Pink Grapefruit Frosé 玫瑰香檳柚子冰冰

How’s your summer so far?  Are you enjoying the summer heat or are you hating it?  For my family, we’ve been visiting the pool, water park, and going to cool places (a.k.a. air-conditioned places) to stay cool.  Please share with me your favorites things to do to stay cool if you have any suggestion!



However, I still turn on my oven from time to time to bake this once or twice a week.  That’s a necessity!  But other than that, I’m trying to keep the house cool and make as many No-Bake treats as possible.  This Pink Grapefruit Frosé 玫瑰香檳柚子冰冰 is one of my favorite summer treat!  It’s super easy to put together and very refreshing.  You might wonder what is a Frosé?  Well, it’s pretty much Frozen Rosé!  Yes, a word that I just made up!?  But hey, this frozen treat is so good that I think Frosé should be included in the dictionary!



This slightly sweet and tangy frozen treat will cool you off instantly!  The pink grapefruit juice is super fresh and it compliments the floral Rosé Champagne perfectly.  You can even substitute the Rosé Champagne with sparking white grape juice (skip the simple syrup because the grape juice is sweet enough) to make a kids’ friendly version.  But for the grown up, this is a perfect treat after any summer meal!



If you’re hosting summer parties, this will be the perfect dessert to make because you can, and should, make it ahead of time; leaving you more time to plan for the rest of your menu.  You can even explore and try other citrus juice with this dessert.  But I personally love the flavor and color of the pink grapefruit, so pretty and elegant! 



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and video tutorial.  Remember, Eat, Drink, and Be Happy!  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  This way, you won’t miss out on any video and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new tutorial published. I share a new video tutorial/recipe every week.




Ingredients and Tools Used:
9x13 Glass Baking Dish with Lid (Click here for more information)
Fleur de Sel (Click here for more information)
Microplane Zester (Click here for more information)
Heat Proof Measuring Cups (Click here for more information)
OXO Measuring Cups Set (Click here for more information)
Small Stemmed Wine Glasses (5 oz) (Click here for more information)




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Mango Shaved Ice

My Kids fell in love with shaved ice the very first time I took them to one of those fancy shaved ice places.  You can pretty much order different flavored shaved ice, along with different toppings such as fresh fruit, sprinkles, candies and mochi.  They usually charge you by an arm or a leg...oh, I meant by weight! 

On the other hand, my kids also loved the more traditional Hawaiian version of shaved ice, especially my Son.  He had it at a charity event at school.  I can totally see why the kids love shaved ice so much.  It's cool, usually colorful with the syrup/flavorings, you can hold it in your hand and it's totally okay to make a mess type of treat, etc.



If you've been following my blog for a while, or if you know me personally, you probably knew that flavored syrup and artificial coloring aren't things that I would like to see in my food, nor the kids' food.  I love big flavors, but not from artificial stuffs that I can't pronounce.  So, as I created the homemade version of shaved ice, all natural, organic, and healthy ingredients are on top of the list.



During our Spring break, we went to San Francisco for vacation.  My Hubby's cousin took us to the Google Store and I purchased the Android ice cube tray (see picture below and click here for product information).  Since my fridge have the ice cube dispenser, I used this ice cube tray for "flavored ice" instead.  To be more specific, mango juice ice cubes.



Simply pour your favorite mango juice, or mango nectar, into the tray. Let them freeze until completely hardened.  And you've got mango juice ice cubes.  Not only they are perfect in this mango shaved ice recipe, you can also add them to your mango juice or cocktails.  Your drink will stay nice and chilled without getting diluted by regular ice cubes.



Since I'm making quite a lot of shaved ice and I only have one ice cube tray, I made some extra mango juice ice cubes in a more efficient way.  Simply pour the mango juice into freezer safe containers, cover and freeze for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size.  I took the container out and cut the mango ice into cubes before they are completely frozen because that's way easier to cut.  Then you can freeze the cut out cubes until they are completely hardened afterwards.




Besides my little helpers, I have some special kitchen tools to help me out with this Mango Shaved ice.  My kids had been requesting for shaved ice for a while.  Instead of spending $6 to $8 a bowl at the shave ice store, the little machine below is quite a good bargain.  I tried the manual snow cone machine in the past and they don't quite really work, except that you get a pretty good upper arm workout out from those.  But for shaved ice, this little machines works beautifully. Simply drop the ice cubes, or mango ice cubes in this case, and twist the lid to turn on the machine and you've got mango shaved ice.  I can't resist but to get the paper snow cone cups and straws as well.  They are just adorable and so much fun to use.  I say, they are perfect for summer parties too.  You can check out the machine here, and the cups set here.




You can serve the Mango Shaved Ice the traditional way, in the paper cone and a straw.  You don't need to add any syrup as the mango ice cubes are already sweet enough and very flavorful.




However, it's always nice to add a little more fresh fruit on top of the shaved ice, just like those in the fancy shaved ice cafes.  My favorite Ataulfo Mangos are in season now, so, that's what I added, along with some fresh strawberries.




Of course, you can top with anything that you fancy for.  I love to keep it simple and use what I have in the fridge and in season. 

I hope you enjoy today's post and recipe.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes in the future and stay cool!





Tools and Props Used in this Post:

Android Ice Cube Tray (Click here for more information)
Snow Cone Machine (Click here for more information)
Snow Cone Cups and Straws (Click here for more information)
Pyrex Baking Dish with Lid (Click here for more information)
Small Cutting Board with handle (Click here for more information)
Small Bamboo Spoon (Click here to see similar product)
Ice Cream/Snow Cone Stand (Click here for more information)

Lemonade Popsicles with Mixed Fruits

Are you enjoying your summer so far?  I hope you’re having a blast like we do.  My Kids are off from school since the end of June and we’ve been spending lots of fun time together.  Celebrated Baby Girl’s Birthday, taking swimming classes for the very first time, visiting the parks to meet up with friends, and my hubby’s BIG birthday will be coming up soon as well.  My original plan was to keep a schedule and daily routine with the Kids so we don’t mess up our sleeping, reading, learning, and outdoor activities too much.  Oh well, my plan and schedule was an awesome idea and it’s my bad that we haven’t been following any of it, at all!!!  But what can I say, we did have fun.  So, I think when it comes to August, I better follow through with it so we don’t struggle too much when we have to wake up extra early when school starts again.



One of the fun activities my Kids and I love to do in the Summer is to create these popsicles together.  My Kids love their pops with fresh fruits in them and that’s totally approved by me.  Still remember the Meyer Lemonade recipe here?  That recipe became a staple in my fridge this summer and I used them to make these Popsicle this time.  It’s so refreshing!  The sweet and tartness compliment the fresh fruit nicely in these pops.  Of course, you can also use fruit juice as well.  I tried them with mango nectar,  orange juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, and coconut water before and they are all wonderful.  I love using the Meyer Lemonade because the liquid is pretty much clear and you can see the different colors from the fresh fruit in the pops, which is quite pretty.  Don’t you think?  



One of the fruits we love inside the popsicles is kiwi fruit.  Here’s a quick and easy way to peel and slice them.  First, wash and pad dry the skin of the kiwi.  I always do so with any kinds of fruit to make sure the skin is clean when you cut through it.  Slice the top and bottom of the kiwi, as shown in the picture below.



With a pairing knife, go around the kiwi and cut off the skin vertically as shown in the picture below.  Try not to cut off too much flesh, if possible.  Be careful of your fingers, the kiwi fruit could be a little slippery when the skin is peeled.



Then, turn the kiwi to the side and you can slice it to the thickness you like.  Make sure the knife is sharp so you can cut through the flesh easily.



And now, I have a confession to make.  I've been making my Popsicle with my Zoku Quick Pop Maker that I've won from a fellow blogger’s giveaway (thank you again, Yvette).  It’s probably the easiest and fastest way to make popsicles, and they are ready in as little as 7 minutes!  Again, you can make these pops with the traditional popsicle molds such as these.  My Little Boy loves this Zoku maker because it’s amazing how fast the pops are ready.  My Little Boy is also my little time keeper when we make popsicles.  It’s a great way for him to learn how to tell the time and practice on addition.  Of course, he’s also the one picking out different fruit to add into these pops as well.  I was a little surprised that he requested to add the kumquat that I got from my In-Law’s garden.  I was going to make candied kumquat instead but haven’t had a chance to do that just yet.  I’m so happy for his suggestion.  Not only the kumquats add some lovely orange color to these pops, they were really tasty as well.  They compliment the citrus flavor from the lemonade perfectly.  We also added raspberries in this batch.  But really, you can use any fruit that you love, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, grapes etc. 



So, what are the fun activities that you've been enjoying this summer?  For me, hanging out with my Kiddos and enjoying some colorful popsicles definitely top my list.  Do you have some fun and educational activities for kids that you want to share?  Please do so in the comment below.  I would love to hear from you because keeping my Kids brains busy is one of my priorities as well.  Stay cool and have fun!





Tool used:

Zoku Quick Pop Maker (Click here for more information)

Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme

Some of you might not know, I don’t really like summer.  It’s so hot that sometimes I hesitate to turn on the oven to bake my cakes or cookies.  It’s way too hot to wear clothes that cover my baby fats (note: fats from babies that I had, of course….no, there’s no buns in the oven, I promise).  It’s way too hot to workout under the sun after 10 am!  I probably can go on and on….but let’s focus on the positive of summer, shall we?  The best thing about summer that I can think of, would be indulging in frozen desserts like this Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme without feeling guilty.  It’s a really light and refreshing treat that won’t weight you down.  Plus, it’s super simple to make.
 


I added some fresh thyme leaves to infuse the simple syrup that’s going into making this sorbet.  The lemony fresh thyme compliment the Meyer lemon really well.  Last year, I made the Mixed Berries-Kiwi Sorbet with fresh basil in it.  I love the fresh herbs in these sorbets.  The earthiness of the herbs added the depth of flavor and balance out the sweetness. 



I made the Mixed Berries Sorbet without an ice cream machine last year.  Simply stir the mixture once or twice after the mixture is in the freezer for an hour.  You can do the same with this recipe if you don’t have an ice cream machine.  But, I really recommend you to get one.  Besides sorbets, you can use it to make some Valrhona Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream, or French Roasted Coffee Ice Cream.  See how much fun I’ve been having with my ice cream machine? 



Besides enjoying this Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme as is, my favorite way to serve it is to pour processo over a couple of scoops.  What should I call it now?  hm…Let's see, it’s a dessert, it’s a drink, it’s cool and it’s a totally fun treat.  Whatever you want to name it, I don’t think I care much.  Just give this a try and I'm sure you’ll love it too.  



If you’re serving this sorbet to the kids and they also want the bubbly fun, simply substitute the processo with some sparkling white grape juice.  Until next time, have fun and make this Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme soon!


 

**Reminder: Don't forget to enter my current giveaway (click here to enter).  Don't miss it!  Deadline to enter is August 10, 2012 by midnight.

Valrhona Dark Chocolate Ice Cream—with step-by-step Pictorial

 


Remember I told you about my bread machine broke down and left me some cabinet space to fill?  Yup, I filled the space with a brand new ice cream machine!  Yay, just in time for the summer.  I’m so happy that I finally gave in and purchased an ice cream machine!  In fact, I’ve made several batches of this Valrhona Dark Chocolate Ice Cream and some other flavors already.  They were all gone so quickly that I hardly had a chance to capture a few pictures of them to write a post…until now. 



Imagine velvety, smooth, cool and creamy dark chocolate heaven, in every single bite.  In the process of my 2nd or 3rd batches of this dark chocolate ice cream, I was going to be adventurous (you know me) and add some other ingredients into this decadent dark chocolate ice cream, such as nuts, or orange zest, etc.  But at the end, I left it the way it was because this dark chocolate ice cream was so good that you don’t really need anything else, period.  I didn't want the additional ingredients to ruin the lovely texture and flavor.  Is that even possible?  Well, maybe if, only if, I ever get bored of this plain dark chocolate ice cream some day, then I’ll add some other ingredients.  But for now, plain dark chocolate ice cream is all I need!  It is by far the darkest and most chocolate-y ice cream I've ever tasted.



Let’s get into the kitchen and check out how I made this, shall we?

1) Chop up some dark chocolate, of course.  Use any kind that you like.  I used Valrhona 70% dark chocolate.  Place the chopped chocolate and instant coffee in a heat proof bowl. Set aside.

2) In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of cream on low heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until the mixture reach a simmer. I used Valrhona cocoa powder as well.  I love the deep dark flavor and aroma.

3) Pour the hot cream mixture into the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth.  Like those in the picture below.  Now, this is a very important step, REFRAIN yourself from drinking the chocolate mixture straight from the bowl before moving on to step 4!

4) Phew, you did it!  Now, in the same saucepan, add the milk, sugar and salt and warm it up with low heat.

 

5) Whisk until the sugar dissolved and bring the mixture to a simmer.

6) In a heat proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.

7) While whisking, pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks.

8) Pour the hot egg mixture back to the saucepan and continue to cook on low heat, stirring constantly with a flat bottom wooden spatula.
 

9) The custard is ready when it coat the spatula as shown in the picture below.  Run your finger through the custard on the spatula to check the readiness. (be careful in this step, the custard could be very hot).

10)  Place a mesh strainer on top of the bowl of chocolate mixture and pour the custard through.  Then stir in chocolate liquor (if using) and vanilla extract.

11)  Place the ice cream mixture onto a larger ice bath and stir until mixture is complete cooled.  Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or over night.

12) Follow Your ice cream machine’s manufacturer instructions to churn the ice cream…..churn churn churn…mine was done in as little as 25 minutes. 




When it’s ready from the ice cream machine, the consistency of the ice cream is like the soft serve type.  If you want it more solid, like a traditional ice cream, place the mixture in a freezer safe container with lid and chill in the freezer over night.  When ready to serve, bring the ice cream out to room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes.  When the ice cream softens up a little, it brings out the best in terms of flavor and texture.  I used some chocolate liquor in my recipe and that really boost the flavor and enhance the texture as well.  Since alcohol lowers the freezing point, so the ice cream stays creamier and smoother because it does not freeze as solid and is less likely to form ice crystals.  You can’t taste the liquor at all but it really enhance the overall flavor of the dark chocolate, just like what the instant coffee does, as an enhancer.



I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe and be inspired to make your own ice cream at home.  Stay tuned for more ice cream recipes to combat the heat this summer!