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Valentine' s Day: Valentine Ice Cream Heart

Source of Recipe

Internet


Recipe Introduction

Easy to make - looks elegant!

List of Ingredients

Vanilla Ice Cream (a simple recipe below, or buy a good commercial brand)
Chocolate Ganache (a simple recipe below)
Strawberry fan (with a stem), 1 per person, instructions follow
1 mint sprigs, per person
1 heart-shaped cookie cutter, per person
Plastic Wrap
Strawberry Coulis (a simple recipe below)
a plastic squirt bottle for the strawberry coulis
a toothpick or knife with a sharp tip




Recipe

VANILLA ICE CREAM RECIPE

Serves 2

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, bring the cream and sugar to a boil over medium high heat. Place the egg yolk in a small mixing bowl. Slowly beat in about 2 tablespoons of the hot cream into the beaten yolk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and whisk rapidly for several seconds. Do not boil. Remove pan from heat. The sauce should thicken sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce is too thin, return the pan to the heat and whisk several more seconds. If the mixture is lumpy, strain into a large bowl. Cool the mixture and set aside.

Line each heart-shaped cookie cutter with a large piece of plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is pushed down on all sides in the mold, otherwise your heart-shaped ice cream heart will not look good. Place the lined cookie cutters on a flat container. Spoon the ice cream mixture into each mold; cover and freeze.

NOTE: Set aside 2 teaspoons of ice cream mixture. You will need this for garnishing the chocolate ganache.


CHOCOLATE GANACHE RECIPE
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1-1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

In a heavy medium-size saucepan, bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer; remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small microwave safe container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made ahead of time.

When ready to use, place the container in the microwave for a few seconds so that it is soft enough to use.


MAKE STRAWBERRY FAN
Place a strawberry with the stem end down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife and make 1/8-inch slices, cutting straight down, but not completely through the strawberry. Place the cut strawberry on it's side and carefully fan out the slices. This can be done ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.


STRAWBERRY COULIS
2 - 3 Strawberries, stems removed
1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch

Cut the strawberries into very small pieces and place them in a small fine sieve; with the back of a spoon, push the strawberries through to remove the seeds.

Put the strained liquid in a small microwaveable container, add the cornstarch, mix well and microwave for 1 minute, stir well again, and microwave again until the mixture thickens. Remove from the microwave and transfer the mixture to a plastic squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made ahead of time. When ready to use, place the container in the microwave for a few seconds so that it is soft enough to use.


ASSEMBLY:
Remove the plastic wrap from the frozen heart-shaped ice cream, place one on each plate off to the center. Using the squirt bottle with the strawberry coulis, make a design of your choice on the top of each heart.

Dip a small spoon into the chocolate ganache and make small puddles of chocolate around the heart-shaped ice cream. With the reserved 2 teaspoons of vanilla ice cream, carefully place a small dot in the center of each chocolate puddle. Use a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife; place the tip in the center of the vanilla ice cream dot and draw a line through the vanilla ice cream and the chocolate ganache; this will make it look like little hearts. Add the strawberry fan and a sprig of mint and serve to your guests.