Bounty Bar Ice Cream

(Addendum: Sorry U.S. readers that I didn't explain Bounty and Flake!  I assumed they were American but no, it seems they are British chocolate bars. A Bounty is coconut covered in chocolate (enrobed as they say), and a Flake is a rippley, flaky bar that falls apart into lovely, melty pieces.  But any of your faves will do; preferably coconut-flavoured for the ice cream, of course.)

More ice cream, you say?!  Yes folks, here we have it.  A dessert filled with dairy and sugar and chocolate, so nope, not in our usual eating plan.  But for a sweet treat, now and then ...  This is rich, and delicious (as our neighbour/friend texted after she'd hoovered some down), so eat this in small amounts.

I used to looooove Bounty bars, in my younger days.  I still do, and though the taste buds are willing, the stomach juices are not :-)  In fact, now I've pretty much given up dairy and wheat, my stomach behaves like a trooper.  Yep, when my doctor told me I was lactose-intolerant all those years ago, I should have listened.  What?!  You mean doctors actually know stuff??  Who knew??   

pretty darn delicious

     

Original recipe by Sherry M.

Serves 6-8:

ingredients:

1 Flake chocolate bar 

500 mL (17 oz) thickened cream (at least 35% fat)

2 Tbs icing sugar/powdered sugar

1/4 tsp coconut essence

1 tin (320g./11 oz) condensed coconut milk

1 Bounty bar, chopped into small chunks

2 Tbs dessicated/shredded coconut

100g./3.5 oz dark chocolate

100g./3.5 oz milk chocolate

1 (more) Bounty bar, for the top

1 (more) Flake bar, for the top

1-2 Tbs extra dessicated coconut, for the top

Method:

Grab a loaf tin (mine is 23 x13 x 6cm.), and line it with freezer film or cling wrap - leave a large margin so you can cover it well

Break up the Flake bar and cast it across the base of the tin

Now whip the cream in a large bowl, with the icing sugar and the coconut essence - you want nice, firm peaks!

Now add the condensed milk, the Bounty bar chunks and the coconut

Stir it all gently through, and pour into the lined loaf tin

Melt the dark chocolate and the milk chocolate in separate bowls: in the microwave is easiest and quickest, but don't burn your milk chocolate like I did, forgetting how much more quickly it melts than the dark stuff :-)

Let them cool for several minutes, then swirl them through the ice cream mixture in the tin

Then throw the chopped Bounty chunks, the broken-up Flake, and the extra coconut over the top 

Cover with the freezer film, and put in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight

Take the loaf tin out of the freezer and let it warm up for a few minutes, then pull the entire ice cream loaf out of the tin by the film flaps, place on a cutting board and cut a slice for each person

Notes:

If you can't get condensed coconut milk, try using normal condensed milk with a couple of teaspoons (or more?) of coconut essence.  It's strong stuff, so taste it before adding more

Lindt chocolate is perfect here (not an ad); really easy to snap, melts readily and gives a lovely, smooth chocolate mixture

My loaf tin holds about 1 Litre/2 lb, but the actual measurements on your tin may be a wee bit different.  As long as it holds about 1 Litre, you're okay

Just an aside here; the hows and whys of a Flake bar doing what it does - i.e. - falling apart into lovely pieces that stay as they are (does that even make sense?) have been discovered by an Aussie food scientist/cook/Youtuber called Ann Reardon.  Check out her vlog, folks, for really interesting science of recipes, food and food hacks.

gather your ingredients

whip till you have firm peaks

throw Flake bar pieces over the base of your lined loaf tin

stir the chunks into the mixture

into the freezer for at least 6 hours

I gave some to the neighbours - honest!

sweet and coconutty

(Joining up with Marg from The Intrepid Reader blog.)

© Sherry M.

Fruity dragonfruit instant 'ice cream'

I'm having a dragonfruit kind of summer! (Dragon fruit/dragonfruit? - I dunno.)  I made this dessert when our Tassie friend dropped by recently, and I've made it again because it's delicious.  You will need a large and powerful blender or food processor for this, my friends!

I have another version of this on the blog already, but I'm easing myself into blogging again, so I thought why not?  Two birds one stone etc ...  Have I mentioned that I fell over again just before Christmas?  At least I fell fully on my knee, so my ribs had a shakeup but not a catastrophic event.  My knee wasn't happy though.  Reminder to self: Do not slip on wet bathroom floors!!

  

Miss P. doing the instant ice cream shuffle

This recipe is taken from a Matt Preston (Aussie food critic/cookbook author) one.  And as regards copyright  - I've rewritten the prose (as I always do).  Aussie copyright law says a list of ingredients is not under copyright (I mean how many ways can you say - one teaspoon of sugar?), but the prose is subject to it, so I always put the method in my own words.

Anyway, here it is:

Serves 6:

ingredients:

500g. (17 oz) frozen dragonfruit (or fruit of your choice)

40-50g. (1.5 oz approx) caster sugar or icing sugar

1 large egg white

1-2 tbs cherry liqueur (or vanilla extract or your fave liqueur)

1-2 tbs lemon juice, if not using liqueur

fresh fruit for serving, and some chopped-up dried fruit if you wish to gild the lily - I used dried dragonfruit of course :-)

Method:

Grab your super-sonic processor/blender and throw in the fruit

Whizz it and whizz it and whizz it till it starts to get soft and creamy - will take several (even 5) minutes

Add the sugar after a couple of minutes of whizzing, or when you remember it

Then tip in the egg white and the liqueur, and give it a quick blitz

Serve immediately with the fresh and dried fruit

Will store in the freezer for a few days, but is best eaten ASAP

Notes:

I used a mix of fruit - mostly dragonfruit with some raspberries and strawberries - but you choose!  You can use bananas, or pineapple, or stone fruit; whatever you fancy.  Just chop it up and freeze it before using in this dessert.  I bought the frozen dragonfruit (too lazy to peel and chop the spiky, fresh ones), but sliced up the strawberries and froze them the night before with the fresh raspberries

just a few ingredients

frozen fruit ready for blitzing

just starting to go creamy on the right hand side

and here's Miss K. about to dig in - yes really it's that pink!

so strange!  Looks kinda like dried liver or dead dog - tee hee

looks pretty odd when dried, but all-Aussie so that's good

and the ever-delightful Miss P. the Poet about to indulge when she was here

The first one was not quite as vibrant in colour as the one I made most recently; I think I used a greater mixture of berries and dragonfruit that time, so it didn't go quite as vibrantly, lusciously pink!  This is so simple and so fresh; definitely worth a go.

(Nasir Khan Bangladesh - Wikimedia Commons)

In My Kitchen - February 2022

Hello dear foodie friends.  Great to be back, and almost well at long, long last.  I hope you've all had a marvellous festive season.  Ours was incredibly quiet - just me, Mr P. and a chicken sandwich :-)  But that's okay.  We ate, we walked, we took drives and visited a few art galleries.  Very relaxing.  

(I'll just quickly mention that I had a very nasty Anonymous comment before Christmas, decrying my photos and with a mean reference to copyright issues.  As you know, these sorts of comments are moderated and deleted, so it's pretty pointless.  I realise it was just a nasty spammer, so I'm not having a go at the lovely bloggers I know you are!  But just in case he/she is reading this: go away!  You will always be deleted!)

In My Kitchen:

pulling apart garlic heads/bulbs for the freezer

I got around to pulling apart these biodynamic bulbs that I buy online from Patrice Newell's farm.  My freezer is groaning with lots of lovely bags of cloves, ready for use throughout the year.

gorgeously green round bowl

I love this emerald-green Batch Ceramics bowl, given to me by friends as a hurry-up-and-get-well-soon gift.  This really cheered me up.  Thanks, Cooper family.  Oops, no.  I've just remembered it was a Christmas gift.  Still good :-)

a Chrissie gift from hubby

We use a lot of sesame oil in this house, so phooey to those who say: "only use a few drops 'cos it's so strong!"  We like a lot!  I've been using pure black sesame oil for ages, but decided to try this one.  The bottle looks so pretty, don't you think? ...

cute little jug

My cousin sent me this sweet little jug for Christmas.  Love its terracotta bottom, and white overlay.  

and there were pecans ...

A kilo of beautiful farm-fresh pecans from Boyne River Pecans.  They were delightful!  So fresh, and I didn't have to shell them!  Ever tried to shell fresh pecans?  It's a misery I tell you.

and a Tassie tea-towel

The ever-delightful Miss P. the Poet landed on our doorstep for dinner one night from the wilds of Tasmania.  She kindly handed over a tea-towel, knowing of my fetish.  And of course, I love Hobart and I love Salamanca Square.  All that history ...

and there were books ...

I love Stanley Tucci.  Look at those soulful eyes, and his cute round head.  I had no idea he had cancer, so that was a shock towards the end of the book.  And I am excited that Emily Blunt is his sister-in-law.  Love her!  And Dr. Annie Gray - what can I say?  She is a wonder; funny and smart, and writes interesting books.  

and my Christmas mugs

Once again, I gave lots of people mugs with my Christmas designs.  Whether they liked it or not - tee hee.  The printing place does a great job I think.  (Background: Platter by Starr; bronze sculpture by Denise Murray.)

my filtered and bottled Worcester sauce

Here is the end result after two weeks sitting in a nice, dark cupboard to absorb the flavours.  (Not me; if only.)  It's one of my best, says hubby.  Must have been that extra jalapeño :-)

and the wildcard!  Miss P. the Poet showing off dinner

and also Miss P. displaying my homemade berry 'ice cream'

We had a lovely catch-up, and a healthy dinner - baked salmon on couscous salad, plus a dairy-free instant 'ice cream'.  And that slurp of cherry liqueur hit the spot.

Crumbs! I look a bit stupified :-)

And as a final kind of wildcard - here's a bit of a promo for our recent talk.  For anyone on Facebook, you can view the talk Mr P. and I (and our friend Niles) gave at the local Historical Society.  My post is dated 17 January, under my name Sherry Mackay.

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In My Kitchen:

Almost Italian

FoodandToolsIMK

GlutenFreeAZblog

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Triple Chocolate Bark

This is my last post for 2021.  And can I say how glad I am that this year is on its way out?  It has been tough, my friends, and I know many of you have had it tough too.  But I'm hearing D:Ream in my head: 'Things can only get better ... '  And I'm picturing that gorgeous Prof. Brian Cox who used to be in that U.K. band before becoming a world-famous physicist.  Some people have all the talent :-)   

This is a wonderfully simple and delicious treat.  And you can use any combo of chocolate you like.  White and ruby chocolate?  Oh yes.  Any kind of nut or bling you like.  Yep for sure.  Let it set, break it up and hand out to your loved ones wrapped up in cellophane, and tied with a pretty ribbon.  I went to a local newsagent the other day, asking for cellophane.  They didn't have any, nor a clue as to what it was ...  I felt like such an old fogey.  But I don't care, my friends.  My loooong and painful illness has made me realise that life is way too short to worry about stuff like that.  

triple chocolate deliciousness

Makes one large baking tray full!

ingredients:

200g./7 oz dark chocolate

200g./7 oz white chocolate

200g./7 oz milk chocolate

3-4 tsp thickened cream

a palmful of dried oranges, chopped

a scattering of dried rose petals, and 2 tsp of dried rose powder 

a big handful of walnuts, or nut of your choice, chopped

sea salt flakes, to taste - optional

lots and lots of bling!!

Method:

Grab a baking tray and line it with baking paper

Melt the dark chocolate and a teaspoon or two of the cream in the microwave, give it a stir, and pour it over one third of the paper

Then melt the white chocolate with a teaspoon of the cream, stir and pour that onto the next third of the paper

Now melt the milk chocolate and a teaspoon of cream, stir and spread that over the tray

Run a knife thru them gently so you get a lovely swirly effect

Over the dark chocolate, you place the chopped up dried orange

Then the rose petals and rose powder go over the white chocolate

And lastly, the nuts go over the milk chocolate

Sprinkle over the sea salt flakes if using

Now grab the bling, and go crazy over the whole shebang

Into the fridge to set, then break up and wrap up for friends and family - or just enjoy

Notes:

Toast the nuts in a low oven for a few minutes if you can be bothered - I didn't bother, so they're just raw and real

I used dried blood oranges 'cos they were in the pantry, which I snipped up with kitchen shears

Rose powder is optional

Our microwave is downstairs in the kitchenette, so the photos are from down there.  I had two baskets of ingredients and implements to take down with me!  And Mr P. washed up for me.  What a champion he is.

gather your bling

chop your nuts

off to the fridge to set

all blinged up and ready to eat

P.S. - In My Kitchen will re-appear in February!  I am taking a blog break.  Merry Christmas and a fabulous festive season to all!! xx

© Sherry M.

Chicken And Pearl Barley Risotto

Pearl barley brings back memories of our mum's soup - a big pot being cooked up on a cold winter's night.  Definitely cheap, cheerful, and delicious.  I bought some biodynamic stuff in winter, and just to finish it off, I decided to make this barley risotto.  I'd chanced upon an episode of Nigella Lawson's where she made her version, and then I came upon this one by Tori Haschka from her book A Suitcase And A Spatula - so here we are.

To be honest, this was not Mr P.'s favourite dish.  But he valiantly ate it for dinner, while I drifted off into childhood memories of playing outside on a winter's afternoon, while fog drifted all around us, and I imagined brave knights in armour riding through the mist ...  I was a very imaginative child :-)

Serves 4:

ingredients:

750 mL - 1 Litre (3-4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

1 tbs (15-20 mL) EV olive oil

1 brown or red onion, finely diced

3 small red chillies, chopped finely

3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

200g. (1 cup) pearl barley

100 mL (a scant half cup) of white wine

200g. (7 oz) mushrooms, thinly sliced

500g. (a generous 1 lb) boneless chicken thighs, chopped into big chunks

a big!! pinch of saffron threads

a big handful (20g./1/2 cup) of parsley, chopped

2 tbs cream (or evaporated milk)

zest of half a lemon

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste - maybe 1/2-1 tsp of salt (?)

a really big!! handful of baby spinach leaves

more chopped parsley to strew over the top

Method:

Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, and let it sit while you start on the risotto

Sauté the onion, chillies and garlic in the EV olive oil (in a large saucepan) for about 5 minutes till translucent

Add the barley, and give it a good stir

Throw in the wine, and stir it until the wine has reduced by half

Now spoon in 2 ladles of stock, and stir for 5 minutes

Spoon in the rest of the hot stock, and add the mushrooms and chicken pieces

And in goes the saffron and parsley; give it a stir and let it simmer away on medium-low heat, uncovered, for about 45-50 minutes till the barley is tender, and the stock absorbed

No need for constant stirring; just check it every so often, and add more stock if it looks like it's drying out

When the barley is cooked, add the cream, lemon zest, salt and pepper, spinach leaves and the extra parsley

Notes:

I bought a sleeved bunch of parsley, and the entire bunch was 20 grams!

My risotto needed a bit more stock and a bit longer on the stove; the biodynamic barley is obviously of hardier stock than the normal store-bought stuff

ingredients gathered

simmering stock at the back; aromates sautéing in the front

sauté the barley

hot stock

stir in the chicken, parsley etc.

throw in the spinach at the end

throw on the parsley

Barley stalks © Sherry M.

In My Kitchen - December 2021

There wasn't a lot going on in my kitchen this past month.  Rib cage still not entirely right, and my motivation is a wee bit sunk, but I'm trying.  These last few months have been rather hard, my friends, but thanks to a great physio, I am finally getting there.  I feel like my life has been kinda topsy-turvy; a difficult illness can be a bit of a life-changer I find.  My sister says that now that the once-in-600-years lunar eclipse is over, things will get better.  And it will, and they are!

Our first Christmas decorations went up today, so I'm feeling like life is getting back to normal.  So I hope you're all doing well, my friends!  Looking forward to your posts this month.

In My Kitchen:

there was lemon cordial

One of our Tassie friends came up to visit with these homegrown Meyer lemons, with which I made cordial.  Or did I tell you this already? :-)  Organic and juicy; wonderful to work with. 

and choc-coated strawberries

Not homemade, but ordered with love from a local gift service.  This was a huge thank you to Mr P. who has looked after me wonderfully during my illness.  And that's not easy for a disabled fella.  He is Super Man, I tell you.

and preserved lemons

And I made preserved lemons with the rest of the Meyer lemons.  They are mild and soft-skinned, which makes them easy to shove into the jars.  And now we wait till they get ... just right.

yep another book

This is a collection of weekly posts by Belinda Jeffery.  I have been to a couple of her wonderful cooking classes in the Northern Rivers area.  Sadly not possible these days due to Covid, as she is over the border.  I adore her writing, her recipes and her kindly, thoughtful and respectful manner.

and a Masterchef knife

Not in my kitchen in this photo, but normally.  Goodness knows what the locals thought as I waved my knife around.  I can't even remember what the knife was doing in the car when we took a drive to the seaside for a walk.  It was so marvellous to get out of the house after what seemed like aeons.

oh no! not another cookbook ?!?

Yes indeed.  But Nigel is the best.  I love his prose, I love his voice, his recipes, his floppy fringe ...  Not possible to resist this one. 

the kitchen poster I did up for my friend

She asked and I obeyed.  Kitchen poster with some of my drawings duly done and dusted and dispatched.  Like my blue shoes?

chunky apple sauce with lurking apples

I'd had half a dozen apples lurking in the crisper drawer for weeks.  Throw them to the birds or make some apple sauce?  Yep sauce it was; now used in muffins and soon in an apple cake.  That's it for now.  See you soon, global people.  Everyone welcome to join in for In My Kitchen.

Okay, you know the drill by now.  The link is open from the first of the month to midnight on the thirteenth of the month.  Let me know if you need help with adding your post, or if you would like it added manually by me after the 13th (if you're running late). Here's how to join in:

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In My Kitchen:

Lavender & Lime

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