FOOD & NUTRITION

Sundae fun days

Ice cream always a favorite summer treat

THE BLADE
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There are two important events coming up this week that you won’‍t want to miss: Wednesday is National Vanilla Ice Cream Day and, even better, Friday will be National Hot Fudge Sundae Day.

Never say that the food page doesn’‍t report on the important news you need to know!

It’‍s July, and it’‍s hot out. During the summer, we all scream for ice cream.

And, hard as it is to improve upon ice cream, it is definitely enhanced when smothered in luscious hot fudge sauce, right?

You’re welcome to buy ice cream‍ or to buy the fudge sauce for this week’‍s celebrations. (Sander’s milk chocolate is what my grandmother used to bring to New York with her when she visited from Detroit, so it’s my sentimental favorite.) No one here would chastise you for simplifying your life and buying a can of whipped cream.‍

But if you have an ice cream maker, why not prepare your own rich base for a sundae? Jeni Britton Bauer of the award-winning and much loved Jeni’‍s Splendid Ice Creams, based in Columbus, offers a lovely recipe for Salty Vanilla Frozen Custard in her new cookbook, Jeni’‍s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts.

Hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry is added to ice cream for a sundae.

Hot fudge sauce is ridiculously easy to prepare, and fills your house with aromatherapy as the chocolatey goodness boils on the stove. If you’‍ve never made an ice cream sauce before, the recipe offered is definitely one to try. No special ingredients or exotic equipment are required.

In reviewing the hot fudge recipe to see how simple it really is, you’‍ll note that corn syrup is listed among the ingredients. Corn syrup is admittedly not usually a recommended product, though we’ll not plunge into the debate about its merits or faults just now. Because it is essential to make this into more of a candy -- chewy as it hits the cold ice cream, with a texture reminiscent of caramel -- rather than merely a chocolate syrup that seeps down the side of the scoop and wallows at the bottom of the bowl.

And finally, in just a few short minutes you can have sweet, freshly whipped cream to complement the rest of your homemade sundae. If you’‍re going to make the other parts of this decadent dessert yourself, why not also undertake the quickest and easiest recipe, too?

Whether you celebrate vanilla ice cream Wednesday, or whether you wait for Friday to fully glorify all that is good about the combination of vanilla and chocolate in a glorious hot fudge sundae, this week’‍s holidays are just too important to ignore.

Contact Mary Bilyeu at mbilyeu@theblade.com or 419-724-6155 or on Twitter @foodfloozie.

RECIPES

Salty Vanilla Frozen Custardice

Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk, the egg yolks, and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the cream cheese, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually add about 2 cups of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, one ladleful at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, just until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve if necessary.

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallong Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Lt stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Remove the frozen canister from the freezer, assemble your ice cream machine, and turn it on. Pour the custard base into the canister and spin until thick and creamy.

Pack the custard into a storage container. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Makes about 1 quart.

Source: Jeni Britton Bauer’‍s Jeni’‍s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts

Schrafft’s Hot Fudge Sauce

This hot fudge sauce was served at the iconic Schrafft’‍s restaurants in New York City for decades.

Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a full boil, let it boil undisturbed for 6 minutes. Stir down, then boil undisturbed for another 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir down; the sauce should have reduced by half. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 1-1/4 cups of sauce

Source: adapted from TheFoodMaven.com

Sweetened Whipped Cream

The confectioners’‍ sugar helps to stabilize the cream, so that it doesn’‍t deflate quickly after being whipped.

Chill a medium mixing bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer until very cold.

Place all of the ingredients into the mixing bowl and beat with the electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Makes about 1 cup.

Source: Mary Bilyeu