Potions Ice Cream Activity [In the Kitchens]

[PhoenixRising]

If you're not familiar with entry into the kitchens, waiting for an older student to help educate you about 'tickling the pear' would be required. Once inside, you'll find Professor Adara already there gathering the required ingredients and mixing bowls. Have no fear, she will of course look up to greet you when you enter and have you stand in a spot around one of the four work tables (which again if you're not familiar with the kitchens will be reminiscent of the table layout in the great hall)

"Please go wash your hands and we'll begin shortly" She also added on once several had joined her.


ooc: Hi! We'll get started with some official instructions tomorrow

[FearlessLeader19]

Ary was very familiar with the way into the Kitchen. After all, one had to be when one’s guy bestie was a foodie and happened to accompany said bestie to the Kitchen on numerous occasions. So, he easily slipped into the place where the House Elves could mostly be found. Who he did find immediately was Professor Adara who was gathering all the necessities for the ice cream making activity. The frozen treat was okay; he himself being a fan of peanut butter ice cream. But other than that, Ary still hadn’t developed a love for sweets.

After wiggling his fingers at Adara in greeting, the Slytherin headed over to a sink to wash his hands. He took great care to scrub them both, to get under his fingernails and so forth. Once done, he moved towards a table - the one that would have been Slytherin’s in the Great Hall.

[Kolyander]

If anyone at all thought that Bryony was going to miss such an activity, they were surely mistaken and they didn't know this girl one bit. The small blonde skipped the entire way to the kitchen from outside knowing exactly where she was going. It was no doubt thanks to her older siblings and cousins that she had no trouble with the location of today's activity.

Reaching out a hand to give the pear a tickle, Bryony giggled along with it. How could she not, when it was just so darn cute! Opening the door and stepping inside, Bry immediately spotted Professor Adara and wiggled her fingers in greeting. "Hello Professor!" Before she could do anything, she needed to wash her hands. So it was off to the sink to do that, where she hummed a song to herself the entire time to make sure she had done a good enough job.

After drying her hands, Bry bounced her way over to where Aryan was sat and dropped down right beside him. "I made it.. annnnnnd I'm on time!" she giggled, light nudged him with her elbow, the brightest of smiles now on her face.

[MadMadamMalfoy]

Desiree had been looking forward to this activity since she saw the notice in the HUfflepuff common room. Ice cream? Yes, please! This sounded like the most fun (and tasty) potions activity ever! The soon-to-be graduate made her way to the kitchen, tickling the pear to gain entry. She was going to miss this place when she left!

“Hello, Professor,” she greeted the potions mistress with her usual smile and wave. More smiles and waves followed for the other students. “Hi, Ary! Hi, Bry!” She beelined for the sink, thoroughly washing her hands. Shutting off the tap, she daintily dried her hands and joined the others at the table. What flavor of ice cream were they going to make? She was partial to strawberry herself!

[astrocat]

Pheebs loved being in the kitchen (because snacks!), and she would really appreciate doing something fun after everything that happened this year between her and Sloane and the other Slytherin girls. Dressed up in her favorite overalls (for practicality!) and with her hair in braids and also with her eyeliner done carefully (sort of... she tried ok), she washed her hands until they were extra clean and then found a place at the table closest to Professor Adara. She wasn't thinking about whether it was her house table or not, she just wanted to hear clearly. "Hi," she said quietly, giving nods to Ary and Bry and eventually to Desiree (who was so much older and cooler than Phoebe that Pheebs felt extra shy around her). Phoebe felt self-conscious and tried not to say a lot anymore, but she was glad to see her friends. "I'm really excited for this activity, professor Adara."

[MadAlice]

Hope was quite familiar with the kitchens. A house-elf, who'd felt sorry for her back in first year when she was so deeply homesick, had shown her how to get in and she'd been sneaking in here from time to time ever since in order to soothe her nerves and lift her spirits by cooking things (the elves were a bit superior about their cooking abilities versus Hope's but they'd been indulgent).

"Hello, Professor!" she said as she entered, then went over to wash her hands expertly but without fuss. Then she walked over to what would have been the Ravenclaw table had they been upstairs. Oh. It was quite empty so far--all the other students there seemed to be Slytherins or Hufflepuffs. "Hello, Ary, Bryony, Desiree, Phoebe," she called out a bit disconsolately. Did they have to stay at their House tables? The professor hadn't said...

[PhoenixRising]

It was really bloody brilliant that today's activity was right next to the Hufflepuff Common Room. What sort of Hufflepuff would she be if she hadn't learned her way into the kitchens by now. The thirteen year old made her way through the familiar pear portrait, surprised to find a plethora of other students already there. Emma gave wide grins at her fellow second years (Ary, Bryony, Phoebe) ... and of course her brilliant quiz bowl partner Hope. And How could she forget Desiree. She wasn't going to think about what next year would be like without the older Hufflepuff. Sad times indeed. But what wasn't sad was Professor Adara meeting them here today to make ICE CREAM and one could really not frown when there was ice cream. Quick hand-wash, she went to stand opposite Phoebe who was close to Adara because closer to the professor meant closer to the ingredients and the sooner ice cream could be in her belly.


Professor Adara watched, not in the least bit surprised that the students seemed familiar with the kitchen. Noone seemed lost or confused... or even entering with someone else. She noticed the students who took great care to wash their hands thoroughly, such as Ary and Bry (and couldn't help but hum along with the young snakette). "You're never late when ice cream is involved." She mused, grateful though to see the young Paton.

And there was Desiree. Although she admitted she was surprised to not see more Hufflepuffs particularly since they were notorious for enjoying culinary items. Was that an old stereotype? Perhaps. She greeted the older girl, watching her wash her hands before joining at the table.

"Me too...." she whispered back at Phoebe who seemed extra shy in the moment. Hopefully she'd warm up soon once they got started.

Hope seemed a little uncertain of where to sit/stand. "Stand anywhere you'd like... we can all be at one table since the group is small enough if you'd like." Or they could spread out.

So most of the students seemed thorough in their handwashing, except for the latest arrival. "Miss Montmorency. Please go wash again." Although it wasn't like they'd be sharing (unless they wanted to), but she still wanted to encourage good habits.

"So on the table, you'll notice I have just five ingredients. Heavy cream, whole milk, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Does anyone know what the purpose for these ingredients would be in the ice cream process?" She started. "Yes you'll be able to alter the flavor with whatever toppings you'd like, or you can leave it plain vanilla. It's a versatile base."


ooc: just one ingredient/purpose per student please <3 . Also feel free to jump in anytime if you've not posted yet. This is a very informal activity

[MadAlice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

"So on the table, you'll notice I have just five ingredients. Heavy cream, whole milk, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Does anyone know what the purpose for these ingredients would be in the ice cream process?" She started. "Yes you'll be able to alter the flavor with whatever toppings you'd like, or you can leave it plain vanilla. It's a versatile base."

"Well, the salt makes the water get colder faster--lowers its freezing point, I think. So you can get ice cream faster!" Hope's father had explained this on more than one occasion, though she now realized she hadn't listened quite carefully enough. But...she thought she had the gist of it. And though she'd made ice cream at home with her family often enough, their kitchen set up wasn't nearly as fancy as this.

[astrocat]

Phoebe didn't move closer to or farther away from the other students. She was happy with the spot she had chosen, where the professor could hear her and she could hear the professor. She listened to the ingredients for a while, feeling perplexed. She had never been good at potions, nor had she even been given the chance to make ice cream.

Phoebe shifted from foot to foot, then raised a small hand. "Um... Is the vanilla how you make the vanilla flavor?" That SOUNDED like something that would be true. She didn't really know what vanilla extract was for, honestly, having never seen someone use it. But they were making vanilla ice cream and the ingredient was called vanilla extract.

[FearlessLeader19]

Of course Bry was not going to miss this. It only surprised Ary that she hadn’t been the first one there. But she was at the Kitchen now and that was most important. He nudged her right back when she sat beside him. “I thoughts you had changed yours minds about being here,’’ he joked. “Thoughts I might have had to eats your share of ice creams for you.” Grinning from that bit of cheek, the second year offered wiggly finger greetings to Desiree, Pheebs, Emma and Hope.

Soon enough, Professor Adara was getting started, and so after listening to responses about sal and vanilla, Aryan lifted a hand. “I think heavy cream gives ice cream its texture, but the cream would have to be blended first. Or whipped? I’m not sure.”

[PhoenixRising]

Did Emma know what any of the ingredients individually were for?? Not in the least!!! The blond knew thought that all together they made ice cream and that was honestly enough for her although it wouldn't be enough for Professor Adara. Contemplating the ingredients up there, she decided to go for obvious. "Well... sugar is sweet, so I'm guessing that would make the ice cream sweet?" Hey, if Phoebe could say that vanilla gave it a vanilla flavor....

After giving all the students a few moments to speak up, Professor Adara finally decided to address each of them. Hope first. "While technically true, in this case the salt is actually just to bring out the flavors."

She mused at the uncertainty in Phoebe's voice, but she nodded, "Yes, that is correct. The vanilla extract is attributed to giving the ice cream it's rich vanilla paste. You could also use vanilla bean paste, but extract is much more common and easier to work with."

"Yes, the heavy cream is definitely credit for the texture and making the ice cream rich and creamy." Adara nodded at Aryan, raising the container of heavy cream for all of them.

Just when she thought they had shared all they had, Emma piped up about sugar being for sweetness. "Exactly. Sugar does indeed make the ice cream sweet."

"There are actually multiple recipes you could use for homemade ice cream, but this is one that I found to be the easiest and yielding the best results. But enough talking about the how-to, because I'm sure you're all here for the ice cream, not the how..." She grinned, conjuring a blackboard behind her with the ingredients listed.

1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Warm the saucepan over medium heat (Yes you can use magic just as in potions to heat your saucepans)
2. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add the remaining cream, milk and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and chill in the refrigerator for minimum 2 hours (However we can do magic so use magic to chill the mixture)
3. When ready to churn, you may whisk by hand or using magic until thickened. If you want toppings mixed in, this is where you'd mix them in and add alternative flavors
4. Transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer for at least 2 hours (or alternatively the freezing charm can speed the process up.)
5. Enjoy with whatever toppings you'd like!!

ooc: soooo sorry for the major catchup posting... school will be closing probably mid to end of this week, so you'll have until then to make your ice cream. You can have your characters do it entirely the muggle way or use magic... we'll post some useful charms tomorrow, if needed. And if you want to have them place it in freezer and wait two hours, obviously you're welcome to rp leaving and returning...whatever you feels is right for your character feel free to assume whatever toppings might be found in honeydukes/floreans/etc are also available as mix-ins here

[MadAlice]

Hmm, Hope had never heard of using salt to flavor ice cream, but she supposed if it worked on meat and vegetables, it might work on dessert, too.

And--oh boy! They were going to make some! Eagerly Hope got hold of a saucepan and rather hastily poured out a cup of cream into it. She then set it on a burner, and magically conjured a flame underneath it. Only then did she remember to add the sugar and salt to it, after which she stirred it a few times with a wooden spoon and anxiously waited for it to heat up.

[FearlessLeader19]

Ice cream was a huge staple in the Atreyu-Rehman house. When there was one dad who had a sweet tooth, there was bound to be. But the ice cream was always store bought since it was always busy on the Reserve in terms of caring for the dragon and hippogriffs and having to handle other everyday chores; no one had time to make ice cream. But maybe that could change this summer? If there was enough time with him visiting Jan and taking part in the other summer plans.

Suddenly, Aryan was eager to try making the frozen treat. Once all the instructions were given, he got straight down to work. Firstly, the ingredients were gathered, along with the utensils. One cup of heavy cream was poured into a saucepan followed by the recommended amount of sugar and salt. Having decided to stick with magic, a flame was lit and the saucepan set over it. After allowing the contents to heat for a bit, Ary began stirring them so that the sugar and salt could melt.

[MadAlice]

Hope was progressing well in class today; the fact that they were making something edible and delicious was definitely a motivation, and besides, she like cooking. Once the sugar and salt were dissolved, she took the pan off the burner and extinguished the flame with her wand (can't be too careful in with fire in the kitchen!) She let it cool just a minute and then added the rest of the cream milk, and vanilla extract and gave it a good stir. Now to chill it. Hope didn't think she could wait two hours to do that, so tried doing the freezing spell, just for a minute. But that was a little too much--she saw that ice crystals had started to form on the top of her mixture and hastily broke them up with a wooden spoon, then gave the whole thing a good stir again. She hoped that hadn't messed it up too badly. Hoping for the best, she took a whisk and beat the mixture until it started thickening up. Hope always like to do this part by hand--her grandmother always said that was better than magic for cooking, and Granny was an excellent cook!

Now--did she want to just leave it vanilla, or do something else? Maybe something exotic... Hope reached in her pocket and pulled out a handful of rose petals she had happened to collect earlier that day. She used her wand to wash them off, crushed them a bit in a mortar and pestle, and threw them into the ice cream mixture and gave it a minute more of whisking. She had no idea how that would turn out, but she'd find out! Spooning the whole thing in an airtight container, she sealed it and cast the Glacius spell on it, because she wanted to try it right away and two hours was just too long!

[FearlessLeader19]

Aryan was surely enjoying the aroma emitting from the saucepan as the three ingredients meshed together. But all too soon, he could detect no graininess of sugar and salt which meant that they had melted. The heat was turned off. The last of the cream followed by the vanilla extract and milk were added to the mix. Using magic and a simple Freezing Charm, the mix was then frozen. Ary loved how that eliminated the process of having to wait two entire hours if the mix had been refrigerated.

For the churning, however, he opted to do so by hand. After adding a couple of helpings of peanut butter, he got to work. Using a fork for the churning, he alternated hands as the other grew tired; obviously his left hand did most of the work though. Ary spent about fifteen minutes doing this until the mixture had thickened. Only then was the Freeing Charm cast again.

And there it was. His first ever ‘homemade’ ice cream.

Aryan would be enjoying that with Sour Patch Kids as toppings!

[MadAlice]

Hope was sitting at one of the tables holding a bowl of her very own creation--rose-petal ice cream. She licked the spoon meditatively, trying to decide what she thought about it. It was just a bit too soft and the rose flavor didn't really come out the way she'd hoped--maybe if you made a tincture of the rose petals, or a syrup, it might work better. Still, it wasn't something you'd spit out; no, all in all, it was pretty good, and a well-deserved reward after a long school year.