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I have always loved German chocolate cake not for the cake itself, but rather for the wonderful filling! I could eat a bowl of the filling with no problem! A few years ago, I "discovered" Haagen Dazs German chocolate ice cream and gave it a try. It was, needless to say, delicious. My enjoyment however, was short lived because it was only a seasonal-type flavor. Over the next few years, I faithfully checked the Haagen Dazs display in EVERY grocery store I visited but to no avail. I only ran across it one other time - hardly enough to satisfy my palate! Then a few months ago, while visiting my neighborhood Smith's, I found a German chocolate ice cream under the supermarket's "Private Selection" label. I bought it and couldn't wait to get home to taste it. My excitement unfortunately was short lived; the flavor fell far short of my expectations. I finally realized the only way I was going to get any gratification for my ice cream craving was if I made it myself.

Making this specialty ice cream involves a two step process: creating the German chocolate filling and preparing the chocolate ice cream. I immediately went searching for recipes. I make German chocolate filling in my kitchens at work but I don't need twenty pounds of it! I had to find a recipe with a considerably smaller yield. I visited several websites and found similar recipes. Since I knew what ingredients the recipe should contain, I picked one from Allrecipes.com that matched my criteria. For the ice cream portion, I modified a recipe I selected from Mable and Gar Hoffman's 1981 book, "Ice Cream". I substituted a smaller volume of Half and Half for regular whole milk to get a richer ice cream. The end result was delicious and a suitable substitute for the Haagen Dazs version I so craved. Although the ice cream is easy to make and does involve a few more steps, it is, in my opinion, well worth the effort.

As a side note, when I try this recipe in the future, I will only cook the German chocolate filling to about 170 degrees. I will also consider using a pastry bag and piping it into the finished ice cream that I have just removed from the machine. This procedure might give me more of a gooey filling to bite into instead of a firmer chunk.

German Chocolate Filling

1 cup sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

3 egg yolks

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, evaporated milk and egg yolks in the top portion of a double boiler or in a large metal bowl. Add the butter pieces. Cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and it reaches 180 degrees on a thermometer. Remove from the water and stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, then put in a smaller bowl or plastic container and cover by laying plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling. Refrigerate overnight. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper and pipe or drop the filling in teaspoon size mounds onto the sheet. Freeze for at least two hours.

An important note - When I prepare German chocolate filling, whether it is at home or at work, I prefer to cook it over a double boiler instead of in a pot directly on over the heat. This allows me to do other things while the filling is cooking besides just standing over it and stirring. It also minimizes the risk of overcooking and scrambling the egg. While the filling is cooking, I prepare the ice cream base.

Chocolate Ice Cream

1-1/3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

2 cups half and half

2 eggs, beaten

3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Trader Joe's 70% chocolate bar - remember, better quality chocolate yields a better tasting ice cream)

4 oz. evaporated milk (if you purchase a 12oz. can, you will use 8 oz. in the filling recipe and the rest in this recipe)

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in the milk and half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to simmer. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Stir about half of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, then pour it back into the remaining hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Stir in the evaporated milk, whipping cream and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold (you could technically use the mixture after it has come to room temperature but it will take longer to freeze). Pour the mixture into the ice cream canister and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

While the mixture is freezing, put a large metal bowl in the freezer. Loosen the German chocolate filling chunks from the wax paper. When the ice cream is done, spoon it out into the bowl you kept in the freezer and stir in the German chocolate filling chunks. Put into a container and allow the ice cream to harden. Enjoy!

Cindy J. Werth (http://www.makingchocolatecake.com) is the Pastry Chef at the Stratosphere Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Her 10+ years in the trade has sharpened her skills in transforming a guest or client's image and concept into pastry art. Particularly skilled at wedding cake design and production, her background in Hotel and Restaurant Management also includes menu development, recipe creation, and management. Previous to the Stratosphere, Chef Cindy worked at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and at the Irvine Marriott Hotel in California.

The Beginner’s Guide to Mixing Drinks

It might be that you have decided to broaden your taste in drinks and now, instead of drinking only the bottled brews, you want to try to mix your own drinks. On the whole, mixing your own drinks is simple if you have the knowledge and the right instruments to help you along. There are many mixed drink recipes available on the internet and in books that will allow you to be the hit of the party and provide all your guests with the essentials of a good alcoholic beverage.

The most important aspect of a mixed drink is to use the best alcohol and not the cheaper varieties. The name brands cost more for a reason. If you have a budget and are limited to what you can start with, choose the two or three mixed drinks that are your favorite and buy what you need to make them. As time goes on, you can pick up one or two extra bottles of something new to add to your collection. Once you are fully stocked, you will only need to replace the bottles as you use them.

The best way to learn how to mix drinks is to learn some of the more prominent terms associated with it. This will make recipes much easier for you to understand.

1. Blend – simply put, add the ingredients to a blender and go.

2. Cocktail Shaker – an essential tool in allowing drinks to be shaken properly without making a mess. It is usually made from a stainless steel and usually has a glass that fits in the top of the lid. Add the ice and the mixed drink ingredients to the shaker add the glass to the lid and shake. When complete, tip the shaker to fill the glass and serve.

3. Dash – A dash of something means to add a small amount of your ingredient. In real measure, it is about a fourth of a teaspoon.

4. Glassful – Again a very vague estimate but you can safely say that it means a full glass.

5. To Shake – This term means the ingredients of the drink is added to the shaker listed above and shake contents about five to six times to mix properly.

6. Stir – you can use a long handled spoon or an especially designed stirrer to get this effect. Some drinks will ask that you stir the ice in the drink and then remove the ice for the final results.

7. To Strain – To accomplish this mixed drink requirement, you will need a small strainer. The strainer will allow the liquid through but hold the ice back in an easy way.

Now you know some of the more basic terms that are essential parts of mixing drinks, you only need a good recipe to start creating your one and only masterpiece for yourself and your guests. Some of the better recipes are available for printing right from the internet. For those who can spend a little bit of money, recipe books will add a nice touch to the décor of the home bar and give you a readily accessible guide.

About the Author

Alon Elraz has been an active bartender since 1998.
Since 2004 he is running a large database of cocktails and alcoholic drinks
at his website

Please explain for me in simple clear words what does my chemistry instructor mean by the sentence below?

She has said: Nest two Styrofoam coffee cups, equip them with a stir bar, and place them on top of a magnetic stirrer, using a 3'' iron ring to hold them securely in place.
1) WHAT IS A STIR BAR?
2) WHAT IS A MAGNETIC STIRRER?
3) WHAT DOES 3'' IRON RING MEAN? IS 3'' THE SIZE OF THIS RING??

1) WHAT IS A STIR BAR?
It is a small oval magnet (the size of a large vitamin pill), usually coated in plastic that works with the magnetic stirrer to stir liquids. You can buy these.
2) WHAT IS A MAGNETIC STIRRER?
The plate that makes the stir bar work by changing polarity.
3) WHAT DOES 3'' IRON RING MEAN? IS 3'' THE SIZE OF THIS RING??
It's the diameter of the ring.

From the Bartender: A drink for all ages
The slice of cucumber provides fresh flavor as well as a cocktail stirrer. It's easy to take for granted the amount of work behind the perfectly smooth sip of a cocktail at your favorite bar.

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