Month: August 2019

TACO SHELLS

2 large eggs
100 g sugar
60ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
55 g melted unsalted butter
60g all purpose flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder

MAGIC SHELL

510g good-quality chocolate, finely chopped
60 ml coconut oil, melted

ASSEMBLY

575g vanilla ice cream, softened
125g crushed topping (salted peanut, oreo biscuits, etc)

Make the taco shells:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined. Add the milk, vanilla, and butter, and whisk until fully incorporated. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth.

Heat a small non-stick pan over medium-low heat, then add 1/3 cup (95 g) of batter at a time and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly like a crepe.

Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the batter is set, about 6-8 minutes. Flip the taco shell and cook on other side for another 3-4 minutes, until cooked through.

If desired, remove the taco shell from pan and place on a grated cooling rack while still hot. Place a sheet of parchment over the shell and press into the rack, allowing the grate marks to set into the shell. Rotate the shell 90 degrees and press the cone into the grates again for a waffled look. Or, skip to the next step.

Place the taco shells between the cups of an inverted muffin tin to form their shape. Let set for about 10 minutes, then freeze for 20 minutes to harden.

Make the magic shell:

Combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a medium bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and shiny.

Remove the taco shells from the freezer and use a spoon to coat the inside of each taco shell with melted magic shell. Return to the freezer for 30 minutes, until the magic shell hardens.

Reserve the leftover magic shell.

Assemble:

Add the ice cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off.

Remove the shells from the freezer and pipe in the ice cream, filling the tacos. Smooth out the tops with a knife or rubber spatula. Freeze for 2 hours.

Microwave the reserved magic shell, if needed, to re-melt. Remove the tacos from the freezer and dip the tops of each taco in the magic shell, then immediately sprinkle with the preferred topping.

Serve immediately or return to the freezer until ready to eat.

Plain flour, for rolling
Pizza dough, at room temperature
350g thinly sliced charcuterie (prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, etc)
225g mixed cheeses (provolone, mozarella, etc)
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes and Italian herb seasoning, to taste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Marinara sauce, for serving

Heat the oven to 200C and line a baking sheet sheet with parchment paper.

Sprinkle the parchment paper with a little flour and then stretch the dough out to a rough 12×18-inch rectangle. You can use your hands to stretch out the dough, or you can move the parchment and dough to a work surface and use a rolling pin. The goal is a dough that is evenly thick, not a perfect rectangle.

Layer on the meat and cheese. Layer the meats and cheeses on the pizza dough, starting about a quarter of the way down from the top edge. Alternate between meat and cheese. Try to keep things as flat and even as possible and don’t stress about taking the fillings all the way to the edges.
Add the parsley and pepper flakes. Sprinkle with the Italian herbs and red pepper flakes.

Starting at the long edge closest to you, tightly roll the stromboli up into a spiral, tucking in the fillings as tightly as possible as you roll. When you’re about halfway rolled up, fold the sides over before you continue rolling. Brush the top edge of the pizza dough with some beaten egg before sealing tightly. Use the parchment paper to roll the stromboli until seam-side down, then position it in the middle of the parchment.

Use a sharp knife to make 5 to 6 (2-inch) slits along the top of the stromboli. A slight angle to the slits looks nice, but isn’t a requirement. Brush the outside of the stromboli with more egg, and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and oozing cheese.

Cool the stromboli before slicing and serving with marinara.

Tips for Building and Rolling Stromboli:

1. Bring the dough to room temperature. You’ll want to take the chill off your refrigerated or frozen pizza dough before rolling out the dough, which will make it more relaxed and easier to work with. If it’s frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then bring the refrigerated dough to room temperature on the counter at least 30 minutes before you start assembling.

2. Alternate between meat and cheese layers. It’s best to layer the meats and cheeses by alternating them. This order prevents the meat layers from slipping around when you roll up the stromboli.

3. Roll, tuck, then roll again. The two or three minutes of rolling up this stromboli might seem stressful the first time you do it, but remember it doesn’t need to be perfect. Roll the rectangle about half way, then stop, tuck in the outer edges — like you would a burrito — and keep rolling.

4 cups vanilla ice cream
3 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch fine salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate sauce and whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350F/175C. Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the 4 cups of vanilla ice cream into 8 balls (about 1/2 cup each) onto 1 of the prepared baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Make the coating while the ice cream freezes.

Crush the 3 cups cornflakes into crumbs. Place in a large bowl, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and stir until well combined. Melt butter. Add the butter and vanilla extract to the cereal mixture and toss to coat evenly. Transfer to the second baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then transfer to a clean bowl.

Roll the ice cream balls in the cereal mixture to coat, then place back on the baking sheet. Freeze at least 30 minutes before serving with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce if desired.