Make ice cream using baby food: Pear puree for babies = Pear ice cream for adults

I have been asked this many, many times before: "So what exactly is fruit puree?"

Well, if you wanted THE MOST accessible option, Gerber baby food is fruit puree and you can use it to make into a fruit ice cream. (In this case, I have decided to try out the Pear puree to see how fragrant it is. The last time I ate it was several years ago when I snitched a few sips from my nephew's jar while watching my aunt feed him. So I don't even have the faintest idea how it taste like - until now.)

And I can just imagine working on this recipe for a Top Chef challenge (if there ever was one like this): Given a measly budget of $3, you are required to whip up a frozen dessert item using any form of basic ingredients, processed or otherwise, bought from a supermarket.

The catch? Well, there isn't any, except that you only have 10 minutes to prepare it, 30 minutes to freeze it and the final product shouldn't look or taste cheap.

So, here goes:
80g jar of Gerber pear puree ($1.50)
50ml cream (approx. $0.50)
1 egg yolk ($0.25)
10g sugar ($0.02 or less)

Total cost: $2.27

1. Beat egg yolk and sugar until smooth and mix into cream. Pour into pot and turn on heat.
2. Cook gently until custard thickens and pour into pear puree inside bowl.

3. Hand churn ice cream.

So, the most important question is: How does it taste like?

Well, turned out a little disappointing. The pear wasn't as fragrant as it should be. The texture was very much like pear though: A little raspy with a sandy fibrous mouth feel. The custard was well-balanced, with the cream evened out by the fruit.

But I know what helps: Adding a 10ml dash of vodka while churning the ice cream! (An additional $0.53 to the cost.)

At $2.80, we still beat the challenge but I doubt it is enough to win it. But hey, you must admit baby food is a pretty neat idea for ice cream-making.

Candied lemon peel for vodka lime ice cream

Here's a funky recommendation made by a Vodka Lime Ice Cream fanatic:

"To add more zing to the vodka/ lime taste, try zesting a fresh lemon and make candied lemon peels by sauteeing the peel with sugar until they turn loosely transparent and sticky. Mix candied peels into the vodka/ lime ice cream for an added burst of citrus. Or simply top it on the ice cream when served."

If you have not seen the Vodka Lime Ice Cream recipe, you can find it here.

Alcoholic ice cream: Vodka lime

The scenario is pretty straightforward: You're having a bunch of friends over and you want to prepare some food and drinks but you also want something new and innovative for a change.

So what can you whip up in one afternoon for a group of 5 to 6 people without breaking too much of a sweat?

Here is what you'll need to make a simple Vodka Lime ice cream for adults:
200ml milk
200ml cream
110g sugar
4 yolks
6 to 7 fresh limes
80ml-100ml vodka

And here is what you got to do:
1. Whisk egg yolk and sugar together
2. Heat milk in pot
3. Whisk heated milk into yolk-sugar mixture
4. Return mixture back into pot and cook until thicken
5. Pour cooked custard through sieve into cream
6. Add fresh lime juice and whisk thoroughly
7. Leave to room temperature before letting it set in freezer
8. Remove from freezer every 30 minutes, give it a good whisk and repeat this process at least thrice
9. Ice cream should be firm and about to set by the third whisk and this is a good time to mix in the vodka
10. Transfer to serving container and allow to set firmly

Everyone's threshold for alcohol is slightly different. If things usually turn ugly when alcohol is served, my advice is simple: Bake cookies or meringues instead.