Nothing says summertime like tropical fruit and gelato.  And booze.  Even if that booze is cooked out.  My mom came across a recipe for Rum Soaked Grilled Pineapple served with ice cream from Gimme Some Oven.  The recipe for the pineapple and sauce is super easy but of course I couldn't just slap some old store-bought vanilla ice cream on top when I love making my own gelato.

So below you will find my recipe for homemade French Vanilla Gelato (slightly modified from Ice Cream Nation's recipe).  And make sure to check out Gimme Some Oven's recipe for the Rum Soaked Grilled Pineapple because I didn't change a thing--except double the marinade because I had so many pineapple slices; oh, and I marinated it in a plastic bag and the pineapple slices sat in there a little bit longer than what the recipe called for because I was so busy helping my mom with dinner.  And since we dined al fresco, I popped these pineapple slices on the grill, instead of using a grill pan on the stovetop.

Thick slices of pineapple marinated in a rum mixture are grilled and the leftover marinade is reduced on the stovetop to a caramel-like sauce.

And it was a hit with everyone!  Even my 95-year-old grandmother really loved it.  The pineapple and sauce tasted delicious and the French Vanilla Gelato was the perfect creamy texture.  Not to mention it paired wonderfully with the cake my mom made in honor of Cait and Alex's 1 year anniversary.  A pineapple sauce filled white cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting--semi-homemade of course.  Our über busy family sees nothing wrong with a boxed cake mix when you add homemade frosting!

Cait & Alex had a similar cake for their wedding but thought they were moving to Germany before their first anniversary so we didn't save a portion of their wedding cake for them.  As it turns out, the Army changed their mind and Cait & Alex are still here!  My mom wanted to make sure they they got to celebrate their first anniversary the usual way and made them this cake.  We even used the ribbon leftover from their wedding cake!

I made my gelato a day ahead so it would have time to firm up well in the freezer.  Of course my mom and I had to have a spoonful each that night to "make sure the gelato was okay."  (Mmmmmm….)  My mom tried to have several spoonfuls and I had to fend her off.  I think next time I need to make a double batch of this gelato because it is that good.  I mean, I was afraid to come back the next day and find half of the gelato gone because my mom snuck it into bed with her!

Smooth and creamy french vanilla gelato is the perfect way to top off this grilled, juicy pineapple.  The sauce adds an extra pop of rum and cinnamon flavor!

Plus, this French Vanilla Gelato makes the perfect base for any flavor you like.  (Keep your eye out for a future Tiramisu Gelato post!)

I also love that this is a cornstarch, or Sicilian style gelato.  I've tried several egg based gelato recipes and I always taste more egg than anything else.  (Ummm…that was supposed to be mango flavored, not some mango and mostly egg….)  And the cornstarch helps this gelato set up like a nice and firm pudding!  When I poured the chilled mixture into my ice cream maker it was already so thick it plopped down in large handfuls.  In no time flat (about 20 minutes, really), I had a wonderfully frozen treat!

As my sister Caitlin said, "I could eat buckets of this stuff!"

But don't worry, you don't need an ice cream maker for this recipe, though it does make the process go a lot faster.  You can use the still freeze method.  Just pour your chilled mixture into a suitable container and stick it in your freezer.  Every 30 to 45 minutes take it out and "churn" it with a fork then pop it back in the freezer.  You will want to churn it by hand like this about 3 to 4 times.  When the gelato becomes creamy, make sure to place some plastic wrap on the surface of the gelato before popping the lid on and sticking it back in your freezer.

This dessert is the perfect finish for my mom's easy Crockpot "Sowiian" Style BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches!


Yum

I love a good dessert.  I especially love it when the dessert is simple to make yet stunning.  You know that kind of dessert, right?  The one that you can throw together for a fancy dinner party in 30 minutes or so but looks like you toiled over it for hours on end.  Yeah.  Those desserts.



We've all seen the Apple Rose Tarts photos and videos circulating around on Pinterest and Facebook.  When I saw them, what intrigued me most was how much it reminded me of Apfelstrudel--that famous Austrian dessert I've loved eating since I was a little child.  Making it was a family affair.  My Oma (grandmother) would make the dough while my mom would peel apples and I would slice them.  The dough would get stretched out over the kitchen table until it was onion skin thin then we'd brush it with melted butter, sprinkle on toasted bread crumbs and cover it all with apples, sugar, cinnamon and raisins.  The whole thing would get rolled up into a giant log, sealed and brushed with butter and stuck in the oven on a cookie sheet to bake until the dough turned golden brown and the inside was bubbling hot.  What came out of the oven was better than any apple pie I have ever tasted.  To this day, Apfel Strudel is still my favorite dessert; even my semi-homemade version with dried cranberries instead of raisins is pretty darn delicious!



But I digress.  The Apple Rose Tarts can be made with a muffin tin and a few simple ingredients:  puff pastry, apples, apricot preserves, cinnamon, lemon juice and water.



I've seen several recipes for Apple Rose Tarts, many calling for Red Delicious apples.  I've never understood why Red Delicious were called delicious.  They don't have any taste at all to me.  And making any kind of apple dessert calls for using tart apples, not sweeter ones.  My experience with making Apfel Strudel has always led me to using a mixture of Grannies and a tart red apple.  For the Apple Rose Tarts, you want that pretty red color of the skin but a tart apple to offset the sweeter instance of the apricot preserves.  I suggest using Pink Lady, Gala or Braeburn.



I also suggest using the Smucker's Low Sugar Apricot Preserves. (Update:  Smucker's stopped making their Low Sugar Apricot Preserves.  I suggest using a similar low sugar or organic apricot preserves.)  All other apricot preserves I've tasted are way too sweet and don't melt very well, and for this recipe, you need one that melts well.  If you can't find this particular brand, try to find one that does melt well and has a sweet-tart taste to it.  A dessert with way too much sweetness becomes unbalanced and heavy to the pallet.  And punch it up by adding lots of cinnamon.  I love using Saigon Cinnamon--it really kicks the cinnamon flavor up a notch!



Once you've made this dessert, you will want to make it again and again.  I know it has become one of my go-to desserts for parties.  Sometimes I just like to make them for no other reason than to eat them, no party required.  The combination of flaky puff pastry dough and the sweet-tartness of the apples and apricot preserves is delightful.  They are best warm out of the oven and you can even sprinkle them with powdered sugar or serve it a'la mode if you like. I've even placed a few cranberries in the center of the rose for added tartness and to give the appearance of "flower center."



For those that need a visual, here is a great video tutorial of making Apple Rose Tarts on YouTube.