A couple of weeks ago Kid #1 came home from her Granny's and made a declaration.  You see, both kids go for an overnight together each weekend at their Granny's.  They get a piano lesson while they are there.  They get to watch tv.  They get ice cream and cookies.  It's a kids dream of course.
Kid #1's declaration made it to my blog because it's the reason that I made this ice cream.  She came home and declared that Granny made the best peanut butter ice cream ever!  Ever!
That's a challenge if ever I've heard one.  My Mother-in-law is a great cook.  She makes great pelau, stewed chicken, curry, paella... savoury dishes.  I have never been able and will never be able to match her chili as far as my kids are concerned.  Sweets however, are usually not her forte, that's my thing.  She does make a mean coconut ice cream.  Oh yeah, and Lychee ice cream too.  So I guess ice cream is her thing. After all, she is the reason I have an ice cream maker in the first place.  Anyway, it was still a challenge.  I knew I would have to rise to this challenge.
I found this recipe at epicurious and was intrigued.  Chocolate ripple is something that I have tried before in ice cream but it just hasn't worked for me.  I always find that the ripple thing hardens too quickly and turns to hard chocolate chunks before it can 'ripple' through the ice cream.  I didn't know if the water/chocolate combo would do the trick.  Why would that work anyway?  Water freezes, right?  Wouldn't you think that the chocolate/water thing would just get too hard and freeze?
So the thing is... it didn't.  It didn't harden at all.  It stayed syrupy enough that it rippled really well through the ice cream.   I have a exciting new ice cream tip for you.  Just last week I was making my regular batch of this ice cream (which I make regularly for D because he loves it and it's amazing and he deserves it) and I decided to try whipping the custard first.  So I let the custard cool and then whipped it nice and light (but not too fluffy) and then let it set again overnight.  I finished it off the next day in the ice cream maker and it was absolute heaven.  I could hardly stop eating it and that's sayin' something for me.  So with that tip in hand, I would try this ice cream again and do that too.


Aside from that, this ice cream is nice.  It's very peanut buttery (awesome) and the ripple was a success (see above) and the whole thing is pretty darn cream already but try whipping it a bit and letting it set again for finishing it off in the ice cream maker.  If you give it a whirl before I do then let me know how it works.
So now the only problem I've got with it is that Kid #1 is pretty sure that it's either 'just as good as Granny's or even better' but she's gotta keep testing it to know for sure... yeah, right.


Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ripple Ice Cream
adapted from epicurious.com
makes about 650 g container of ice cream

1 2/3 cup whole milk (I used 4%)
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used organic but sweetened not natural)
1/2 cup and 3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp water
1 1/2 oz dark chocolate, chopped

Simmer the milk, peanut butter and the half cup of sugar just until the mixture is creamy.  I just left it on for a couple of minutes but stirred it constantly.
Add in the vanilla, mix well and remove from heat.


Cool to room temperature.  Once cooled add into the ice cream maker and churn until it's thickened and light and fluffy.
While the ice cream maker is doing it's magic,  combine the 3 tbsp water and 3 tbsp sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved (I let mine just come to a boil).  Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate.  Stir until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture is smooth.  Cool for a few minutes.
Once the ice cream is ready put about 1/4 of the ice cream in the bottom of a container.  Line that with a little of the chocolate.  Layer this way until the ice cream is done.
Freeze the whole mixture for a few hours or until sufficiently frozen.
Thaw slightly before scooping.

I live in the city.  I don't have a big yard.  It's big enough for the city I guess but it's not big.  It's ok though.  I can deal with it.  What's funny though is that even though the yard is so small, I feel such satisfaction at cutting the grass.  There is something energizing about it for me.  I love seeing all the plants crowding over into the grass space and the grass being cut and even.  I really can't explain why it's so comforting and energizing.  What's even more puzzling is how much the stupid little rectangle of green behind my house that holds my garden/shed/bike/toys/trees/tire-swing/bbq/etc brings me peace and joy.  And not just to me.  To my kids and their friends who love to play in the stupid rectangle, spraying each other, chasing each other, swinging on the tire swing, probably bugging the hell out of our neighbours.  Even though I can still here traffic and the noise from the houses all around me, it's still a sanctuary.  Somehow, the wind blowing through the trees is much louder in the back yard.  The bird are talking to each other much more loudly in the back than in the front.  The grass is greener in the back.  The wine tastes better and the rest is deeper.


I have been thoroughly enjoying, savouring even, each warm moment so far this season.  I'm watching the raspberry patch grow by the day and my poor little rhubarb patch underneath is getting lost in the growth.  I'm contemplating moving it but for now it will stay.  It hasn't stopped the rhubarb, I don't know if anything could stop rhubarb from growing.  It certainly hasn't stopped us from enjoying it either.
First I made these...
Then I made this...
And now this...


Truth be told it's the same recipe for both the muffins and the loaf.  We all preferred the loaf.  I adapted a little but the basics are exactly the same.  I'm still on the hunt for some exciting rhubarb recipes so if you know of any please pass them along.  In the meantime I wait peacefully and contemplatively in my backyard.... for strawberry season.  ;-)


Rhubarb Streusel Loaf
makes one large loaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
find recipe here...
pour batter into lined loaf pan (use parchment or something) instead of muffin tins.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Cool before removing from pan.
Slice.
Eat.