STINK IT UP Durian Gelato

Underarms, rotting garbage, stinky feet... 

These are just a few common descriptions for the oh-so-pungent smell of the Durian fruit. If you've never smelt or tasted Durian, then you're in for quite the experience! The smell is so bad, that it's even banned in some public places in Asia (where it is the most popular) and even hotels, as the smell travels through the air conditioning. 

Normally I would say that with Durian, you either love it or you hate it. But in the form of an ice cream, the lines become blurred. I did not enjoy eating Durian as a fruit...at all! I think this photo (my friend Jess calls, "the Durian face") sums it up very well (that's me on the left). 

The Durian Face

But as for the ice cream version, once you got past the smell, it was actually decent! The ice cream was predominantly made from coconut cream, which gave the flavour more balance. I added a touch of pandan essence (which, FYI, is NOT made from Panda, ANTON!) The pandaN essence gave the ice cream a much nicer colour than the original Durian colour (see the final image below) and a hint of delicious pandan flavour. Check out my radioactive-looking Pandan gelato I made previously - here. 

Durian is not easily found fresh here, in Australia. You can usually get the frozen variety (in its husk or just the flesh in a tray) from Asian grocery stores, which is what I used for my ice cream. And you can trust me when I tell you it did not lose any of it's flavour or fragrance.

STINK IT UP. DURIAN ICE CREAM

Recipe based on Summer Quencher's  Es Puter Ice Cream

Makes about 1.5 litres

Ingredients:

• 3 tins of coconut cream (400mL) (I used 1 tin of coconut cream and 2 tins of coconut milk)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pandan extract
• 150 g sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, diluted with 3 tbsp water
• 200 g durian, roughly minced

Method:

• Mix coconut cream, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, then cook over medium heat  and keep stirring until boiling.
• Add the diluted cornstarch and mix well. Remove from heat.
• Sacrifice a blender that you don't mind getting too stinky and blend your durian until smooooooth.
• Add the pandan essence and durian to cream mixture.
• Use an ice cream maker on desired setting to process the mixture and churn.
• Clean everything very thoroughly and air out your house!!!

But I don't have an ice cream maker!

Never fear!

Follow the Method listed above and put the mixture in a container with a lid, then leave the mixture in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Mix, then move the container to the freezer, mixing well every hour for the next 3 hours to get air into the ice cream.

EYEBALL SUNDAE Black Sesame Gelato with Tapioca Pearls

Happy Halloween!

It's not a huge holiday here in Australia, but I couldn't resist the thought of a Halloween Gelato! I've been wanting to make a Black Sesame flavour for ages. My family eats it quite often at my Uncles restaurant at the end of an enormous Chinese Banquet.

This is my Eyeball Sundae, with roasted Black Sesame Gelato served with Tapioca Pearls and Eyeball Bubblegum. To make the Tapioca Pearls, soak 1/2 cup in 5 cups of boiling hot water and heat on stove (on medium) for about 5 minutes, until the pearls are soft and plump. Then remove from heat. I wouldn't mix in the pearls into the gelato, as they will go hard after awhile. You'll have to reheat them to re-soften the pearls, which doesn't work well with gelato!

I'm still setting up my kitchen and filling it up with goodies, but I don't have a lot of the tools needed to perfect this gelato. A mortar and pestle would have helped grind down those sesame seeds to fine granules, so mine was on the chunky side. And I'm desperate to buy a mixer, so my cream wasn't whipped like this recipe describes. However, my gelato still turned out well. 

So I thought I'd be extra generous and write up 2 recipes, because I know not all of you have ice cream makers. So I've put together a  cheat's guide to this gelato (read below) 

NO ICE CREAM MAKER REQUIRED! 

NO CHURN BLACK SESAME GELATO

Makes about 1 litre


Gelato Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. roasted black sesame seeds and 3 Tbsp of black sesame paste OR 5 Tbsp roasted black sesame seeds and 3 Tbsp honey (to make your own black sesame paste)
• 1L of plain vanilla ice cream
• Pinch of salt

Gelato Method:

• If the black sesame seeds are not roasted, put the sesame in a (non-stick) fry pan over medium heat and stir until they start popping and release a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and cool.
• Grind black sesame seeds and salt very finely.
• Mix in honey if you are making your own black sesame paste. 
• Stir ingredients into vanilla ice cream thoroughly and serve.

BLACK SESAME GELATO
Recipe based on Just One Cookbook's Black Sesame Ice Cream

Makes about 1 litre


Gelato Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. roasted black sesame seeds
• 400 ml (roughly 1 2/3 cup) whole milk
• 70g (2.5oz, roughly 1/3 cup) sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 3 Tbsp. black sesame paste (or Homemade Black Sesame Paste)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 200 ml (Take away 2 Tbsp. of 1 cup) heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

Gelato Method:

• If the black sesame seeds are not roasted, put the sesame in a (non-stick) fry pan over medium heat and stir until they start popping and release a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and cool.
• Grind black sesame seeds very finely with a mortar and pestle (or the end of a rolling pin).
• Whisk together the sugar and egg yolk until pale yellow. 
• Bring milk to a simmer, then remove from heat.
• Add to the sugar and egg mixture the honey, black sesame seeds, and black sesame paste and whisk until well combined. Then slowly add the milk and vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into a pot over medium-low heat. Stir until the custard thickens, then remove from heat and cool mixture down.
• Whisk together the heavy cream and a pinch of salt until peaks form.
• Add the whipped cream into the cooled sesame mixture.
• Fold in but be careful not to over mix. 
• Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until completely cold.
• Churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

THE C WORD Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cacao and Cream

C is for cravings, chocolate, cookies and cream! Shame on you for thinking otherwise! Both the cookies and ice cream were made on a whim to satisfy my two most common cravings - chocolate and of course, ice cream. These recipes were so simple and quick to make, so I'm making it my emergency ice cream of choice.

These cookies taste so amazing when freshly baked, especially when you bake them just enough so they hold together but are soft and gooey on the inside. Try to fight off the temptation to eat all of them and save a few for your ice cream!

I added in the cacao nibs for a bit of extra kick. I think it worked out nicely, adding a richer cocoa flavour and slight bitter and fragrant flavour to the cookie. 

The C Word 
ice cream with double chocolate chip cookies with cacao nibs
based on Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe from Breville Smart Scoop Booklet

Makes about 1 litre

Ice Cream Ingredients:

• 1 cup pouring cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 cookies (see Cookies recipe below)

Ice Cream Method:

• Place all ingredients (except for the cookies) into a large bowl and stir to combine.
• Refrigerate until the mixture is cold, then add mixture to ice cream maker bowl and churn in your ice cream maker on the desired setting.
• Add crushed cookies before serving, or when machine prompts you to add Mix Ins.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cacao nibs
based on Double Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe from the Cadbury kitchen

Makes about 20 cookies

Cookies Ingredients:

• 125g soft butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• Optional - Cacao nibs for sprinkling on top

Cookies Method:

• Preheat oven to 160° and line or grease baking trays.
• Cream softened butter and sugars together in a large bowl until they are light and fluffy.
• Using a whisk, mix in the egg and vanilla into the bowl.
• Stir in sifted flour and cocoa. When almost combined, fold through the chocolate chips
• Roll teaspoons of the mixture and place onto the baking trays. Then sprinkle cacao nibs on top if desired.
• Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Resist temptation to eat all of the cookies and save a few for your ice cream!
• Crush cookies and mix into your ice cream before serving, or when machine prompts you to add Mix Ins.