I won't lie and say that this surpasses my Mango Ice Cream.  The plain truth is that it doesn't, however tangy and delicious. Though, the fact remains that "someone bought too much".

​An ice cream scoop had been acquired for the occasion, for I feared the consequences to be borne by my melon baller with repeated digs. Nonetheless, smooth trails failed to be formed, in spite of the dessert's true, creamy consistency. This icy concoction requires a minimum of twenty-five minutes to loosen its edges, so heed my words: please be patient.

Ingredients

i) Cherry Compote (approximate quantities)
- 5 cups cherries, pitted 
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 50 ml water
​
ii) Ice Cream Base​ (Recipe adapted from Cuisinart's ICE-30BC Recipe Booklet, pg. 8)
- 95 ml heavy cream
- 66 g sweetened condensed milk
- 650 ml heavy cream
- 310 g plain yogurt​

iii) Chocolate Ripple
- 51g dark chocolate couverture
- 50 ml whipping cream
​
Directions:

 i) Cherry Compote

1) Combine cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Simmer until only a few chunks of cherry remain. Blending the mixture is not recommended as the final product is intended to retain bites of fruit.
2) Mix glutinous rice flour with water and stir into the mixture. Continue to reduce.
3) Once thickened, remove from heat and let cool.
4) Allow the mixture to come to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator. Chill until ready to use.

ii) Ice Cream Base

1) Churning directions shall differ between ice cream makers, so it is highly advised to familiarize oneself with the respective manual before proceeding.
2) Using either a low heat setting on a microwave or over a bain-marie, dissolve sweetened condensed milk into 95 ml of heavy cream. Mix until fully combined. Allow this mixture to cool before using.
3) Whisk heavy cream and yogurt together in a large bowl. Add in the condensed milk mixture and combine well. At this point, it would be beneficial to let the base rest in the refrigerator for roughly two hours before proceeding.
4) Remove the ice cream maker from the freezer and follow the manual for churning instructions.
5) Once visibly thicker, add in the cherry compote as the machine continues to churn.
6) Continue churning until the paddle does not budge.

iii) Chocolate Ripple

1) Commence on the Chocolate Ripple as soon as the ice cream maker begins churning.
2) Over a bain-marie, allow chocolate couverture and heavy cream to melt slowly.
3) Remove from heat once partially dissolved and continue to stir to incorporate completely.
4) Allow the ripple to cool completely, stirring every so often to prevent hardening.

iv) Assembly

1) Once the paddle of the ice cream maker no longer budges, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe, airtight container, drizzling the Chocolate Ripple formula in between layers. Glass containers with airtight seals are ideal for this step; plastic is least resistant to drastic temperature changes and are prone to cracking upon removal, and thus is not recommended.
2) Allow to freeze for at least 8 hours. Should the centre remain soft, return to the freezer until firm.
3) Prior to scooping, remove the container from the freezer and let rest for 25 minutes at room temperature.
4) For best results, prepare a glass of hot water to dip the ice cream scoop before scooping.
5) Serve with waffle cones and/or fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Notes
- This recipe utilizes the Cuisinart ICE-30BC model and serves only as a rough guideline. Prior to commencing any ice cream or soft serve project, it is imperative that one familiarize oneself with the respective manual before proceeding.
- Cherries were the seasonal fruit of choice, however mango chunks, coconut, and pineapple have similar applications. Frozen fruit is another convenient option.
- Adapted from Cuisinart ICE-30BC's Chocolate Cherry Chocolate Cherry Frozen Yogurt, this rendition employs 35% fat whipping cream Instead of whole milk and flash frozen cherries instead of maraschino. The higher fat content, regrettably, did not act as a catalyst for solidification; instead of the 2-hour chill time, the entire batch averaged a total of 10 hours for thorough thickening. It remains unknown whether the issue lay with freezer temperature (- 14 C vs. the suggested - 17 C) or the omission of pre-churning refrigeration. That said, for best results, it is advised to let the ice cream base rest in the refrigerator for roughly two hours before proceeding.​

​Have you ever wondered how Reese's Cups would taste in cake form? Chocolate and peanut butter - often fondly termed "PB" for short - is a classic combination, so classic that it was only fitting that my first venture into the realm of ring molding commenced with a cake comprising of such components.

I first resorted to SKU, the destination that has yet to falter once when conjuring up last minute dinner ideas. My fingers, or eyes, rather, fell upon several recipes, though chocolate wafer cookies weren't ready available in the house. An image of a layered cake with distinct tone differences had materialized in my mind, and the conceptual format adopted a no-brainer, albeit long-winded, no-bake process.

​Other sources were referenced instead (gasp!) and scaled appropriately using basic arithmetic. A total of two cakes were crafted for the occasion - that is, the imminent date of birth of a fellow July baby.

In retrospect, placing the heaviest layer on top wasn't my wisest decision. It was as if I hadn't learned from having to retrofit Jinyoung's concert headband with added support measures. 

Despite the viscous chocolate ganache, slightly oozing mousse and cheesecake layers, and lack of icing sugar for the decorative embellishments, the overall product resisted collapse and was ultimately deemed delicious by its recipient. With mild notes of peanut butter, gentle tanginess from the cream cheese, and a obnoxiously velvety chocolate ganache, the specimen vanished in just under twenty-four hours following disclosure.
I suppose pastries aren't that annoying after all.

Ingredients

i) Graham Cracker Crust ​​(Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)
- 56g digestive cookies (or graham crackers)
- 19g brown sugar
- 32g unsalted butter, melted
​
ii) Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)
- 84 ml whipping cream
- 190 g cream cheese, softened
- 32g granulated sugar *
- 44g plain yogurt *
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 heaped tbsp smooth peanut butter *

iii) Chocolate Mousse (Recipe adapted from Richardo Cuisine)
- 56g dark chocolate couverture
-140 ml whipping cream
- 29g granulated sugar
- 2g gelatin

iv) Chocolate Ganache (Recipe adapted from Cooking Tree)
- 65g dark chocolate couverture
- 44ml whipping cream
- 33g unsalted butter

Directions:

i) Graham Cracker Crust

1) Grease ring molds and place atop a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and/or parchment paper. Parchment paper is sturdier and ensures easier transfer, however is not entirely necessary.
2) In a food processor, blend digestive cookies and brown sugar until fine. Add in melted butter and pulse to mix well.
3) Divide the crumbs between the ring molds and compact well, ensuring that there are no gaps along the circumference.
4) Allow to chill in the refrigerator while preparing the cheesecake layer.

ii) Peanut Butter Cheesecake

1) Whisk together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. The bowl should be free of any gritty sugar sounds before advancing.
2) Add in yogurt, lemon juice, and peanut butter. Mix well. (Vanilla extract was omitted in this formula, but feel free to add it in, along with any other extracts of choice, according to preference.)
3) Beat whipping cream to soft peaks and fold into the cream cheese mixture.
4) Remove crust from fridge and distribute cheesecake mixture evenly. Smooth out the surface and replace into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
​
iii) Chocolate Mousse

1) Place chocolate couverture over a bain-marie. Turn off the heat when partially melted and allow to continue melting over residual heat.
2) Beat whipping cream until soft peaks, adding in the granulated sugar in two parts.
3) Rapidly mix gelatin into melted chocolate. Stir vigorously to eliminate lumps and pockets of gelatin powder.
4) Mix one spoonful of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate, stirring until completely incorporated. Add this mixture back into the remainder of the whipped cream. Fold to combine.
5) Remove cheesecake from fridge and pour chocolate mousse mixture on top. Smooth out the surface and replace into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

iv) Chocolate Ganache

1) Prior to making the Chocolate Ganache, ensure that the mousse cheesecakes have been unmolded. Holding a hot towel outside the ring mold for 10-15 seconds assists with this process. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and place a wire rack on top. Transfer the cakes to the wire rack. Place the cakes back into the fridge as the ganache is being assembled.
2) Place chocolate couverture and whipping cream over a bain-marie, allowing for gradual incorporation.
3) To prevent burning the chocolate, remove from heat when almost fully melted. Stir to melt in residual heat, smoothing out any lumps that remain.
4) Add in unsalted butter. Mix again to incorporate fully.

iv) Assembly

1) Remove the cakes from the fridge. Working quickly, pour the ganache over the cakes one at a time. If desired, allow the ganache to trickle down the sides for a slight "drip effect", otherwise consolidate in the centre for additional chocolate height.
2) Transfer to a cake board or serving plate after pouring and clean the bottom with a flat spatula.
3) Repeat with the other cake, then replace both back into the refrigerator for at least two hours. Adorn with cream cheese frosting if desired.
4) When ready to slice, dip a non-serrated knife into hot water and dry it off quickly. Cut straight down without using rocking motions to ensure a clean cross section.
5) Serve and enjoy!

Notes
- Two aluminium ring molds were utilized in this recipe; dimensions can be found in the attached document. Volumetric calculations were conducted and scaled appropriately for the recipe used. For reference: Sally's Baking Addiction employed 9-inch molds with an approximate 2.8 - 3 inch height for a volume of 190.85 in3. The recipes were scaled using a 14% ratio, then multiplied by two for each of the ring molds.