Chocolate Apricot Torte Ice Cream ~ ElephantEats.com

I think I mentioned this when I posted the Butterscotch Ice Cream recipe, but we got an ice cream machine as a wedding gift.

It has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it’s been awesome to make homemade ice cream in all kinds of flavors. But then we have to eat all of this ice cream, and I imagine it’s contributed to my gaining some weight. I think every bite of ice cream I’ve taken has been worth it though.

Chocolate Apricot Torte Ice Cream ~ ElephantEats.com

The best part of having the ice cream machine has been coming up with different flavors ideas. Up until this point I haven’t experimented much because I figured I needed to just get the hang of making ice cream first. I wanted to understand the proportions of milk/cream/sugar, etc. I think I’ve got it down pat now, though!

I’ve had this idea swirling around in my head to make an ice cream version of one of the most delicious desserts ever- Apricot Chocolate Torte. If you haven’t made this recipe before, you absolutely must. It’s my family’s go-to recipe for Passover because the original recipe contains so little flour that it easily converts with a flour substitute (for those who don’t know, wheat flour is forbidden during Passover). 

Chocolate Apricot Torte Ice Cream ~ ElephantEats.com

Anyway, I happen to love chocolate and fruit. Chocolate covered apricots are one of my favorite things- I even had them on our wedding dessert buffet! So for this ice cream, I imagined a rich chocolate ice cream base, with a fruity apricot swirl and chunks of the amazing crust from the torte. 

The ice cream ended up being everything I imagined. Nate said it was really good but he’d rather not have chunks of fruit in his ice cream. Oh well, more for me ;)

Chocolate Apricot Torte Ice Cream ~ ElephantEats.com

On another note, what do you guys think of this new recipe format? Better? Worse? I’d love the feedback.

Apricot Chocolate Torte Ice Cream
Rich chocolate ice cream with a chunky apricot swirl and bits of walnut chocolate crust.

Yields: about 1 quart

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Chocolate Base
  1. 2 cups whole milk
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  4. pinch salt
  5. 3 Tbsp corn starch
  6. 1 cup heavy cream
  7. 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Apricot Swirl
  1. 6 oz. dried apricots, chopped
  2. 1/2 cup sugar
  3. 2/3 cup water
  4. 1.5 Tbsp flour
  5. Juice of 1/2 lemon
"Crust"
  1. 3/4 oz. chocolate chips
  2. 1/2 cup whole walnuts
  3. 2 Tbsp old fashioned oats
  4. pinch salt
  5. 1 Tbsp cold butter (i actually used oil in mine because I was afraid butter would be too hard when frozen, but the oil crust was too soft, so I think butter like the original crust it's based on would be better)
  6. 1 Tbsp cold water
  7. 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Chocolate Base
  1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, stir together 1.5 cups whole milk, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Heat until the milk start to steam, but before it starts to boil.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup of whole milk and the cornstarch. Stir until no lumps remain.
  3. Add the cornstarch mixture to the heated milk and chocolate mixture and bring to a low boil. Boil until thickened. The mixture will look the consistency of chocolate pudding. Remove from flame.
  4. In a small sauce pan, heat 1 cup of heavy cream. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir the cream and chocolate mixture until incorporated.
  5. Stir the cream and chocolate mixture into the cooling chocolate ice cream base. Place in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap or a lid, and put in the fridge until cool.
Apricot Swirl
  1. Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently and mashing any large pieces of apricot until mixture resembles thin jam, about 10-15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Chocolate "Crust"
  1. Place chocolate in bowl of food processor and chop roughly. Add nut and chop coarsely. Add oats, sugar and salt then blend. Add butter and process to blend. Add water and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Keep in fridge til ready to use.
Assembly
  1. Once base is cool, follow the manufacturers instructions on the ice cream maker to churn ice cream. Once the mixture has chilled and thickened in the ice cream maker, add the apricot swirl and crust in your favorite way- Some people prefer to layer ice cream and mix-ins in their freezer-safe container and swirl with a knife. Otherwise blend half of apricot into ice cream, then transfer the ice cream into a freezer safe container and fold in the remaining apricot and the crust crumbles.
  2. Cover and freeze until solid.
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Mayo-Free Potato Salad with Vinegar ~ ElephantEats.com

I was reading Cooking Light magazine the other day and there was a picture of this potato salad but not a whole recipe. It was a question and answer section and it kind of told you approximately what to do to make the salad. The picture, however, looked amazing.

Nate loves potatoes and has been begging me to make him a potato recipe for some time now, so I knew this was the one. We both love sour things so this recipe’s vinegar, dijon mustard and capers were a perfect match for our taste buds. I just made the recipe up as I went, adding what I thought the photo showed.

Mayo-Free Potato Salad with Vinegar ~ ElephantEats.com

The recipe mentions an interesting technique for the dressing. By mashing up some of the potato and mixing it with the dressing ingredients, you get a creamy, highly seasoned dressed that coats the potatoes and really stays in place.

This dressing also, unfortunately, makes for a less than gorgeous appearance-hence the reason there are only two photos. But you’ll have to trust me that it tastes THAT good.

Nate and I ate this alongside our dinner for several days, and we found that it only gets better as it sits, because the onions and potatoes really absorb all the dressing. We fought each other for the last serving.

I can’t wait to make this again!

Mayo-free Potato Salad with Onions and Capers

adapted from Cooking Light

Print this recipe!

makes a lot (sorry, I have no way how to estimate this, but it filled my large mixing bowl, but prob 8 servings)

3 lb. bag red-skinned potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
1/4 cup white vinegar plus 2 Tbsp for boiling, divided
1 medium red onion, cut into quarters and then into 1/2 thick slices
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp capers
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil plus 1 Tbsp, divided
3 Tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste.

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a couple Tablespoons of white vinegar and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until a fork can pierce them but they’re not falling apart (I took a potato out, cut it and tasted it to really tell). Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water to cool them down and stop cooking.

While potatoes are cooking heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium saute pan. When it gets hot, add the onion. Cook several minutes then add the balsamic. Continue cooking, stirring so balsamic doesn’t burn, until onions are cooked but still hold their shape. Remove to a large bowl.

Take a heaping cup of cooked potato, put in a small bowl and mash well. Whisk in the olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar and dijon mustard.

Add rest of the potatoes to the bowl with the onions. Add the celery, capers, parsley. Dump in the dressing and thoroughly combine. Serve at room temperature or cold. It’s even better the next day after the flavors have really absorbed into the potatoes!

Homemade Bagels ~ ElephantEats.com

My blogger friend Alyssa alerted me to Love and Olive Oil’s bagel challenge and encouraged me to try it along with her, and I’m so glad she did! Bagels were one of the foods on my list of things to attempt in my kitchen at some point in my lifetime (along with pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers, and a few others).

I followed Peter Reinhart’s recipe from his book Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day. They were so much easier to make than i was expecting. Most yeast recipes I have followed require so much rising, but this one (I’m assuming because of the “instant” yeast used) only had one 1-hr rise and then time overnight spent in the fridge.

Homemade Bagels ~ ElephantEats.com

I don’t have the dough hook for my Kitchen Aid mixer and it’s the mixer is such a pain to get out anyway that I rarely use it. I made this recipe by stirring with a wooden spoon and then kneading. I must be seriously out of shape because after 3 minutes of kneading, my abs were seriously sore the next day.

My bagels came out a little flatter than I was expecting but they were still totally delicious. I think it might be because I rolled the dough out into too thin of a “rope.” The recipe says to have a 2.5 inch hole but making it smaller may have kept the bagels puffier.

I also was reading up on flat bagels online and it seems that not refrigerating and simply baking after the first rise might solve the problem, but it could sacrifice the texture.

Homemade Bagels ~ ElephantEats.com

Personally, I was ok with their shape because their texture was SOOO good. They were everything a good bagel is supposed to be- crispy on the outside, airy but chewy on the inside. I don’t know about you, but I’m a bread person and I’m salivating just thinking about it. They smelled amazing too!

Some things I learned that you might find helpful:

  • If you use the second technique in the recipe to form the bagels, do not roll the “ropes” too thin and long.
  • Keep the bagel hole on the small side, especially if you make smaller bagels. If you divide into 8 pieces, keep each hole around 1″ wide
  • If using method two to shape the bagels, don’t overwet the ends or they won’t stick together.
  • Don’t overcrowd your pot when you boil the bagels.
  • If you line your pan with parchment, be sure to snip off any overhang, or it will majorly burn in the very hot 500° oven.
  • The “domed” side of the bagel the recipe is talking about is the side that ends on the bottom.
  • The recipe included here calls for instant yeast, not active dry yeast, but it still needs to be fully dissolved in lukewarm water before being used. If you only have active dry yeast, use 25 percent more (1 1/4 teaspoons instead of 1 teaspoon). Instant yeast is widely available and can also be ordered from King Arthur Flour or Amazon. If frozen, in an airtight container, it will keep up to two years.
  • I saw malt syrup in the market but it was so expensive and only came in a huge bottle so I just used honey in the recipe and it was totally fine.

That’s about it. Other than that, the recipe was super easy to follow. Enjoy!

This post is also being submitted to Yeastspotting!

Homemade Bagels ~ ElephantEats.com

Homemade Bagels

From Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day via Epicurious

Print this recipe!

makes 6-8 bagels

Dough
1 tablespoon (0.75 oz / 21 g) barley malt syrup, honey, or rice syrup, or 1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) diastatic malt powder
1 teaspoon (0.11 oz / 3 g) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons (0.37 oz / 10.5 g) salt, or 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 oz / 255 g) lukewarm water (about 95°F or 35°C)
3 1/2 cups (16 oz / 454 g) unbleached bread flour

Poaching liquid
2 to 3 quarts (64 to 96 oz / 181 to 272 g) water
1 1/2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) barley malt syrup or honey (optional)
1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) salt, or 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
preparation

Do Ahead:
To make the dough, stir the malt syrup, yeast, and salt into the lukewarm water. Place the flour into a mixing bowl and pour in the malt syrup mixture. If using a mixer, use the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed for 3 minutes. If mixing by hand, use a large, sturdy spoon and stir for about 3 minutes, until well blended.

The dough should form a stiff, coarse ball, and the flour should be fully hydrated; if it isn’t, stir in a little more water. I had to add some more water. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Resume mixing with the dough hook on the lowest speed for another 3 minutes or transfer to a very lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 3 minutes to smooth out the dough and develop the gluten. The dough should be stiff yet supple, with a satiny, barely tacky feel. If the dough seems too soft or overly tacky, mix or knead in a little more flour.

Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

When you’re ready to shape the bagels, prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then misting it with spray oil or lightly coating it with oil. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal pieces. (A typical bagel is about 4 ounces or 113 grams before baking, but you can make them smaller. If you make more than 6 bagels, you may need to prepare 2 sheet pans.) Form each piece into a loose ball by rolling it on a clean, dry work surface with a cupped hand. (Don’t use any flour on the work surface. If the dough slides around and won’t ball up, wipe the surface with a damp paper towel and try again; the slight bit of moisture will provide enough traction for the dough to form into a ball.)

There are two methods to shape the balls into bagels:

The first method is to poke a hole through the center of the ball to create a donut shape. Holding the dough with both thumbs in the hole, rotate the dough with your hands, gradually stretching it to create a hole about 2 inches in diameter.

The second method, preferred by professional bagel makers, is to use both hands (and a fair amount of pressure) to roll the ball into a rope about 8 inches long on a clean, dry work surface. (Again, wipe the surface with a damp towel, if necessary, to create sufficient friction on the work surface.) Taper the rope slightly at each end and moisten the last inch or so of the ends. Place one end of the dough in the palm of your hand and wrap the rope around your hand to complete the circle, going between your thumb and forefinger and then all the way around. The ends should overlap by about 2 inches. Squeeze the overlapping ends together by closing your hand, then press the seam into the work surface, rolling it back and forth a few times to seal. Remove the dough from your hand, squeezing it to even out the thickness if need be and creating a hole of about 2 inches in diameter. (I think you should make a smaller hole)

Place each shaped bagel on the prepared sheet pan, then mist with spray oil or brush with a light coating of oil. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. (You can also proof the full piece of dough in the oiled bowl overnight and then shape the bagels on baking day, 60 to 90 minutes before boiling and baking them, or as soon as they pass the float test.)

On baking day:
Remove the bagels from the refrigerator 60 to 90 minutes before you plan to bake them, and if you plan to top them with dried onion or garlic, rehydrate those ingredients (see the variations).

Immediately check whether the bagels are ready for baking using the “float test”: Place one of the bagels in a small bowl of cold water. If it sinks and doesn’t float back to the surface, shake it off, return it to the pan, and wait for another 15 to 20 minutes, then test it again. When one bagel passes the float test, they’re all ready to be boiled.

If they pass the float test before you are ready to boil and bake them, return them to the refrigerator so they don’t overproof. About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and gather and prepare your garnishes (seeds, onions, garlic, and so on).
To make the poaching liquid, fill a pot with 2 to 3 quarts (64 to 96 oz / 181 to 272 g) of water, making sure the water is at least 4 inches deep. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain at a simmer. Stir in the malt syrup, baking soda, and salt.

Gently lower each bagel into the simmering poaching liquid, adding as many as will comfortably fit in the pot. They should all float to the surface within 15 seconds. After 1 minute, use a slotted spoon to turn each bagel over. Poach for another 30 to 60 seconds, then use the slotted spoon to transfer it back to the pan, domed side up (the part that’s now on the bottom). (It’s important that the parchment paper be lightly oiled, or the paper will glue itself to the dough as the bagels bake.) Sprinkle on a generous amount of whatever toppings you like as soon as the bagels come out of the water (except cinnamon sugar; see the variation for details).

Transfer the pan of bagels to the oven, then lower the oven heat to 450°F (232°C).
Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and check the underside of the bagels. If they’re getting too dark, place another pan under the baking sheet. (Doubling the pan will insulate the first baking sheet.) Bake for another 8 to 12 minutes, until the bagels are a golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

Variations
You can replace any amount of the bread flour with an equal amount of whole grain flour (by weight), such as wheat or rye. If you do so, increase the water in the dough by 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) for every 2 ounces (56.5 g) of whole grain flour you substitute.
Top your bagels with any combination of the following garnishes: poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt, or rehydrated dried onions or garlic. (Soak dried onions or garlic in water to cover for at least 1 hour before applying.) The toppings will stick even better if you first brush the top of each bagel with an egg white wash made by whisking 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) of water. If using coarse salt as a garnish, remember that a little goes a long way.
For raisin bagels, mix in 1 1/3 cups (8 oz / 227 g) of raisins during the final 2 minutes of mixing and, if you like cinnamon, stir 1/2 teaspoon (0.14 oz / 4 g) of ground cinnamon into the flour before you start mixing. When the bagels come out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter and dip the top into a bed of cinnamon sugar to give it a very tasty cinnamon crust. You can make cinnamon sugar by whisking 2 tablespoons (1.6 oz / 44 g) of ground cinnamon into 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) of granulated sugar.

Farro Salad ~ ElephantEats.com

Sorry I haven’t posted a recipe in a while. We’ve been quite busy around these parts.

First, Nate’s mom came to visit, then my parents flew in for the wknd, then it was the 4th, then my bday and then I came down with a nasty stomach bug. But I’m back now, so I’ve got some lovely photos for you all, and a tasty recipe!

When Nate’s mom came to town, we went to this cool exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art called the Rain Room. It’s basically a dark room with just one light shining, and inside it’s raining…but wherever you walk the rain stops. They only let 10 or so people in at a time.

Here’s Nate and his mom- in the rain, but dry as can be.

Moma Rain Room ~ ElephantEats.com

Because it was a dark room with a huge light beam shining right on us, there were some crazy shadows while we were waiting in line.

No one else in line seemed to notice, as they were too mesmerized by the actual exhibit, but Nate and I managed to get quite a silhouette of us!

Moma Rain Room Silhouette ~ ElephantEats.com

Then, we headed to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. We’ve been there a bunch of times, but this time we went specifically because they had this awesome outdoor temporary exhibit called The Four Seasons.

From their site, “Four Seasons is an installation of four sculptures—each standing more than 15 feet high—by contemporary American artist Philip Haas. Encompassing Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, the works are inspired by the 16th-century creations of Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo.”

They were SOOOO cool. Clockwise from top left: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn.

NY Botanical Gardens Seasons

Here’s a photo to show how large they are in comparison to a person. Quite a resemblance, isn’t it?

Nate Old Man Winter ~ ElephantEats.com

Which one is the real Beardo?

I don’t have any great pics from when my parents visited because it was too hot to do anything, much less take out the camera. We did do some fun stuff though- walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, ate some yummy food, saw a cool Lego exhibit at the Discovery Center, and ate more yummy food :)

Finally, here’s me, enjoying my delicious Reese’s PB cup ice cream cake, a mere 12 hours before the stomach virus incapacitated me. At least I got to enjoy my bday!

Amy bday 2013

But the real star of this post is the Farro Salad I made to bring to my friend Barrie’s annual 4th of July party. I saw it on one of my fave sites, Shutterbean, and I chose it because it has nothing in it that can spoil if it’s left out in the hot temperatures for an afternoon (i.e. perfect picnic food!). And it’s a good thing I chose something like that since it was in the 90s all day on the 4th.

Farro Salad ~ ElephantEats.com

It was TOTALLY delicious and I couldn’t stop eating it before I packaged it up for the party.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t change a thing from the recipe on Shutterbean’s site, so you can head on over there for the recipe! The only caveat I’d make is that I doubled the recipe and it still didn’t seem like all that much. I guess it depends if you’re serving it as a main dish or side dish.

Farro Salad ~ ElephantEats.com

I hope you all had a great 4th! I can’t believe we’re already into July. How is this year going by so quickly!

Get the recipe on Shutterbean’s site!

I hope you guys have some fun plans for the 4th. If you’re not going to someone’s party, chances are you’ve got your own bbq or picnic planned.

Still not sure what to make? I’ve got you covered for both the main meal and the dessert!

If you want something savory, these first recipes will make you the hit of any 4th of July party:

Brad’s Salsa– seriously so good you don’t even need chips

salsa

 

Tomato Corn Salad – sweet summer corn steals the show in this one.

Corn and tomato salad with basil

 

Veggie TexMex Pasta Salad– I brought this to last year’s 4th festivities! It’s got no mayo so it can sit out without worries of food poisoning.

Tex mex pasta salad

 

Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Feta, Capers and Chickpeas– a great cold pasta salad to serve alongside burgers and hotdogs.

Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Feta, Capers,and Chickpeas 2 ~ ElephantEats.com

 

Wheatberry Salad– something a little different and healthier for your 4th. Great served warm or cold.Warm Wheatberry, Brussels Sprout Salad with Feta and Crispy Tofu ~ ElephantEats.com

 

Marinated Broccoli Salad – best made the day before, so get on it!Broccoli Salad

 

Tabouli – classic summer salad taking advantage of all the fresh veggies available!

Tabouli

 

Cilantro Lime Hummus– the most refreshing hummus you’ve ever tasted, and a recipe that gets pinned ALL the time.

Cilantro Lime Hummus

 

Now, if you’re looking for something sweet, I’ve totally got you covered:

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp– with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s summer dessert perfection!

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

 

Toffee Blondies– Sturdy and perfectly portable for whever you need to bring them. Also, have you seen the photo below?! I wish I had one now.

Toffee Blondies ~ ElephantEats.com

 

Cookies ‘n Cream Bars – this recipe is crazy good. Tastes like Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream in a convenient little bar.

Cookies and Cream Bars

 

No-Bake Chocolate-covered Peanut Butter Crispy Bars  – a great recipe for when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. Though these are best served indoors in the A/C so the chocolate doesn’t get too melty.

Crispy Peanut Butter Bars

 

and finally for a little something to liven up your party while keeping you cool:

Frozen Lemon Mojito– SOOOO good and so refreshing! Can easily be made without the alcohol. Just add more water.

Frozen Lemon Mojito

 

Happy 4th everyone!!!

 

Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Feta, Capers and Chickpeas