For this dessert, start at least two days before you want to server it!  AND, don’t take it to a friend’s home who has a freezer powered by solar.  You need a normal to powerful freezer to freeze the dessert properly or should I say thoroughly.   So basically, I wouldn’t recommend ice cream cake, where you make the ice cream yourself for the dessert,  without a few days to prep it to make sure it’s a “solid” dessert for the party.

This is a whammy of a labor-intensive dessert because you will be making the ice cream, with your ice cream maker, and create the cake part too. However, the flavors in this dessert are worth the work because it is a unique flavor combo!  Thanks ReadyMade magazine for your creative Spice Cream Recipes!

Tips for making Ice Cream & Ice Cream Cake:

• Freeze your ice cream maker bowl at least 24 hours beforehand, if not sooner. I’ve made this mistake too many times.
• Test your ice cream maker with a simple ice cream first.  The reason for this is that there is room for error with how well your ice cream maker operates and how frozen your ice cream bowl must be to work well.  Always store the ice cream bowl in a cool area and freeze it as it is standing right side up.
• Start the dessert even a few days (2-3 days) ahead of time and freeze the ice cream overnight and the cake for a decent amount of time as well once you have loaded it with the ice cream.

Brown Sugar & Spiced Banana Ice Cream Recipe

Sweet but mellow, bananas play well with spices. Together, they turn plain vanilla into a spice-enlightened taste adventure, particularly in this delightful variation on the classic Bananas Foster.

Makes: about 1½ quarts

1 medium ripe banana
¼ c plus 1¾ c whole milk
½ c plus ½ c firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cardamom
1 t ground nutmeg
? t salt
4 large egg yolks
2 c whipping cream
1 t vanilla

1. Puree the banana and ¼ cup of the milk in a food processor until smooth.

2. Combine the banana puree, the remaining 1¾ cups milk, ½ cup brown sugar, the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Scald the milk mixture (heat nearly to a boil) over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

3. While the milk is scalding, whisk together the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ½ cup brown sugar and whisk until the eggs are light and fluffy. Whisking constantly, add a small amount of the hot milk to the egg mixture (to temper the eggs). Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk.

4. Return the custard mixture to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and place in a bowl of ice water to quickly cool the custard. Let the custard cool, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, combine cream and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir in the custard mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and press wrap directly onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. The custard may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

6. Freeze the chilled custard mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

To Make: Banana Split Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Stick a fork into the rich brownie-like base of this updated take on a banana split. Yes, you can have your cake and lick it, too.

Makes: an 8-inch-square cake

6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 T (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs
½ c sugar
1 T vanilla
¼ t salt
2 T all-purpose flour
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground coriander
3 c Brown Sugar and Spiced Banana Ice Cream (above), slightly softened

Chocolate sauce, whipped cream, candied nuts, and cherries to top

1. Preheat the oven to 300?F. Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring continually, until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, cinnamon, and coriander and whisk until just combined.

2. Grease and flour an 8-inch-square baking pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.

3. Spread the ice cream evenly over the cake. Cover the cake and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the cake from the freezer and cut it into squares. Serve each ice cream cake square topped with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, candied nuts, and a cherry.

On our way to Sur Le Table in LG this weekend we decided to walk into the Icing on the Cake Bakery to see what pumpkin items they baked this fall.  Lucky for us, we found the Harvest Moon moist pumpkin cookie with an orange glaze.  Other fall themed treats were a Buttery Pumpkin Muffin with Cream Cheese Icing, Pumpkin Loaf, and Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Shortbread Crust.  They also had their popular cookie, the Brownie Pecan Chunker.  The Harvest Moon and Brownie Pecan Chunker cookies were sinfully tasty and well worth the $5.25 we paid for the two.  I was delighted by the variety and selection of amazing looking baked goods.

I had remembered the recipe for their Chocolate Cherry Chunk cookie from the July 2008 Bon Appetit magazine R.S.V.P./Readers’ Favorite Restaurant Recipes and decided to google it: http://pinkstripes.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/cherry-and-chocolate-chip-cookies/ This cookie has alcohol-soaked dried cherries with semi-sweet chocolate chunks.

http://www.icingonthecakebakery.com/

Bakery Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6:00pm
Sunday 9am-3pm
Monday CLOSED