Ice Cream Cones

One would think homemade ice cream cones are hard to make, but they are actually quite simple! These were a piece of cake for me to make and tasted great. Of course they aren't as crispy as store bought waffle cones, but have enough crisp to them to taste like a real cone.

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
• 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter , melted and cooled
• 2 - 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (50 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil and pastry brush

In a medium sized bowl whisk together (or use a hand mixer) the eggs and sugar until frothy. Whisk in the melted butter, milk and vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter should be quite thin (like a crepe batter) so add more milk if the consistency is too thick.

Heat a 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) saute pan over medium heat until it is hot. Reduce the heat to medium low and brush the pan lightly with vegetable oil. Pour or ladle about 3-4 tablespoons of batter into the pan and immediately tilt or rotate the pan so the batter forms a thin 5-6 inch (13-15 cm) circle. Place pan back on the heat and cook until the batter is set and you can see the underside is golden brown (3-4 minutes). Slip a metal spatula under the crepe and gently flip it over. Cook until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and slide the crepe from the pan onto your work surface. While the crepe is still hot, quickly start at one edge and roll the crepe into a cone shape. Squeeze the tip of the cone to seal it so the ice cream won't drip out. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Continue making the rest of the cones, lightly brushing the pan with vegetable oil each time. These cones are best if eaten the same day.

Julie's Tips:

• I've made these with molds, and without. They ultimately will work with or without, but now that I have some cardboard molds made by Jesse, I love them. He cut circles out of a cereal box and formed them in the shape of cones, about 5-6 inches long. Then, he covered them in tinfoil and I'm able to use them over and over again.
• Sometimes the tips don't stay shut when you pinch them closed. Melt a bit of chocolate and drop it in the bottom of the cone to seal it. Helpful and yummy!
• You really do need to roll the "crepe" around the mold as soon as possible after removing it from the heat. I flip the finished "crepe" onto wax paper then roll it onto the mold. To seal the edges and tip, I press gently on the counter from the inside of the cone mold. You can stick the handle of a kitchen utensil in there as well to seal the bottom.

Recipe taken from: http://joyofbaking.com/IceCreamCones.html

Whip Cream

This is pretty easy and you probably know how to do this, but just in case, this is what works in Spain:

2 small containers of cream (Nata liquido-Montar) 200 ml each
Vanilla to taste
Sugar to taste

Using a hand mixer, mix the chilled cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add a little bit of vanilla and sugar and mix enough to taste. Modify the amount of vanilla and sugar and mix just a bit more. You don't want to mix the cream too much or it becomes very thick. I've used this for whip cream in chicken salad, and for angel food cake. It's a pretty good substitute for the convenient tubs found in the grocers freezer.