Trendy Treats for the Holidays

By: Anna Lawson

      From elaborate latte art and “freakshakes”, to edible cookie dough and charcoal soft serve ice cream, 2017 has been a year of trendy ingredients and desserts. Publicized mainly through social media, three ingredients and desserts have gone viral worldwide. With the holidays coming up, enjoy these holiday desserts with a trendy twist.

Peppermint Rolled Ice Cream
     Rolled ice cream is a Thai frozen dessert that has become extremely popular due to satisfying social media videos in which a person chops up an ingredient, pours an ice cream base overtop, and smoothes into a thin layer of ice cream. They then scrape the ice cream to create rolls. Glenelg Junior, Lucy Loazer says this ice cream is "actually pretty easy to make, and it tastes delicious!” Traditionally this is done on top of an ice-cold metal surface, allowing for the ice cream to freeze into a creamy texture almost immediately. Unfortunately most people do not have one of these industrial surfaces at home, so instead try with a baking sheet. It does take a bit longer, but it is worth it in the end!
Ingredients:

• 1 candy cane
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place a cookie sheet in the freezer and leave for at least 45 minutes
2. Combine milk, heavy cream, and sugar in a small pot and place over high heat
3. Stir constantly to ensure sugar does not burn on the bottom of the pot
4. Continue stirring until mixture begins to boil
5. Take off of heat and allow to reach room temperature
6. Remove cold sheet from the freezer and pour cooled mixture in the center
7. Place candy cane in the middle of the mixture and begin chopping it into smaller pieces using two paint scrapers or metal spatulas
8. Once a consistency with only a few small lumps is reached, spread mixture into an even square shape
9. Place back in freezer for at least four hours
10. Once ice cream reaches a frozen yet creamy state, use one paint scraper to create rolls
11. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Matcha Crepe Cake
     Matcha is a green tea powder originating from Japan. It is traditionally used as mood-enhancer since it contains L-theanine, an amino acid capable of relaxing the mind. Glenelg Senior Morgan Adams says that “it is cool how an ingredient can calm someone.” In addition, crepe cakes have become increasingly popular this year. A crepe cakes consists of layers of crepes, which are similar to extremely thin pancakes, with a cream filling in between each layer. Recently, bakers have been adding matcha powder to crepe batter, giving it a green tea flavor. This cake is perfect for the holidays because of the green pigment from the matcha powder.
For the Batter:

• 1 ¾ cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ tablespoon melted butter
• 1 cup cake flour
• 2 tablespoon matcha (green tea powder)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• canola oil (for cooking crepes)

For the Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoon granulated sugar

For Presentation (Optional):

• 2 teaspoon matcha (for dusting)
• fresh whipped cream

Directions:
Crepe Batter

1. Add the milk and sugar in a small saucepan and mix to combine
2. Heat on medium heat until the milk is warm to the touch
3. Beat eggs in a large bowl and slowly add in the warm milk. Make sure you do this slowly and continue whisking so ensure that you do not cook the eggs
4. While whisking, slowly pour in the melted butter
5. Sift cake flour, matcha powder, and baking powder into a medium bowl
6. Sift this mixture into the egg mixture to ensure there are no lumps
7. Pour the batter through the sieve into another large bowl to get a smooth texture
8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour

Cooking the Crepes

1. Put a ten inch frying pan over low heat and brush with oil (remove excess with a paper towel)
2. Pour just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan, about ¼ cup. REMEMBER crepes are supposed to be thin
3. Let cook for about two minutes, or until the edges begin to crisp
4. Flip with a thin spatula and cook the other side for thirty seconds
5. Transfer to a work surface lined with parchment paper
6. Repeat this process until all of the batter is used, 13-15 crepes

Whipped Cream

1. Create an ice bath by placing water and ice cubes in a large bowl, and then placing a medium bowl inside
2. Pour heavy whipping cream into the medium bowl and whisk with a hand mixer
3. Once you see bubbles forming, slowly add the granulated sugar
4. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form

Assembly and Presentation

1. Place a large, flat plate on top of a turntable
2. Place one crepe down and cover in a thin, even layer of whipped cream
3. Repeat this process until the last crepe is placed on top
4. Sift matcha powder on top and finish with a dollop of whipped cream