KESÄ means SUMMER in Finnish. It's finally here, the hunt is over, we've got it! We have just celebrated the longest day, the nightless night, that marks the "official" beginning of the Scandinavian summer. A Finnish summer is not a Finnish summer without simple lifestyle @ countryside, with grandma's crochet curtains, lakeside sauna and ice cream, lots of ice cream...
This IS the season of ice cream, regardless of the weather. Finns understand it's summer, simply by licking the ice cold treat. Everywhere you look, you see someone giving long and intense tong-kisses to their ice cream cones.
Nothing beats the taste of homemade ice cream. The traditional Finnish recipe dates back to the beginning of the 1900-century, and can easily be prepared even without an ice cream machine.
☀ HAPPY ICE CREAM SUMMER TO ALL ! ☀
1 vanilla pod
200 ml cream
3 egg yolks
50 ml caster sugar
Using a knife, split the vanilla pod lengthways. Pour the cream into a saucepan, add vanilla and bring to boil. Lift the vanilla pod up, scrape the black seeds out of the pod with a small knife back to the cream. Discard the vanilla pod and bring the cream back to boil.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is thick and foamy. Gradually pour on the hot cream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a moderate heat until the custard thickens.
Let cool and pour into the ice cream machine, churn the mixture until it's thick, then scrape it into a freezerproof container. Freeze until ready to serve.
OR, if you don't have an ice cream machine: Pour the mixture into a freezerproof container and freeze for 6 hours or until firm, beating twice with a fork to break up the ice crystals.
➪ Hint: you can make variations, just leave the vanilla pod out of the recipe and add your favorite flavor to the custard before freezing. For example peppermint essence, food colouring or mango puree for babies give an exiting kick to the basic recipe!
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3 eggs
180 g caster sugar
150 g all purpose flour
Mix eggs, sugar and flour until combined. Line a baking tray with a baking paper. With palette knife, spread a thin layer of the mixture onto a baking tray (diameter 20 cm). Bake one cone at a time in a 200 C degrees oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges turn golden.
Remove the round waffle gently from baking paper, using a sharp knife as a help. Roll the waffle into a cone shape immediately so that the surface which was facing the baking tray (=bottom) will become the exterior.
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3 lemons
1-3 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoon Limoncello licor
150 ml double cream
Squeeze the juice of one lemon and grate the yellow part of the chest finely. Cut 2 lemons lengthwise, squeeze the halves in top of the juice bowl, so that the juice falls into the bowl, and spoon out the flesh.
Mix the juice, grated chest and sugar in a bowl, taste and add sugar according to your taste. Whisk the cream until stiff peaks form. Season the whipped cream with Limoncello. Gently fold the cream and the juice mixture until well combined.
Fill the halved lemons with the ice cream mixture, even the surface with a palette knife. Arrange lemon ice creams in a freezerproof container and freeze overnight.
Just before serving cut each piece into half, so that you'll get 8 slices.
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INDIAN STYLE KULFI-ICE CREAM
1 1/2 litres milk
8 cardamom pods (or 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds)
4 tablespoons sugar
20 g shelled, finely chopped almonds
20 g shelled, finely chopped pistachios
4 disposable paper cups
Combine milk and cardamom pods in a large pan, boil and simmer uncovered until one third is evaporated and you have about 1 litre left. Stir often. Add sugar, stir until dissolved.
Strain the mixture into a large bowl, discard cardamom pods and stir in almonds and nuts. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Pour the mixture into a freezerproof container and freeze for an hour. Break the ice crystals with a fork, and return the container to freezer. Repeat once more after another hour, then divide the kulfi mixture among 4 paper cups, cover with foil and freeze until firm. Just before serving, tear off the paper cup and turn kulfi onto serving plates.
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your favorite cookies
home made ice cream
Sandwich two cookies together with a tablespoon of soft ice cream. Pile the ice cream sandwiches into a freezerproof container and freeze for an hour before serving.
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3 egg whites
115 g caster sugar
berries or/and fruits
vanilla ice cream
ovenproof molds or cups
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the meringue is thick and glossy. (Stop whisking when peaks form, too much of whisking makes the meringue grainy).
Arrange ice cream and fruits or/and berries into the serving cup, and using a palette knife spread a thick layer of the meringue over each cup, making sure the meringue meets the edge of the cup and seals in the ice cream.
Bake oven ice creams for about 4 minutes in a 200 C degrees oven until the peaks are pale golden. Serve immediately.
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200 ml caster sugar
200 ml water
500 ml pureed berries
popsicle moulds
Measure sugar and water into a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer until sugar is dissolved and the syrup turns clear.
Mix berry puree and the syrup, let cool. Pour into the moulds, insert sticks and freeze for 6 hours or until frozen.
➪ Hint for adults only: a dash of Vodka turns these popsicles into frozen summer-shots.
Yum! I just made Italian Style Lemon Ice Cream and Traditional Finnish Ice Cream, each with strawberry juice. I don't have an ice cream maker, so these were great. They're delicious. Thanks for the recipes!
VastaaPoista