6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup water

Process:

1.      Remove and discard stems from peppers and cut each into four pieces.  I suggest wearing gloves when using very hot peppers, and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES!

2.      Blitz all ingredients in blender in two batches until all peppers and vegetables are thoroughly broken down, adding a little more water if necessary.

3.      Pour each batch into a large non-reactive bowl.  Stir to combine.

4.      Pour into clean jars and voila! Peppersauce ;)

Stocked up!

To stick with proper Pinky Peppersauce etiquette, use only clean plastic (not metal) utensils when dipping into this amazing condiment that tastes great on just about everything!

 

 

 

 

 

A little Rock Named Bim

 

Barbados is often referred to as Little England, as we were colonized by the British in 1625.  In many ways our little Rock still shows our once strong allegiance to the Queen - cricket is our national sport, we drive on the left (i.e. the correct) side of the road, places in Barbados are named after those in Britain, such as Kent and Kensington and we still rightly include the letter 'u' in words such as favour and savour.  

We also, to some degree... value the foods that the Brits brought to our tiny island. Now, I'm not saying fish and chips could ever compare with a good ol plate of flying fish and cou-cou, but one of my favourite childhood treats was definitely influenced by the introduction of Rock Buns to Bim (another nickname for Barbados, but actual source is unknown).  We definitely took the recipe and Caribbeanized it with additions of coconut and  Muscovado sugar and then simply called them Rock Cakes. This inexpensive recipe is one that easily creates an afternoon treat to be enjoyed with a cuppa - a pleasure that we Bajans also happily inherited from Great Britain.  

 

 

For me these snacks were included at birthday parties or as a surprise treat when arriving home from school.  Even when your mum had no time to bake, there was always a pastry vendor in a van, or a quick trip to Purity Bakeries, to help feed the insatiable hunger of a West Indian child.  Rock cakes were even one of those recipes we all had to learn in Second Form Home Economics, from our sweaty, albeit lovely, Home Ec teacher... Ok maybe that part was just my experience...  Regardless, I was still never put off these lovely, coconuty morsels that crumbled just so, and if you were lucky, had half of a maraschino cherry on top! 

 

 

I've done my research on Rock Cakes, compared recipes and then used what I thought to be the best advice on making them.  I then made my own tweaks and additions and I think I've come up with something pretty darn tasty, and yes, great with my afternoon Earl Grey.  I must confess that after I pulled them out of the oven I said to my Aussie "These didn't quite come out like my mother's...".  He rather astutely pointed out, "Well your mother didn't bake them...".  Thank you for putting it all into perspective my love ;)

 

Spiced Coconut Rock Cakes

Makes 6

 Ingredients:

1/8 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

1/8 cup raisins

2 tbs dark rum

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup Muscovado sugar, with extra for sprinkling

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, room temperature

4 tsp milk

Process:

1.     Preheat oven to 360F and lightly butter the baking sheet.

2.     Pour rum over dried fruits and heat in microwave for 20 seconds.  Set aside.

3.     Add spices and baking powder to flour and stir to combine.

4.     Rub both fats into the flour and spice mixture with fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

5.     Drain fruits and add along with the coconut and sugar and mix evenly.

6.     Beat the vanilla with the eggs and pour into mixture.  Combine.

7.     Add milk slowly and mix with hands until a soft dough is formed.

8.     With a spoon and a fork, divide dough into six equal portions and place on the baking sheet, shaping each into a rough cone.

9.     Sprinkle the top with  a little (or a lot!) more sugar and bake in the middle of the oven  for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the sheet halfway through baking time.

10. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool until you can’t take it anymore and just have to have one!

Om nom!