Ice Cream | Kitchen Konfidence

Cold Steeped Vanilla Mezcal Ice Cream Recipe

August 27, 2015 by Brandon Matzek 31 Comments

You guys. This ice cream. I can’t even. But I will, so let’s dive in.

Cold brew coffee is big right now. I had my first cold brew at Blue Bottle in San Francisco a few years ago, and I loved every drop of it. The idea behind the cold brew process is that the ground beans sit in cold water for a longer period of time until the flavors leach out into the water. The resulting cold brew coffee has a sweeter, more complex taste, because heat was not used to extract flavor. I recently learned that you can apply a similar technique to the ice cream making process. I’ve tested this technique, and I’m here to report that it’s pretty freakin’ incredible. Continue reading for the ice cream recipe.

Peach Gingersnap Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe

July 25, 2015 by Brandon Matzek 36 Comments

It has been so HOT in San Diego recently.

For those of you in typically warmer summer climates, you may laugh at me when I say that it’s been an uncomfortable 75 – 80 for the past week. But those seemingly normal temps have been accompanied by a thick blanket of humidity, something that we rarely get here in San Diego. I used to deal with humidity all the time when I lived in New Jersey, but I’m coming up on my 11th year in SD, and I’ve completely lost all tolerance.

This uncharacteristic heat has me craving cold, sweet treats nighty. My freezer is stocked with various tubs of homemade and store-bought ice creams, including this Fresh Peach Ice Cream. Made with both a blended peach puree and macerated bits of yellow peach, this egg-free ice cream is just packed with peach flavor. Like scoopable summer.

When I’m feeling lazy, I’ll enjoy a scoop or two of ice cream with some fridge staples, including jam, caramel sauce, or ginger syrup. OR I’ll make ice cream sandwiches with store-bought cookies. When I’m feeling a bit more ambitious, I’ll whip up a fresh batch of cookies for ice cream sandwiches. Here, I’ve paired this Fresh Peach Ice Cream with dark, glistening Gingersnaps. These cookies are bursting with notes of ginger, star anise, brown sugar and molasses. Ginger pairs harmoniously with peach here, forming an addicting sweet treat. Continue reading for the recipe.

Blueberry Ice Cream with Oat Crumble Topping

June 26, 2014 by Brandon Matzek 50 Comments

Aside from flavor, my favorite part of this dessert is it’s color. Will you just look at that:

Blueberry Ice Cream with Oat Crumble Topping is summer in dessert-form. It’s like that piping-hot, all-American blueberry crumble, but… cold. This recipe starts with a base of simmered fresh blueberries flavored with lemon juice and sugar. The cooking process draws out some of the moisture while concentrating the blueberry flavor. After a quick strain, the resulting liquid, stained a deep shade of blue-purple, captures the pure essence of blueberry. This flavor bomb is mixed into a French custard base (see gif below), then churned into a cold, creamy confection. A final sprinkling of crunchy oat crumbles provides a satisfying contrast in both flavor and texture.

I’m not going to lie, I love making ice cream (and sorbet) at home. It’s one of my favorite things to do during the summer months. Here are some of my past favorites:

What about you? Do you love to make ice cream at home? If so, please share some of your favorite creations below in the comments! Continue reading for the recipe.

Cranberry Sorbet

November 22, 2013 by Brandon Matzek 16 Comments

Each year at Thanksgiving, I serve a palate cleanser before the dessert course to revive everyone’s taste buds after a rich and decadent dinner buffet. Usually, everyone gets a scoop of Meyer Lemon Sorbet. This year, I though I’d try something new 🙂 Tart and sweet, this vibrantly hued Cranberry Sorbet is flavored with fresh lemon and orange zest. I’ve also added a splash of Grand Marnier to amp up the orange flavor, and to keep the texture of the sorbet nice and smooth. Keep in mind that this sorbet should be tart, so try not to add any additional sugar. Also, I’d recommend just serving a small scoop to each guest. You want to prepare them for dessert without ruining their appetite. Continue reading for the recipe.

Pumpkin spice. Has it gone too far?

October 8, 2013 by Brandon Matzek 14 Comments

Normally, I’m all about food trends. Lord knows I’ve done plenty with bacon. I even enjoyed cake pops while they were still a thing (although I never once made them). But pumpkin spice? I’m now on the fence. I really do enjoy pumpkin spices; however, the moment that I saw Pumpkin Pie Spice Pringles, I thought to myself, “this is getting ridiculous.”

I’m really not sure what happened this year. It seems like all the big food companies got together and decided they needed to slap pumpkin spice on everything. Country crock? Really? Perhaps they needed to beef up the selling season between Back to School and Halloween. We now have Pumpkin Spice season!!

So where do you stand on the spectrum? Are you still loving pumpkin spice or are you over it? Share your thoughts below, plus check out some of my favorite pumpkin recipes.

Pineapple Tequila Sorbet

July 9, 2013 by Brandon Matzek 22 Comments

Summer is in full effect here in San Diego, and strangely, it’s been quite humid. This humidity doesn’t really compare to the many hot, damp summers spent in New Jersey, but now, I’ve completely lost my tolerance to extreme weather conditions. Any slight deviations from perfection seem to throw off my daily rhythms. After spending two nights tossing and turning, I installed my little window air conditioner, and made a batch of this Pineapple Tequila Sorbet. Freshly blended pineapple is flavored with an Aleppo chile, lime, and citrusy tequila. After a short while in the ice cream maker, this flavorful puree is transformed into scoopable sunshine. The color really is quite remarkable. Cool, fresh and bright, one taste of this sorbet will surely banish any warm weather discomfort. Continue reading for the recipe.

4th of July Recipes

July 1, 2013 by Brandon Matzek 6 Comments

The 4th of July was one of my favorite holidays growing up. Each year, my parents would take me and a few of my close friends to Philadelphia for an afternoon of eating, sightseeing and celebrity spotting. One year, we saw Rosa Parks!! She was actually getting on a bus. I was always so enthralled with the energy coursing through that city on the 4th of July. You could feel the excitement.

Later in the evening, my friends and I would watch our hometown fireworks from someone’s backyard. Fireflies blinking in the warm, dark summer air. The back patio wet with pool water. Hot dogs sizzling on the grill. Tradition. That’s what the 4th of July means to me. I love the sense of tradition with friends and family.

Since moving to San Diego (far far away from my hometown and Philadelphia), I have had to establish some different traditions. Summer flavors, backyard grilling, afternoon cocktails and bayside fireworks. Cooking for friends and loved ones. I do miss those old traditions, but I am also excited for the new ones. Below is a collection of recipes perfect for a 4th of July bash. Some of these recipes are from Independence Day celebrations of years past. Some are recipes I’ll be making again in a few days. I hope you enjoy 🙂

Vanilla Ice Cream with Ginger Syrup and Curry Powder

August 12, 2012 by Brandon Matzek 12 Comments

I was in New York City earlier this year and I had the most amazing ice cream flavor combination at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop — soft vanilla ice cream floating in a shallow pool of spicy ginger syrup and aromatic curry powder. Each bite was unreal. I couldn’t put my spoon down! The sweet vanilla cream was a perfect counter to the bold ginger syrup and curry, creating a harmonious bite nothing short of pure heaven. I recreated this sundae at home and to be honest… I couldn’t believe how easy it was. You can buy ginger syrup or make it at home. The rest is just an assembly job. Continue reading for the recipe.

Strawberry Bourbon Ice Cream and a 2 Year Anniversary

July 18, 2012 by Brandon Matzek 13 Comments

So I am happy to announce that Kitchen Konfidence is officially 2 years old (as of July 15th)!! To celebrate this milestone, I’m sharing this luscious Strawberry Bourbon Ice Cream. Freshly made strawberry-bourbon sauce is swirled into creamy strawberry bourbon ice cream, creating a frozen treat nothing short of heaven. With each bite, you’ll enjoy a punch of sweet-tart strawberry followed by a smooth, pleasant taste of bourbon. So. Yum.

Last year I celebrated my blogiversary with a super tasty green bean salad. I decided to go with ice cream this year, because it’s one of my favorite desserts to make. Once you get the process down, you’ll be able to create a plethora of different ice cream flavors. It may seem daunting at first, but I assure you, it gets much, much easier each time you do it. Before we get to the recipe, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who have continued to read Kitchen Konfidence over these past two years. It’s really been a pleasure and I’m looking forward to the many years to come! Continue reading for the recipe.

Blood Orange Frozen Yogurt

April 6, 2012 by Brandon Matzek 38 Comments

I still remember the sweet smell of crisp, white citrus blossoms the afternoon I went blood orange picking. Standing amongst a small collection of blood orange, lime, lemon and Valencia orange trees, I stopped for a moment to enjoy the warm sun and heady fragrance. After a brief zen moment, I continued on with the task at hand. Nimbly darting throughout the limbs, I eagerly plucked ripe citrus from the trees while trying to avoid the sharp thorns dotting the surface of each branch. The massive bowl of oranges pictured below is just a small fraction of the bounty I brought home that afternoon. As I organized each fruit into different bowls around my kitchen, I couldn’t help but smile at the collection.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve prepared a number of recipes utilizing my winter citrus. This Blood Orange Frozen Yogurt is one of my favorites 🙂 Made with blood orange zest and juice, this luscious fro yo is tart, creamy and complex. Orange liqueur bumps up the oranginess of the dish while honey lends a sweet, floral note reminiscent of those wonderfully fragrant citrus blossoms. If you can’t find blood oranges at your local market, you could certainly make this recipe with regular oranges. Continue reading for the recipe.