dessert fest

We had an impromptu dessert party this evening. You see, I received this incredible hand-me-down ice cream machine, and I just had to test it out:

gelato machine.JPG
I couldn’t locate my file of ice cream recipes, so I had to search for new ones online. I decided to make a vanilla ice cream and a chocolate gelato. The chocolate gelato base was rather involved, since it included caramelizing sugar, adding milk and cocoa, melting chocolate separately, beating egg yolks and sugar in yet another bowl, mixing it all together, and cooking it again. It was worth it, though, because it created a super rich, dense, chocolatey gelato:
chocolate gelato.JPG

So that was just the first part of the dessert fiesta. While I was making the ice cream, my brother called and said he was headed right from the airport with some Beard Papa cream puffs (he went to San Francisco for the day for work, and when I found out he was going to the Moscone Center, I prompted him to go by Beard Papa for me, and he actually did it!).
beardpapa sashi.JPG
He got vanilla, chocolate, vanilla with chocolate drizzled on top, and the special flavor of the week–milk tea. I tried a milk tea, and it was incredibly delicious!
So anyway, Project Runway is on, so I don’t have time to post the ice cream and gelato recipes. Does anyone want them? I can post them another day if anyone is interested. Also, if you have any delicious gelato recipes to share, please do so. I am hot for homemade gelato!

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21 Responses to dessert fest

  1. I DID NOT EAT THEM ALL MYSELF! INSANE, NOT EVIL.

  2. Jessica says:

    Wes heard a rumor that they were going to open a Beard Papa in Seattle but there isn’t any mention of it on their main website. Maybe just a myth.

  3. debbie says:

    what a sweetie of a brother! i was wishing for an icecream machine just recently (after watching alton brown…)but hubby thinks it will go sit with the abandoned bread machine…..

  4. megan says:

    Yummy!! Thanks for sharing your puffs with me…sorry I didn’t ask first!

  5. gleek says:

    mmmmmm, i love beard papa! we have a few of them in NYC and i try to stop in there for a treat when i’ve been a good girl 🙂

  6. Stacey says:

    ice cream and cream puffs – what could be better!!!!

  7. udandi says:

    wow, that’s a serious-looking ice cream machine!
    And what a nice brother 🙂

  8. Jenn says:

    Mmmm… milk tea Beard Papa’s… I think I might have to stop by BP’s on the way home from work. Oh, they’re so good.

  9. S says:

    Holy cow! Did you know the Simac is the “Rolls Royce of ice-cream makers”? Very nice.

  10. Ann says:

    I don’t have an ice cream maker, but this blog has brought me very very close to getting one:
    http://blog.washingtonpost.com/savoringsummer/frozen_treats/

  11. Sarah says:

    Please post a recipe for the gelato! Or at least the link. I’ve always wondered what exactly the difference was between ice cream and gelato. I’ve read the difference many times, but what better way to really find out than by making both?
    thanks!

  12. CJ says:

    Beard Papa…Yum!

  13. meg says:

    Yay Insane Brother!! What a guy. Extra stars for cream puffs.
    Oh, man, chocolate gelato. With cream puffs. I’m dying over here. I’ve got to get myself an ice cream machine!

  14. Rita says:

    OMG! I had never heard of Beard Papa’s before. Wish I had known about them before going to NYC in June. We didn’t run across them, but we did find Kinokuniya Book Store and another little Japanese sweet shop right next door. YUM! I think we need a Beard Papa’s in Houston.

  15. Jun says:

    Oh! Beard Papa! i didn’t know that had US stores.
    Yay ^_^

  16. Sasha says:

    I haven’t tried these but if you are inspired…
    yum, azuki bean ice cream:
    http://www.saveur.com/article.jsp?ID=5003&typeID=120
    ginger ice cream:
    http://www.saveur.com/article.jsp?ID=4814&typeID=120
    avacado gelato:
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/232017
    hazelnut gelato:
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107828
    We never make much beyond strawberry ice cream and chocolate gelato (kid friendly flavors.)

  17. that’s a good brother! 🙂 man…that gelato looks sooo good. makes me want to go out and get an ice cream maker! 🙂

  18. Peggy says:

    Is it just me? or does your bro have a very suspiciously smug look on his face? Are you sure work and cream puffs were all he got up to in SF? But maybe it’s better not to know the details…
    Lucky you with you ice cream maker! I am not “allowed” to have an ice cream maker, lest I gain 100 pounds. Or so. A year.

  19. tali says:

    HelloOoooooo!
    I’m a long time reader, first time poster! As I’m in the process of working on my own ice cream recipes, I would LOVE to see what you’ve used!!! :):)
    We surely need it here in Austin, TX – it’s like 110 degrees today and really every day with the heat index. All i can think about is ice cream!

  20. Sarah says:

    Oh yum, that looks so good! I adore homemade ice cream. It’s perfection 🙂

  21. susan says:

    I can’t even tell you how much I love Beard Papa! They just came to my city in China last year and I think I’ve gained a couple pounds… The problem is that they give you those cards where you buy a certain amount and then you get free ones, and the cards are so impractical because you have to buy 3 at a time, 10 times, just to get like 1 free! Anyway, that was my personal rant, milk tea flavor sounds great but we never get that in China, although the green tea flavor is also quite tasty and interesting…

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