Recipe: Raw Honey Roasted Figs

I've never cooked figs before, but I sure do love warm fruit over ice cream...and since my fig tree is bursting with fruit, I figured I'd give it a whirl!  This is a very simple recipe, but served in vintage cocktail glasses makes an impressive dessert.  The best part is that the roasting process creates a sauce perfect for drizzling and serving.  I didn't make the ice cream from scratch...just bought a nice quality "homemade" vanilla at the store, adding to the simplicity of the preparation.

• 12-16 fresh figs, halved
• 3 tbsp raw honey, such as Bee Raw Maine Blueberry Honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
• Juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 2-3 Sprigs of fresh rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Arrange sliced figs (flesh side up) in a baking dish, just large enough so that there isn't much room between them.
3. Drizzle with the honey.
4. Combine lemon juice and vanilla in a small bowl.  Drizzle over the figs.
5. Top with the sprigs of rosemary, bake for 15 minutes until the juices start to run.
6. Remove from the oven, and let stand for 5 minutes.  Serve over scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Tea infused Ice Cream with Chia Cherries

Ice cream on a hot summer’s day brings out the smiles and sticky-chinned child in everyone. This spring, I have seen the trend of making ice cream at home take off, especially recipes that don’t require an ice cream maker- a non churn recipe.  I like the idea of making my own ice cream, you control the quality of ingredients and flavors. My two go-to flavors with ice cream are mint chocolate chip and anything with peanut butter.  

For my first pass at making ice cream at home I thought I would make a more sophisticated flavor ice cream, one that is popular in Japan and is harder to find in the Northeast - tea based ice cream.  

The Cherry Marzipan Green Tea from Tea Forte, gives the ice cream a overall flavor of Green Tea with the slightest hint of cherry. The Unbound Hazelnut and Chia Cherries really makes this ice cream quite sophisticated! The cherries add a spicy flavor and a refreshing bit between the cream texture of the ice cream.  

For your next tea time, try a cup of ice cream instead!

Tea infused Ice Cream with Chia Cherries

• 16oz Heavy Cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 tbsp Cherry Marzipan Tea
• Unbound Hazelnut & Chai Spiced Cherries

1. Add heavy cream to a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  
2. Once the heavy cream is simmering add the 2 tbsp of tea, letting it simmer for 2 more minutes, turn off heat and let tea steep for 15 more minutes.  
3. Strain with a fine mesh strainer (I didn't strain my until the heavy cream was cold, it adds a stronger tea flavor).
4. Put tea infused heavy cream into the refrigerator until very cold.  Once the cream is very cold, whip to soft peaks. 
5. Add ¼ can of condensed milk and fold into the whipped cream, until incorporated. Repeat until can of Evaporated milk is empty.  Pour some mixture into a metal pan, and layer your flavors, repeating this process until cream mixture is finished.
6. I added cherries but you could add shortbread bites, blueberries, toasted almonds, really anything you like.  

Freeze and enjoy with in 3 days!