The Kitchn Archive: May 2012

People are forever asking what’s my favorite wine. For me it could be about the occasion or what I’m eating but mostly it’s about the weather. I change my wine like my wardrobe. If it’s cold I crave a big chewy red and if it’s hot I only want chilly whites. Sometimes with the change of seasons I’m not always ready to completely switch. For instance, lately I’ve been really enjoying light Pinot Noirs.

For a summertime treat that’s a snap – or a shake – to create, consider the shakerato. This gelato-infused version makes a quick yet elegant after-dinner coffee and dessert rolled into one.We’ve written about our love for the caffè shakerato before – this Italian warm-weather drink typically consists of espresso, sugar, and ice agitated in a cocktail shaker until smooth and frothy.

I recently made my first strawberry rhubarb pie of the season and served with it an ice cream made from scraps in the fridge. I had an open container of sour cream, the dregs of a pint of yogurt, a lemon on its last legs, but no eggs. The resulting tangy sour cream ice cream was, like many kitchen inventions, a happy accident because along the way I discovered the perfect ice cream flavor for pie. Pies, especially fruit-based ones, ask for something creamy, not too sweet, with a bit of tang.

What if you could turn banana pudding into ice cream? Or pie? Even better, what if you could turn banana pudding into ice cream pie? Well guess what, it’s your lucky day! I’ve had a lot of bananas around lately for various recipes I’ve been testing, and there’s only so many loaves of banana bread this girl can make. Banana pudding is an all-time favorite in my house, but I’ve already locked down my favorite recipe for that. It was time to think outside the box.

The number of things that can be mixed into ice cream is nigh without limit. (I once saw a lady at a Cold Stone add Gummi bears, cherries, peanut butter, and caramel sauce.) The sheer volume of possibilities makes me feel doubly sorrowful over the things that should be delicious ice cream mix-ins, if not for their tendency to lose structural integrity when dunked, like my ice cream-making white whale: Pop Rocks. Pop Rocks are one of the most fun candies.

Is there anything better than the smell of a fresh ice cream cone? I always thought you needed a fancy press and shaping tools. Turns out all you need is a baking sheet and a $3 prop from the crafts store!Tuiles are crispy lightweight cookies that can be molded into shapes while hot out of the oven. This version, adapted from Epicurious, uses ground almonds for a delicate, almond-scented cone.

I’ve come to an important realization: While hot fudge is fine and good, an ice cream sundae just isn’t complete until it has thick, salty caramel drizzled on top. With summer right around the corner, I think it’s time for us all to practice our ‘quick, make a batch of caramel!’ skills. It’s easier than you may think. I’ve made Smitten Kitchen’s Easy Butterscotch Recipe a few times, and this recipe was inspired by her approach.

My fiancé may consider himself an ice cream connoisseur, but even he was hesitant when I told him I was going to make “buttery popcorn” flavored ice cream. I can see how it might seem a bit strange, but I had tasted its perfection myself — in sundae form. At a dinner with fellow food writers last fall, a dessert tasting was ordered to be shared by all. I scoffed at the other desserts, heading straight for the chocolate tart.

I have been deeply enamored recently of desserts that involve Scotch. First there was this Scotch affogato sundae I shared with you, and then, for my forthcoming book, I created a boozy Scotch marshmallow pie with a cornflake crust. But perhaps the simplest way to enjoy Scotch in a dessert is the oldest: The classic Scottish dessert cranachan, toasted oats with Scotch-spiked whipped cream and the fruit of late spring.

I can be a bit of a dessert purist, often reaching for fresh fruit desserts or good, dark chocolate rather than an over-the-top confection. But when I hear the words gin icing and gin glaze in connection with a warm lemon-lime cake, things change pretty quickly.

With the temperatures starting to rise, our gardens are starting to take root. Although you might not have tomatoes just yet, we’re willing to bet your herbs are going great guns! If you picked a few too many to use in dinner, we have an alternate way to put them to use: In simple syrup for cocktails and mocktails.Herbs are great in all sorts of situations.

Something happens when you’re sick for many days. You lose your appetite, you watch a few bad movies, you entertain thoughts that you may never be well again. And then one morning, like magic, you wake up and have an appetite. The first thing that sounds delicious: a banana milkshake! This is a true story.

Golden, mellow, and sweet, iced chrysanthemum tea makes a beautiful refreshment on a warm day. It’s so pretty that we can imagine serving it to mom on Mother’s Day, or at any number of springtime celebrations.Dried chrysanthemum flower buds don’t look terribly impressive, but when they’re dropped into water, the petals unfurl, releasing their delicate fragrance. The flavor is mildly sweet with an herbal honey note and the color ranges from pale to bright yellow.