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Monday, April 20, 2009

Guacamole Ice Cream…sort of!

 avocado-ice-cream-10

Time for the monthly Royal Foodie Joust!  What’s the Joust, you ask?  It’s a monthly contest started by Jenn, The Leftover Queen.  Who also runs The Foodie BlogRoll.  And if you have a food blog and haven’t joined yet, what are you waiting for?  They have giveaways happening all the time, and all you need to do to enter is join the BlogRoll.  Plus, there are forums that are a great way to network, meet other bloggers, and find lots of great information.  So get on over there and check it all out!

Last month’s Joust was won by Peter and Christey at http://fotocuisine.com/, and they won with their entry for Almond Crusted Asparagus Rolls with Lemongrass Hollandaise.  How amazing does that look?   Well, everything they have posted does, right? 

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The winner of each Joust gets to choose the three ingredients for the next Joust.  And this time, instead of choosing specific ingredients, Peter and Christey chose Red, White, and Green.  I loved this idea, because it leaves the Joust wide open to interpretation.  Feeling sweet, savory, traditional or daring?  Doesn’t matter—as long as you use some red, white and green.

This past Saturday, I was having a short chat with Michele, at Life, Lightly Salted.  She’s a real sweetheart and has an outstanding blog, so please go and say hello to her.  We were talking about ice cream, and she was saying she was going to try making some avocado ice cream.  I swear, I almost saw the light bulb go off over my head.   I love guacamole, and what if I could make avocado ice cream, but make it look like the dip I love so much? 

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It all fell into place.  Since I’d always wanted to try avocado ice cream, I knew this would be fun—plus my ice cream maker was growing far too lazy.  I decided to use diced strawberries instead of tomatoes, shredded coconut in place of diced white onion, and mint would stand in for cilantro.

I used a basic recipe for the ice cream from Alton Brown.  You just can’t go wrong with his recipes.  I didn’t let the mixture chill for 4-6 hours, though.  More like 30-40 minutes, and I had no problems.  Damn my lack of patience!  And toward the end of the cycle, I tossed in a few small handfuls of coconut, and about 6 large diced strawberries.  I almost forgot the mint until my husband reminded me.  Whew!  I’d have hated to have forgotten that.  I just folded that in myself and them tossed it all in the freezer to set better.

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I should have taken a photo before scooping some out, though, because when it was in the container, it looked just like guacamole!  My daughter came in and said, “gross, mom, that ice cream looks like guacamole!”  Good!  that’s what I was going for!  ;)

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My “tortilla chips” would be played by shortbread cookies.  This recipe is from my grandmother, and we made it almost every year for Christmas.  The cookies are so pretty with red and green sugar on them.  We usually make them into individual cookies, but since I was trying to get the tortilla chip thing going, I split the dough into two portions, and patted it out into two circles on a parchment lined sheet.  Lightly score the dough into wedges, then bake.  After baking, you can separate the wedges.  (They take a little longer to bake this way—about 10 extra minutes.  they should feel set on the top.)  I know, most shortbread recipes don’t use any eggs, but I adore this recipe.  They seem lighter, and not so heavy.

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Mom's Shortbread Cookies

To print this recipe, click here.


This is my mom's tried and true shortbread recipe. She got it from my grandmother. These are great any time of year, but especially nice for Christmas gifts. You can sprinkle them with green or red sugar before baking. The flavor of these cookies improves with age, so make them a few days before you plan to give them away.

2 cups    flour  
1 cup    butter, softened  
1/2 tsp    baking powder  
1/2 cup    sugar  
1    egg  
1    fresh lemon rind, of grated 

 

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Sift flour and baking powder together in a small bowl. 
Cream butter, add sugar slowly, mixing well. 
Mix in egg and lemon rind. 
Add flour/baking powder mixture, mix in well. 
Shape into balls about the size of a golf ball, place on pan, flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. 
Bake at 300° for 15 to 20 minutes, just until a bit golden on the edges. 
These last well if kept in a tightly covered container, and actually taste even better after a day or two as the flavors develop.


Yield: 48-60 cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes

 

And that’s it—that’s my entry for this month’s Royal foodie Joust.   Wish me luck!  And avocado ice cream?  Let’s just say it’ll be in regular rotation this summer.   Because, yum!avocado-ice-cream-9       

 

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50 comments:

Allen of EOL said...

How fun -- looks like frozen guacamole, especially with your shortbread chips :-)

lettergirl said...

That's the coolest guacamole ever!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Love Alton's recipes, for sure - that guacamole and the shortbread look faaaaabulous!!

RecipeGirl said...

What a freakin' cute idea. You're so creative :)

Unknown said...

omg i love it!!!

recipes2share said...

This is fantastic - what a great idea!

Sandy Smith said...

You know what? I can't wait to put this one together in my Cuisinart. Ice cream season is ON! Thanks, Elle!

MrOrph said...

Wow Elle! Very clever. Good luck with the joust.

vanillasugarblog said...

oh how fabulous is this? the photos are just perfect. very clever to add on the shortbread "chips".
Yeah I love Michelle, she's a sweetie.

Maria said...

My dad loves avocado ice cream. I have never made it though. I will have to surprise him with this. Great post!

justeatfood said...

That is so incredibly creative Elle! It looks just as addictive as guacamole. You know, I haven't ever thought about avocado ice cream but I bet that is delicious! I'm impressed!

CQ Baker said...

I have been wondering about avocado ice cream for a long time! It looks wonderful.

Justine said...

This great! It looks tasty and fun, especially with short bread looking like pita!

catherine @ www.unconfidentialcook.com said...

How much fun is that? What a great thing to serve to kids (big and little).

Anonymous said...

just love the idea of avocado ice cream, will be giving this a CHURN!

Michele said...

It looks fabulous Elle! I'm glad that I could provide a little electricity for your light bulb. :) I'm happy to see that you went with Alton's recipe. I got the craving for the avocado ice cream after watching him make it. I swear he is the only reason that I still watch the Food Network. Best of luck in the Joust sweetie....you know that you've got my vote!

BMoreSweet said...

I can NOT believe you did guacamole ice cream! I just made an AVOCADO CHEESECAKE!! Mind MELLLLLDDDD!!

kat said...

Ok, that is so cool. Going to be a hard one to beat!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

What did it taste like or similar too? And did your kids like it?

That is a very creative idea....good luck!
~ingrid

Kerstin said...

Guacamole ice cream - how cool, I'm completely impressed!

Bob said...

That's awesome! I wouldn't mind a bowl of that right now. :)

Kathy - Panini Happy said...

Now that is CREATIVE! After she got over her gross-out your daughter must have been pretty impressed by her innovative mom :-)

Mrs Ergül said...

This is creative Elle! Very interesting! Good on ya!

Mary said...

I've never tasted avocado ice-cream but it sure looks great!

grace said...

elle, if you don't win the joust this time around, i'll pitch a fit. this is, hands down, the most clever, inventive, and completely delicious creation i've seen for ages. just brilliant.

emiglia said...

Wow! That's really pretty. I feel like I've been seeing a lot of sweet avocado recipes around the web, but I'm a little nervous to try one out...

Jeff said...

beautifully done and I never heard of the joust. However, I immediately went over and signed up.

Now my poor brain is hurty from thinking of red, green, and white.

anna said...

That's so cute! I bet avocado lends itself fantastically to the creamy texture of ice cream.

Brittany (He Cooks She Cooks) said...

Fun fun! I've been wanting to try avocado ice cream too, and this would totally mess with people who are afraid of avocado in dessert.

Elle said...

Allen, lettergirl, Liz, Lori, ttfn, Fiona--thank you so much!

Sandy--it's totally on now! Even though it's 49 and rainy right now, hehe!

Dawn--thanks, sweetie!

Maria--I hope your dad loves this as much as we do!

Just Eat--I had always wanted to try it, so glad I did. Doesn't taste like avocados, just slightly sweet and so creamy good.

CQ--I hope you'll give it a try.

Catherine and CatskillKiwi--thank you!

Michele, my muse--thanks so much!

BMore--I need to check out this cheesecake, Wonder Twin! ;-)

Kat--thank you!

Ingrid--it doesn't taste like avocados, but it's a mild, sweet flavor. Not like vanilla, but it has a great fresh taste. The kids thought it was ok, but don't like coconut. *rolls eyes*

Kirsten, Bob, Kathy and Mes Ergul--thanks, guys!

Mindy, Mary, Grace, emiglia--thank you! emiglia--give it a try, you'll be amazed how great it tastes.

Jeff--so glad you signed up. See you over there!

Anna--the creamy avocados fit right in, for sure!

Brittany--yes, it would! But it's green, so you'd have to come up with an excuse for that. Pistachio? hehe

Unknown said...

Now avocado ice cream. what's next an avocado shake with condensed milk. That's just crazy!

Erin said...

That is VERY creative!! And it looks delicious! I LOVE avocados and I am sure the creamy texture enhanced the creaminess of ice cream! I am beyond impressed!

We Are Not Martha said...

This is an awesome idea... I LOVE it!!! And I'm happy to hear it tastes good too. Definitely need to find an occasion to make this!

Sues

kellypea said...

If this isn't creative, I don't know what is. Seriously! It's so pretty -- but you know I'm partial to green things. I'm wondering what it would be like without the mint...Avocados are the food of the gods as far as I'm concerned and I eat them right out of the shell with a big spoon. I need to make this!

Hillary said...

What a cute idea! I would think it was pistachio ice cream at first glance. How did it taste?

Katie @ goodLife {eats} said...

How genuis is that! I saw it on your twitter background and had to come investigate to see what it was. Looks so yummy! I too thought it might have been pistachio at first. Does it taste like avocado?

Reminds me of one of those april fools day food pranks. Like the pound cake french fries with strawberrie jam instead of ketchup.

Peter said...

That is one seriously original concept! I love it!

the wandering fork said...

Truly Brilliant!

The Peanut Butter Boy said...

That is the coolest darn ice cream I've ever seen Elle!

hungryandfrozen said...

Wait...so what did it taste like? I can't quite comprehend the idea of avocado ice cream and need some serious feedback. It looks pretty though, love those strawberries in there. And I love that you use your mother's shortbread recipes - I love recipes that come with history behind them :)

Mom's Cafe Home Cooking said...

What a neat presentation! It really does look like guacomole. I am definitely going to try making this ice cream. Thanks for the idea!

BTW, I'm following you on twitter.

gardengnome1 on twitter

Elle said...

Erin, Sues--thankk you!

Kelly--I think it would be fine without the mint. I was trying to echo the cilantro--but it's not necessary.

Hillary--thank you! It tastes very mild, slightly sweet. Not smack in your face avocado, for sure. If I didn't know what it was, I'd have to guess. It's also refreshing and light.

Katie--thank you! For the taste? See above, hehe.

Peter, Lara, Nick--thanks guys!

Laura--thank you! For flavor description--see above note to Hillary. :)

gardengnome--thank you! Following you back. :)

Jude said...

I love avocado ice cream. Filipinos have a thing for avocado based desserts :)

Peter M said...

Your're a freak - you know that already? lol

This reminds me of Spumoni..love the concept, adore ice cream, we all scream for Elle's ice cream!

Anonymous said...

Fabulous presentation! I don't know if I'll making the ice cream, unique though! But...I love shortbread and will definitely try your mom's recipe! Thanks for sharing it!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Really beautiful and so unusual! I love the presentation!

Cheers,

Rosa

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Fun recipe! my kids would love this.

Chantal said...

This is just super amazing!

Thistlemoon said...

Holy Guacamole Elle! I thought for sure I had already commented on this - I was just coming over to see how many more comments you got an realized there wasn't one from me yet. Terrible.

Anyway, I love this concept, I have also always wanted to try avocado ice cream, and I can imagine how creamy it must be with the fatty avocado in it! This was truly unique and inspired! Very fantastic Joust entry! :)

Jennie said...

Ok, this recipe just jumped to the top of my Ice Creams to Make This Summer list. I can't wait to try it!

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