The Artful Dodger

Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker

 

I had to share with you my latest purchase from Sur La Table - a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.  It makes wonderful ice cream in 20 minutes or less.  You have to put the tub part of the churn in the freezer and let it chill for at least 24 hours.  And the mixture of milk, heavy cream and seasonings needs to be mixed and chilled for at least an hour.  But if you keep the tub in the freezer and mix your ingredients before dinner, they're ready to go by dessert time.  The first batch I made was plain vanilla, but it was delicious.  After eating part of it, I mixed in chopped buttered pecans and stuck the remainder in a plastic container in the freezer.  It frozewell, staying soft enough to easily dish out.  The home made ice cream of my childhood, that was first made in a hand turned churn surrounded by an icy bucket of water and kosher salt that was later upgraded to an electric churn that you plugged into the wall! (will marvels never cease) was only good when it was first made and when refrigerated, froze so hard it was nearly inedible.  So I was pleasantly surprised that this produced ice cream that froze so well.  The first batch was ready to serve in 15 minutes.  The second batch was chocolate and tasted wonderful.  You can also make icees in it.  Just fill it with coke and turn it on and soon you have slushies.  I haven't tried it, but I bet it would make frozen margaritas as well.  Since they start out smooth, no lumps of uncrushed ice.

Chocolate Cake Balls for New Years Eve

 

This is my first attempt at cake balls.  They're all the rage in Houston.  You can't go to a reception or party without running into them.  They aren't hard to make.  First you bake a cake from a cake mix (I used devil's food) and crumble it in a big bowl.  While it's still warm, you mix in a can of icing (in this case chocolate) and stir it well.  Then form it in to balls.  You can use an ice cream or melon scoop.  I just used a tablespoon.  Melt chocolate or confectioners coating, I used chocolate bark, and dip the balls in the coating.  Set them on wax paper to harden and decorate as desired.  I drizzled a bit of confectioners sugar and water tinted with red food coloring over most of them.  They are delicious and the icing makes them very moist.  You can use any flavour cake and icing.  I've had strawberry and cherry and vanilla along with chocolate.  I think German chocolate or carrot cake would be great.  Of course you can make a cake from scratch, but why bother?