Very Cherry



It's hot...very hot and in an attempt to keep cool I was quite diverted by a feature in the latest Feast Magazine about ice cream around the globe.

While touring the globe by ice cream, Italy called and Gelato de Amarena (amarena cherry gelato) was on the menu!

I dusted off my ice cream maker and assembled the ingredients...

This is not something you would embark on in the spur of the moment as it takes some time to prepare as well as cooling, churning and freezing time but it is certainly worth the effort!

 

Ingredients

750 ml milk

250 ml thickened cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

200g caster sugar

4 egg yolks

240g jar amarena cherries in syrup, drained syrup reserved

 

Method

1. Brink milk, cream and vanilla bean and seeds to just below boiling point in a large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk caster sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until thick and pale. Whisking constantly, gradually pour in hot milk mixture until combined.

2. Transfer mixture into a clean saucepan (I skipped this bit as I am a lazy cook!) over medium heat and cook stirring constantly, for 20 mins or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

3. Churn mixture in an ice cream machine until froze. transfer into a freezer-proof bowl. Fold two thirds of cherries through ice cream with 1 tbs reserved syrup. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and freeze for 6 hours. Serve drizzled with remaining cherries and syrup.

 

It is delicious and should certainly help me to keep my cool in this week set for days over 40 degrees Celsius. I am thinking a little trip to Argentina for Helado de Dulce de Leche (caramel ice cream) could be next on my ice cream itinerary...

 

Thank you Feast magazine!!!

 

 



Washing the dust off

There is no place like home but it is nice to have a change of scenery occasionally and the best change for us is the smell of salt in the air, the sound of water lapping on sand, the taste of ice-creams and fish and chips...yes! The Beach!

 

 

 

We also took the opportunity to do some things as a family, taking in some of the highlights of South Australia such as Cleland Wildlife Park, Rundle Mall for a spot of shopping, The Pancake Kitchen and the Beerenberg farm to pick some strawberries.

 

 







Even though Adelaide and it surrounds are a familiar destination for us there are always surprises and treasures to be found and  new experiences to be had.

 

We met Hazel the koala at Cleland and even though Master & Miss B have grown up with kangaroos virtually on their doorstep, they were in amongst the international visitors patting and feeding them. We saw a huge Lego mosaic in Myer made by Master B's idol, Ryan McNaught (a.k.a The Brickman) and stumbled on a carousel in the middle of the shopping mall which required a shopping break. We experienced the pleasure of picking and eating strawberries straight from the paddock in the fresh Adelaide Hills air.

 

We even squeezed in some culture and took the children to their first stage performance, seeing South Pacific. My favourite part was the look on Master B's face just before the show (not entirely happy about being in an audience that appeared to be MUCH older than him to see a ..*gasp* musical) then seeing the big smiles and hearing the laughs not long after! I knew he'd like it but he was not convinced. You will be pleased to know I mostly resisted the temptation to say "I told you so"!!!

 

So we have returned home with beach sand on our shoes and in the bottom of our bags, the intention not to eat again until Easter and our batteries recharged, looking forward to the next getaway and thinking about where that might be.

 

Where do you go to recharge your batteries and fill your senses?

 

Happy New Year

 

Kate x