07 September 2010

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream, with Praline Macadamias (aka Kill Me With A Spoon)


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If my refrigerator ever became sentient, I swear the first thing it would do is take out a restraining order against me.

But since that is almost certainly never going to happen, will somebody PLEASE, I beg you, just lock up my freezer and throw away the keys.

Because ever since I made my first 2 tubs of this Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream, I have been violating my freezer repeatedly through the day, every day.

At first, I thought I just had to finish it fast and get it over with.  But instead, the empty tubs tricked me into filling 'em up with another batch of ice cream.  Only this time, I also added Praline Macadamias.

And what a bloomin' fool of a decision that turned out to be.

What was I thinking.  Salty burnt caramel ice cream, with fragrant, buttery, toasted macadamias in sweet and crunchy praline??   It might as well have been chunks of Kryptonite.

And there's no stopping me now, as I am scraping the bottom of my 4th ice cream tub.  Consumed all the time with thoughts of making a third batch.  What do you think, Salted Caramel Ice Cream with ... Praline Pecans? Crunchy Nougat?  Chocolate Fudge? Chocolate cookies?

I think I need HELP.

06 September 2010

Mango and Mixed Berries Coconut Crumble

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Which way do you crumble?

I know folks who like it plain.  Just the usual butter, flour, sugar (maybe brown sugar) and a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg.  But I never did like basic.

I like to add oats (what a good way to fill up on more of that artery de-clogger, I say), and sometimes, toasted almonds (extra crunch!).

But my favourite crumble of all time, has got to be a coconutty crumble. It's just a little bit unexpected.  A special touch that makes me (and hopefully my guests) feel like my homely crumble was actually something I honestly wanted to make.  And not just a rescue plan for my fruits in distress.

Do you know that coconut goes amazingly well with mangoes?   

The berries were great too, although I will confess that they were in there because, well, they needed rescuing.  But c'mon, check out that beautiful purply burst-berried rim in the photo above, they baked up so pretty! Blueberries + Raspberries = Purple Juices!!! And they tasted brilliant too, honest.

But if you are not dictated by the fruits in your fridge (like I frequently am) I urge you to go ahead and make a Banana and Mango Crumble. THAT, I know, would be totally phenomenal with the coconut topping.