Strollerderby : dessert

Breast Milk Cupcakes

Brett Singer — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:00:00 GMT

I was more skeptical of this one then I was of the snow ice cream. What would inspire someone to do this? (Other than needing something to bring to a La Leche meeting, I mean. I kid.)

Curiosity I suppose. But according to Viceland (note: the site has language and images that are not safe for work, click the "source" link below if you're OK with that), these made with mommy milk cakes are quite tasty. In fact, in a taste test, they beat out cupcakes made from cow's milk.

A comedian whose name I can't recall once wondered about the first person who thought it would be a good idea to milk a cow. "Hey, look at those things hanging down underneath Bessie. I wonder if liquid comes out when I squeeze them. It does! Hey, I wonder if I can drink it? I can! Clem! C'mere, check this out!" Or eggs. "Look what came out of that chicken. I wonder if it would if the goopy stuff inside of it would taste good fried and served with grits. Mmmm. Clem! Get back out here!"

When you look at it that way, breast milk cupcakes don't sound nearly as weird. (Actually, lots of people question whether or not cow's milk is something humans should be putting in their bodies. But that's another topic.)

I always wanted to try breast milk while my wife was nursing. It felt somehow wrong, though. Like it wasn't mine to eat, y'know? I did taste a teeny bit when I was warming up a bottle, and if I recall correctly it was kind of salty.

We had a freezer full of milksicles at one point. I never realized that this was a tasty frozen treat.

Has anyone ever tried cupcakes, or any other food, made with breast milk? Would you?

Source: Viceland via Buzzfeed

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Kitchenista -- Snow Ice Cream

Brett Singer — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With yesterday's record snow fall, lots of kids doubtless indulged in the snow ball fights, snow angels, and the requisite snowperson ("snowman" seems so last century). But if you want something new, why not try making...drum roll please...

Snow Ice Cream!

This is a real thing, and Valerie Reiss over at Beliefnet's new blog FreshLiving actually went the extra mile and made some. Just to report back on how to do it, and to make absolutely certain that it wasn't poison. Tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

The recipe is pretty basic:

2-3 cups clean snow
2 TBs half-and-half
1 TB maple syrup
1 TB cocoa powder
1 dash pure vanilla
"Add ingredients to medium-small bowl, smoosh with a spoon, serve and enjoy!"

It would never occur to me to do something like this. Then again, I live in Manhattan, where most of the snow turns brown within minutes of landing. Valerie scooped some fresh powder off of her fire escape, other city dwellers could try a park; Central should work, although personally I'd watch out for stray dog mess. Or wait until the next snow fall.

So I haven't tried snow ice cream, but it sounds like just making it would be a hit with kids. One to file away for the next snow day.

Source: Beliefnet FreshLiving

Image: All Recipes (also another way to make it)

Kitchenista: Sundae School

KeriF — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Here's an idea for a super sweet dessert you can give your kids before lunch.

Fruit sundaes. My 7-year-old niece, Erika, taught me how to make these, and they've become a big hit in our communal household.

Here's how to make them: Fill dessert bowls with fruit (last week we made them with bananas, raspberries, grapes, and clementines). Top with (a little) whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Serve!

Okay, it's not rocket science. And it does walk that fine line between "healthy" and "crap." But sometimes, walking that line is the best I can do.

I'm actually not really opposed to sweets at all, as long as I know what's in them. Since the chocolate syrup has way too many ingredients in it I can't pronounce, I only give them a drizzle. But as far as I'm concerned, real sugar is fine in moderation. Actually, it's more than fine. It's important. We've all heard the stories: deprive your kids of anything and they'll only seek it out elsewhere.

So we're a dessert family. My brother-in-law makes homemade ice cream (heavy cream + sugar + ice cream maker = ice cream), I make cookies all the time, and my husband can occasionally be persuaded to make rice pudding.

But fruit sundaes are the only ones we serve before lunch. I swear.

Australian Family Says They Were Served Poop Ice Cream

JeanneSager — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:03:00 GMT

Bringing new meaning to the words, "this tastes like crap," an Australin family claims a Sydney hotel staffer served them a bowl of "human excrement ice cream."

Steve and Jessica Whyte took sons Tom, Thomas and Ben to the popular Coogee Bay Hotel after seeing it advertised as a family-friendly venue in which to watch a rugby final match. That they have two sons with almost the same exact name doesn't mean the Whites deserved these kinds of just desserts. A bowl of ice cream, with what they say looked like "compacted chocolate" at the center, was served shortly after Steve Whyte complained to hotel staff that he wasn't able to watch the rugby match as promised.

Jessica says she had the spoon to her mouth when the stench of fecal matter burned her nostrils. She immediately spat the alleged crap into a napkin, but says it scared the s**t out of her. OK, not really, but she has said it has shaken her to the point where she's uneasy wiping their youngest child's hind end these days. The Whytes are glad their sons never got at the frozen feces, but they're hopping mad that someone would serve this to their kids.

An Australian government lab tested the supposed poop, and the report confirms it "has an offensive odour and physical properties similar to human excreta ... and to contain fragments of a variety of plant matter typical of excreta." A statement from the hotel, meanwhile, calls the allegations "suspicious," and accuses the Whytes of trying to extort $1 million from the hotel owners.

It sounds like someone's full of s**t.

Image: The Daily Telegraph (the Whyte family)

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Kitchenista: Pass the Ice Cream

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT

This is one of those easy-peasy solutions like the ice treasure toys I blabbed on about yesterday. While this simple dessert requires turning on the oven, the assembly is a piece of cake, or, rather, cobbler.

While I might quibble about the cobbler's use of canned pie filling -- over-achievers are encouraged to break out any frozen/fresh berries that are lurking in their house -- I can't say boo about the crumbly, yummy topping. Plus, it includes a lot of butter, which always makes it better.

Visions of a warm scoop of this topped with some melty vanilla ice cream is almost enough to make me turn on the oven on this 90+ degree day. Maybe I should serve it with some frozen peas and call it dinner.

Kitchenista: It's Magic, Baby

Adrienne Martini — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Back when I was a kid, waaaaay back in the late '70s and early '80s, I was a Magic Shell junkie. I had whole rituals devoted to the stuff -- and always made sure to put enough on so that there'd be hard chunks to pry up once the ice cream was gone. By the end of the summer, I'd eat it off of frozen spoons, scraping thin layers of the hard stuff off with my front teeth. I'm drooling a bit just thinking about it.

One sad, sad day, I stopped and read the label. Horrorstruck I swore never to eat it again. Seriously, stop sometime when you're in the dessert topping aisle and glance at the label. The wonders of modernfood science, indeed.

And so I gave it up.

Until I got pregnant with my second baby and was eight months gone in July. The temps hovered in the upper '80s. I was the size of Pluto, back when it was still a planet. We had no AC. Ice cream was my only delight, my only love. Magic Shell whispered my name one day at the grocery. For three long, hot weeks, I mainlined the stuff, suffused with guilt but so very happy.

I wish I'd known then that you could make your own Magic Shell with just a couple of ingredients, namely coconut oil and chocolate. While it still isn't health food, this recipe does give you some quality control and eliminates all of the stabilizers, etc, that are hard to pronounce.

I'm not sure yet if I'm strong enough to have this in my kitchen again, especially since ice cream season is just around the corner. But I might have to give it a try, just for you, dear readers, to let you know how it compares.

Photo credit: McAuliflower

Kitchenista: Pudding Can Bite Me

Adrienne Martini — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT

One of my most secret kitchen shames is that I can't make pudding. It doesn't matter if I'm trying to whip one up from scratch or from a box, the result are always decidedly not-pudding. I've made chocolate soup. I've made butterscotch hockey pucks. I have had some success with the instant pudding mixes -- but, seriously, who wants to eat that stuff?

I've developed something of a pudding block. Now, even if I have a recipe that is "foolproof" I am so convinced that I'll screw it up that I invariably do. To hell with pudding, I say. Pudding can go screw itself.

Which is why I now make custards. Sure, they may seem pudding-like but the technique involves the oven more than the stovetop. And that has made all of the difference.

Given that I live in the heart of maple country, I can't resist this Maple Crema (it's a custard, not a pudding) from Babbo by way of Mark Bittman. One word of advice -- use real maple syrup, not that pancake topping crap that is all corn syrup and flavorings.

Photo credit: Andrew Scrivani for the New York Times

Kitchenista: 20-Minute Strawberry Log Cake

Madeline Holler — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:55:00 GMT

Sometimes, you just need cake.

My go-to easy cake, especially during strawberry season, takes no more than 20 minutes and is just so good. It's one of those foods that tastes great the next day, too.

This strawberry cake is like angel food cake, without the wasted egg yolks. And without the wait. It's also pretty (rolled up), delicious (containing whipped cream as it does), and hard to ruin (it's thinner and more golden than the cake in the picture). Did I mention it's fast?

Here's what you need:

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

Another 1/2 cup sugar

Another 1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Another teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar

1 pint heavy cream (or a container of Cool Whip ... if you go this route, don't worry about that last 1/4 sugar and the second teaspoon vanilla listed in the ingredients)

2 pints strawberries, cut into bite sized pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Line with wax paper or parchment if you feel like it (I frequently don't).

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electic mixer, beat egg whites until foamy (high speed). Add 1/2 cup of sugar a little at a time and beat until you have stiff peaks.

In another bowl, beat egg yolks and another 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Then fold the flour and yolk mixture into the egg whites using a rubber spatula until just blended (don't go crazy with the mixing here -- just make sure everything looks fairly evenly distributed.)

Spread this in the cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes.

Spread a clean dish towel on the counter and dust with powdered sugar. When the cake is done and cooled for a few minutes, slip a knife around the edge of the cookie sheet and then turn the cake out onto the dish towel. (Peel off the paper if you used it.) Roll the cake and the dish towel together and let it cool the rest of the way. (This is so it holds its form and also so it doesn't break apart, as it would if you rolled a completely cooled cake.

Whip the cream and 1/4 sugar and teaspoon of vanilla until peaks form. (Or break open the Cool Whip.) Stir in the strawberry pieces. Then unroll the cake gently, spread the cream and strawberries and reroll it. Sprinke the whole thing with more powdered sugar.

Slice into thick pieces. It's kind of messy, but who cares, right? You have cake!

Photo: HappyHomeBaking.blogspot.com

Kitchenista: Peanut Butter Popcorn

Alisyn — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:32:00 GMT

Popcorn is a traditional "harvest" snack that's been eaten in North America for centuries; The pilgrims and native Americans probably ate popcorn at the first Thanksgiving, though surely not this kick-ass version. Too bad - it would've really turned the party up a notch (you know that dinner was awk-ward), and is easy enough to make around a campfire. Popcorn is good with salt and better with butter, but it's unbelievably awesome with this gooey, sweet topping - it would be just as at home on the Thanksgiving dessert table, as it would be on the pre-dinner snack tray. Kids can help mix, too!

Peanut Butter Popcorn
makes about 8 cups

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
Vegetable oil
Fine salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (should be free of added sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare a clean paper shopping bag or giant mixing bowl. Heat a large heavy pan (cast iron, if you have it) over medium heat and fill the bottom with vegetable oil. Add the popcorn, shake to distribute, then put a lid on the pan. Leave a small crack for steam to escape. When the popcorn starts popping, shake vigorously to make sure the kernels pop evenly. When the popping slows, take the pan off the heat. Pour the popcorn into the paper bag or bowl to cool, being careful to leave any unpopped kernels in the pan. Coated with peanut butter caramel, the unpopped kernels are a serious tooth hazard. Lightly salt the popcorn to taste.

Mix the honey and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a couple minutes, then remove from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously until all the peanut butter is melted, then mix in the vanilla.

Immediately pour the peanut butter caramel over the popcorn and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until it's all coated. Once it's mixed you can put it in a serving bowl, or just snarf it down right then and there. I dare you not to! It's that good!

[Via Apartment Therapy]

Kitchenista: "Breakfast Ice Cream" from The Sneaky Chef

Patti — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:04:00 GMT

I am, in a general sense, opposed to sneaking foods into my kids, and other than a little experimentation I've never really tried, or paid much attention to the possibilities. Some misplaced sense of honor or idealism, I think. But now that I've got one kid beginning to see the light about trying new foods, and another one who's suddenly taken a turn for the picky, maybe it's time to rethink my policies a bit.

Looking at the sample recipes on The Sneaky Chef's website, I realize that I don't have to stop offering vegetables in their natural state just because I've also got them hidden in the cheeseburgers. Plus, it's an easy way to make sure we're all getting enough fruits and vegetables. Heck, I'm even intrigued by the idea of adding baby food blueberry-applesauce to my baked goods and meatloaf, blueberries being the superfood that they are.

There's a slight possibility that my new openness to the food-hiding concept has something to do with this recipe that the Sneaky Chef herself provided for me to try out, just in time for special first-day-of-school breakfasts:

Breakfast Ice Creams
by Missy Chase Lapine
Nutrition Highlights: Fruit, calcium, and probiotics

The name alone makes kids giggle and school mornings go a bit smoother. Your kids will think you’re the best when you call them into the kitchen for their morning “ ice cream” ! These two-minute recipes are fun enough to entice even the grumpiest kids. This is the only way I got my youngest daughter, Samantha, to eat anything in the morning all during her first year of kindergarten.

Your food processor is the only way to puree the frozen fruit without having to add a lot of liquid — and for these small quantities, a three-cup mini food processor works best. These recipes can be quickly converted to a thinner smoothie by adding an extra _ cup of milk to all the variations below and then mixing them in the blender:

Each variation below serves 2 children
Really Easy Strawberry Breakfast Ice Cream
Rich in vitamins C and K, potassium, folate, calcium, fiber, and protein
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries, without syrup or added sweeteners
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey or sugar

Extra Sneaky Strawberry Breakfast Ice Cream
Rich in vitamins C and K, potassium, folate, calcium, fiber and protein.
1/4 ripe avocado
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, without syrup or added sweeteners
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey or sugar

Banana Breakfast Ice Cream
Rich in vitamins B6, C, potassium, fiber, calcium, and protein
1 frozen banana, cut in pieces (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey or sugar

Chocolate Banana Breakfast Ice Cream
Rich in vitamins B6, C, potassium, fiber, calcium, protein, and antioxidants
1 frozen banana, cut in pieces (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Note: If you prefer to use sweetened yogurt (the vanilla flavored yogurt works well with all of the above), you probably won’t need the extra sugar or honey.

For each of the above Breakfast Ice Creams, put all ingredients in food processor and puree on high — hold on tight, the first few seconds are a bit rough until the mixture smoothes out. Each makes about 1 1/2 cups of ice cream.

Another sneaky hint: Make popsicles out of these ice creams by pouring them into ice pop molds and freezing the night before. It’s double the fun to eat it this way in the morning!