This week is Cinco de Mayo Celebration! There are lots of ways to celebrate here in the US and Mexico! Parades, folklore, parties, food, and lots of drinks! Many people believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence. However, the holiday actually celebrates Mexico’s victory over France during the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. The French army was much larger but the Mexican people stood their ground in Puebla, and won. While the French eventually did overtake the city, it’s still considered a victory. Apparently the celebration is not as big in Mexico! It is celebrated in grandeur in Puebla where the battle took place. I actually learnt this from my son, who had a Mexico History test a few weeks ago 🙂 And he is in the first grade! It is always fun to learn from kids right?
As Cinco de Mayo is celebrated widely in the US, there is a lot of alcohol consumption that goes on. I mean is a party even complete without drinks?! Heck no! So every year there is a virtual party hashtag #margaritaweek organized by Kate at !Hola Jalapeno ! A bunch of bloggers have been posting their recipes of margaritas OR food inspired by margaritas and it has been super fun to see all the recipes that the bloggers have come up with! The link for all the margarita fun is here at Margarita Week!!!
Last year I made these delicious Lime Cookie Bars with Hibiscus Lime Buttercream and a Tequila Drizzle! They are super addictive! One will not be enough I assure you! They are really good, and great for a party! You must make this! It is a super easy recipe as well!
I actually started off making Mango Macarons for this virtual party and I was super excited about them. But somehow my macarons failed. I have no idea why!? ALL of them cracked. It has never happened to me before, and I was pretty disheartened. I have been using the same method for years, but somehow this time it failed. I was really upset, but I had to get over it. So I started thinking about what I could make next and I decided to make an ice cream with the same flavor profile I had in mind. I added passionfruit puree and mango puree, along with lime zest to the custard(ice cream base). I made the ice cream per the manufacturer’s instructions, adding tequila to the ice cream base as it was churning !
How could I up the ice cream game with this flavor profile? After much thinking, I decided to make a Tequila-Ancho Chile Caramel! It was the best decision I had ever made, to add more flavor to this already exploding ice cream! I love a good crunch in an ice cream, so thinking further, I came up with a peanut and pepita seeds brittle. I made a simple brittle with the caramel base using brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup and butter. Then added roasted peanuts and pepita seeds to this caramelized mixture, along with some salt and more ancho chile. This ice cream turned out epic I tell you! A little bit of caramel, little bit of crunch, and a whole lot of tropical margarita flavors in the ice cream! So this is what I am bringing to the #Margaritaweek for Cinco De Mayo!
If you do get a chance to try this recipe, please do not forget to tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a sweet comment on this blog post :). You will NOT be disappointed! This ice cream is over the top ! SERIOUSLY!
This year Cinco De Mayo is on a Saturday! People please drink responsibly and be safe! Have a great time, but always remember your safety is first.
Cheers to #MargaritaWeek and special thanks to Kate from Hola! Jalapeno for organizing yet another successful year with this awesome party. Do check out all the other entries to this party at the following link and get a ton of inspiration for Cinco de Mayo!
Cheers,
XO
Amisha
Ingredients
- Ice Cream Base:
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 to 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup passion fruit puree
- 1 cup mango puree
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4-5 tbsp tequila
- Tequila-Ancho Chile Caramel:
- (makes about 1 10oz jar)
- Double the recipe for extra caramel!
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) fresh unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup fresh heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon maldon flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 3 tbsp any good quality tequila
- Peanut and Pepita Seeds Brittle:
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 cup pepita seeds
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp corn syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp maldon salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the tequila-ancho chile caramel:
- (Make sure to keep an eye on the caramel the entire time it is being cooked, else you can easily burn it)
- Cook the sugar and water together over low heat until just dissolved. Add the butter and bring to a slow boil. Continue cooking at a low boil until the mixture turns a deep, golden brown color, almost copper.
- Once the mixture has turned a copper color, remove it from the heat and immediately add the heavy cream - the mixture will bubble rapidly and steam - be cautious as the sugar will be very hot.
- Whisk the final mixture together well over low heat and sprinkle in the sea salt, ancho chile powder and tequila. Let it cool. You can store the caramel in a glass jar in the fridge upto a month.
- Peanut and Pepita Seed Brittle:
- Toast the peanuts and pepita seeds on a medium saucepan, on medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring it occassionally, till it has browned in bits. Let it cool.
- Keep an 8x8 baking pan ready with parchment paper. Spray the bottom with cooking spray, before putting the paper, so that it sticks to the pan. Spray the paper with cooking spray as well.
- In a small saucepan, add water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, butter. On medium heat, let the sugar dissolve. Increase the heat to high, and whisk, until the mixture is golden brown in color, almost amber in color. Remove off heat, add the peanuts and pepita seeds and stir to combine. Add in the vanilla extract, salt, ancho chile powder, baking soda and stir again.
- Layer the mixture immediately onto the baking tray and spread to even out. Let it cool for about 1 hour. You can then cut them into squares.
- *Ice cream: *
- Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated
- Set a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice and 2 cups water. Heat the milk, cream, 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steam appears and the milk is warm (about 175 degrees), about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined and pale yellow, whisk it vigorously. Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined.
- Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the saucepan; set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until steam appears, foam subsides, and the mixture is slightly thickened or an instant-read thermometer registers 180 to 185 degrees. (Do not boil the mixture, or the eggs will curdle.)
- Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath. Add in the mango and passion fruit puree and the lime zest. Cool the custard to room temperature, stirring it occasionally to help it cool. Once cooled, add in the vanilla extract and stir. Cover and refrigerate for atleast 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Once, the custard is ready, pour the custard into the ice cream machine and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft-serve ice cream for 25 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, add tequila into the ice cream and churn for another 5 minutes for a total of 25 minutes.
- Transfer 1/2 of the ice cream to an airtight container, Drizzle about 1/3 cup of caramel sauce on the layer. Add about 1/2 cup of the brittle pieces covering the ice cream. Repeat the process again. Cover the container with an aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and let it set in the deep freezer for 2-3 hours.
- To serve, garnish with the brittle and the caramel sauce!
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