Red Velvet Ice Cream and Brownies

Emily's Red Velvet Ice Cream and Homemade Brownies

For a fun Valentine treat tonight, the kids and I made some red velvet ice cream with brownies.  Caden helped me with the ice cream and Hailey helped me make the brownies, and by help I mean Caden drank coconut milk and half and half and Hailey dumped things in the bowl and waited to lick the spoon after stirring the brownies.  Love these kids!  We had fun though and the ice cream turned out delicious.  It looks a little runny in the picture because it was only in the freezer for half an hour instead of the required 3 hours.  The kids couldn't wait for dessert after dinner!  The brownie recipe comes from a Better Homes and Garden cookbook and is one of our favorites.  It has more of a dark chocolate flavor and they are really thick of made in an 8x8 pan.

Red Velvet Ice Cream

• 1 C. coconut milk
• 1 C. half and half
• 3 egg yolks
• 2/3 C. sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 2 t. dutch cocoa powder
• 1 T. red food coloring
• 1 C. heavy cream

In medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, cook coconut milk and half and half just until steaming.  (This is important - you are about to add the eggs, and if the mixture on the burner is too hot it will cause the eggs to curdle).

Meanwhile, in medium heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until combined.  Pour half of milk mixture into bowl with egg yolks and sugar, and whisk until smooth.  Then pour contents of bowl back into saucepan, and return to burner on medium-low.

Cook custard an additional 3-5 minutes, until you can run your finger across a rubber spatula dipped in the custard and it leaves a trail.  Remove saucepan from heat and add cocoa powder - whisk until combined and no lumps remain.  Then add vanilla extract and red food coloring and whisk.

Transfer mixture to a large, coverable bowl.  Add 1 C. heavy cream, but  do not stir.  Cover bowl and place in refrigerator to chill 3-4 hours.

Once mixture is thoroughly chilled, transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Then transfer to coverable, freezable container and put in freezer at least 3 hours before serving.  Makes about one quart.

Homemade Brownies

• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a medium sauce pan melt butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; cool.  I rarely have unsweetened chocolate in my cupboard so I usually just use 9 tablespoons of unsweetened coco and 3 tablespoons of canola oil.  Instead of using the stove I then just melt my butter completely in the microwave and stir in my coco and oil.  It has worked great every time.

Meanwhile grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan and set aside.  Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture in saucepan.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition just until combined.  Stir in the vanilla.

In a small bowl stir together the flour and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture; stir until just combined.  If desired, stir in the nuts.  Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes for 8 inch or 25 minutes for 9 inch pan.  

The ice cream was so good that Caden couldn't help but lick it off of his shirt when he spilled.  Why waste good food!