Chocolate Habanero Ice Cream Food

FIRE AND ICE CAKE

Steps:

• The habanero peppers can be roasted on a gas stove top or in an oven. Before roasting the peppers, turn on the kitchen or stove exhaust fan.
• To roast the peppers on a gas stove top, soak 3 wooden skewers in water until saturated. Skewer 1 pepper and hold over a medium-high flame. Slowly rotate the pepper over the flame until the skin is blackened and blistered. Repeat with the remaining peppers and skewers. After each pepper is roasted place in plastic bag covered with a dish towel to steam, which will help to remove the skins.
• To roast the peppers in the oven, place an oven rack in the highest position and preheat the broiler. Put the peppers on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler. Using long handled metal tongs to rotate the peppers and broil until the skin is blackened and blistered. After each pepper is roasted place in plastic bag covered with a dish towel to steam, which will help to remove the skins.
• Wearing gloves, remove skin, the veins, and the seeds from the habaneros. (When removing the skins, it's important to wear double layer of latex gloves or else your hands burn.)
• To make the paste, blend the habaneros with the sugar using a mortar and pestle or a food processor (the latter is much faster).
• Combine the habanero paste into the softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze until firm but still spreadable
• Assemble cake in springform pan by alternating cake, lime sorbet, cake, habanero ice cream, cake and freeze until firm (8 hours or overnight).
• Garnish with powered sugar or whipped cream and sprinkles.

PINEAPPLE HABANERO ICE CREAM

Steps:

• 1. First, open the can of crushed pineapple and drain the juice into a bowl. It's very important to drain the pineapple well using a very small strainer or cheesecloth. You want the chunks of pineapple to be fairly dry so that their moisture doesn't turn into icy bits in the ice cream. Reserve the juice for making a glaze later. You should get about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice this way, give or take. Ideally, you want 1 1/2 cups (though you can make it work with a little less). If you can't get the full amount you need, supplement the juice by adding more from another source (either another can of pineapples or a small amount of pineapple juice bought separately).
• 2. Seed and chop the habaneros very fine. The habaneros will get added at two different times in the process, half when infusing the milk with the flavor, and the other half when getting ready to chill the ice cream before churning, so set aside half of the habaneros. If you want to add extra spice to this recipe, this is the time to do it. You can keep the seeds with the half of the peppers that will be getting used first (infusing the milk). Make sure there are no seeds in the other half of the peppers.
• 3. In a medium sauce pan, stir together the milk, sugar and salt. Keep stirring over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• 4. When the milk reaches its simmering point, add the half of the habanero peppers (make sure it is the half with seeds if you are trying to add extra spice - these will be strained out later in the process!). Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Then cut the heat and allow to sit another 10-15 minutes while the flavor of the peppers are infused.
• 5. ** If you wish to add a bit more sweetness, this is when you can do so by adding in the pineapple flavored oil - like the kind used for hard candy. I've never tried this with pineapple extract before, so I am not sure what the extract will do to the texture of the ice cream, but the oil is a lot more concentrated and takes very little to add a lot of flavor. ***
• 6. While the milk mixture is resting, combine the crushed pineapple bits to the heavy cream in a large mixing bowl and stir. Set this aside and place a fine strainer over the bowl.
• 7. This is when I make the glaze. Add the reserved pineapple juice to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Continue to boil the pineapple juice until it reduces by about 1/3. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves.
• 8. Then add the butter about a teaspoon at a time while stirring constantly. Once the butter has melted, continue stirring until you see a glossy sheen.
• 9. Then remove from the heat and set aside. This glaze will thicken up as it cools, so if you like you can even set it into the refrigerator.
• 10. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. To temper the egg yolks, slowly pour in the warm milk mixture while whisking constantly. Do not stop whisking or you will end up with scrambled eggs. Once the milk mixture is fully combined, pours the eggs and milk back into the sauce pan and set the heat back to low.
• 11. Continue stirring constantly over low heat until the custard is thick enough to coat your spatula (about 6-7 minutes). Make sure to also pay attention to the bottom of the sauce pan, as you will probably need to scrape that continually.
• 12. Carefully pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream/pineapple mixture. Make sure you fully strain out all the bits of pepper and especially the seeds.
• 13. Add in the reserved half of the peppers (no seeds!) and stir everything until it is well combined and smooth.
• 14. Depending on your time and equipment - you can set this bowl over an ice bath and continue stirring until cooled all the way through. I've not tried this because I don't have a large enough bowl to create the ice bath in. So I just place the entire bowl into the refrigerator and allow to set (or, as my ice cream maker calls it, allow it to "ripen") overnight. If you choose to use the ice bath method, it should take much less time to ripen the batter in the fridge, maybe a couple hours or so, instead of overnight.
• 15. The next morning, set up your ice cream maker according to the instructions. I use the Kitchen-Aid attachment on the stand mixer. Pour in the batter according to the instructions and start churning. (For me, the entire batter had to be done in 2 batches using this attachment; though I could cut the recipe in half and just make the one batch, but it doesn't appear to last long enough that way). With this attachment, churning took about 17 minutes each time. But your times may vary. You're looking to churn just until you reach the consistency of a soft-serve ice cream.
• 16. Once the batter has reached soft-serve consistency, start scooping it out into a freezer-safe container that is air-tight. As you scoop out the ice cream, swirl in the pineapple glaze that you set aside (it should now be the consistency of honey or thick caramel; heat it up just a little to soften it if it is too thick). Close up the container and place it into the freezer and allow to finish there, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you need to split this up into multiple batches, follow the instructions on your ice cream maker for how long to wait until you're ready to start churning the second batch. You can keep the batter in the refrigerator at least 2 more days after its been done; though I can tell you, the second batch of ice cream is a little spicier (probably because the pepper got to sit in it a little longer).

SPICY MEXICAN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds (do not discard), set aside.
• Roughly chop the chocolate and melt in a medium sauce pan together with milk and cream (over medium heat). After the chocolate has melted, whisk in the cocoa powder, avoiding clumps. Add the vanilla bean and seeds. Bring the mix to just under a boil (150° on a candy thermometer), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let the mix steep, covered, for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Remove the vanilla bean. Reheat mix over moderate heat until hot (150 degrees), stirring frequently.
• Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt together in a small bowl.
• Temporarily remove the pan from the heat. Add 1/2 cup hot cream mixture to the eggs/sugar in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Whisk the egg/cream mix back into the saucepan and return to medium-low heat, STIRRING CONSTANTLY until a candy thermometer reads 170 degrees (do not let it boil).
• In a medium to large bowl (that cream mixture will be chilled in) combine the cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Pour a small amount of the chocolate cream through a strainer into the bowl and whisk to combine, avoiding clumps. Pour the remaining chocolate cream mixture through the strainer and whisk to combine.
• Cool completely in the refrigerator (at least 4 hours). Freeze in an ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
• Notes: DO NOT add more than 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. The flavor intensifies as it freezes in the ice cream maker. If you don't have 1/8 tsp, use 1/4 tsp and remove half the cayenne.
• Notes: To chill more quickly, place the final mixture in an ice and cold-water bath for 30 minutes (a larger bowl for the ice water, a smaller bowl filled with the cream mixture that will sit in the "bath"). Stir frequently.

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, or do this in the microwave in 20-second bursts until smooth and glossy. Leave to cool slightly. Pour the cream, condensed milk and vanilla into a second bowl and beat for 3 mins using an electric whisk until slightly thickened and the beaters leave a trail in the mixture when lifted across the bowl. Be careful not to overwhip, as you don't want the mixture to be too stiff - as soon as the beaters leave a trail, it's ready.
• Gently fold the melted chocolate and cocoa powder into the cream mixture until thoroughly combined, ensuring the spatula is reaching the bottom of the bowl so all the chocolate gets mixed in. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful. Scrape the mixture into a 1-litre freezerproof container, then scatter over the reserved chocolate chips. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hrs until firm but scoopable. Will keep frozen for up to a month. To serve, scoop the ice cream into chilled bowls or ice cream cones and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, if you like.

PINEAPPLE HABANERO ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring pineapple, peppers and 3/4 cup sugar to a boil.
• Add cornstarch by mixing a small amount of liquid in the starch in a separate bowl before adding to the pineapple mixture. Let boil until peppers start to integrate into the liquid but before they start to turn color (sorry this part is vague, but I let mine boil/simmer for about 7-10 minutes stirring constantly so nothing burned or stuck to the pan).
• While pineapple is simmering bring milk and vanilla beans to just about boiling (you will need to scrape your vanilla beans and add both the pulp and the bean).
• Separate egg yolks and whisk in a medium bowl with the last 1/4 cup of sugar.
• Once milk is almost boiling add small amounts to the egg and sugar mixture to temper the eggs. Add slowly or you will have scrambled eggs!
• Once the milk has been added completely put it back in the pan and bring to a simmer or to 175°F which basically ensures you have a custard consistency.
• Once you reach custard consistency immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
• Add pineapple and pepper mixture to the bowl and stir until it starts to cool.
• Add 2 cups of creme and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
• Chill for at least 4 hours before putting it in the ice cream maker.