Saturday, April 13, 2013

Raspberry Pistachio Tarts

I love making tarts. They're so wonderful to look at and to eat. Especially those with many components and contrasting flavors and textures. Such as my raspberry pistachio tarts. They are the perfect combination of sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy. What's in them, exactly? Well, I'll tell you: pâte sucrée, almond cream, pistachio whipped cream, raspberries, and chopped pistachios. 


What I love most about these tarts is the beautiful pop of red against the pastel green. They're just so beautiful to look at. And best of all, if you somehow manage to not finish them in one go, they can be refrigerated for up to one week.

Lately, I've been obsessing over pistachios in desserts. In one week I managed to make these tarts, pistachio cake, and pistachio ice cream. I guess I love pistachios more than I thought. These tarts are very similar to my strawberry tarts. The shell (pate sucree) and almond cream both come from that recipe. Speaking of recipes, why don't I share this recipe with you now? 



Raspberry Pistachio Tarts 
makes approximately 6 small tarts or 1 large tart 
 

Tart Shell
Almond Cream 
(Follow the same procedure as the strawberry tarts)

Pistachio whipped cream 
adapted from Wendy 
ingredients: 
70gm pistachios
10gm cornstarch

2 egg yolks
100gm heavy cream
1 drop food coloring


200gm whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp gelatin
1 Tbsp water 


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directions:
To make powdered pistachios: In a food processor, combine the pistachios and cornstarch. Blitz until finely ground; approx 20 seconds. Set aside.

For the pastry cream: Combine the egg yolks and heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until slightly warmed. Next, stir in the powdered pistachios and continue to cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. Once the mixture has thickened, transfer it into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until completely cooled. 

Once the mixture is completely cool, begin the whipped cream process. In a small bowl, combine the water and gelatin. Let the gelatin bloom. Next, put the small bowl into a bowl filled with hot water or a microwave and melt the gelatin. This process should only take 10-15 seconds.

In a chilled mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and beat until streaks start to show. Then, add in the gelatin and continue to beat until stiff peaks are formed. Remove the cold pastry cream from the fridge and fold some whipped cream into it. Once incorporated, fold the rest of the whipped cream into the pastry cream. If needed, add some green food coloring to brighten the green color. Use immediately or chill before using. 


Garnishes:
2 pints raspberries (I picked out the nicest ones)
chopped pistachios 

Assembly: 
Pipe a swirl of pistachio whipped cream onto the cooled tart base (I used an Ateco #827 tip). Next, place the raspberries around the pistachio cream. Finally, sprinkle some chopped pistachios on the cream.   



  

May I just say...these tarts are absolutely delicious. The raspberry adds just the right amount of tartness to the sweet almond cream and whipped cream. The tart shell is just crispy enough to add texture without overwhelming the delicate cream. It was a big hit in my family and I hope it is a big hit in yours too!  

As always, Happy Baking!!  

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Strawberry Tarts

It saddens me to say that I am allergic to strawberries. Such a horrible fruit to be allergic to. They are beautifully red and deliciously sweet and juicy. Yet, that does not stop me from using strawberries in my baked goods. What I have chosen to make with them are gorgeous strawberry tarts. I wish that I could take the credit for this recipe but sadly, I have borrowed it from Keiko's Cakes. If you are someone who is very serious about baking, I would highly recommend becoming a member of this 'cooking school'. Keiko is a master pastry chef who really knows what she is doing. I found her videos to be extremely helpful and even though the recipes may look tough, they are not too difficult to follow. I definitely would not recommend beginners to use these recipes though.


Now back to the tarts. What I love about these tarts is that they are perfectly balanced in terms of textures and flavors. The tart shell has just the right amount of crunch and density to hold the smooth custard. The custard has just the right thickness to hold the strawberries. And the strawberries...well they are just the right amount of wonderful. Using pistachios to cover the edge of the strawberries is not only aesthetically pleasing but they also add a nice kick of saltiness. From bottom to top the tart is made up of: tart shell, almond cream, pastry cream, strawberries, whipped cream, pistachios. The whole tart is sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, light and...well why don't you just make it and see for yourself. 


Strawberry Tarts
adapted from Keikos Cakes 
makes approx 6 small tarts or 1 large tart

Tart shell
ingredients:
Butter 110 g (cold)
Icing sugar 75 g
Flour 185 g
Almond powder 25 g
Egg 50 g (one medium size egg)

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directions:
In a food processor, combine the flour, icing sugar, and almond powder. Blitz for 10 seconds. Then, add in the cold butter and process until you have fine crumbs. Transfer the mixture into a small bowl and slowly work in the egg. Once the mixture starts to come together, transfer it onto a flat work surface and knead until all the ingredients have fully incorporated. Work the mixture into a ball, flatten it, wrap it in plastic wrap, and put the dough into the fridge for one hour.
 
After one hour, roll out the dough to a 3 mm (0.1 inches) sheet and place the dough in the tart pan. Make sure not to stretch out the dough in this process. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out round sheets with a ring cutter slightly larger than the size of your tartlet pan. Place the dough sheets in the tartlet pan. Again, do not stretch the dough. Cut the excess dough with a knife. Prick the bottoms with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes in your pre-heated oven at 375°F.


Almond Cream
ingredients:
Butter 140 g
Sugar 140 g
Egg 140 g,
beaten
Almond powder 140 g,
sifted
Flour 20 g, sifted

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directions:
In a stand mixture, cream the butter until it is pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix. Then, add the egg little by little. Mix well after each addition. Finally, fold the sifted almond powder and flour into the batter.  
Fill the almond cream into a pastry bag and pipe out a large spiral onto the baked large tart shell. Also fill the small tart shells with almond cream. Bake the filled tart for another 20 minutes in your pre-heated oven at 350°F. After baking, remove the tarts from the tart pans and let them cool down completely.
 
Pastry Cream
ingredients:
Milk 300g
Butter  20g
Sugar 60g
Egg yolk 60g
1/2 Vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
Flour 35g

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directions:
Combine the milk with the scraped vanilla pod, 1/4 of the sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. When the milk starts boiling, remove the saucepan from the heat and cover it with a plate. Leave it for 5 minutes to let the vanilla flavors infuse into the milk.
 
In the meantime, mix the egg yolk and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Mix until the egg mixture is thick, pale, and creamy. Next, add the sifted flour and mix well. Pour the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the egg yolk and mix gently. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Put the saucepan back on medium head and stir until the pastry cream thickens. Pour the hot pastry cream into a flat pan and let it cool completely. 
Garnishes:
Strawberries, sliced in half
Whipped cream
Chopped pistachios    
Melted apricot preserves  
 
Assembly:
Pipe the cooled pastry cream into the tart shell until it reaches the rim. Then, gently place the sliced strawberries in the middle of the tart (refer to the pictures). Brush the strawberries with the melted apricot preserves. This gives the strawberries a nice shine and also preserves them. Next, pipe a small swirl of whipped cream on top of the strawberries. Last, but not least, cover the edge of the strawberries with the crush pistachios.

Voilà! You now have successfully made strawberry tarts. Granted, this recipe is extremely time consuming and can be a little bit difficult. However, the results are well worth the effort. Good luck! 
Happy Baking!!  
 
       
 
 
 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Éclairs

After coming home from my two week adventure in Europe, I found myself craving some french pastries. Pierre Herme definitely changed me. Well, he changed the way I view baked goods, at least. My oh my were his pastries divine. I can still taste the creamy and rich Infiniment Vanille Tart. My mouth waters just thinking about it. But I know that I do not have the skills to attempt to recreate such a masterpiece, so I settled for something that was easier but equally as delicious-Éclairs!  


Regretfully, I did not have an opportunity to try an eclair in Paris. I wish that I had been able to taste an eclair from Fauchon. They have a wide selection of beautifully decorated and delicious looking eclairs. They come in all different colors, sizes, and shapes. Basically eclairs in Paris are equivalent to cupcakes in America. They're the latest craze...and I can see why. 


The most basic eclair consists of a light Pâte à choux base, a sweet and luscious pastry cream filling, and a rich dark chocolate glaze. They require a few different components but they are all fairly simple to make. I'd say the most difficult part is making the perfect pate a choux, which consists of only 4 simple ingredients- butter, water, flour, and eggs. The difficult part is making sure enough moisture is employed to create the most steam and the puffiest/hollowest pastry. It is crucial that the finished product results in a light pastry with a hollow center. 


The recipe I used comes from Raiza of Dulce Delight. I love watching all her videos and following her blog. She really knows what she's doing and is really knowledgeable about baking. Her recipes are very straightforward and simple if you follow her directions. Her recipe uses a Cream Légère. It's simply a pastry cream with whipped cream folded in to make an extremely light and airy filling. I found that it was better to make the cream the night before and leave it in the fridge to chill overnight.

Eclairs
adapted from Dulce Delight 
makes approx 15 3-inch eclairs 

Pâte à choux
ingredients: 
250g water
110g butter, cubed
pinch of salt and sugar
140g all purpose flour
3 to 5 eggs, depending on the dough's consistency (I used 4 eggs)
egg wash:
1 egg
2 tbs milk
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directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside

In a medium saucepan add the water, butter, salt, and sugar and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. 

Once the mixture has come to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the flour. Stir and once the flour is combined, turn the heat back on. Cook the flour mixture for about 2-3 minutes or until a slight film forms on the side of the pan.

Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the dough on medium speed for 3 minutes to allow it to cool down. Then add the eggs one by one. (Be careful not to add too many eggs. The dough should be able to fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.)

Fill a pastry bag with the dough and pipe the eclairs (I used an Ateco#808 tip). Beat the egg and the milk in a small bowl and brush the mixture over each eclair. Bake the pâte à choux for 35-40 minutes or until they are golden brown. After the 40 minutes, turn off the oven, and keep the oven door open using a wooden spoon. Let the eclair shells sit in the oven for another 15-20 minutes.


Cream Légère
makes enough to fill approx 15 eclairs
ingredients:
500g milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
75g sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
100 ml cold heavy cream
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directions:
 
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add the flour and cornstarch. 

Pour some of the hot milk mixture over the egg mixture and stir. This step is called tempering. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook everything until the mixture has thickened, about 3-4 minutes. 

Transfer the cream into a small bowl. Cover the cream with plastic wrap directly on top so a skin does not form. Chill the mixture for 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Right before you're ready to use the pastry cream, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed. Fold in half the whipped cream into the pastry to lighten the cream. Once incorporated fold in the remaining whipped cream. 

Chocolate glaze
ingredients:
60g bittersweet chocolate
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp hot water
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directions:
 
Microwave the chocolate and heavy cream for about 1 minute, or until melted. Incorporate the honey and water. Stir until fully combined.


Assembly:
Using a small pastry tip, poke two wholes under each eclair shell. Starting on one end fill the eclair shell until cream comes out the other hole. Then dip the eclair into the chocolate glaze. Let sit for 15 minutes until set. Serve immediately.




Happy Baking!

 


 


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Classic Butter Cupcakes with whipped vanilla frosting

I love cupcakes. I love making them, eating them, even just looking at them. They're delightful and delicious. So when my brother asked me to make his bosses some baked goods in return for giving me free perfume, I knew that I had to make cupcakes. I scouted for hours for the perfect recipe. At first I thought I'd make devil's food cupcakes with swiss meringue buttercream. However, as I started searching through recipes, that idea slowly disintegrated. Chocolate cupcakes just didn't seem as appealing for some reason. I think that was mostly because of my decorations. I envisioned the cupcakes topped with my fondant decorations and decided that the dark brown wouldn't compliment my pastel flowers or royal blue "University of Michigan" buttons.


My first instinct was to go onto Tastespotting; my newest obsession. But as I scrolled through the endless submissions, I couldn't seem to find a cupcake that caught my eye. Then I thought of Rosie from Sweetapolita. She's a baking wizard. I absolutely adore all her recipes and pictures. Plus, her two daughters are absolutely adorable. Rosie's obsession, I think, is vanilla cake. She has over 10 different recipes for vanilla cake, each with their own unique taste and techniques. In the end I decided to combine her classic butter cake with her whipped vanilla bean frosting. I also added my own caramel swiss meringue buttercream filling, but I won't be posting a recipe for that since I just combined some left over caramel with some left over SMB. 

Shall we move onto the recipe?

I think we shall. 



Classic Butter Cupcakes with Whipped Vanilla Frosting 
adapted from Sweetapolita
makes 28 cupcakes 

Classic Butter Cake
ingredients:
4 large eggs (separated), at room temperature
3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (I used half cake flour and half AP flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
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directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set aside

While eggs are still cold, separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft, about 1-2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then fold in the remaining whites until combined. Do not over-mix the batter or it will deflate.

Fill each prepared muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the tops are just firm to the touch and a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting, about 1 hour. 


Whipped vanilla frosting
makes enough to frost 28 cupcakes

ingredients:
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt (optional)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed, until very pale and creamy Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.

*I used an Ateco #808 tip to pipe the frosting


You can top each cupcakes with some sprinkles, or jimmies, if you want for an added flare. I think they added a nice touch to an otherwise bland looking cupcake. These cupcake are perfectly moist and delicious. The frosting is extremely light and fluffing due to the long periods of creaming and whipping. 


I hope you like these cupcakes if you do try to make them and as always....


Happy Baking!



 

Friday, July 20, 2012

My obsession and Oreo Cupcakes


I have an obsession. It's pretty bad really. I'm obsessed with baking. If my parents let me, I'd probably bake every single day. There's just something satisfying about baking and knowing that what I bake is tasty. Sometimes I feel empty inside if I have the urge to bake and I don't end up baking. This must sound silly but it's true. A few days ago that urge came back and I didn't ignore it this time...well that and the fact that there was a pack of left over oreos just sitting on my counter for a month. It was bothering me. I knew I had to use it because I didn't ever feel like just eating oreos. I never really like just eating oreos...I think it's the cream inside. What is it made out of anyway? It's so sweet and, well, gross. I've always been the kind of person to take the cream out and just eat the cookie portion of the oreo. Is that strange?

Anyway, instead of eating the oreos, I decided to make oreo cupcakes. I planned on making these cupcakes for a while now, but I tried my hardest to resist the urge to bake. Why? That's because every time I bake in the summer my dad gets mad at me for "making the house too hot." The funny thing is that he never complains when he finally gets a taste of what I baked.


These oreo cupcakes are really easy to make. They don't even require a stand mixer. You can just use an old-school whisk. The chocolate cake recipe I used came from The Butch Bakery Cookbook by David Arrick. It's a lovely book. The recipes are extremely easy to follow and the end results are to die for. All the cupcake recipes I've tried were moist and just sweet enough. I highly recommend you buy this book and try some of the recipes. The buttercream recipe also came from this book but I changed it up a little to suit this cupcake. I hope you give this recipe a try. 


Oreo Cupcakes
adapted from The Butch Bakery Cookbook
makes approx 16 cupcakes

ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon espresso powder (this isn't necessary, but it brings out the chocolate)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract  
16 oreos halves, with cream filling still attached 
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directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Twist Oreos in half and set aside the extra cookies for later. Place the side with cream filling in the bottom of each cupcake liner, cream-side facing up.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and espresso powder, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs, oil, Kahlua (optional), vanilla, and the chocolate/espresso mixture to the bowl, whisking just until all of the ingredients are completely incorporated. 

Fill each prepared muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the tops are just firm to the touch and a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting, about 1 hour.  


Oreo buttercream
makes enough to top 16 cupcakes

ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
l6 oreo halves, left over from the batter, finely crushed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
directions:

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, and finely crushed oreos. Beat until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 

Topping:
8 oreo cookies, split in half

Assembly:
Fill a piping bag fitted with a tip (I used an Ateco 808) and top each cupcake with buttercream. Then top each cupcake with an oreo half.



Congratulations! You have now successfully made delicious oreo cupcakes. There's just one question left to ask yourself-to share or not to share? The decision is yours. 

Happy Baking!  
   

 

Thursday, July 12, 2012

S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches

I've been chasing this forever. I've been trying to get one of my posts published onto TasteSpotting for the longest time. So many failures and I'm really hoping that this post can make it onto it's newest *Feature*. What is the *Feature* you may ask? TasteSpotting is partnering up with Edy's Ice Cream for a celebration...after all, July is national ice cream month! As soon as I found out about this, I tried my best to come up with an interesting ice cream dish that I could post onto my blog and the website.

Here's my newest concoction.


S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches. This recipe consists of chewy graham cookies, melted chocolate, and toasted marshmallow ice cream.


It took me two tries to make the ice cream. The first try was a complete disaster that left me very frustrated. I don't know what happened but the eggs curdled and everything just separated from each other. I threw the mixture into the sink and just stood their in anger and disappointment. After I gathered myself together, I decided to not give up and give the ice cream another try. The second try was a complete success!


The cookie resembles a snickerdoodle. In fact, I think it's basically a snickerdoodle. Who cares what it's called though. It's absolutely delicious nonetheless. As for the ice cream, you can definitely taste the toasted marshmallow. It has a nice spongy and fluffy texture due to the marshmallows. I substituted the vanilla bean for vanilla bean paste. There was a lot of vanilla flavor in the ice cream which I love. You can even see all the specks from the vanilla bean.


I highly recommend making the ice cream a day or two earlier. I made everything in one day and it took a long time for the ice cream to harden completely. I was in a big rush. Thankfully everything turned out just fine. These ice cream sandwiches even look like they could be sold in a shop.

Now...time for the main event. The recipe!


S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches
makes approx 14 sandwiches


Chewy Graham Cookies
adapted from mykitchenaddiction
makes 28 1-ounce cookies

ingredients: 
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

topping: 
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. 

Combine the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl and set aside.  

For the cookie dough, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  Add the egg and beat until incorporated into the creamed mixture. Stir in the flour.

Form the dough into 1-ounce portions, roll them into balls, and dip them in the topping mixture.  Place each one on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the cookie is just set and golden brown.

Allow the cookies to cool. Once they are cooled, spread about 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate onto the bottom of each cookie and let the chocolate solidify. Set aside until ready to use.



Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream
makes approx 1 quart

ingredients: 
10 oz bag marshmallows
1 vanilla bean (I used 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste)
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
5 large egg yolks
scant 1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla  
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directions:

Spread the marshmallows in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast the marshmallows with a kitchen torch, flipping them to toast all sides (be careful when flipping, they'll be hot). If you don't have a torch, you could probably also toast the marshmallows using the flame on a gas stove or under the broiler in your oven. If you use the broiler, keep a close eye on the marshmallows. Set the marshmallows aside.

Use a small paring knife to split the vanilla bean down the middle. Scrape the bean with the back of the knife to remove the seeds. Add the seeds and the vanilla bean to a medium saucepan along with the milk. Set over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour back into the saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 170-175 F on an instant read thermometer). Strain the custard into a heatproof bowl.

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes (you can stir it vigorously to cool it faster). Add the toasted marshmallows to your blender, and once it's cooled slightly, add the custard to the blender too (my blender was almost filled to the top, but it worked out fine - you could do it in batches if you'd rather). Blend until the marshmallows are completely broken down and the mixture is smooth. Add the heavy cream and vanilla to the blender and blend to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (overnight is best). Before churning, whisk the mixture vigorously until the custard is smooth and has a pourable consistency (it might be slightly spongy when you first pull it from the fridge). Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
assembly:

Take two of the chocolate-dipped graham cookies and sandwich a heaping 1/4 cup of the toasted marshmallow ice cream. Enjoy!



It takes a lot of time to make this recipe but that's mainly because of the freezing time for the ice cream.  It's very much worth the time and effort because this tasted a lot like a delicious s'mores sandwich you'd make over the campfire. I highly recommend you make this and share it with your friends and family....or don't :)

Until next time....Happy Baking!