Perfect for a Holiday Weekend: Home Made Ice Cream Cones!

The following blog post was written by guest blogger, Sarah!  Sarah is a cousin of mine who hails from St. Louis, MO.  She has the crafty family gene and has been blowing me away lately with what she has been ccoming up with in the kitchen.  With no further ado...

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Now that our cable company has added the Cooking Channel to our lineup, I can't get enough of Chuck Hughes from Chuck's Day Off. He spends each episode cooking food for his family (like his mother who makes the desserts found on his menu), friends (his tattoo artist), and staff (the bouncers at his Montreal restaurant). During a recent episode, Chuck made ice cream cones for his personal trainer and topped each one with a scoop of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

I wrote down each step as I watched (his steps are very easy to follow---it helps that he's incredibly down to earth and attractive!), but before I attempted the recipe, I checked my notes with the recipe on his site. Here is his website:

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/chucks-day-off/index.html

Here is the recipe:

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/ice-cream-cones-recipe/index.html

What I discovered after comparing my notes to the site is that his directions are slightly different. The directions (and some of my self-discoveries) will help anyone who is interested in making ice cream cones or bowls!

So here's my version of the recipe with hints and suggestions!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (It's especially important to give the butter time to cool so it doesn't cook the egg whites.)
2 large or 3 medium egg whites
7 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 3/4 teaspoon for extra flavor.)
pinch table salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter and cool it.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the salt and half of the flour, then mix in the melted butter. Beat in the rest of the flour until smooth.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (I used canola oil spray) and then line the baking sheet with parchment. The cooking spray holds the parchment in place!

Use the back of a big spoon to spread 2 level tablespoons of the batter into a circle 6 inches across. I filled about 3/4 of the spoon with batter, made two dollops on the baking sheet, and then used the back of the spoon to make two disks. I found that 7-inch disks worked much better than 6 inch disks. Try to get the circles as even and smooth as possible. The batter will yield about 6 cones/disks, but you can only make 2 at a time.

Put the baking sheet in the oven, and begin checking the cones after 8 minutes. They take between 8 and 15 minutes to bake. Chuck says the circles should be golden brown throughout, but I found that the disks that I allowed to turn golden throughout were not pliable. Instead, allow the disks to turn golden brown or brown around the edges (the inside looks creamy white) and then remove them from the oven.

Once you remove the baking sheet from the oven, you need to work quickly! Use a thin metal spatula (metal is absolutely necessary!) to loosen the disks from the baking sheet. Quickly flip over the disks and shape them. The dough hardens within seconds and is incredibly hot to the touch. I put a thin kitchen towel (like a flour sack) inbetween my fingers and the disks when working with them.

To make cones:

To shape the disks into cones you will need a cone form. Here are two products I found online:

http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-Cream-Horn-Molds/dp/B0000CFMSP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304304258&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Villaware-V455-Pizzelle-Cone-Roller/dp/B000AY82X8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1304304258&sr=8-5

Press the seam firmly on the counter to close the cone and pinch the point at the bottom securely closed. You can use a spoon to press the opening closed. Let the cone cool slightly on the mold until it feels firm, then slide it off and stand it upright in a tall glass to cool.

Chuck created his own cone holder out of wood, but you can purchase them online. Here is a cute holder that would be perfect for a small get together:

http://www.amazon.com/Chefs-Choice-Cream-Cone-Holder/dp/B000095ZAI/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1304304651&sr=1-1

An idea I had to keep extra cones in your pantry for a few days....place a cone in a styrofoam or paper coffee cup...add a lid to seal it tight.

To make bowls:
Since I don't own a cone mold I decided to make cone bowls. My husband and I tried three different "molds," a tall drinking glass, a small cereal bowl, and a small metal mixing bowl. We placed the hot disks on the bottom of the molds. The small mixing bowl worked the best because of the gradual slope and size of the bowl. Helpful tip: While the batter cooks, spray a small amount of cooking spray on the bottom of the bowl so you can remove the bowls easily. Let the bowls cool slightly, then slide them off to cool completely. I stored my extra bowls in a large mixing bowl covered in plastic wrap.

Repeat the recipe, using the remaining batter.