Vanilla-Black Pepper Ice Cream

As far as Valentine’s Day gifts go, I generally prefer a simple bunch of well-intended tulips to other, more showy items. That was, until this little gem happened to cross my computer screen: The most perfect ice cream maker I’ve EVER seen. Daintily clad in bright red with whimsical ruffles, this machine will remind you, lest you ever forget, that making ice-cream should always be a festive occasion. It was love at first sight, I tell you. I didn’t even bother dropping hints; I came right out and pleaded, blathering on about all of the wonderful things we could make. And all this to a man who doesn’t even like sweets! Thankfully, I married a most obliging fellow, who quickly typed in the order (no doubt to spare himself from more recipe talk!) and even threw in some tulips to boot.

Cuisinart Perfection

Earlier this week there was a knock at the door and there she was, patiently waiting for me on our front stoop with the UPS Man.  I let her freshen up and relax in the freezer for the night before getting to work on the following evening. First order of business? Vanilla-Black Pepper Ice Cream. Molly Wizenberg writes about it in her book, A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, which is a collection of charming short stories and equally pleasing recipes. Having been introduced to the wonders of peppercorn in lending chai tea lattes their fiery bite, I was ever so intrigued to see what it could do for ice cream. The only problem being that her recipe called for eggs. Opinions are split on the matter of eggs in ice cream, but I'm decidedly opposed. All I need to make me perfectly happy are milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla frozen into icy deliciousness, along with the occasional chocolate chip and/or drop of peppermint extract for variety. Add eggs into the mix and it becomes way too much, at least for me.

I substituted my family’s basic vanilla recipe instead and added the suggested amount of black pepper towards the end. I was a little worried that not heating the pepper over the stove might have negative consequences but the results were as she promised they would be: Bright vanilla flavor followed by a gentle hint of heat. A fine treat on its own or served up alongside a slab of chocolate cake. Oh and it also pairs nicely with Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookies, but then again, doesn’t everything?!

Vanilla-Black Pepper Ice Cream

Adapted from A Homemade Life

1 3/4 cups whole milk

2 cups cream

2/3 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper (or to taste)

Whisk together milk, cream, sugar and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into the base of your ice-cream maker and let the machine take it away. Depending on your machine it should take 20-30 minutes. Add pepper roughly five minutes before the ice-cream is completely frozen to your liking.

 

Tulips in "burgundy" - Our wedding color :)

Ricotta Dumplings

Oh Valentine’s Day, I still don’t know what to think about you. I love you for your friendly red and white decorations, the familiar taste of candy hearts and the timeless thrill of receiving flowers (humble tulips please, not red roses!). But you irk me too. A day to declare your love? Really? How insincere and ostentatious of you. After all, shouldn’t we be saying it every day? And don’t get me started on how commercialized you’ve become.  Shame, shame, shame.  At the end of the day though, your invitation to indulge in a lavish meal never fails to win me over.

When we first started dating, Konrad and I hit the Valentine’s Day restaurant scene with gusto: Soiree, West Side Lounge, Upstairs on the Square and others. I’d don my favorite strappy red dress, Konrad a shinny red tie and out we’d go. Then something changed; we wised up to the ridiculously inflated prices and got annoyed. We’ve been feting the occasion at home ever since. The results might not be quite as gourmet, but its still fun and pretty darn tasty too. Last year, Risotto Stuffed Red Peppers were on our menu followed by Chocolate Stout Cake with ganache frosting.  I forget what came the year before that except that it ended with Chocolate Orange Cake made by yours truly, which is really the most important part anyhow.

Celebrating a couple days early, this year savory Ricotta Dumplings, peppered with minced chives, graced our table. We served the little darlings, dressed in a festive red pepper sauce, following a simple salad. For dessert, we munched on chocolate-covered cocoa nibs and popped Anne of Green Gables into the DVD player. Another plus to the holiday? The ability to sweet talk suitors (or husbands) into watching movies they ordinarily wouldn’t under the guise of romance. In this case though, Konrad gets extra points for laughing at all the right places and sticking through both parts. Admittedly it was a half-hearted affair (sorely lacking home-baked treats!), thanks to my third-wheel of a migraine that tagged along (and for most of the weekend!), but an enjoyable time nonetheless. 

Oh Valentine’s Day, you get me every time.

My Furry Valentine