Friday, May 31, 2013

Fabulous Friday Recipe: Homemade Gelato

With the weather finally warming up, here's a recipe that will keep you cool!

Photo credit: theherritagecook.com

Ingredients:
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Cream*
5 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

*Italian milk is higher in fat than in United States. Adding cream makes recipe smoother and more characteristic, but you may use 3 cups milk and no cream if desired. 

Method:
Combine milk and cream in medium saucepan; over medium heat warm until steamy and foam forms around edges (do not boil). 

While milk is heating – prepare egg yolks. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and creamy (about 2 minutes on high speed electric mixer). Remove milk from heat and gradually beat hot milk into yolks. Return mixture to pan and continue to cook over medium heat until mixture coats the back of a spoon (do not bring to a boil or eggs will curdle). Pour mixture through wire strainer to remove lumps. Add vanilla and/or other flavorings (see below), chill several hours to overnight. 

Pour well chilled mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufactures directions. Transfer to a chilled container and freeze until firm. When ready to serve, place in refrigerator until it reaches desired consistency (should be soft, but not melted). 

FLAVOR VARIATIONS:
Using the basic recipe above experiment with different flavors in suggestions below. 

Vanilla Bean Gelato:
Split 1-inch vanilla bean and scrape into milk and cream before heating; add pod. Remove pod before freezing. 

Lemon Gelato:
Leave out vanilla. If desired, increase sugar to 2/3 cup; add 5 tablespoons fresh lemon zest and 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice to cooked custard. 

Lavender Mint Gelato:
Add 1 cup fresh mint leaves and 1 tablespoon dried lavender (2 tablespoons fresh lavender) to milk. Heat as directed above; remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes. Strain mixture through cheesecloth or wire strainer. Heat infused milk, continue with recipe as directed above. Alternate – add 1 drop lavender oil and 1/2-1 teaspoon mint extract to cooked custard. 

Raspberry Chocolate Swirl Gelato:
Add 1-teaspoon vanilla to cooked gelato custard. Before freezing gelato, puree 1 cup fresh raspberries with 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice; if desired, strain through wire strainer to remove seeds; place puree in freezer while gelato is freezing in ice cream maker. Hand stir 6-ounces roughly chopped chocolate into frozen gelato. Layer frozen gelato with pureed raspberries in chilled container (approximately 1/4 gelato, 1/4 raspberries; continue layers until all ingredients are in chilled container). Freeze until firm as directed above. 

Dulce de Leche Gelato:
Reduce cream to 1/4-cup; substitute 1/3-cup packed brown sugar for white sugar; use only 2 egg yolks; use 1 can (14 oz) Dulce de Leche (find with sweetened condensed milk in grocery store). Whisk 3/4-1 cup milk into canned Dulce de Leche; refrigerate until later. Follow recipe method as directed above. When ready to freeze add custard and approximately 1/3 thinned Dulce de Leche to ice cream machine (do not stir prior to freezing). When frozen, partially hand stir remaining Dulce de Leche into gelato and layer in chilled container; freeze until firm. When ready to serve, place in refrigerator until it reaches desired consistency. 

Cinnamon Gelato:
Add 3-4 broken cinnamon sticks to milk; heat until almost a boil, remove from heat and steep 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and re-heat milk as directed above. Substitute brown sugar for white. May add an additional 1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste, to cooked custard. 

Pistachio Gelato:
Substitute 1/4-teaspoon almond extract for vanilla. Finely grind 3/4-cup shelled, unsalted pistachios in food processor with 1/2 the called for sugar. Add ground pistachios to milk and cream. Follow recipe as directed above using remaining sugar; do not strain custard. If desired, add a little green food color to cooked custard. 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Upcoming Relief Society Activity

Sister Friends! We are excited for this week's activity!


Come prepared for a night of spiritual, emotional, and mental rejuvenation! To prepare please ponder on the following:

1. What are some ideas that you've had about how to enhance your scripture study? These can be things you are already doing, or would like to do.

2. What are some things you do to strengthen your marriage?

3. What are some questions you may have on any of the three topics (marriage, missionary work, and scripture study)?

*Remember to bring your scriptures and a notebook or journal along with you*

Refreshments will be served.


Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day :)



Have a safe Memorial Day everyone!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Friday, May 24, 2013

Fabulous Friday Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Sliders


Well, it's that time of year again when strawberries are being sold everywhere from grocery stores, to roadside stands, to farmers' markets! Here's a cute and fun recipe that will help you put those strawberries to good use!

Shortcakes-

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tbsp butter

1 egg

1 cup heavy cream

Strawberry Sauce-

4 cups fresh sliced strawberries

1/3 cup sugar- use more or less depending on sweetness of strawberries.

zest of 1 lemon

juice of half a lemon- about 2 tbsp

1 tbsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, salt, & baking powder in a large mixing bowl. cut in butter sill crumbly. Stir in heavy cream & egg. Continue mixing till a dough forms and roll out onto a floured surface about 3/4 in thick and cut into 6 pieces using a 3 inch round cutter. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake about 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Meanwhile in a medium sauce pan combine ingredients for the strawberry sauce over med low heat. Stir to coat the strawberries and cook until thickened and a sauce forms, about 8 minutes. Once shortcakes have cooled slice in half and top bottom half with strawberry sauce and fresh whipped cream then top with the top half of shortcake. Top with more whip cream and dust with powdered sugar. 

**Recipe & Photo Courtesy of  food-of-love-mmm.blogspot.com**

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Watch Funeral Services for Sister Frances Monson

Photo courtesy of lds.org 
Funeral services for Sister Monson will be broadcast Thursday May 23rd at 12 noon. Click here to watch live
Learn more about  Sister Monson's life of service.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Essentials in Our Personal Handcart

Photo courtesy of lds.org
In need of a midweek spiritual pick-me-up?
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Learn how understanding the doctrines of the atonement, covenants, and unity can help us fulfill the purposes of Relief Society. 

Thursday, May 2, 2013

This Sunday's Lesson

Hello sisters! This Sunday's lesson will be based on excerpts from Daughters In My Kingdom, so if you have a copy of the manual at home, please bring it to Relief Society this Sunday! You can also find the manual online, here. 

We look forward to seeing you bright and early!

Love,

The RS Presidency