This is one of those occasions where the third time was indeed the charm.  I finally got around to buying myself an ice cream maker a month or two ago, and I've been searching for the perfect coffee ice cream recipe ever since.  First batch - icy texture and odd after-taste.  Second batch - better texture, but not great, and too many coffee grounds in the mix.  Third batch - pure bliss.  Perfectly creamy with an assertive coffee flavor.  Yum.  JD even compared it to Haagen Dazs.  This was my appetizer before dinner the other night and I was in heaven.

My next batch, I think I'm going to add chopped dark chocolate in the last 5 minutes of churning.  Or maybe chocolate-covered chopped espresso beans!

Coffee Ice Cream
adapted from The Perfect Scoop (thanks to SimplyRecipes for featuring it on their blog!)

1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

In saucepan, heat milk, sugar, coffee beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of the cream over medium heat.  Cook until hot and steamy but not boiling.  Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for one hour.

Pur remaining 1 cup cream in bowl set in larger bowl filled with ice.  Set aside.

Return saucepan to medium heat and again cook until hot and steamy.  Slowly add the hot milk/coffee mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly so the eggs don't scramble.  Pour everything back into the saucepan.

Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, until thickened and the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon (you should be able to run your finger through it and leave a clear path on the spoon).  This will take 5-10 minutes.

Pour custard through fine mesh strainer into bowl of cream.  Press on the coffee beans with a wooden spoon to get as much of the liquid as possible.  Add the vanilla and ground coffee and stir until cool.  Chill, tightly covered, in the fridge until nice and cold.

Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer ice cream to freezer-safe container, place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream, cover tightly, and freeze until firm.

While searching for a chocolate dessert recipe for the holidays, this one caught my eye.  I had never thought of making homemade pudding before...how good could pudding be?  Would it be worth the effort?

In a word, yes.  In several words, OH MY GOD yes.

JD and his mom are not fans of dark chocolate, so I was the only one partaking on Christmas Day.  I took one spoonful and nearly lost my mind.  JD and his mom started looking at me strangely, until finally JD asked if they should leave the room so I could be alone with the pudding.  Ha ha.  Maybe.

Seriously, this is so rich, so creamy, so smooth, it is pure sin in a bowl.

Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding
adapted from MyRecipes.com

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (I used Ghiradelli)

And for the whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the sugar and salt and beat until well blended.

Heat milk and 1 cup heavy cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.

Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.  Again, make sure you do this gradually, and keep whisking!  You don't want the yolks to scramble on you.

Pour mixture back into saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  I used a heat-proof silicone spatula.  Cook until thickened and coats the back of a spoon and reaches around 180 degrees.  The recipe says this should take 5 minutes, but for me tThis took me about 10 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat and add chopped chocolate.  Let sit for 10 minutes to let the chocolate melt.

Whisk mixture until smooth.  Pour into bowl and put a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding so you don't get pudding skin...ewwww.  Chill at least 3 hours.

When ready to serve, make the whipped cream:

Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with 2 teaspoons sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.  Serve with the pudding.

This turned out thicker than most pudding I am used to...don't know if that's how homemade pudding is, or if maybe I cooked it too long.  Didn't matter.  I'll make this again in a heartbeat.

I know, I know, many people think egg nog is gross beyond gross...trust me, I was in that camp once too.  The thick syrupy crap you get from the grocery store is not real egg nog.  Trust me, and Alton Brown, and try this.

Note:  This recipe uses raw eggs, which may be an issue to some people.  If you have any concerns about this, there are many cooked egg nog recipes out there that you can try instead.  If, however, you have eaten raw cookie dough and hamburger meat your whole life (like me), prepare yourself for some yumminess.

Egg Nog
adapted from Alton Brown

4 eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
3 ounces bourbon (if your whole group wants booze; if not, you can add it later)
1 tablespoon sugar

In large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until they lighten in color.  Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and beat until lemon colored.  Stir in milk, cream, nutmeg, and bourbon (if using) and mix until combined.

In separate bowl, beat egg whites until it forms soft peaks.  Gradually add 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until you get stiff peaks.  Whisk into the milk mixture.  Chill until ready to serve.