And Everything Was Made Good.

Long before classes ended for the semester, way before the examination schedule was out, i made a list. A list that would give me the motivation i so sorely needed to get through the long, dark period of intensive studying. A list i had to learn to ignore each time i walked past the shelves that housed my much treasured cook books and food magazines, the same way i had learnt to ignore the 2.5 kg (yes you read it right) bag of Lindt 70% dark chocolate i had sitting on the floor, tempting me to chucking my books away for a couple of hours and reacquaint myself with the kitchen.

Oh, the temptation. It wasn't easy, i tell you but i resisted for what it was worth, for i knew that list, that list of all the meals and desserts i'm intending to whip up over the next month or so, was my light at the end of the long, dark, lonely tunnel.

Ironically, the second i finished my last paper, that list went right out the window. It was a horrid horrid paper and all i wanted was some chocolate ice cream to drown my sorrows in.

So make some chocolate ice cream i did. Chocolate truffle ice cream, to be specific. I ripped open that bag of Lindt chocolate and went about my merry way, the days where hours i spent studying stretched on from early morning to way past sun down long forgotten.


The heavenly aroma proved too hard to resist, i gave in to temptation and had a taste after it was freshly churned. My goodness, it was like eating a huge chocolate truffle; smooth, dark and really chocolatey. This really sent me to chocolate heaven, largely due to the combination of the generous amount of dark chocolate and cocoa powder i suspect. Definitely the best dark chocolate ice cream i've had in a while.

If stuffing up exam papers is what it takes for me to discover a to die for chocolate ice cream recipe, bring it on, i say :)

Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream [taken from Bruce Weinstein's The Ultimate Ice Cream Book]


Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cream
1/4 cup cocoa powder
175g dark chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of cream with cocoa powder, whisking to combine. Bring to boil, then let simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate in, stirring till smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and stir well. Pour into a large bowl, sitting bowl in an iced water bath and set aside.
2. Warm milk, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks together. Gradually pour warmed milk mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour mixture back into saucepan.
3. Over medium heat, stir mixture constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan, till mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and immediately pour custard through a strainer into the chocolate mixture. Add vanilla extract and stir till smooth.
4. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Makes 1 heavenly litre

Easy Peasy Waffles [taken from Betty Crocker's Cookbook]


Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
125g butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt

1. Heat waffle iron. In a large bowl, beat eggs till fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.
2. Bake for about 5 minutes with waffle iron, for about 5 minutes or until steaming stops. Carefully remove waffles and serve immediately. Makes about 6 waffles