Twice this past week, I’ve been asked about our July 4 weekend plans and each time, I felt a bit awkward before responding we had none.  The feeling of awkwardness is more uncharacteristic than any worry of not having plans, because plans are easy to make if I’m interested, or prodded by those who are challenged in this area which is most often the case.

The feeling of awkwardness makes no sense.

It’s been forever since we’ve made a big hoo-haw over July 4th.  Having a child with a birthday on the 2nd has put the focus more on that for 18 years, and this year he’s at school, so we’re without that as well to have an excuse to party.  My extended family feels a bit strung about the country right now, my older boys always seem to work on busy holidays, and my husband’s family is in need of a cheerleader to rally them into one big get together for these occasions.

Before you have any thought of my gearing up for an all out whine, you have to know I’m the last person to feel badly about not having plans, which gets me back to the awkwardness.  I don’t get it.  But I’ve written a list for my husband of what we might do this holiday weekend because he loves having plans for any reason whatsoever.  Call him the original Party Man.

Party Man’s Fourth of July Weekend To-Do List:

1. Take the beach umbrella & book/iPad/beverage/munchies to the water either this afternoon, tomorrow afternoon, or Sunday afternoon. (Check — Friday evening)
   
2. Shopping.  There are lots of great sales on this kind of weekend, and maybe we can find a killer deal on something.  You know, because you always need something, right? (Party Man went by himself Saturday.  Check.)
   
3. Picnic dinner (packed in the picnic bag we never use) somewhere for the 4th.  Choose a spot we’ve never been depending on where the fireworks are — like the Embarcadero or something.  We could walk to the Cove again which would be fine with me.  Either pack the picnic bag, or pick a place in town to eat, then walk to see fireworks. (Looks like an impromptu BBQ with family on the 4th.  Check.)
   
4. You could rent a beach cruiser and I could finally use the bike Mom gave me to cruise all the way around Mission Bay from Crown Point Drive at the end. I need to figure out how to get that bike in my car anyhoo. (Does renting a sailboat count? Saturday with friends. Check.)
   
5. Do the “make like a tourismo thing” on Coronado, in Encinitas, Ocean Beach, or you name it which means “goose necking” in the shops, having lunch,  and enjoying the sunshine.
6. Choose a place tonight and go on an impromptu road trip up the coast like Malibu or something.  Stay one night.  Nothing fancy.  So, Saturday and Sunday.  It would be fun! (Not — Catsitting my brother’s cat)
   
7. Help me figure out how to build a fence for the patio, because I’m pretty sure I can do it.  Maybe. (Check — consulted with someone who had good ideas)
   
8. Choose a place in San Diego — like downtown — so I can walk around and take photos.  Balboa Park would even be okay. You can hold the camera stuff. (Does Mission Bay count?  Saturday with friends.  Check.)
   
9. Want to see the Padres?  Not high on my list, but relaxing.  I like the ball park. (Not — they’re in Seattle this weekend.)
   
10. Walk to the boardwalk when the holiday is in full gear just to gawk at all the crazy beach people.

This is what you get to do when your kids are grown and there are no invitations.  Make your own party.  Freeing, to some extent, and certainly nothing to feel awkward about.  Just different.  We’re not very good at it yet, but we’re working on it.  No sooner had I sent this list to him than he remembered Tour de France begins tomorrow.  Nice.

Because a summer holiday weekend calls for ice cream at some point, I say make it a smoothie instead — or an ice cream smoothie pie.  This one isn’t complicated, but does take a bit of planning ahead.

Happy Independence Day!

Fruity Ice Cream Smoothie Pie

Directions

1. Make one batch of this vanilla ice cream or use a purchased quart of your favorite.
2. While the ice cream is processing, make the pretzel crust.
3. While the ice cream is in the freezer, make the fruit purees.
4. Assemble the pie after the crust is completely cooled, the purees are chilled, and the ice cream has been in the freezer at least 1 hour post processing.

Pretzel Crust Ingredients

1-3/4 c. crushed sourdough pretzel nuggets
1/4 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
2. Crush the pretzels in a food processor until coarse crumbs, no larger than the size of oatmeal.
3. Add the brown sugar and butter and pulse until  ingredients are evenly mixed.
4. Lightly spray an 8″ round pan with a removable bottom with oil, then pour the pretzel mixture into the pan.
5. Using your fingers or a rubber spatula, press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 2 inches.
6. Bake the crust 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and press against the crust lightly with a rubber spatula, then allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
   

Puree Ingredients

2 ripe mangoes, cut into chunks
8 oz. raspberries, fresh or frozen
3-4 nectarines, about 8 oz., chopped
3/4 c. sugar, divided into 1/3 quantities

Directions

1. Puree each fruit separately in a blender or food processor, each with 1/4 c. sugar.
2. Chill separately until ready to use.

Assembly

1. Divide ice cream into 3 equal quantities.  If it has been frozen for quite a while, allow to soften before continuing.
2. Add one flavor of puree to a third of the ice cream in 1/2 cup quantities.  Stir to blend well, add an additional 1/2 cup and blend again.
3. Pour into the completely cooled pie crust and place in the freezer about 30 minutes.
4. While the first layer is chilling, make the second.
5. Add 1/2 of the second flavor of puree to a third of the ice cream, blend well, then add an additional 1/2 cup and blend again.
6. Pour this mixture over the top of the first layer and smooth evenly with spatula.
7. Chill the two layers 30 minutes.
8. Follow the same procedure for the third puree, adding to the remaining third of the ice cream 1/2 cup at a time, mixing, then adding another.
9. Finish assembly by pouring the last layer over the other two and allowing to freeze at least 1 hour before serving.
10. To remove from the pan, run an very hot wash cloth around the exterior of the pan a couple of times, then gently insert a butter knife along the edge to loosen it.  You may have to do this more than once before you can release the pie from the pan.

If desired, make a caramel sauce which uses some of the leftover nectarine puree before serving.

Caramel Sauce Ingredients

3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. creme fraiche
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. nectarine puree

Directions

1. Cook sugar over medium heat until caramelized.
2. Add the creme fraiche while stirring, then the puree and lemon juice.
3. Stir until smooth.
4. Cool completely, then gently warm when ready to serve.

Recipe Notes:

• This recipe was developed for the Daring Kitchen.  Stop by to read about some of my summer memories — and if you’re willing, share some of yours below.
• If you think about it, the entire thing can be made from purchased ingredients, but the ice cream recipe is the best vanilla ice cream I’ve had with no egg base, and how can you go wrong with fresh fruit puree?
• It sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn’t.  It’s more about planning ahead.  Because the ice cream base needs to steep for 1 hour, and then needs to chill completely before and after processing, this takes the most amount of time.  You can take care of that a day ahead.
• You can also make the fruit purees ahead of time — one or two days in advance.  Keep them in the fridge in a sealed container and they’ll be ready to use.  About the purees — sweetness of fruit depends, so taste your fruit and adjust your added sugar gradually.  You don’t want to go overboard.
• I’ve been wanting to make a pretzel crust for a long time and it was worth it.  It’s sturdy and it’s a great texture/flavor contrast to the ice cream fruit layers.  It may be a bit puffy after the cooking time and the sides may shrink.  You can either use foil filled with dried beans or pie weights to hold the crust in place as it bakes for the first 10 minutes of cooking time, then remove it, or follow my directions above which worked just fine.
• If you decide to use a 9″ pan, it’s fine.  The ice cream layers will just be thinner.  In fact, you might decide to use a regular pie pan and mound each layer in the center to make it a “Mile High Frozen Pie.”
• On the caramel sauce — It’s not a smooth sauce like a normal caramel would be because of the nectarine puree, but that gives it an interesting flavor.  I adapted this sauce from this recipe which I made the first time exactly as written.  Either way, it’s an interesting sauce, and a great topping for this pie.
• If you want to get crazy, you might consider layering fresh fruit or berries between the ice cream flavors and finish with a whipped topping.

You’ve had one of those classic ice cream sandwiches.

The rectangular shaped, paper wrapped treats of vanilla ice cream encased in a pair of soft, pock marked chocolate cookies?  The damp wrapper is slowly pulled away, leaving bits of cookie and ice cream stuck to it and you can decide whether you want to lick those away before rewrapping a portion of it to keep the cookie from sticking to your fingers as you eat it.  But I never did that.  It interfered with being able to enjoy the quickly softening ice cream first, running my tongue up one side and down the other before taking my first bite.  Sticky finger clean-up followed.

Every day during my first summer after high school, I had one of those soggy frozen treats straight from the vending machine outside a Cultural Geography class my then boyfriend cajoled me into taking so I’d get three units out of the way before beginning my freshman year in college.  The ice cream sandwiches were his idea as was the everyday habit.  He was thin by nature, and I because I never seemed to eat anything in those days, so eating vending machine junk food at 10 am during our daily break seemed just fine.  That was then.

I’ve had ice cream sandwiches since then, but sadly, they’re more soggy than I remember, much smaller, and the bits and pieces clinging to my fingers not so charming.  So what’s an ice cream sandwich lover to do?

Make her own.

No sogginess. Creamy ice cream to lick along the sides.  No sticky fingers to clean up.

The oatmeal and raisins keeps them from being junk food, right?

Oatmeal Cookie Honey Vanilla Ice Cream Manwiches

I enjoy this oatmeal cookie recipe because it’s the perfect mix of chewy and crunchy.  I decided to use it for the ice cream sandwiches with the following ingredient substitutions and/or choices:

• butter instead of shortening
• allspice instead of nutmeg (because I love it!) but cardamom is also good
• red flame raisins (they’re huge, moist red raisins made from red flame grapes)
• no nuts (even though I love them as well)

I used this homemade ice cream recipe to fill the sandwiches with the following ingredient substitutions and/or choices:

• 3 vanilla beans (instead of 2)
• 4 tablespoons of cream cheese added (because I wanted a tiny bit of tartness)
• wildflower honey from Texas (a gift from a friend)

Directions

1. Make the ice cream first because the milk mixture needs to steep for an hour, then cool before processing and allowing to set in the freezer.
2. When you make the ice cream, follow the directions in the link above.  If you’d like to include the cream cheese, make sure it’s softened and add the cream to it gradually, stirring until it’s well mixed.  Then proceed with the recipe.
3. While the ice cream is in one of its production stages, make the cookies and allow them to completely cool on wire racks.
4. When the ice cream is finished processing, scrape it into a container to sit in the freezer at least 1 hour before constructing the cookies
5. To build the cookies, divide the ice cream evenly and fill one cookie, topping with a second and pressing very lightly.  Place on a metal tray and return to the freezer to until ready to serve.
6. After the cookies have set, if not serving then, package each in a plastic baggie and seal well.

Recipe Notes:

• Many thanks to Elise of Simply Recipes for such a great oatmeal cookie recipe and to Heidi of 101 Cookbooks for sharing this fabulous vanilla ice cream recipe.  Interestingly enough, both are from way back in the archives. I spend quite a bit of time looking at recipes in cookbooks I own and searching through archives on-line to try new things, and it really paid off this time!
• I made these ice cream sandwiches for a dinner party where they received rave reviews.  They were large enough to half and share.
• The cookie holds up wonderfully with the ice cream.  Each bite is perfect with no ice cream squishing out the sides.  They had about two hours in the freezer before we at them, so that helped.
• I made fairly large cookies — about 4″ in diameter — and baked them about 12-13 minutes, switching trays in the oven halfway through the baking time.
• 1 batch makes about 11 sandwiches with maybe a cookie or two for sampling left over.
• I’ve tried many, many ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, sherbet recipes over the years and most often try to keep the fat at a minimum.  What I notice in the process is that although I may enjoy the product, it doesn’t always work well as an accompaniment — say for something like ice cream sandwiches.  This recipe is perfect for these and is far easier considering no custard is made.  Plus, if you’re not one to like an egg-based ice cream, then this one is for you. The ice cream is beautifully textured, it absolutely tastes like honey, and is sturdy enough to hold its shape in these sandwiches.  Really fabulous.
• Originally I was going to dip half the sandwich in chocolate, but am glad I didn’t.  I think the chocolate would over power the wonderful honey flavor in the ice cream.
• Many thanks to my wonderful husband (he really is) for always helping me when I need it.  He ran each one of these sandwiches down to the extra freezer as I made them to make sure they wouldn’t melt.  Nice man.  Very.

I like bananas when they’ve just yellow but tinged with the faintest color of green on the ridges that run their length.  No spots, firm, and crisp sounding when I pop the top and pull that first piece of peeling away from the fruit.  If bananas could stay like this for days, I’d enjoy one every day all by itself.

But they don’t.

I don’t like the cloying sweetness that begins to take over once the ripening process gets going, and the softer texture leaves much to be desired.  I wish I was better at pulling out the blender because I wouldn’t have trouble making a smoothie and putting a too ripe banana out of its misery with some yogurt and orange juice, but I’m not.

Recently, we’ve had quite the ripe banana back up so I spent more time than I normally would looking for something different to make with them — something other than banana bread or muffins.  I love frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and nuts, but they’re not something to be made with brown bananas.  Pastry Chef Sherry Yard has some delicious ideas involving frying and dipping, so that’s on my list, but I wasn’t in the mood to get too involved.

If not frozen banana pops, then why not banana ice cream — or frozen yogurt since I had Greek yogurt and kefir cheese in the fridge.  Then I could make banana frozen yogurt pops.

Hmmm…

Banana Caramel Nut Frozen Yogurt

1 c. Greek yogurt (or any yogurt)

1 c. Greek Labne (can sub yogurt)

3 very ripe bananas — frozen if possible

1/2 c. mango nectar

2 T raw sugar (optional)

1 c. pecans, chopped

3 T caramel sauce

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels for dipping (optional)

You can make this by hand using a potato masher, an immersion blender, or a regular blender.  Mix the first 4 ingredients until smooth.  If you’re using frozen bananas, then you’ll have a few chunks, and that’s a good thing.  Taste for sweetness and add the sugar according to your own tastes.  Scrape into an electric ice cream maker and process until it’s the consistency of soft serve frozen yogurt.

Scrape out into a container that can go in the freezer.  Sprinkle in the pecans and dollop the caramel sauce over.  Using a kitchen knife, swirl through the mixture making sure to incorporate all ingredients.

For soft serve froyo:  Spoon immediately into a cup and enjoy!

For froyo pops:  Spoon soft yogurt mixture into paper cups.  Cover with plastic wrap and push a sturdy stick or straw into the center.  Freeze until firm, then remove the plastic and paper wrapper, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring after each until smooth and glossy.  Dip the pops into the chocolate working very quickly and then when the chocolate is hardened, you can place them back in the freezer until serving time.

For froyo scoops:  Let the yogurt mixture sit in the freezer for at least 1 hour.  You should be able to easily pull an ice cream scoop through the mixture to create perfect scoops.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup if desired.

Notes:

• I looked at so many recipes for banana ice cream and frozen yogurt but many contained ingredients I wasn’t thrilled with.  I adapted this recipe from one I found at Bay Area Bites — a great article that talks about the general expense of purchased froyo and offers several great recipes in addition to the banana.
• Jamie Oliver’s got a good version of yogurt pops at Food Revolution.  Check it out!
• So what if you don’t have an electric ice cream maker? Based on the cost of frozen yogurt, it wouldn’t take long to pay yourself back in savings if you purchased one.  My Cuisinart cost $50.  That’s about 3-1/2 trips to the froyo store for the two of us.  Yes, but what if you still don’t have an electric ice cream maker? Spread the soft mixture into a wide-bottomed container, put it in the freezer, and every 30 minutes or so, give it a stir.  Seems tedious, but use a timer, and you’ll be fine.  If you don’t do this, you’ll have a solid block of ice.
• The caramel sauce I used was purchased at a local market that specializes in foods from South America.  Its flavor is similar to dulce de leche, but is more intense.  You can use any caramel that you have, or leave it out all together, but the flavor is perfect with the banana.
• Nuts, no nuts, chocolate chips, coconut — go crazy!
• You can use any kind of juice for this recipe.  I had the mango nectar, so used it.
• Why frozen bananas?  The chunks are great, and the coldness helps the process of freezing the yogurt quickly.
• Flavorwise, this was GREAT.  I waited to add the sugar until after it was nearly done processing.  I like the tartness of good Greek yogurt, but thought a small amount of sugar would be nice.
• So what is Kefir Cheese, you ask? It’s like cream cheese — just more tart.  It’s, thick, it’s creamy, it’s completely fabulous on toast instead of butter and topped with a bit of fruit puree.  Delicious product!  But if using it in this doesn’t float your boat, then use 2 c. yogurt.
• On the banana pops.  Yes, I have those cute straws.  They’re made of paper, I knew it would be a problem, but my husband and I had fun dangling them over our mouths anyway.  Perhaps regular popsicle sticks would be better, yes?
• The chocolate is a fabulous flavor to this combo of course, so whether it’s frozen on, or poured over, go for it.

It’s funny how things work.  I was finally able to go to the nursery this past Sunday to choose plants for the patio project I’ve been working on for the past few weeks, and was so pooped lifting those 5-gallon containers I decided to put off planting them until the next day.  Bear in mind that lifting them into place and moving them around to decide which looked best next to what was just as physically taxing as planting, so quite a bit of stepping back to stare at the results was involved afterwards.

At some point Sunday evening, the clouds rolled in and the wind whipped the trees around, surprising us with rain lasting through much of Monday morning.  In this land of perpetually  sunny days and palm trees, I always welcome the rain but like to be able to look forward to it and have time to think about closing windows in the house I forget are open.  Yes, there were two open, and though I wouldn’t willingly risk having the rain come in and ruin the flooring, the soothing sound of a steady rain and scent of fresh moisture wafting through the house is what I was left with.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

It also leaves me with a gelato recipe to write about instead of rainy day food like a nice bowl of creamy asparagus soup, or cute little fruit handpies, but it’s a gelato recipe well worth writing about. Flavor you might find in a paper pint on a night when a good movie you’ve seen a trillion times is what’s in order and your couch has a spot with your name on it.

Jammies required.

Chocolate Toffee Gelato

1/2 c. sugar

2 T cornstarch

1-1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

pinch of sea salt

2 c. milk, divided

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate

1/2 c. heavy cream, chilled

1/2 c. Heath candy bar, crushed

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cardamom and salt.  Add 1/4 c. of the milk, stirring until all ingredients are well blended, then add the rest of the milk.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to thicken and just reaches a boil — about 5 minutes.  Lower the heat and continue stirring for about 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the burner and add the chocolate making sure to submerge all the pieces and allow to sit for 1 minute before stirring until smooth.

Prepare an ice bath by adding ice cubes to a bowl.  Scrape the chocolate mixture to a bowl and set the bowl into the ice bath.  Carefully add water in the exterior bowl and allow to cool, stirring occasionally until chilled.

Pour the chocolate mixture into an ice cream maker and process about 30 minutes, or until the gelato is beginning to firm.  Add the toffee bits and continue to process briefly to distribute them.  Scrape the gelato into a sealable container and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours before serving.

To serve, allow to sit at room temperature 5 minutes before scooping.  Enjoy with chocolate sprinkles, or if you’re in a triple chocolate overload sort of mood, top one of these Salted Fudge Brownie with a scoop and drizzle some chocolate dulce de leche over the top.

Measure out the chocolate

Heat the milk, sugar, cornstarch and spice

Let the chocolate sit for a minute before mixing

It gets so glossy

Toffee candy goes in when the gelato is just about done

Freeze in a sealed container before serving

Load a salted fudge brownie

Drizzle on some warm chocolate dulce de leche

Notes:

• This is a Dorie Greenspan recipe originally published in the June 2006 issue of Bon Appetit which called for cinnamon, not cardamom.  I like cinnamon quite a bit (a lot?) but like to use cardamom which has the most lovely citrus flavor and isn’t as sharp as cinnamon can be to some palates.
• As far as volume goes, this is a nice recipe because it doesn’t overflow the ice cream maker and make a huge mess.  No chocolate covering everything in the kitchen.  Yes, it’s happened before.
• I used 2% milk for this recipe because that’s what I usually have in the fridge, but if I can get away with reducing calories in ice cream, I usually try.  There are gelato recipes I’ve tried that skip the heavy cream completely — like this Fresh Cherry Gelato which was quite the hit.
• The salted fudge brownie chocolate Toffee gelato drizzled with chocolate dulce de leche was my oldest son’s birthday “cake” this year and was well received by all.
• Although I’ve made my own dulce de leche quite a few times using a variety of methods,  when I don’t feel like making yet another thing when I’m putting a dinner together (in this case, it was caramel sauce) I decided to use a jar of La Salamandra Dulce de Leche con Chocolate I’ve had in the pantry since before Christmas.  I was saving it for something special, so this fit the bill.  It’s an amazing jar of chocolatey caramelly wonderfulness you just might want to treat yourself to at least once.
• A bit of after the fact searching has turned up a recipe for chocolate dulce de leche if you’re in the mood to experiment.  Make the dulce de leche like I did for this recipe, then finish by adding the chocolate, butter, and vanilla.  Easy peasy.
• Just think of all those lovely antioxidants your body is loving from that dark chocolate.  Treat!

Insert candle and sing!

I saw the shiny orbs of deep garnet bulging from the plastic bag they were packed in and knew I had to have them.  The sale price posted above all but screamed my name so I chose a bag and gingerly placed it in my cart after turning it over to inspect its nether regions. I didn’t care how great the price was –  there’s nothing worse than a rotten cherry, except perhaps a rotten grape.

I had no recipe in mind, which makes no difference when I can flip through seasonal magazines or Google Cherry Ice Cream regardless of what Julia Child may have thought about the dedication of cooks who do this to make decisions about what they’ll prepare when they haven’t planned.  I’d like to say it’s more about seizing an opportunity which is what we have to do with seasonal products and if that makes me less than a serious cook to some, so be it.

My inevitable Google search led me to a site I’ve enjoyed since first beginning my own more than two years ago:  101 Cookbooks. And although the recipe I chose there didn’t include the Coke float I ended up making with my ice cream, it was certainly an excellent place to begin.

Are you lucky enough to remember ordering a vanilla or cherry Coke from an old fashioned soda shop or hamburger stand?  Oh, the memories…

Cherry Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 c. fresh cherries, seeded and halved

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. half-n-half

1 egg yolk*

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1/4 c. slivered roasted almonds

1/4 c. grated dark chocolate

Directions

1. To prepare the egg yolk, place a whole egg shell and all in a sauce pan of water and heat over medium just until it begins to boil.  Cook for 2 minutes, remove from water, and crack the egg open, releasing the yolk into a medium bowl.  The whites will be fairly firm and will not leave the shell.
2. To the egg yolk, add the heavy cream, half-n-half, almond extract and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Add the halved cherries and mix.
3. Cover the bowl and chill the mixture either in a prepared ice bath or the freezer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Pour mixture into the prepared ice cream freezer and process until the ice cream reaches a semi-firm consistency.  Add the almonds and chocolate and allow to process until incorporated.  Spread in a freezer container at least 1-2 hours, stirring once or twice during that time.
5. Allow to sit at room temperature about five minutes before scooping.

To make a Coke float, add two scoops of firm ice cream to a glass and slowly pour over the Coke.  Add a couple of straws, find a good book and some sunshine and relax to enjoy.

Recipe Notes:

• The original recipe calls for raw egg yolk.  I’m one to make sure raw egg is cooked to a temperature that will provide some degree of safety, so have included those directions above.  I use the same method when making a caesar salad dressing.  You just never know.
• This recipe — even cut in half as I did — makes too much for my Cuisinart Ice Cream freezer.  I know this, and yet I persist in trying to fit it all in.  You will remark that this is a pathetic practice when you find that I have three 1-qt. containers, and all I have to do is divide the mix and spend a bit more time processing a second container of ice cream to prevent the expected mess.  I’m sure I just want to lick the bowl and so ignore my better judgment.
• I don’t have a cherry pitter and find that as long as you have a sharp paring knife, it takes little time to prepare cherries for this.  Score around the natural line in the cherry, pull apart the halves and remove the seed.  You’ll have pink fingers, but if you rub some lemon on them, it will go away.
• The chocolate is barely noticed in this, but does add a pleasant surprise.  I almost didn’t add it, but am glad I did.
• The Coke float is fun, but not very sweet, and it bears little resemblance to any of the floats I remember as a kid.   But it’s not bad.  Not bad at all.
• The ice cream by itself is divine.

When Lis of Daring Baker fame asked me to do a post for The Daring Kitchen for July 4th, I thought, sure, no problema.  Absolutely. I’ll get right on that. I imagined all the red, white, and blue possibilites available and scrimped time here and there to google and oogle all that I could find in blogs, and websites, food magazines, and cookbooks.  And since this was back before Father’s Day, I knew that whatever I made would be something I could serve in celebration of my father-in-law who has always been a gracious supporter of my adventures in cooking.

I’d never made a red, white, and blue dessert before, so with the color firmly in my mind (talk about priorities…), I began to think about what it would be.  Berries were a must.  It’s summer, right? They’re everywhere.  For a split second I actually considered making three types of whatever the recipe I chose — as in red this, blue that, and — well, you get the idea.  But no matter how great the idea was, I knew I’d fail on delivery because that seems to be my track record in the kitchen these days.

Cupcakes and ice cream seemed simple enough, and they actually were until I decided to put lots and lots of frosting on the cupcakes.  The ice cream involves no cooking whatsoever, so at least the simplicity of that recipe makes up for the buttercream which still isn’t all that bad if you know that you’ll have to whisk the egg whites over simmering water until they reach a particular temperature and then beat them to a marshmallow-like consistency before proceeding with the recipe.  Practice.  It’s all about the practice — or leading a charmed existence.

The result:  Delicious, but not quite red, white, and blue.   Maybe mauve and pink will be the new thing?  Okay, so probably not. But by all means, check out my post and the recipes for July 4th Treats:  Blueberry Cupcakes and Raspberry Cream Cheese Ice Cream at The Daring Kitchen.  And have a safe, happy July 4th!

Addendum:  Because I never included the process shots I normally do when I post, I’m adding a few to answer a question in my comments.  Pictures paint a thousand words, right?

Fresh blueberries are heated alone…

…to achieve this simple sauce…

…which a portion of is mixed with milk and vanilla (above) then added with dry ingredients to the butter-sugar-egg mixture.

A dollop of some of the remaining blueberry sauce is dropped on the top of the batter-filled cups…

…then swirled in with a wooden skewer…

…and end up looking like this after baking.

Here are the directions:

Not Quite Blue Cupcakes with Not Quite Red Ice Cream
Makes 12 standard cupcakes

For the Cupcakes…
2 Cups + 2 tablespoons sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1-1/2 cups of Sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of blueberry puree (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Blueberry Puree…
Bring one pound of blueberries to a boil in a sauce pan over medium heat and stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Reduce heat to low and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 1/2 hour) and the mixture is thick. Cool the blueberries slightly and place in a food processor or mash with a fork. Mix until smooth. For an extra smooth puree pass mixture through a fine sieve before using.

For the Cake…
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating
until each is incorporated before adding the next.

Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Mix milk with 1/2 cup of blueberry puree and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add wet and dry ingredients alternately to butter mixture starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated after each addition. Do not overbeat.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full of batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon of blueberry puree into the center and swirl with a wooden skewer. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back to the touch.

Cool 10-15 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with Blueberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream (see below) and top with a fresh blueberry. Daring folks will spoon some blueberry puree over the cupcake before taking a big bite.

For the Blueberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream…
5 egg whites
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
1/4 cup + 2 T blueberry puree
Pinch of salt

Place sugar and egg whites in the metal bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a
pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are
hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it
should feel completely smooth.

Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high until mixture has cooled completely (feel the bottom of the bowl) and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes. It will appear somewhat like soft marshmallow in consistency. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until well incorporated after each addition. The buttercream may appear curdled after the butter has been added — keep beating and it will become smooth again. Add blueberry puree and salt and beat just until combined. Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes.

If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

The recipe for these cupcakes was adapted from that of Trophy Cupcakes as seen in seattlepi.com — but I was led to that source by the gorgeous cupcakes at The Casual Baker whose Blueberry beauties are far more purple than mine.  Thanks to both sources for such a great recipe!