Things That Are Not Pretty, Including Tiramisu Ice Cream

Not so good-looking, but mighty tasty.

Well, folks, I have been hit with the plague. Okay, so not the real plague, but this virus definitely wiped me out. This has been one of those week-long, no work, pass out on the couch every couple of hours illnesses. I have spent many hours talking to myself in funny accents, singing songs more out of tune than normal, and cuddling with my pets whether they want me to or not. I have also watched more movies in the past week than I probably did in all of 2010. You better believe I sang along with every musical, even if it did send me into a fit of coughing. Funny thing, my terrible singing seems to attract my cat to my lap rather than repel him...

Yes, it has been ugly in my apartment. I've let my kitchen go to s*** and I haven't looked so great either. You know what else didn't look so good? My tiramisù ice cream. Yeah, before the plague hit me hard, I had prepared a base for tiramisù ice cream. I froze it on the first day of the major part of my illness. It was very easy to make- you prepare the base in a food processor, make the mocha ripple ahead of time, then freeze and combine. Easy peasy. Only thing is, because there is alcohol in the ice cream, it does not get hard in the freezer (not even close), and the ripple is very runny, so it makes for a bit of a mess after dishing out the first scoop.

Sometimes, however, things that are ugly taste really good. Tiramisù is my favorite dessert, and I must say, this ice cream is right up there. You can taste the booze (mostly Kahlúa and a little Brandy), but it isn't overpowering. I was lucky enough to taste this ice cream before my sense of taste was diluted, and let me tell you, it is simply delicious. Just like tiramisù.

Tiramisù Ice Cream
from The Perfect Scoop


2 cups mascarpone
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup Kahlúa
3 tbsp brandy
Mocha Ripple (see below)

Combine ingredients (mascarpone through brandy) in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined. Chill the mixture in the fridge thoroughly (preferably overnight).

Freeze the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Alternating layers, pour some mocha ripple in the bottom of a plastic container, then pour a layer f ice cream. Repeat until all of your ice cream is in the plastic container- you want the top layer to be ice cream. Enjoy!


Mocha Ripple
from the Perfect Scoop

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant espresso granules

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until bubbles start to form at the edges. When the mixture reaches a low boil, cook for another minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla and espresso granules. Cool completely, then chill overnight.