From Classic Scoops to Savory Crepes: A Journey of Homemade Delights
Mar 25, 2024
Sweet Tea and Tacos
Indulge your senses and spark your culinary creativity as we whisk you through the whimsical world of homemade ice cream with Anne Aaron, whose passion for blending unexpected flavors will leave your taste buds in a state of anticipation. From the comforts of classic vanilla to the tangy twist of goat cheese ice cream paired with cherry sauce, Anne's stories will inspire you to unlock the freezer and embark on your own frosty concoctions. And don't worry about any kitchen mishaps; we're here to share the sweet secrets to a perfect scoop, including my love affair with cream cheese as a game-changing ingredient for that ultra-creamy texture.
Stir in a dash of daring as we turn to the delicate dance of crepe-making, the perfect companion to your homemade ice cream. Join Jen and me, your culinary co-pilots, as we demystify the art of the perfect flip and batter consistency. We promise, crepes aren't as intimidating as they seem, and with Bastille Day around the corner, it's the perfect time to master these thin, delightful treats. Whether your crepes end up embracing a savory filling or a dollop of your freshly churned ice cream, this episode is a feast for both the ears and the palate, leaving you eager to heat up the pan and chill down the ice cream maker.
Indulge your senses and spark your culinary creativity as we whisk you through the whimsical world of homemade ice cream with Anne Aaron, whose passion for blending unexpected flavors will leave your taste buds in a state of anticipation. From the comforts of classic vanilla to the tangy twist of goat cheese ice cream paired with cherry sauce, Anne's stories will inspire you to unlock the freezer and embark on your own frosty concoctions. And don't worry about any kitchen mishaps; we're here to share the sweet secrets to a perfect scoop, including my love affair with cream cheese as a game-changing ingredient for that ultra-creamy texture.
Stir in a dash of daring as we turn to the delicate dance of crepe-making, the perfect companion to your homemade ice cream. Join Jen and me, your culinary co-pilots, as we demystify the art of the perfect flip and batter consistency. We promise, crepes aren't as intimidating as they seem, and with Bastille Day around the corner, it's the perfect time to master these thin, delightful treats. Whether your crepes end up embracing a savory filling or a dollop of your freshly churned ice cream, this episode is a feast for both the ears and the palate, leaving you eager to heat up the pan and chill down the ice cream maker.
So it's July and hot where we are, and not only is watermelon a good summer treat, but of course ice cream is what you think of for a summer treat.
Dave:
And we've not made a lot of ice cream in our lives and our cooking, but I happen to have, we have a friend. It's always good to have a friend that cooks, and so this friend made a mistake of the other day, mentioned to us cool ice creams that she makes. So we said, well, we got to have you in the show and talk about ice cream. So we have Annerin A welcome.
Annerin:
Hi, I'm excited to be here Talk about ice cream. Well, thank you, yeah, so how did you?
Dave:
get started. What making ice cream in the first place?
Annerin:
I just like to get into the kitchen and play. Ice cream is an easy thing to play with for me, and it's really a good place to take different flavors and pull them together, which is part of what I really like in the cooking process. It is how do flavors play off of each other, work together? What you come up with, plus ice cream, is just perfect. So cool.
Dave:
Yeah, you go, yeah. So kind of tell us a little bit about your. What kind of ice cream do you like to make? And this is what really piqued my interest when she told me about this.
Annerin:
So the first few times I made ice cream I started with the basics, like vanilla, chocolate, good place to start those are good, those are good and but then I love lemon, anything lemon. So I have a good book, ice cream book, and I have a delicious ice cream lemon ice cream in that, and made that several times because I couldn't get past it. I would think.
Annerin:
I'll make this next time, not the lemon, it's this really creamy, subtle, it's perfect, yeah, but it has some more adventurous flavors in there. It's strawberry, is a strawberry, it's rusted strawberry and buttermilk, so that one's coming up soon. So when I was making, when I got in touch with Dave and said hey, we guys talked about ice cream, I was working on a sweet corn and raspberry sauce and you know, of course corn is sweet, just has that really nice sweetness to it and all so it's, I didn't know how strong it was going to come through in the ice cream. It was. This wasn't corn tasting, it was.
Annerin:
It just was the perfect sweet level, for the raspberry gave that nice tangy contrast on it Right and then the other one I was making was a goat cheese and I didn't have that one Sauvre cherry sauce.
Jen:
Oh, that sounds great.
Annerin:
Yes, so see taking, the taking, a sweet taking, a tangy heart, contrasting them Cool.
Dave:
Well, cool, and and what you said, you were going to work on one this weekend.
Annerin:
Like to try the rusted strawberries and buttermilk Sounds good, so kind of.
Dave:
so what's the method? So how are you making ice cream?
Jen:
Right, this is my. You know. I was curious do you do kind of like with the eggs and you cook it, or and I do not.
Annerin:
I have done the egg on the custard base a few times. I've recently made a dark chocolate Incredibly rich, delicious, Using the eggs. But the method I usually use substitutes or doesn't substitute uses cream cheese instead of eggs as the fat carrier in there.
Jen:
Yeah, kind of a binder yes, exactly, and it's.
Annerin:
It's a little bit easier. That's not my. I landed on it. I just like the flavor I get in the, the texture where everything lands with that process.
Jen:
Right.
Annerin:
It also involves using some cornstarch Okay, and the process as a thickener yeah For it, and they're really. Those are good ways to work with the flavor. Also, it plays into the freezing point of your ice cream, which is how you end up with soft ice cream instead of icy ice cream.
Jen:
Okay.
Annerin:
And then it. I think it works better for the types of flavors I like to play with awesome.
Dave:
So tell me about you were saying to me one time you were really starting you have it played with the sugar ratios and all of this, and explain to us what that difference is, what, what makes that difference between the hard ice cream and the soft ice cream.
Annerin:
So ice cream is basically four things it's your sugar, it's your ice, it's your fat and it's air, and you want your proportions of all of those to be right and you need to use them your dairy and which is part of your part of the fat, but it also has a lot of water in it. You need something in there that is has a lower freezing point than the water, so that the water doesn't freeze as ice.
Dave:
Okay.
Annerin:
Gotcha. That's about as much science as I've known, but so. So then, the sugar is also a factor in that, and so, keeping these ratios for example, if you use a fruit in there that has a lot of water content with it, you'll want to decrease the amount of sugar to balance out with the fruit. Or if you use some honey in the flavor cut back on your sugar Okay.
Dave:
Gotcha. So the higher fat, lower water content.
Annerin:
Yes.
Dave:
So if you've got so, you're using a fat like a cream cheese that doesn't have a lot of water content. That helps make it. Now that makes it softer, right.
Annerin:
That helps and that gives a binder for the flavors. Also helps with making it softer Okay cool.
Dave:
So kind of what do you use a hand? Churn a big one. What do you kind of ice cream maker are? You turning them or not?
Annerin:
I'm turning them. I have a simple electric ice cream maker. Only problem with it is that the canister isn't big enough. Yeah, it works.
Jen:
We used to have one of those and I have to say we didn't end up using it much.
Dave:
Right.
Jen:
I think it is not working or something. But yeah, it's a really it's a small amount.
Annerin:
Yes, that's the hardest part with it. Yeah, I'm seriously considering getting another canister.
Dave:
Yeah, so I can make two at a time. Yeah, now do you churn all your ice cream, or do you some without churning?
Annerin:
I've done a few without churning, yeah, sometimes just out of impatience. Yeah, oh, I think it's creamy enough. I can eat it now. Yeah, and I've made a sorbet one time. That just was right where it needed to be after the chilling time and the freezer and all, and I think I was like I don't need to do anything more to this.
Dave:
Yeah, it was perfect enough Okay. So kind of how are you mixing? It kind of talks us through the process of how you're are you hand mixing using a mixer?
Annerin:
So start off by whisking the cream cheese with a little sea salt. Okay, and then? And the salt also acts as it's just like putting salt on the road.
Annerin:
Right, that's part of the bringing your freeze point down to and also you have that involved have a cornstarch slurry mixed on this mix with a little bit of the milk that's on hold. Okay, bring the creams and sugar to and a little corn syrup to a ball. Then add the slurry in, bring it back to a ball again, let it thicken for a minute or so and then you just pour that onto the cream cheese and whisk, and a hand whisk that, that part of it, and until it's nice and smooth, put it into an ice bath and let it chill Okay.
Dave:
And then from there you go into your, your ice cream machine.
Annerin:
Yes, Okay, well, cool. And if you, you know, it depends on what flavor what I'm adding in, for example, the cherries, the raspberries, right, those are layered in when I take it out of the freezer, out of the canister it's not in that process. Something like a chocolate syrup or some small chocolate chips might pour in toward the end of the mixing process right. So it just depends on the flavor, on when the extras get added in.
Dave:
Yeah, so the goat cheese one. Now, how does that one where you? Where do you add the goat cheese?
Annerin:
does it in place of something else, or no, it, it was not in place of something else. It, I think that one did cut back a little bit on the trying to remember maybe not quite as much of the cream cheese and. I mixed it with the cream cheese, yeah, and the and it, so the milk and cream were added to that. Yeah, mixture.
Dave:
Okay, well, cool. So we made it a little bit, but that and I we did it with that ice cream maker we had. We did a few in that one, we had that, but it really hadn't done much ice cream. I think a lot of people maybe are intimidated by ice cream.
Annerin:
I mean, it takes forever. How long does it take you to?
Dave:
make a batch of ice cream.
Annerin:
It takes maybe 45 minutes to get it to the point that I'm putting it in for the ice bath. But I'm a slow worker in the kitchen. I'm very deliberate with things, so I'm sort of slow and I watch that I don't want it to over boil and also just watching that whole process and maybe 45 minutes. Then the ice bath which I've actually started doing instead of an ice bath is putting it in the container, in the freezer, and I actually let it get to the point where it's just beginning to thicken, not just chilled but actually beginning to thicken and then put that into the ice cream machine.
Annerin:
That gets really nice texture.
Dave:
Okay, well, cool.
Jen:
Yeah, so I like the way you're doing it with the cream cheese, because when you do the custard style, you're always risking the whole thing about the scrambled eggs and that's kind of a difficult, I guess, procedure to.
Dave:
And then just having the raw egg not cooked enough.
Jen:
Well, yeah, I mean, if you're the custard, you're going to get the egg cooked which you risk the scrambled and then some people do, just put raw egg in. There I've never, been a fan of that, because I don't want to risk any kind of salmonella or anything.
Dave:
Well cool. So ice cream. It's about all I had, yeah, no.
Annerin:
So what can you do with ice cream after there?
Jen:
you go. That's right, exactly. How do you?
Annerin:
serve it so usually at home by myself. I'm just taking it out of the container. Do you take it out of the container?
Dave:
Okay, that's a start.
Annerin:
So get it into a bowl. I usually just do it pretty simply like that. Sometimes I'll add a little whipped cream on top that.
Dave:
I have a little bit of extra in all.
Annerin:
I don't do a lot of ice cream desserts, making ice cream sandwiches or sundaes or something really elaborate like you might get at a place like that. I guess I love one of those. I look at them and think, no, the ice cream is good.
Dave:
Yeah, ice cream is good.
Jen:
It's a good carry-round.
Annerin:
Stand alone, but what I do have, it really does make a difference. There are ice cream spins. Did you know? There are ice cream spins. No, they're small. They're about the size of Demetes, okay, okay, and they look like a tiny little shovel. And it actually the way it oh me.
Dave:
It's got a flat edge Okay.
Annerin:
It's cool, it scoops it up and it's-.
Dave:
Makes a difference. Yes, yeah, the ice cream scoops an important part. We've kind of been through some ice cream scoops.
Jen:
Right. Yeah, yeah, and one of the ones that we sold at the retailer where David and I worked actually in the handle of it. It had some kind of like. It's almost like an anti-freeze. Yes, kind of chemical in there, so that when you scoop, it would immediately kind of start to soften that ice cream. I don't think we've ever owned one of those.
Dave:
No.
Jen:
I think we, you know, I mean, it's a neat concept, Right, but we've certainly been through some ice cream scoops.
Annerin:
I didn't have one of those. I need to get it out. I haven't used it in a while.
Jen:
Yeah.
Annerin:
I usually just use a spoon.
Dave:
Right, well, you're making a softer ice cream.
Jen:
But you are Right, so it's not-. Yeah, it's not going to be rock hard or anything.
Annerin:
And right now I'm also testing different containers to store the ice cream in. I haven't landed on something that I'm 100% happy with.
Dave:
So what are you looking for in the storage of it?
Annerin:
Something that really keeps it at about the right temperature that you want it and all that, but doesn't get too hard either.
Dave:
Gotcha.
Annerin:
And so I've tried little disposable paper bowls. Sometimes I've actually just put it covered in a mixing bowl in there. I put it in plastic containers, and red plastic is actually really good for this.
Jen:
OK.
Annerin:
But I'm not wild about using plastic.
Jen:
Yeah, yeah, it could be different aspects of that but glass probably would not be anything to do because I would imagine you risk that cracking in the freezer Right, yeah, ok, that's-.
Dave:
So where are you headed with ice cream? What's your Do you have a goal in your ice cream? Where you're headed?
Annerin:
I am ready to start developing some of my own flavors.
Dave:
There you go Good.
Annerin:
OK, I'm wanting to play. I don't know why, but wanting to play with some herb flavors play some basil.
Dave:
It sounds great yeah.
Annerin:
Some rosemary, try out some something with lavender. So do some, do some things like that and the base that I'm using what I described earlier with the cream cheese and all. I'm really happy with that base and it's a good starting point and then from there it's just getting in and trying proportions what works with what as artists? This is something I read recently, and both of you are artists and you will appreciate this take on it and to think of a color of will and also embedding your flavors together and, for example, with the raspberry, the blackberry sauce that I did, with the sweet corn, which are purple and yellow or complementary colors.
Jen:
Yes.
Annerin:
And I'll, or what are your colors that are next to each other in the color and doing like that and that a lot of times. If you're working that with that thought process, you'll end up with flavors that work together.
Dave:
I had never.
Annerin:
I know I know, it's pretty amazing, isn't?
Dave:
it All right, we're going to try that.
Annerin:
Yeah, we're going to try that.
Dave:
That's a great idea Now as a little aside and Erin is a French afile.
Annerin:
Frank afile.
Dave:
Frank afile Frank afile, and one of the things you also make is crepes.
Annerin:
Yes.
Dave:
So have you done crepes and ice cream.
Annerin:
Yes, I have. Okay, I knew that we were going, I knew we were okay. Yes, yes, so ice cream, little chocolate sauce on top, yes, so how did you get started making crepes? Well, if you're a Francofile, you make crepes.
Dave:
No, I won't say that, that's one of those things that they're actually pretty easy to do. See, they're intimidating. Just the thought of them are intimidating. Well.
Jen:
I will say I saw Dr Penn the other day. I follow him on social media. He showed how to make crepes. I was amazed at how easy it looked. Now he's Dr Penn, but it was just several ingredients.
Annerin:
Yes.
Jen:
And it took like no time at all. And it was just a regular garden variety non-stick pan, not even a crepe pan.
Annerin:
Yes, Be prepared to throw the first one away, and that's what he said.
Jen:
He said traditionally, the first one goes to the dog, or something like that.
Annerin:
Yes, and that's I won't say, that's where mine goes. But no, the first one does not make it yeah why is that?
Dave:
Because it's not used. Why is that?
Annerin:
I don't know if it's because the pan's not quite hot enough or if you have it just a little bit of butter or oil in there, but maybe it's just a little too much.
Jen:
And so that first one absorbs some of it. Yeah, Sometimes I notice that with, like when we make waffles.
Annerin:
Yeah.
Jen:
The first waffle was never that stellar, and then from then on it goes smoother or something.
Dave:
Well, tell us a little bit about your crepes, how you do crepes.
Annerin:
Crepes. That's flour, milk, egg. Mix it up. Let the batter sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours overnight. Okay, hit up. I have actually done it with running two pans at a time. Have them set up, get them really hot. You pour the batter in. It's a quick flick to get the batter all the way around there and cook it for about a minute until it starts to brown. The edges will curl up a little bit. That's when you flip it. I count to 20, take it off really fast.
Dave:
So how much like D are you measuring out your batter? Yes, how much? By how much battery?
Annerin:
I actually do that based on the pan that.
Dave:
I'm using.
Annerin:
And also that it's just a thin coat. It actually, when you pour it in, it doesn't fully cover it. I have to tilt the pan around to give it a fully cup. But I have a couple of different pans that I use.
Jen:
And the method I saw that Dr Pim was doing. He said put the batter in the corner, don't put it in the middle, because it'll go out like spokes on the wheel. But he said, put it in the corner and then spin the pan around, or something. I mean it looked like it was easy. I don't know.
Annerin:
So this is a great conversation, because Tuesday is best still day. Yes, I'm planning on making crepes then, so I will definitely give that a try, that part of it.
Dave:
Because I am.
Annerin:
I put it in the middle, ok, spread out.
Dave:
And then, what do you use to flip it? How do you flip it?
Annerin:
I have a large spatula.
Dave:
There's large spatula, turn it over with.
Annerin:
I have looked at it a couple of times and thought I've got it, I can do this.
Jen:
I'm just flipping it in the, but I haven't got it All right. And so do you use a nonstick pan? Yes, ok.
Annerin:
I can see where that would definitely get easier.
Dave:
Yeah, I was going to say yes, yeah, well, we may have to try them eventually.
Annerin:
Yeah, they're really really not difficult, ok Cool.
Dave:
Well, crepes and ice cream, and now I'm hungry. So yeah, that's the goal of the show is to make you hungry.
Annerin:
That's the great thing with crepes, because you can have them for your meal and dessert.
Jen:
Ah, there it is. Yes, sweet and savory, savory, and sweet, savory and sweet, all right.
Dave:
There was a restaurant around here that had a really great for a short time, one of those crepe cakes. It was like banana and carrot.
Annerin:
That's what I want to do sometime. I haven't made one of those I've made enough crepes at one time to make one.
Dave:
Well that's Sweet Teen Tacos for this week. Ice cream and crepes with our friend Ann Aron. Thank you for joining us. Leave us a review, check us out on Facebook, send us an email and let us know what you'd like us to talk about next, or if you have a question for Ann Aron or anyone we've had on our show, and we appreciate you listening. I'm Dave.