Back to the food, on Saturday evening, we tried a recipe for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from The Sweet Kitchen cookbook. Using the basic ingredients of egg yolks, 1/2 and 1/2, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla beans, this was our first attempt at making a custard based ice cream. Usually, we are too impatient to cook and cool it. Our first attempt at this recipe was a total failure. I whisked the egg yolks too much as Daniel poured in the hot cream, morphing them into a frothy mess. Then, as this was supposed to be thickening into custard over medium heat, I accidentally boiled it, turning everything from silky smooth creaminess into congealed egg. Very disappointed, we threw it out, drove to the store for more 1/2 and 1/2 and tried again. The upside of a second try is that now I have 12 egg whites in the fridge, enough for angel food cake! Attempt # 2 = pure bliss. Everything worked like it was supposed to (despite watching an old episode of Home Improvement while we cooked) and after rapidly cooling the custard in a bowl of ice water, we ice-cream-machined it into perfection.
P.S. We ate some more this evening and even after 24 hours in the freezer, it was very, very good. We will definitely be trying this recipe again, except next time maybe cinnamon or coffee flavored.
On to the donuts. I attribute the urge to make these to baby #2. I REALLY craved homemade donuts. Not the store bought kind from Dunkin Donuts or Kroger (although I never turn those down), but the homemade kind, coated with butter & sugar. Not having time before church, we made and ate these for lunch. I used the Pioneer Woman's Homemade Donut Recipe, and they tasted fabulous. The only thing I did differently was let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm over instead of overnight in the refrigerator. Daniel went to the market while the dough was rising to buy a candy thermometer so we could heat the oil to just the right temperature. Cooking for less than a minute per side, frying was speedy.
Both of us love donuts rolled in granulated sugar, but the confectioner's sugar glaze came out really great too. Ahhhh, these hit the spot.
