Celebration: Ice in Paradise, Happy 50th, Award Time

November 14, 2013 by Laura Haugen 20 Comments

Time to celebrate. I’ve made “Yakh Dar Behesht,” Persian for “Ice in Paradise,” using a recipe from the amazing Fae. Look at these delicate beauties! That is enough reason for celebration.

But a couple items of business first: This is my 50th post (yay!) and I want to share the joy of this milestone. A few weeks ago, Fae nominated me for the “I am Part of the WordPress Family” award. I’m delighted and honored and would like to thank Fae for her thoughtfulness and inspiration. I feel lucky to be a part of this blogging “family.” If you don’t know about Fae’s Twist and Tango yet, please take a look here at this treasure trove of recipes and stories from around the world.

And now, it’s my turn to recognize some of my favorite bloggers I’ve come to know in my short time here on WordPress. Passing on the “I am Part of the WordPress Family” award, I nominate (in alphabetical order):

A Sweeter Thing

‘Cause Baking Makes Happy

She Wolf in the Kitchen

SoulofSpice

SweetRevelations

The Good Food Theory

As always, no action is necessary, but if you would like to participate and pass on the good tidings, here are the rules:

1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.

2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and a link back.

3. Nominate up to 10 bloggers for I’m a part of the WordPress Family Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.

4. Copy and paste the award somewhere on your blog.

And back to celebrating here with Ice in Paradise. Fae’s recipe is brilliant. I had just bought a heart-shaped silicone mold and found some rosewater and wondered what I could do with them when I saw her posting and knew it was calling to me. The touch of cardamom and sprinkles of chopped pistachios are just heavenly. I also tried a few with ground pink peppercorns, which accented the floral rose flavors and gave another peppery bite. Try it, and put your own twist on it!

Fae’s Ice in Paradise

(from Fae’s Twist and Tango recipe)

4 cups milk/ 1 litre dairy milk –or- non-dairy rice or almond milk
¾ cup/96 gr corn starch, plus
1 Tbsp/8 gr rice starch – or- corn starch
¾ cup/150 gr granulated sugar
2 Tbsp rose water
Pinch (1/16 tsp) ground cardamom

– ‘Mise en place‘… have all ingredients measured and ready.

– Avoid any distractions.

– In a non-stick medium sauce pan, using wooden spoon, dissolve cornstarch in cold milk. Add sugar and further dissolve.

– Once dissolved, put the saucepan over medium-heat. Non-stop, stir constantly until the mixture starts boiling (about 10 minutes).

– Add rosewater and cardamom and stir for a few more minutes. Stir rapidly and constantly to prevent sticking and especially lumping, until the mixture thickens and reaches the consistency of confection cream/soft custard. Remove from heat. (Makes about 5 cups.)

—It may be served in the following ways, served after chilling overnight in the refrigerator:

♪ To serve as spooned out, like custard: Pour into an elegant bowl and decorate with slivered pistachios.

♪ To serve in individual small dish or ramekin: Garnish with coarsely ground pistachios.

♪ To serve cut into diamond shape: Pour into rectangular or square Pyrex dish/baking pan to make 2 cm/ 7/8” thick. Do not use a smaller dish because it will result in a layer thicker than 2cm. Once chilled, using sharp knife (and carefully, not to scratch the baking pan), cut the cake in small diamond shape with 2.5 cm/ 1” apart lines (straight parallel lines and then parallel diagonal lines). Carefully remove and decorate on a platter. Garnish with coarsely ground pistachios.

♪ Pour into mini silicone molds. Once chilled, unmold and place them on attractive, non-white platter and garnish with coarsely ground pistachios.