Krispy Kreme Copycat Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme Copycat Doughnuts
OMG! Krispy Kreme Copycat Doughnuts! So good…

Krispy Kreme Copycat Doughnuts

These Krispy Kreme Copycat Doughnuts are BETTER than those at Krispy Kreme because you can taste all the necessary components of a doughnut – the sugar, the soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the yeasty, fried dough. Amazing.

I’ve never been a fan of Krispy Kreme doughnuts because their doughnuts are too sweet for my taste. Albeit soft, warm, and delicious, these sugar “pillows” are so sweet that they overpower the bready, fried dough underneath. When I lived in Texas, my favorite doughnut shop was Shipley’s Donuts, where you could get your sugar fix as well as taste the soft, fried, yeasty layer, which made them more substantial and fulfilling. Continue reading “Krispy Kreme Copycat Doughnuts”

Mint Oreo Ice Cream

Mint Oreo Ice Cream

Homemade Fresh Mint Oreo Ice Cream

I was going to blog about some yummy pancakes I had made the other day but once I sampled this Mint Oreo ice cream, I pushed that thought aside. I’ve made other GREAT ice creams such as traditional Vanilla Bean (also paired with Blackberry Cobbler), Vanilla Bean made with brown sugar, Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Dough, Espresso and more; but this one is definitely my favorite flavor. Also, now that cold weather has taken over many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, I felt it best to share this recipe before it gets even colder.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream

With that said, I can eat ice cream in any type of weather. In fact, I remember craving a gelato al cocco (coconut) on a cold October day, and my boyfriend was shocked. However, I was comforted by the fact that there were other people in the gelateria eating gelato, and they weren’t tourists.Mint Oreo Ice Cream

I was inspired to make this ice cream after having tried the Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream from Ben and Jerry. After taking one bite, I thought, “OMG, this is so good! I need to try making this at home!” LOL! Who else does that? Hello? Just me?

Mint Oreo Ice Cream

It starts with infusing fresh mint leaves with whole milk in a pot. Then you temper the eggs and add the cream. Chill the mixture before pouring it in the ice cream maker. Add in the Oreos. Enjoy as a soft serve fresh from the machine or freeze it for a few more hours like I did.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream

Don’t forget to check cout a plethora of other ice cream flavors such as vanilla bean (twice), espresso, milk chocolate, Mexican chocolate, gelato al limone, chocolate chip cookie dough, coffee, double chocolate, mint chocolate chip (w/extract), and this Mint Oreo Ice Cream!

So, if you’re in one of the cold regions of the world, bundle up, and make this ice cream today! If you’re in a hotter region, invite me over, and we’ll make it together! Hah!

MINT OREO ICE CREAM
mint base recipe adapted from the Vanilla Bean recipe

1 1/4 (300ml) whole milk
2.3 oz of mint leaves
4 large egg yolks, room temperature (save egg yolks in the freezer!)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated or caster sugar
1 1/4 (300ml) heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
30 Oreos, chopped (up to you how many you’d like in your ice cream!)

Put the milk and fresh mint in a medium saucepan, and heat gently to near-boiling point. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow the mint to infuse for 15 minutes.

In a separate, heatproof bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar, using a whisk or electric beater, until thick and pale. Gradually beat the milk into the egg mixture.

Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and continue stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. (book’s instructions)
OR
Pour the milk/egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir the mixture until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. (this is what I did). This took about 5-10 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the heat; stir in the cold heavy cream and vanilla extract. Cover the surface of the mixture directly with plastic wrap or waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the ice cream custard to cool completely by refrigerating mixture for 4 hours to overnight.

Once cold, churn mixture in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer soft-serve ice cream to a freezer container and stir in chopped Oreos (as many as you’d like! I used 2-2 1/2 rows). Cover the ice cream directly with waxed paper or foil, then the container top, and put in the freezer.

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangioeviaggiodasola.com

Bucatini alla Carbonara (2 versioni)


Ciao di nuovo! It’s been another long while since I’ve posted. I have not been cooking anything interesting. In fact before making this yummy Carbonara, I made a mushy pot of black beans and brown rice . . . trust me; it wasn’t blog-worthy. Also these past few weeks have been stressful because of constant teaching and grading.  So in order to retain the little bit of sanity I have left from my busy schedule, I still think about my blissful months in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

MARIANGELA VERSION: While in Reggio Calabria, my boyfriend’s mom, Mariangela (the same who shared her pizza dough and pizza recipe with me), asked me what was my favorite pasta dish, and without hesitation, I said, “Pasta alla Carbonara.” For my birthday, she surprised me with this dish but made it with proscuitto instead of pancetta and spaghetti in place of bucatini. It was AMAZING, and I knew I wanted to recreate this dish upon my return to the States.

In the past, every time I made Carbonara, I would have to go on a long search for guanciale or pork cheek, the official meat used in traditional Carbonara, and I could never find it. I am confronted with perplexed stares and am asked to repeat my request multiple times by supermarket workers. I have always had to resort to pancetta, but now that I have tried Carbonara with proscuitto, I am happy that I no longer need to look far and wide for guanciale because I have found a good, substitute version of traditional Carbonara.

Even though the Carbonara originated in Rome, when I think of this dish with proscuitto, I think of the best moments of my life in Reggio Calabria…

TRADITIONAL VERSION: I started with the “Mariangela version” of Carbonara because it is a nostalgic dish for me; it is my preferred version, and it is not considered the traditional way to make the dish.

A traditional Bucatini alla Carbonara is comprised of bucatini (the pasta), guanciale(pork cheek), parmiggiano reggiano or pecorino romano or both (the cheese), eggs (the sauce), black pepper (spice), and pasta water, if needed. However, many Italians may substitute guanciale with pancetta, or in Mariangela’s case, with proscuitto.

In the States, however, Italian-American restaurants serve Carbonara with pancetta or bacon, cream, and sometimes peas or other add-ins! *gasp!* I much prefer the more traditional way or with prosciutto served with a crusty knob of hot bread.
Bucatini: A few weeks ago, I was happy to find bucatini, which is the pasta used in the traditional version of Carbonara. My boyfriend encouraged me to use spaghetti instead of this type of pasta, but I wanted to try it out for myself and for the blog :).
As you can see in the photos, this pasta is much thicker than spaghetti, and there are holes in the middle. Once I took a bite of the Carbonara, I understood immediately why my boyfriend had discouraged me from using it!Even though it is more traditional to use bucatini, in the future, I will use spaghetti since they are thinner and more manageable to eat and enjoy.
Bucatini alla Carbonara
75-115 grams of spaghetti or bucatini per person (reserve some of the pasta water)
1/2 Tbsp of a light oil such as sunflower oil (I had only extra virgin olive oil on hand)
2-4 Tbsp guanciale, pancetta, or proscuitto
1 large egg per person
2-3 Tbsp parmigiano reggiano per person
black pepper to taste (q.b.)
Boil water and prepare pasta. Be sure to salt your water until it is almost as salty as the Mediterranean Sea (as they say). Once the pasta is 3 minutes away from being done, start cooking your pork of choice in a hot skillet brushed with light oil (I used a small amount of extra virgin olive oil, but Mariangela used soybean oil because it is lighter.).
While the pork is cooking, put the grated cheese and egg in a bowl and mix together well. Once the meat is ready, remove the skillet from heat and transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet. Stir the pasta and pork together well. Next pour the egg and cheese mixture on top of the pasta and pork and mix well. Serve immediately and sprinkle the top of the dish with plenty of fresh black pepper.

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com