Birthday Cake Ice Cream :)

I love that birthday cake flavored things have become so popular!  I am such a long time fan of cake batter ice cream, I used to get it as a special treat as a kid at Maggie Moo's (are they sill around?  It is kind of like Cold Stone).  I picked up a box of Funfetti cake mix the other day, so thought I would try this recipe from food.com (adapted a bit).  Super easy, very creamy and very delicious!

1 Cup 1% Milk, very cold
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream, very cold
1 tsp madagascar vanilla extract
2/3 cup 'Funfetti' cake mix

Directions:
1. Dissolve milk and sugar in bowl (the longer you do this the more smooth your ice cream will be!)

2. Whisk in heavy cream and vanilla.

3. Whisk in cake mix, keep stirring until very smooth.

4. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes, just to get it very cold again.

5. Pour in ice cream maker and mix for 30-35 mins.  

6. Mixture will still be runny, but very thick.  If you want sprinkles, mix them in now so they are even throughout!

7. Pour in container with lid and freeze overnight.

Top with more sprinkles before serving and enjoy!

Grapefruit Sherbet with 'Candied' Zest

There is something about the smell and taste of grapefruit I just LOVE.  It is so refreshing and actually reminds me of my dad cutting one up and pouring sugar on it for me when I was kid :)
I recently have been using a great organic whipped grapefruit soap, so every morning after my shower I am CRAVING grapefruit everything.  I found some amazing, juice heavy, ruby red grapefruits in my grocery store today so I decided to put my much neglected ice cream maker to work!

Grapefruit Sorbet with 'Candied' Zest

For 'Candied' Zest:
Coarse zest of one grapefruit
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp sugar

For Sherbet:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp of cooled candied zest
2 tbsp vodka
2/3 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
2/3 cup heavy cream


To make 'candied' zest:

1.  Wash grapefruits thoroughly
2. With a vegetable peeler, zest one grapefruit.  Set aside.
3.  In heavy bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Heat until all sugar is dissolved.
4.  Spread zest evenly on rimmed baking sheet.
5. Carefully pour sugar water over the zest.
6.  Let zest sit in the sugar water until cool (about 10 mins, dont over cool or it will get super sticky).  Then strain.  Discard sugar water.
7.  In a bowl, toss zest with 2 tbsp sugar.  (zest still retains a nice tartness, but is not as bitter as straight off the fruit!)  I let my zest dry out for about 20 minutes before I started the sherbet base.

To make Sherbet:

1. Combine Sugar, salt, and candied zest in a metal bowl.
2. Whisk in grapefruit juice.  Stir until sugar is disolved.
3.  Add vodka to mixture (this helps with the texture, you cant taste it)
4.  Cover mixture and chill in freezer for 45-60 minutes, until very cold.
5.  In separate bowl, whip heavy cream to form soft peaks.
6.  Slowly add in chilled grapefruit juicy mixture, slowly, stirring between each small pour, so you don't flood the whipped cream.
7.  Pour into your ice cream maker!

I have the Cuisinart ice cream maker, and I churned my mixture for about 40 minutes.  The picture is of it straight out of the machine.  After chilling for a few hours its much more solid, and certainly delicious!  Creamy and refreshing, doesn't get much better ;)

Enjoy!