*This post was created in partnership with Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker because I find chocolate and summer to be a natural pair. I’m partial to Scharffen Berger’s bittersweet varieties (although Ivy argues that milk chocolate is best) as they’re softly sweet, with a nice acidity and deep cocoa flavor, which works perfectly in these ice cream bars.

The air smells of the last of the lilacs and a briny sea scent that the gentle, nearly warm breeze carries in from the Sound below. The sun lights the streets until nearly 10 pm and we lose track of the time we once dictated by the tint of the sky outside. There’s baseball practice that hurries us through dinner and games on Saturdays where the boys litter the grass with salt-licked sunflower seed shells. It’s June. The time of year where summer teases us with the occasional scent of the neighbors firing up the bbq, the kids wandering out of their houses to play in the street after dinner, and the distant chimes of the ice cream truck. We’re counting down the last days of school.

We all overslept this morning. Again. I popped up out of bed, looked at my phone then ran around the house trying to induce the sense of urgency needed to get everyone off to school on time. They didn’t quite get it. And I’ll admit neither did I. It’s hard to encourage the kids to persevere through these last couple of weeks of school, to continue to try their best and push hard when all I want to do is stay in bed with the warmth of the sun on my face then linger outside in the evening until dark, light up the fire to roast marshmallows and eat off paper plates outside.

Their school clothes have holes in the knees and are fraying at the sleeves but I refuse to refresh them at this point. Their lunches are far less thought out than they were in September and I’m trusting them to be getting all their homework done because I feel the shift. The summer shift. I’m trying to set a good example and be their buoy and cheerleader as they try to finish strong. But I’m also pushing back bedtime and dreaming with them about our summer travels to Europe, camping trips and lazy sun-lit mornings and definitely not thinking about third grade math.

Summer, we’re ready for you. Signs of our summer eagerness show up in the kitchen where I toast a pan full of marshmallows under the broiler. Soft interiors and crisp and caramelized outsides that I fold into vanilla bean flecked ice cream. Layered between two soft homemade graham crackers and then dipped in bittersweet chocolate. I would have stopped there but Ivy suggested a few flakes of salt to finish them off. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more proud.

These ice cream bars are a sweet taste of summer, and as if we needed it, are getting us even more excited for warm evenings sitting by a dancing fire, tasting the sweetness of the chocolate with sticky marshmallow fingers. Only 14 more sleeps – but who’s counting?

*This post is sponsored by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker. As always, the words, photos and recipes are mine.

Scharffen Berger crafts the richest, most flavorful chocolate by sourcing the best cacao in the world, blending it in small batches, and gently processing it to maintain the subtle flavors in the beans.

Be sure to check out their website where you can find a wide variety of baking chocolate as well as bars that need nothing more than a little unwrapping.

Thanks so much for supporting that brands that help keep Not Without Salt running.

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches with Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate

Makes 1 1/2 dozen bars

I’ve gone ahead and included a recipe for homemade graham crackers, one that I’ve adapted from King Arthur Flour. It’s a lovely soft cinnamon scented cracker that works beautifully here but you know you more than welcome to use store bought graham crackers here too. I assure you, no one would complain.

1 cup Graham Flour or Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons whole milk

1 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallow

1 1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream

9.7 ounces (1 bar) Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon flavorless oil (you can use grapeseed, rice bran, coconut, canola, etc.)

For the graham crackers:

In a large bowl combine the graham flour, all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.

In another bowl whisk together the egg, butter, honey and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a spatula until just combined.

Shape the dough in a rough rectangle then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick using a bit of flour if it starts to get a bit sticky.

Cut the cookies into the desired shape (I like the size of a quarter of an actual graham cracker - it’s about 1-inch by 2 1/2-inches)  and prick each cookie with a fork to prevent them from puffing up too much.

Set them onto the sheet pans and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake until puffed and golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. For the purpose of using these crackers in an ice cream sandwich I like to keep them a bit softer so I take them out perhaps a bit sooner than you would for a more traditional graham cracker.

Let the cookies cool on the trays.

Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Assemble the ice cream bars:

Line the bottom and sides 9x13 baking dish with two alternating pieces of parchment paper so that there’s a bit of overhang on each side.

Soften the vanilla ice cream by letting it sit out of the freezer for 20 minutes or so.

Set your oven to broil and scatter the marshmallows in a shallow roasting dish. Broil until the caps are copper colored and you can smell caramelized sugar.

Fold the toasted marshmallows into the softened ice cream then add that to the prepared 9x13 dish. Smooth it out to create an even layer of what is now toasted marshmallow ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Once completely firm remove the ice cream from the pan and cut it out to match the shape of the graham crackers. Sandwich a layer of ice cream between the graham crackers then place those on a sheet tray and return to the freezer until firm. If the ice cream melts too quickly in the process simply return it to the freezer for at least 20 minutes then continue.

Melt the chocolate with the oil in a microwave or over a double broiler. If using a microwave heat in 20 second intervals and stir really well between each heat so as not to scorch the chocolate.

Dip the ice cream bars halfway into the chocolate then return to the sheet pan and top with a few pieces of flake salt. Freeze again until firm and then you’re ready to enjoy.

My grocery list:

Cheese

Crackers

Bread

It was suppose to be a quick stop. I just needed a few things for a cheese platter but what I walked away with was a flat of blackberries, a couple pints of blueberries and raspberries, two bags of cherries, a few pounds of apricots, and some plums for good measure.

“Pick me! I’d be great in a pie.” They all seem to cry.  “Just think how much you’d love me all sweet and turned into jam when you’re slugging through the gray months?” “You’ve waited so long so see me! How could you possibly walk away?”

And with those convincing arguments they were in my cart. They win every time you know, and I’m always glad they do.

On the drive home I scheme grand plans for my haul. First the apricots will be pie; easy on the sugar and heavy on tartness. The blackberries demanded their fate be jam with a bit of cinnamon for warmth. The plums were meant for Gabe: I know he loves them. The cherries; TBD.

At home the plans quickly vanish as my children descend on my haul like fruit flies. Without haste I stash a couple of pounds of apricots for pie (it’s my favorite) and tuck one the bags of cherries deep into the fridge, out of the reach of little hands.

No jam is made, just happy berry-stained faces enjoying one of the many sweet perks of summer.

After their feasting, I return to the kitchen, quietly pluck my hidden bag of cherries from the fridge and dream of ice cream.

I want something tart, easy, and loaded with chunks of sweet cherries. For the tartness I add sour cream and fresh lemon. For the ease I opt for a yolk-less base remembering a recipe I recently saw where Nigella used sweetened condensed milk in the base which added thickness, richness and sweetness, of course.

With ice being the enemy of ice cream I cook the cherries with a bit of sugar, vanilla and lemon to let the vanilla infuse the mixture and to boil out most of the water in the fruit so they don’t ice over in the freezer.

The base is thick and as you would imagine; quite creamy. It’s tangy and sweet but that sweetness mellows in the freezer. I added a splash of Amaretto for good measure. Kirsch would be lovely here too.

It’s so thick in fact, I wonder if churning is even necessary. Or perhaps this a great base for semifreddo. If you’re up for a bit of recipe testing report back and let me know how it goes. I’d make the recipe again but we’re out of cherries.

Our first round we sandwiched between Muscovado sugar cookies but with the next scoop I wanted chocolate so a simple chocolate sauce was made and round two became an afternoon sundae. After all that we went out for pizza because it’s summer and sometimes that means all your kitchen energy is used up making ice cream.

Sour Cream Cherry Ice Cream

1 pound pitted and quartered cherries

1 vanilla bean, seed scraped

scant 1 cup/ 6 ounces sugar 

Juice from 1 lemon

Pinch salt 

2 tablespoons Amaretto

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 16 ounce container sour cream

1 cup heavy cream

In a medium saucepan combine the cherries, vanilla seeds and pod, sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let it gently boil for 10 minutes. The cherries will soften and the vanilla will permeate the mixture. The boiling will remove some of the water from the fruit and intensify the flavor.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Amaretto. Remove the vanilla pod.

Let this mixture cool for about 10 minutes before mixing it, in a large bowl, with the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and heavy cream.

Thoroughly chill the ice cream base before churning according to your manufacturers instructions.

Once churned place the ice cream in the freezer to completely set-up, at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate

Pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, water, cocoa, chocolate chips, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking constantly. 

Let the sauce gently simmer until everything is well combined. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Cover and refrigerate or use right away.

After refrigeration you’ll need to warm the sauce gently before serving.

I’m sitting on the couch surrounded by a pile of boxes, the table is littered with a plate of brown apples and a vase of dead peonies, the sink is filled with dishes and there are traces of chocolate on nearly every surface in the kitchen. Tomorrow is the last day of 2nd and 1st grade for my boys and it is also the one week mark until we need to be out of our house and into our new home. If I stop to think about it all I quickly get overwhelmed with the details and logistics surrounding all the changes happening. But if all I do in the midst of this is sit and let the stress smother me then I am also failing to take a moment to see all the good in it as well. We’re moving! It’s summer! We’re healthy, alive, and eager to fill our days with trips to the beach, camping, fruit picking, bike riding, lemonade selling, grilling, and everything in between.

As I lamented my to do list to a friend I also mentioned to her that I’ve had it in my head to make a homemade version of one of my favorite frozen indulgences; the Snickers ice cream bar.

“Do it!” She proclaimed, suddenly making the task feel doable and down right necessary. “You have so much to celebrate, it seems like the perfect way to do so.”

The ice cream bar project was so far down on the list of priorities that it didn’t even manage to make it on to the list but that nudging was a subtle reminder that life is full of endless to do lists. Rather than wait for life to slow down long enough for us to celebrate I want to set aside the other tasks, let the boxes lay empty for a bit longer and create the sort of recipe worthy of such a celebration.

These bars require a bit of wait time and have multiple steps that can get a bit messy but I assure you that no matter how they look in the end they will be unforgettably delicious. Our tray of ice cream bars are sitting in the freezer waiting for us to officially mark summer when the boys get home from their last day of school.

There are a few more things to note that are also worthy of celebrating. First of all, that very wise friend who encouraged this recipe has become an official member of team Not Without Salt! I’ve made many mentions of my friend Julie Hubert as she has been very influential on this site, in the cookie endeavors and as a very close friend. We just went ahead and made the partnership official. She is in charge of many things; one of which is to make sure I don’t go crazy – it’s a big task.

Secondly, I am thrilled to announce a very fun event that Julie and I are hosting along with Marx Foods. They recently started carrying the NWS cookie mix and to mark the occasion we are hosting a fabulous contest and event. Six local bloggers were given our cookie mix and asked to go crazy with it. They will be posting their recipes to their blogs and we’ll select two finalists. The finalists are invited to our event (open to all!) on June 30th where we’ll sample the recipes and eat loads of cookies. Be sure to check out the participants blogs to get the recipes!

Tending the Table

Rustic Joyful Food

Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Outside Oslo

Drumbeets

Farm Girl Gourmet

Check out the event page for more details and to R.S.V.P. to the event. 

And finally, I apologize for those who have been having a hard time getting a copy of the book. Date Night In, is now back in stock once again!! Thanks again for all the support.

Salted Peanut Caramel Ice Cream Bars

makes about 20 ice cream bars

These indulgent treats are reason alone to celebrate. If you want to skip straight to the celebrating and not mess with dipping them in chocolate you can simply cover the caramel layer in chocolate and serve with a fork. If that's the case you won't need as much chocolate as I recommend here.

Next time around I may try dipping in this magic shell recipe to make the chocolate a bit easier to work with but I do love the thick, bittersweet coat this recipe gives. With ice cream, caramel and chocolate it's really hard to go wrong.

1/2 gallon vanilla bean ice cream

8 oz/ 1 cup / 230 g sugar

6 oz/ 1/2 cup / 170 g Lyle’s Golden Syrup (or corn syrup)

1/4 cup water

6 oz/ 3/4 cup / 170 g heavy cream

2 oz/ 4 tablespoons / 60 g butter, soft

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups roasted and salted peanuts

2 bags dark chocolate chips or finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons canola, rice bran oil or coconut oil

flake salt, optional

Line a 10x10-inch (or 9x9-inch) square pan with parchment paper in the same way you would when making brownies - with two pieces overlapping each other and a bit of overhang on the sides. This will make it easier to get the bars out of the pan later. Use a bit of non-stick spray to adhere the parchment to the pan.

Let the ice cream sit out until soft and can easily be spread in the pan. Spread into an even layer and then freeze until completely firm, about 2 hours.

While the ice cream is firming up prepare the caramel.

For the caramel: Combine the sugar, golden syrup and water in a large saucepan. Stir gently to combine then wash off the sides of the pan using water and your clean hands to feel if any sugar remains on the side. If stray bits of sugar fall into the caramel it can cause the caramel to crystallize so it’s important to make sure all the sugar is in the bottom of the pan mixed with the water.

Place the lid on the pan and put over high heat. Having the lid on during the first few minutes of boiling creates condensation that further helps to wash away any sugar that may be left on the sides of the pan. After 5 minutes remove the lid and let the caramel continue to boil until it reaches 300 degrees F. If some of the caramel starts to color you can gently swirl the pot to combine.

Add the cream and butter once it has reached 300 degrees F and then continue to cook until the caramel reaches 235 degrees F. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts.

Let the caramel cool completely before topping the ice cream with the caramel.

Melt the chocolate with the oil in the microwave or over a double boiler.

At this point you can simply pour a layer of chocolate over the caramel if you prefer to keep things simple and don't mind serving this dessert with plates and a fork. If you want to dip the bars I find it easiest to add a bit of chocolate on top of the caramel layer then flip the bar over, resting the chocolate and caramel on a metal spatula. Hold the spatula over the bowl of ice cream then spoon over the melted chocolate letting it drip down the sides. Carefully paint the sides with chocolate using a spatula or other utensil until all the surfaces are covered.

Finish with flake salt and freeze until firm.

Whew. It took me awhile to write out that title. It’s a doozy and I think it accurately shows the doozy of a day we are having around here.

First of all my baby turns 4 today. Seriously, my baby is 4. Remember when she was just a sweet little pudgy puff of sleek black hair?! Now she’s a full on big girl. She prances around in my high heels, wrestles with the boys, spends most of her life pretending she’s a cat and still sneaks into bed with us almost nightly.

We’re celebrating our Ivy Jane with a towering Hello Kitty cake and a new business venture. Because we’re crazy in the best possible way and Ivy and I both agree that the world needs more salted chocolate chip cookies. She’s wise, that one.

Starting today you can order the NWS Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie in mix form! Wait, that needs a few more of these: !!!

Everything is hand packed and ready for 1 stick of soft butter and 1 egg. We’re using Shepherd’s Grain organic flour, three types of sugar (white, dark brown, and raw Turbinado), ground whole dried vanilla beans, Guittard 72% bittersweet chocolate, and Maldon flaky sea salt. If you haven’t had these cookies before, they are quite special and easily THE most made recipe in our house.

Here’s the deal, I LOVE this blog and all of you who visit this space. It’s been one of those orange round life saver things that dangle at the back of a boat (we were just on a ferry today so the reference is fresh) in a season where I often felt as if I was drowning. This blog has led me to a career that I never knew I wanted and yet now I see that all the pieces of my life up to this point have led me here. The comments, the inspiration, and the community has been a gift that often leaves me overwhelmed by its sweetness. But what I don’t get to do with the blog is actually feed you. I mean like have you sit at my table while I stand in the kitchen mixing up a batch of whatever is inspiring me in that moment. Because as much as I love this space and am so incredibly grateful for it, it’s no replacement for the satisfaction I get from feeding people. I know, I know cookie mix doesn’t put us at the same table but it is something made from my hands and then put in yours. It’s tangible, it’s real and it’s freaking delicious.

As my dear friend, Julie and I packed each tube I thought so often of the trays of warm cookies that will fill the homes of those who purchase and my goodness it got me excited (please send pictures, I’m totally serious).

But wait, there’s more (as if I didn’t sound like a commercial already)! I haven’t even told you about what I think is the very best part.

We’ve teamed up with our good friends at First Aid Arts (site launching very soon) to help cookies bring even more sweetness into this world. A little bit about them:

First Aid Arts trains counselors and trauma care providers how to use the arts in a healing capacity with survivors of trauma. We serve victims of human trafficking, natural disasters, war, abuse and violence, as well as the brave and beautiful who care for them.

How amazing is that? So we’re eating warm chocolate chip cookies AND knowing that part of every purchase goes directly to that cause. I’ll be talking more about them as we continue in this new venture. I’m really hoping to be able bake these cookies with some of the victims because we all could benefit from a cookie every now and again.

There’s still a couple more things to mention in this jam-packed post. First, bookmark this page because when your cookie mix arrives you can jump back here and watch the handy video below to know how to easily mix your mix. I think my brother did a damn fine job with it.

Also, ICE CREAM. I went and made ice cream with some of these here cookies. Gabe’s favorite flavor is Cookies and Cream so I combined my favorite cookie with his favorite ice cream and we created magic. I’ve sandwiched these cookies in between ice cream before but this, this is a new favorite.

This new business idea is a whole new world for us and as such there will most likely be a few kinks in the process. Please let us know if you come across any of those kinks and bare with us as we’ll probably be making some changes along the way. Also, get excited about HOLIDAY FLAVORS!!!

ADDED: Speaking of kinks, we’ve changed our online marketplace. It’s a good change. Click here to order! Thanks.

As always, thanks for being here, for supporting me in this crazy journey, for cheering me on and for being big fans of salted chocolate chip cookies. I wish I could bake you all cookies but that’d be a little crazy. What I can do is give three of you one of the very first tubes of the NWS Cookie Mix. Leave a comment below and I’ll choose the winners at random next Monday (9/15)

Now let’s go make some cookies.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

base recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

2 cups milk

4 tsp. cornstarch

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened

8 Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies (order the mix here!), chopped

Grab two large bowls and fill one with ice water. Set aside.

In a bowl, stir together 1/4 cup milk and the cornstarch; set slurry aside.

In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes; stir in slurry.

Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Place cream cheese in a bowl and pour in 1/4 cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth.

Then whisk in remaining milk mixture.

Pour mixture into the empty bowl and nestle in the bowl of ice water until chilled, about 20 minutes.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions.

When the ice cream base is the consistency of soft serve add the chopped cookie bits. Let the machine continue to churn until all the pieces have been added the combined well.

Transfer ice cream to a storage container and freeze until set.

I sit in my office doing the internet version of twiddling my thumbs; bouncing from Facebook to Instagram scrolling through the feeds until my thumb aches and my mind is overwhelmed with images and updates that leave me feeling depleted. I have only a couple more hours to work and yet I can’t focus and am losing motivation in the midst of the scrolling.

“That’s it.” I say to myself. “I need to get out of here.”

So I jump in the car with a simple plan of going to the market and seeing where that leads me. Once there I see crate after crate overflowing with stone fruit. Nearly black plums with a hint of red underneath which tells me they are perfect; mostly sweet with a good sour bite. Next to them, small Italian plums covered in a soft dust that wipes off easily to reveal a deep purple skin. And apricots the color of a late evening sun and the star of so many of my favorite summer recipes.

Immediately I grab several pounds of plums because two days before I heard a lovely story on NPR about a pastry chef who stood at her stove sobbing at the site of this German Plum Cake. It was the first time she had made it since her mom died and just the site of it; familiar like a dear friend, made her lose it in her kitchen leaving her staff a little clueless as to why chef was looking at the stove dripping tears into a plum studded cake (that’s actually a bit more tart than cake). I needed to make this.

Then I grab the Italian plums and my mind turns to stewed prunes. The resulting dish is actually much more appetizing than the name suggests. They are so good in fact that I keep my oven on for an entire day in the midst of a crazy heat wave just to dry out the plums so I can make the very best version of stewed prunes when a winter’s evening demands a taste of summer.

Finally I reach for apricots. My usual response to apricots is pie or jam but today I dust off the ice cream maker and decide to roast a batch for ice cream. I need something cold to counter  the temperature in the house after the oven has been on all day.

I roast the apricots with a bit of sugar because it’s only after roasting that apricots reveal their magic. They succumb easily to a gentle pressing with my spatula to turn into a sort of puree, intentionally left a bit rustic as I imagine the pleasure of biting into a piece of apricot on top of an ice cream cone. The puree turns the creamy base into a pinkish orange hue, enough to catch the attention of Ivy who is immediately drawn to anything pink. While it churns I melt a bit of chocolate and drizzle that in to the ice cream just as it looks like soft serve. Ivy licks the chocolate bowl clean.

The result is a sweet ice cream, softly tart and rich with speckles of bittersweet chocolate and more importantly for me, an end to my twiddling of thumbs and an awakening to the day in front of me with all its possibilities.

Roasted Apricot Stracciatella

base recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

1 pound apricots, halved and pitted

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 + 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2  tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped)

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Place the apricots in a cast iron skillet or small baking dish along with 1/3 cup sugar. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Remove the apricots from the oven and gently smash them with a rubber spatula to make a craggy and rough puree.

Set aside while you prepare the base. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup milk and the cornstarch; set slurry aside.

In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes; stir in slurry. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Place cream cheese in a bowl and pour in 1/4 cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Then whisk in remaining milk mixture.

Fold in the apricot puree and lemon juice. Set a bowl inside of another bowl that is filled with ice water. Pour the base into the top bowl. Let sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very cold.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions.

While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil (quick 15 second bursts in a microwave, stirring in between heatings, until melted) until smooth.

When the ice cream looks like soft serve, slowly drizzle in the chocolate and let the process of the churning break up the chocolate into small bits.

Transfer ice cream to a storage container and freeze until set.

“Do you want ice cream with caramel sauce or hot chocolate?” I ask Ivy. Her face brightens with the choice. She and I plan to take full advantage of a quiet house and the ice cream that sits idly in the freezer.

“No wait!” I interrupt just as she is ready to answer. “How about we have hot chocolate AND ice cream.” She doesn’t argue.

She scoots the stool over while I reach for a saucepan. Putting herself in charge of the chocolate she sneaks a taste before plunging into the hot milk speckled with floating dots of perfumed vanilla seeds. Cocoa powder, rich and nearly black, follows turning the white milk dark and thick. A scoop of ice cream sits in each bowl as a warm bath of hot chocolate pools around its base. A breeze of peppermint hits my nose, cooling and crisp, and immediately the ice cream puddles at the edges.

Her little hands wrap around the bowl smiling at what she sees. I notice her fingers; more slender than last year with chipped hot pink sparkly polish on her nails. Our legs weave together on the couch, a Christmas movie plays in the background as we give full attention to our dessert; warm and cold and appropriately indulgent.

This is the sort of scene I’ve longed for as the last several weeks were filled with deadlines and what I now describe as noise – too loud for me to notice the simple joys like this. Our December has been set aside for quiet – an intentional move during a season that tries desperately to threaten quiet and contentment. Books are being read, candles scented of Bergamot are lit, the tree stands tall in the corner with the lights beaming continuously. We will find snow, we will bake cookies, write notes, drive around oohhing and ahhing at our neighbor’s Christmas lights and warm ourselves with cup after cup of hot chocolate. Closets are purged of their unnecessary clutter and toys are being reexamined and donated. We’re finding joy in a simple sheet of white paper and a sharp pencil, some chalk and a giant game of tic tac toe in the driveway and watching icicles shatter into tiny pieces as it bears the brunt of a kung-fu chop.

There’s reality too, like a sick boy sitting next to me home from school, three-year-old tantrums about forgotten stuffed kitties, dishes that don’t clean themselves, email that needs someone to respond to and comments that threaten steal the joy of creating – it’s noise, it’s life but right now I’m working valiantly to find the quiet. It’s good to be here, in this space – imperfect and comfortable, warming and quiet. Thanks for being here and for your patience when it was a bit too quiet around here. Stay tuned for Toddy’s and cinnamon-swirled rolls, sweet and cardamom spiced. For now, hot chocolate AND ice cream.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Affogato

Serves 8 to 10 (affogato-size portions)

2 cups milk

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

pinch salt

few drops peppermint extract

In a small saucepan over medium heat bring the milk to a gentle boil. Whisk together the cocoa powder and sugar in a small bowl.

Remove the saucepan from the heat then whisk in the cocoa powder mixture along with the chocolate, salt and peppermint extract or oil to taste.

Strain hot chocolate if any little lumps remain.

Hot chocolate will keep, covered and refrigerated, for two weeks.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a small bowl or mug. Pour 1/4 cup of warm hot chocolate over the ice cream then finish with crumbs of candy cane.

No matter where in the world you live I’m sure by now you’ve heard the gleeful cries of us north westerners basking in the unseasonable warmth. It seems, for a time, we’ve skipped spring and moved right into summer. The kiddie pools have broken their winter hibernation, as have the bbq’s and picnic tables. Last night we even welcomed in s’more season with the neighbors as we all huddled around roasting marshmallows on bamboo skewers over our little Weber. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a s’more before July. And the most exciting part about this sun, at least for Baron, is Lemonade season. We have a giant bag of lemons waiting to be squeezed and our little stand is nearly ready for customers.

For me the sun is a revival in energy, warming hope and the thawing of the winter months that color my mood, as well as the sky, a sort of dull, hopeless hue.

I feel silly gushing about the weather on a blog post but 84 degrees in May calls for a bit of gushing. But for now let’s quit with the talk of weather and gush about rhubarb floats. If you’ve seen my instagram feed recently you probably have noticed that I’m a little obsessed with rhubarb syrup these days. There were rhubarb italian sodas, rhubarb sours (for the book), mojitos and just a simple soda with lime. It’s the warming floral flavor that to me is the fragrance of spring, mixed with a gentle spice and softened with vanilla bean. It’s the sun that inspired the scoop of vanilla ice cream. For now, I’m retiring root beer and demanding all my floats are of the rhubarb variety.

Rhubarb Floats

Of all the many wonderful uses of rhubarb this syrup remains my favorite. It's a fridge staple all through spring as it easily becomes the base for numerous cocktails, sodas and now ice cream floats. I love the warmth the spice brings but just rhubarb alone is great too. Feel free to play around with the add-ins. I've also added citrus peel into the mix with great results. 

4 cups/1 pound/ 450 g chopped rhubarb

1 cup + 1 tablespoon/ 8 ounces/ 230 g sugar

2 cups/ 1 pound/ 450 grams water

1 vanilla bean (optional)

1 cinnamon stick

3-5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly so the mixture continues to boil gently. Boil for 15 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by nearly half. The rhubarb will break down and the liquid will get syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool.

When cool, strain out the rhubarb. Save the rhubarb mash to add to yogurt, on top of ice cream or oatmeal.

Rhubarb syrup will keep covered in the fridge for two weeks.

For the float

These measurements are rough as it's all a matter of taste. Adjust how you'd like. I kept on meaning to muddle strawberries with the syrup before adding the club soda and ice cream but got too excited that I forgot. Perhaps you'll remember. Or imagine using strawberry ice cream or even coconut sorbet. So many floats to be had.

1/8 - 1/4 cup rhubarb syrup (recipe above)

1/2 cup club soda

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Add the syrup to a glass. To that add a scoop of ice cream and finish with club soda. Serve with a spoon and a straw.

*The straws in the photos are glass and I'm in love with them. The kind people at Glass Dharma sent me a few different sizes but these little cocktail straws are my favorite. Check them out.

We want you to get a glimpse at our date night. The mess, the chaos and the joy.

We start before the kids are in bed. At times they help us prepare the meal knowing what the food is for – a special date night for mama and dad. Ivy guides my hand to cut the tomatoes just to be a part of it. She’s eager to help taste and her joyful reaction assures me that I’ve done something right. She is already fearless in the kitchen. I watch her confidently grab for ingredients as she nudges her way into the process. Carefully I remove knives out of her path and do my best to keep her safe while not discouraging her bravery and curiosity.

The cocktails are made and the kids are put to bed while I remove the sweet and tangy pork from the oven. In the not-yet-quiet  house the smells of fatty pork and pungent garlic lure us to the table and help to mute the distractions.

This evening we find ourselves casually eating on the couch. The tacos disappear quickly while the conversation lingers. By this point the house is quiet and we settle in a little closer while we talk about the latest book we are reading together.

Both of us work from home so we see each other quite often throughout the day. Quite often we are able to have three meals together as a family – a blessing I cherish in these precious days. But because of that it is easy for us to forget that even though we see each other a lot we are rarely connecting on the level that is needed to deepen our relationship. To become lazy in our marriage is the disease that can quickly kill it. Working hard to preserve our friendship and intimacy we set aside these times, learn together and carve out moments to grow.

While the summer sun slowly retreats we pull our little ice cream bombes from the freezer and finish our night with a sweet, satisfying and unsophisticated dessert that reminds us that while deep and intimate conversations are vital to the marriage, so is having fun. The laughter and goofiness instantly reminds me of falling in love with my husband as his carefree attitude and easy ability to laugh drew me to him. His joy was and continues to be infectious. Somehow he managed to turn our first “date” (said loosely as we insisted we were just friends for months) of a walk to 7-11 into a hilarious adventure that had me laughing for days, actually years, after.

The evening ends and life continues. We go about our days and weeks checking off the hundreds of items that scatter our to-do lists but that time to shut everything off sustains us and sets us closer together. We walk away feeling more of a team and less of just “roommates” and already we anticipate our next day, our next meal and our next adventure.

_________________________

For the pork I used this recipe from my dear friend Rachel. Her carnitas are pretty darn spectacular – fatty, sweet, salty and tangy – everything you want in a great taco.

Additional taco fillings:

cotija, cilantro, radish and lime.

Pico de Gallo
adapted from Bon Appetit June ‘12
makes about 2 ½ cups

It was my mother-in-law who really grew my love of pico. At their house it is a staple and it is not hard to see why. This quick salsa is so fresh, simple and with the perfect bite you get flecks of sweet tomato, spicy jalapeno and cool cilantro. Summer’s ideal accessory.

½ medium red onion
2 cups diced tomato
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced jalapeno
Kosher salt

Combine everything in a medium bowl. Season with salt. A squeeze of fresh lime is perfectly acceptable I’d say.

Taqueria Guacamole

adapted from Bon Appetit June ‘12
makes about 2 cups

Usually I like my guacamole thick and full of large chunks of avocado. This simple recipe yields a simple and creamy guacamole perfect for adding to tacos.

2 large, ripe avocados
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon lime zest
Kosher salt
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium bowl mash avocado with lime zest, juice and a hearty pinch of salt using a fork to break up the avocado.
Once creamy and well mashed stir in the cilantro and minced garlic. Add a bit of water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to achieve a smooth texture. Season with salt or more lime juice.

Little Bombes
adapted from Jeni Britton Bauer via Bon Appetit, June ‘12

12 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
⅓ cup coconut oil
pinch salt

topping suggestions:
cinnamon
lime, lemon or orange zest
ground coffee
cocoa nibs
coconut
sprinkles
flake salt
candied ginger
turbinado sugar

In a medium bowl combine the chocolate, coconut oil and salt. Microwave in intervals of 30 seconds stirring between each or melt over a bowl of simmering water.

Once melted remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling scoop some ice cream onto a cold plate then place in the freezer until ready to dip.

With a scoop of ice cream on a fork spoon the melted chocolate over the ice cream. Using another fork gently slide the chocolate covered scoop of ice cream onto a plate and sprinkle with any number of toppings. Work in small batches and quickly return ice cream to the freezer. Let set for at least 10 minutes before serving.

This can also be done several days in advance.

Pork Tacos // Little Ice Cream Bombes

For the pork I used this recipe from my dear friend Rachel. Her carnitas are pretty darn spectacular - fatty, sweet, salty and tangy - everything you want in a great taco.

Additional taco fillings:

cotija, cilantro, radish and lime.

Pico de Gallo
adapted from Bon Appetit June ‘12
makes about 2 ½ cups

It was my mother-in-law who really grew my love of pico. At their house it is a staple and it is not hard to see why. This quick salsa is so fresh, simple and with the perfect bite you get flecks of sweet tomato, spicy jalapeno and cool cilantro. Summer’s ideal accessory.

½ medium red onion
2 cups diced tomato
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced jalapeno
Kosher salt

Combine everything in a medium bowl. Season with salt. A squeeze of fresh lime is perfectly acceptable I’d say.

Taqueria Guacamole

adapted from Bon Appetit June ‘12
makes about 2 cups

Usually I like my guacamole thick and full of large chunks of avocado. This simple recipe yields a simple and creamy guacamole perfect for adding to tacos.

2 large, ripe avocados
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon lime zest
Kosher salt
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium bowl mash avocado with lime zest, juice and a hearty pinch of salt using a fork to break up the avocado.
Once creamy and well mashed stir in the cilantro and minced garlic. Add a bit of water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to achieve a smooth texture. Season with salt or more lime juice.

Little Bombes
adapted from Jeni Britton Bauer via Bon Appetit, June ‘12

12 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
⅓ cup coconut oil
pinch salt

topping suggestions:
cinnamon
lime, lemon or orange zest
ground coffee
cocoa nibs
coconut
sprinkles
flake salt
candied ginger
turbinado sugar

In a medium bowl combine the chocolate, coconut oil and salt. Microwave in intervals of 30 seconds stirring between each or melt over a bowl of simmering water.

Once melted remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling scoop some ice cream onto a cold plate then place in the freezer until ready to dip.

With a scoop of ice cream on a fork spoon the melted chocolate over the ice cream. Using another fork gently slide the chocolate covered scoop of ice cream onto a plate and sprinkle with any number of toppings. Work in small batches and quickly return ice cream to the freezer. Let set for at least 10 minutes before serving.

This can also be done several days in advance.

I had always thought that at some point in life you get it. That there comes a time when life just sort of magically clicks and you make sense, the world makes sense, people make sense. I don’t know exactly when I thought this would happen but I do know that by the time I was 30 I thought I would have it all figured out.

Well here I am, 30 and often more confused then ever. But the difference between a confused 30 year and a confused, say, 20 year old is that now I simply don’t care. I don’t care that I don’t have it all figured out. In fact I’m thrilled that I don’t.

At this time in my life I feel more free to ask questions, to humbly acknowledge my misunderstandings and earnestly seek to find the answers, knowing full well that most likely they will just open up the flood gates to more questions.

It is an incredibly freeing time in my life where I sense the burden of self-consciousness slowly lifting and life’s subtleties filling me with an intoxicating joy. I’m okay with making a bit of a fool of myself for the sake of seeking answers, understanding something a little better, and for protecting my family and myself.

The mocking voices in my head are retreating to a dull whisper instead of a deafening roar. The space in which they used to inhabit fills with thoughts of thankfulness, abounding blessings and purpose.

I’m seeking adventure, owning up to what I feel called to in life, living and perusing life with an unashamed passion.

I eagerly await the coming years and the wisdom and memories they will produce.

Although there may be a few more fine lines on my face then there were before, this is the best time of my life. Goodbye 20’s. Hello 30.

Mascarpone Ice Cream

Makes 3 cups

Although cake is what’s typically enjoyed on occassions such as birthdays, when given the choice I will always choose ice cream. And if said ice cream happens to be topped with a dark and bitter shot of espresso then what you have is one of my favorite desserts.

1 cup mascarpone

1 ½ cups milk

1/2 cup brown rice syurp

squeeze fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch salt

Whisk all the ingredients together. Churn in your favorite ice cream maker according to the directions.

Freeze until firm.

For an affogato simply pour a shot of freshly brewed espresso (or very strong coffee) over a scoop of the ice cream.

I started making homemade pasta when I was eight. My parents kindly complimenting my bowls of mush while eating soppy noodles with much oohing and ahhing. I’ve since improved my pasta making skills.

The moment I realized I could make my own butter I was out of my seat and shaking a jar of cream.  As time allows I make my own puff pastry, soft cheeses, mayonnaise, marshmallows, dressings, etc. And even though our garden is quite meager, I get giddy when I am able to feed my family from the tiny seeds I planted just weeks prior.

As we are so often surrounded by pre-made products I am incredibly satisfied when I am able to fulfill a need using raw materials readily found in my kitchen. Most often it is things like pulling warm homemade bread out of the oven or sewing an airy summer dress for my daughter that calls upon these emotions and connects me to the generations prior for which this was their normal.

For some reason it is those classic childhood flavors in the form of sugary candy that I rarely think to recreate at home. I find such mystery in their creation, quite possibly because I don’t recognize a single ingredient found on the back of their colorful exterior. I, in a more-frequent-than-should-be moment, enjoy the familiarity of their flavor and move on never stopping for a moment to think, I could make this. In fact it could quite possibly even be better.

Their cloyingly sweet flavors could be made less harsh through the use of less refined ingredients. The familiar waxy melt of their chocolate that contains little to none of the ingredients found in those football shaped cacao pods could be replaced with bittersweet chocolate that puddles and melts against the heat of the tongue.

Such a revelation occurred when I happened upon a recipe for homemade peanut butter finger candy. As a child I adored the odd orange candy that shattered under the weight of my young, eager bite. Strangely enough I don’t think I realized that peanut butter was the main ingredient for this candy until recently. In my young mind it was just something crunchy, sweet, and there was chocolate – no further thinking needed. Even more alluring was the memory of these candies crushed into bits and stirred into creamy vanilla flavored soft serve. Yes, that’s right – a Butterfinger blizzard. So cold it makes your head hurt but so satisfying that you don’t care.

The trick in recreating flavors you’ve enjoyed all throughout your life is getting them to satisfy you in the same way they did in your memory. You want them to be better than the store-bought version but not so much so that they no longer resemble what you were originally trying to create. It’s a fine balance and I am thrilled to report that this recipe has achieved such convenient-store-candy-recreating success. And you must, for the love of a Blizzard, stir these sugary crumbs into ice cream.

Continue for the recipe..

Homemade Peanut Butter Finger Candy

adapted from "The Ultimate Candy Book" by Bruce Weinstein

Candy making can be intimidating but the result is well worth the headache. A candy thermometer is crucial in beginning to make candy. Pull the sugar as soon as it reaches 290* and work quickly. Be so very careful when working with hot sugar as its burn hurts more than any other. Have I scared you? NO? Good. Yes? Sorry. Again, I assure you with a little patience and persistence you will soon have homemade butter fingers. Now get going.

*In the comments someone just asked a great question. "What candy thermometer do you recommend?" I use the Taylor Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer. I like the easy to read digital face. It does not, however, clip to the side. If you do it will melt - speaking from experience. But I've made candy so often I can tell when the sugar is getting close to done, then I insert the thermometer just to be sure. This thermometer measures quickly and again it's easy to read so you don't have to hold it there forever. The classic Candy & Deep Fry Thermometer is nice because it can stick to the side of the pan but I find it hard to read accurately and in candy making, accuracy is very critical.

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt (kosher, fleur de sel, Maldon)

½ vanilla bean, seeds removed (optional)

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup light corn syrup

½ cup water

¾ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (chocolate chips are fine too)

Butter an 8-inch square pan then set aside. In a small, microwave-safe bowl (if you don’t have a microwave you can use a double boiler) combine the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Set that aside.

In a very clean medium saucepan combine the vanilla seeds (if using), sugar, corn syrup and water. Using clean hands combine those ingredients and remove any grains of sugar left on the sides of the pan with your fingers and a bit more water. I use my hands for this because I can be certain to feel if any gritty grains remain on the side and the sugar in the bottom of the pan is lump-free. You may also use a pastry brush to wet down the sides of the pan if you prefer.

On medium-high heat cook the sugar until it reaches 290*, just under hard crack. While the sugar cooks warm the peanut butter mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds. Keep warm. Once the sugar has reached 290* quickly add the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine. The mixture thickens quickly so once combined immediately put the mixture in the buttered pan. Let cool for about 7 minutes on a wire rack. While it is still warm carefully scatter your chocolate on top. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Using an offset spatula spread the chocolate evening over the peanut butter candy. Place in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes.

Once the candy has set run a knife or the edge of an offset spatula around the edge of the pan then invert. The candy should pop out but if it doesn’t insert your knife into the corner and pry it up until it pops out.

Cut the candy into desired shapes. I like to keep my stash in a ziploc bag in the freezer. I love the texture of this candy when it’s frozen and then it’s always ready to be added to vanilla ice cream.

Peanut Butter Finger Ice Cream

serves 2, generously

2 cups vanilla ice cream

⅓ cup (more is okay too) homemade peanut butter candy pieces

Place your candy in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to break into smaller pieces. They don’t need to be uniform, in fact it’s better if they aren’t.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add the ice cream and mix until it is the texture of soft serve. Add the candy pieces and mix just to combine. Serve immediately.

Coffee Granita

4 cups water

1 cup ground espresso-roast coffee

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1/8 tsp salt

Bring water to a boil and whisk in coffee. Strain the coffee. Stir in the sugar. Cool mixture to room temperature. Pour mixture into a 9×13×2 pan and freeze for 20 minutes. Scrap the mixture with a fork. Continue to scrap every 10-15 minutes until thick and grainy. If thick chunks form you can process in a food processor then place back in the freezer.

Serve in beautiful, chilled dessert or martini classes with a small dollop of cold cream. Perfect for a light summer dessert.

Apple, Ginger, Basil Granita

Grate ginger into sparkling cider using a microplane.

Pulse together sugar and basil in a blender until sugar is bright green and basil is finely ground, then stir into apple juice until sugar is dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8- to 9-inch metal baking pan.

Freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every half hour, until evenly frozen, 3 to 4 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps.

Serve in beautiful glasses with thinly sliced granny smith apples.

Chocolate Sorbet

David Lebovitz

2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

Watermelon and Lime Bars

adapted from Epicurious.com

Watermelon Sorbet

1 (2 1/2-pounds) piece of watermelon
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon tequila

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp lime zest

Line a 9-inch square baking pan (2 inches deep) with plastic wrap or parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Put lined pan in freezer.

Coarsely chop watermelon flesh (leave seeds in), then purée enough to yield 2 1/2 cups in a blender.

Add sugar, juice, zest, salt and tequila to purée and blend 30 seconds.

Freeze sorbet in ice cream maker. Transfer to lined baking pan, smoothing top. Put in freezer to firm up.

Lime Semifreddo

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together condensed milk, zest, salt and juice. Beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then gently fold into condensed-milk mixture.

Spread over sorbet, smoothing top. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.

To serve, lift dessert from pan using plastic wrap. Cut into 12 bars and serve on chilled plates.

Cooks’ note: Dessert can be frozen (covered once completely frozen) up to 3 days. Cut into bars just before serving.

Pistachio Gelato

3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios (about 3 3/4 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 large egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

Finely grind 3/4 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup sugar and salt in processor. Combine pistachio mixture, milk and almond extract in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Whisk yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens slightly and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Refrigerate custard until cold, about 3 hours.

Fudge Sauce

1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and salt. Whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until cool but still pourable, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Cones

adapted from Frozen Desserts

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter, room temp.

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tbs. all purpose flour

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

Sift powdered sugar into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Very slowly beat until all sugar is incorporated. Turn mixer to medium the beat until lighter in color. Add egg whites one at a time. Beat until smooth after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift together the flour, salt and cornstarch. Add flour mixture to butter mixture until just combined and mixture is smooth.