It’s been one of those weeks and it’s nice to have a cloudy Sunday morning to reflect back on things. There was a bit of big news: we bought a car. Now, for most people, it’s kind of a no-brainer to have a car. But I’ve never owned or really even wanted a car. We live pretty much in the centre of things and I love exploring on foot, by bike or even by bus. But now we own a 2005 silver little hatchback and it’s like our world has opened up exponentially. We can, at the drop of a hat, head out into the mountains for a hike or cross the border to visit friends. Freedom and cars always seemed like such an advertising ploy or a teenage fantasy, but it’s true! I didn’t think I’d be so much in love with the idea of car ownership, but I’m smitten. While I do have my license, I actually haven’t driven in 20 years, so I’ll need a bit of practice to brush up and get over my fears. After biking through traffic and scowling at cars who don’t pay attention to cyclists, I’ve got quite a bit of fear to get over. Baby steps and parking lot practice, here I come!
Then came Valentine’s Day and if you didn’t know it already, I’m a sucker for love. I don’t care that it’s a greeting card holiday one bit. I love pinks and reds and flowers (though tulips over roses, please). And I love fussing over my husband. I always make a card from scratch and this year I even made a little 8 song mix over at 8tracks that you are more than welcome to listen to. But it was our dinner that night that was so fantastic and perfect. There was a perfectly seasoned steak that I cooked in the oven at very low heat (200F) for 10 minutes per side before searing on the stove. Perfect medium-rare insides and a lovely crust outside. Yum. Oven roasted herbed potatoes that were crisp on the outside and soft and perfect inside. A raw mixed vegetable asian slaw and steamed brussels sprouts completed our plate. But it was dessert that gilded the lily.
My favorite brownie recipe plus a small scoop of buttermint ice cream put the biggest smile on Cornelius’ face. The thing is, I had spied the ice cream recipe quite a while ago on the kitchn, but I was put off by the addition of butter extract. Butter extract, really?? It sounded gross and I’m generally against single-use tools and ingredients. So I had pretty much made up my mind that I’d be giving this recipe a pass. But when I found myself in the baking section of my favorite kitchen shop the day before Valentine’s Day, I grabbed the little bottle of butter extract and that was it, buttermint ice cream, here I come.
The original recipe calls for turmeric to stain the ice cream yellow which sounded all fine and good. Except that I was making this for Valentine’s Day and I was jonesing for pink. Plus, it makes sense as it recalls the pastel buttermint candies that I loved as a kid with their pale pinks, greens and yellows. The recipe itself is super simple and I like that it doesn’t contain eggs. It does require a bit of cream cheese which adds to the creamy texture. It’s a good trick – the ice cream didn’t get rock hard after spending a couple days in the freezer which is a good thing. Another discovery was drizzling melted white chocolate (I used Callebault…the good stuff here) while the ice cream churned, adding thin shards of crispy chocolate ribbons throughout. Incredible! And because I was already preheating the oven at a low temperature (200F), I decided to melt the chocolate in a small cast iron pan in the oven. The chocolate melted perfectly and quickly….no fussing with a double boiler! Genius!
Yup, I’ll be making this again. Tinted pale green for St. Patrick’s Day? Why not!
One more thing, today is this blog’s 7th birthday. Seven years of Everybody Likes Sandwiches! Not bad run, I think. I’ve learned a lot of new things here in this public space – about cooking and myself. Here’s to seven more years! Anyway, thank you so much for reading and commenting and sending me emails. I don’t think my life would be quite so awesome without this space for me to vent and share. I’m grateful.
elsewhere: Earlier this week at Poppytalk, I baked up a big dish of comfort. Creamy mac and cheese with cauliflower and chard. Delicious and simple. Go check out the recipe!
savannah buttermint ice cream
(recipe adapted from the book Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Homevia the kitchn)
2 1/4 c whole milk
1 T plus 1 t cornstarch
3 T cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 t sea salt
2-4 drops red food colouring
1 c heavy cream
scant 2/3 c sugar
2 T light corn syrup
3 oz white chocolate, chopped
4-5 drops butter extract
4 to 5 drops pure peppermint extract1. In a small bowl, use a fork to mix together 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. Set this aside. Whisk together the cream cheese, salt and food colouring together and set aside. In a large bowl or stock pot, fill with ice and cold water – set aside.
2. Combine the rest of the milk, along with the heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup into a medium sized sauce pot and bring to a boil. Let boil for 4 minutes then remove from heat. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and then bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for one minute and then remove from heat. Whisk in the cream cheese mixture and beat until well incorporated. Pour the mixture into a large ziplock bag, seal tightly and then dunk mixture into the bowl with the water and ice. Put in the fridge and chill until cold, about 30 minutes.
3. Melt white chocolate. I had the oven at 200F so I just melted it in the oven & it worked like a charm. Otherwise, use a microwave or use a bain-marie.
4. Pour ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and start churning. Add in drops of butter extract and peppermint. Taste and adjust, if needed. Slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate. Churn until the mixture gets thick and creamy. Pour ice cream into a lidded glass container and freeze for 4 hours.
Print This Recipe
seeing that i am an ice cream junkie, i will be printing this out STAT.
happy seven years girl!
love you and love your creations!
7 years! You go! And ice cream to boot! My kind of party! Love the no eggs bit too – always makes me a teeny bit twitchy, because not so secretely, I have issues.
wow, seven years! that is ancient in blog-years 😉
big congrats and keep up the good work. you are an inspiration!
This buttermint ice cream sounds delicious. I recall those pastel buttermint candies from my childhood, and I too, loved them. Butter extract, as unusual as it may sound, is used a lot in the baking industry. I still need to find me some. First, congratulations again on your new car! Second, congratulations on reaching your 7 years in blogging & yes, please make it 7 more…or 8 even 🙂
A Happy 7 years and many more to you 🙂
I also love Valentines day…I just love, love!
Congrats on 7 years!! I love that you’ve never owned a car! If it wasn’t for my constant need to head to the ocean or mountains, I wouldn’t really need one either. Have fun 🙂
1. That ice cream sounds DELICIOUS!
2. Congrats on the car! How fun.
3. Happy Anniversary! Seven years is a REALLY long time in the blogosphere. 🙂
Happy 7 Years! Can’t wait to see what the next 7 will bring. Enjoy your new wheels!
I bought my 1st car (aside from the years of hand-me-downs) last year because I needed it to commute to my new job and I felt exactly the way you did! Living in San Francisco for years, I had gotten accustomed to being car-less, but having a car totally shrank time and space for me. It’s like you say; the world opened up. Happy 7 year blog-o-versary! That’s a huge feat and I must say, this buttermint ice cream sure feels like the right way to celebrate. Hurrah!
Ohhh we love your blog… and we follow it.
Congratulations are in order – for the car and for the blogiversary! I only came across your blog about a year ago, but I guarantee that I will be following along for the next 7 years! Keep up the great work!
You are adorable, as are your outrageously cute spoons. I am so glad you started your blog seven years ago, so I could stumble on it one day and become friends!
And a car? whoo hoo! Does this mean I’ll get to see you more often? (though I think it’s my turn to come north, yes?:-). xox
PS. I’m a tulip girl too. Totally.
popped in to say hello from Celi’s blog! Congrats on 7 years, that is a big achievement 🙂
The way you felt about owning a car is the way I felt about learning to drive. I resisted for YEARS until my family convinced me otherwise…and now I love it. Wouldn’t give it up for the world.
I’ve never actually heard of buttermint before but it sounds delicious! I’m glad the extract purchase was worth it.
Happy SEVEN years! Wow, what a feat!
Aw thanks so much, vanillasugarblog for popping by!
Tricia, thank you! Yes, I think I do tend to prefer eggless ice creams best. Issues or not!
Haha, thanks Elena!
Bijoux – thank you for following along all these years!! Now I’m curious to discover other uses for butter extract. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Thanks Joss, what’s not to love?
Jacqui, we always would rent or borrow a car for trips and it never seemed like a big deal, but seriously, now that we own, I’m beyond chuffed. Yay trips!!
Jessica, thank you!!! Ha, it does seem like ages in the blog world. Hope I’ll be here for much longer than that 🙂
Thank you, renee@sweetsugarbean!
Yes!!! Kasey, you totally get it. I love that – shrinking time & space. So true. Thanks!
Papelera, thanks!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe, thanks for discovering this blog and for staying awhile.
Aw Tea, you are the adorable one! And yes, a trip to Seattle should be in the works soon. I’ll keep you posted! And you are welcome anytime, seriously!
Thanks for stopping by Tandy!
Joanne, I just have to jump back into the driving saddle! I’m nervous but it will be fine, I’m sure. Thanks!
just found your blog recently, but am loving it. super easy to follow recipes, and very tasty too. by the way where did you get those spoons they are so adorable!
Congratulations on the car purchase!! I have to admit we have never lived any place where we could live without a car, in fact up until 2 years ago we had to drive 1 hour (one way) to go to town for ALL purchases (alaska). So now a 4 mile drive to the grocery store is pure heaven!!
Okay… now for the big question. I am searching for an ice cream maker (mine died) and was hoping you could recommend one. If you prefer you can e-mail your response, I understand the whole produce endorsement business so….
Thanks I really appreciate any input you can offer! (I am waiting to try out this recipe once I have the new machine!)
happy 7 years!! 🙂 thanks so much for all the inspiration and yummy recipes. i love butter mints, but never thought about them as an ice cream flavour — a must-try for sure! in fact, the first thing i made from your blog was ice cream — the cherry buttermilk sherbet. delicious, as i’m sure this one is as well.
Congrats on 7 years! This buttermint ice cream sounds incredible and I love that’s it’s pink. What a great dinner you two had 🙂
Martina, thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! The spoons are cute – & they were a gift from a friend who spotted them in a thrift shop! A good find, for sure.
Peggy, I have a 1.5 qt Cuisinart ice cream maker and I like it. It’s red & affordable on Amazon. I’m sure there are much better versions but I got mine at a garage sale for a steal! I think it’s totally worth it!
Thank you Karen! Oooh, that cherry sherbet is soo good. A great one to try 🙂
NicoleD, thanks it was a fantastic meal and I had so much fun putting it together!
7 years! Congrats!
This might be my first comment – but I wonder over here all the time to drool and occasionally I actually make something. I love new recipes – but bad about making them. You almost always change my mind.
Hey, 7 yrs! Keep up the good work! Your’s is one of the few blogs I still follow and get inspiration from.
Careful driving in Van too. I’ve lived and driven in many places, Turkey, Greece, Spain, London, India and I have to say nowhere are the drivers worse…
Congrats on 7 years! I also live in YVR and was curious as to where you found the butter extract – was that at the Gourmet Warehouse?
I have been interested in trying out one of Jeni’s ice cream recipes – this is additional motivation.
Wow, congrats on 7 years – that’s amazing! I don’t think there could be a better way to celebrate than this icecream. Even the name, Buttermint…just makes me hungry thinking about it 🙂
Happy 7th Anniversary! Did I ever tell you that I own that little cookbook with the sandwich recipe…I just love the little drawings!
Congrats on the car too, I bet that makes things much easier, and it is not like you will use it everyday.
I love peppermint ice cream and the colour just takes me back to when I was a kid! yum!
Nessa, thanks so much for commenting & saying hi!
Keen, oh really? Good to note. No wonder there were so many “rebuilt” car statuses when we were looking to buy.
aebell, I did find it at the Gourmet Warehouse! Yes, try one of her recipes, I was really happy with this one.
Thanks DP! I know, it seems part of the draw is the name. How can you go wrong?
Hag, I think you might have told me & in fact, I think you made me a button ages ago with that little girl! It’s a cute little book. I guess having a car means some berry picking in our future? I hope so!
Yaey congrats on 7 years of blogging! I’ve never heard of buttermint ice cream but it sounds really interesting with the white chocolate, butter flavour and mint hmm.
Happy seven years! I’m convinced that Jeni’s book makes the best home-made ice cream ever. Every recipe I’ve made out of that book has been great!
kickpleat, You can use the butter extract instead of vanilla extract in sponge cakes and butter cookies if you want to increase the butter aroma. I think it would also be great in a salted caramel sauce for ice cream or a sticky pudding. I’m getting so hungry just thinking about it.
Intriguing–I would also never have thought to use butter extract for such a thing, but if it can make ice cream actually take on the characteristics of butter mints, I may have to try it. Happy blogiversary to you as well!
oh, my, totally craving this ice cream now!!
Ashley, it’s really really good! Thanks!
Thanks Whitney, I’m totally going to try more recipes from the book. Everyone raves about it – how can ice cream be a bad thing?
Good to know, Bijoux!! I’ll totally try it with some vegan cookies and baking. Awesome idea.
Thanks Eileen! Who knew about butter extract and it really replicates the taste well. I loved it.
Thanks Dmarie!
happy birthday els and awesome hair jeanette… you havent aged in 20 years!
Congratulations on 7 years! I just started frequenting your blog in November but it is among my favorites. Frankly, it was your blog title that got me here because I too like sandwiches.
So many things to congratulate you on here! First, a true amazing accomplishment – 7 years. You are an inspiration as always. And a car! I remember moving back from London and feeling so incredibly liberated that I could just get in the car and go to the grocery store. It’s the little things. And, amazing ice cream. My dad used to sit and suck on those yellow stained buttermint candies so this post brought back a lot of memories for me. I can’t wait to try this – with the white chocolate addition of course.
Congratulations on 7 years Jeannette! Thank you for the endless inspiration. We’ve had many-a-tasty meals thanks to you. And congrats on the car too! I’m excited about the day we’ll have a vehicle too (despite my fervent cyclist pride & not-so-fervent inner environmentalist).
xo
Aw thanks so much, becky!!! Proof 🙂
JShep, thanks so much for stopping by.
Dana, I hope you do give it a try, it’s a good one and thanks for sharing your memories!
Thanks Jen for the props!! I’ve still got my cyclist pride!!!!
Ooh! This ice cream sounds dreamy and your ice cream spoons are the CUTEST.
Oh, thanks so much Kate for liking my spoons…I love ’em a whole lot too!
Lucky me! I live in Jeni’s hometown, but does that keep me from making my own ice cream? Um…no! Try Jeni’s roasted strawberry buttermilk when strawberries are in season, and her pustachio is stuff of legend–it’s already on the Father’s Day menu for 2012!
Happy Blogoversary. I’ve been a fan since year 1!