There has been a hint of spring in the air recently.

Fresh, warm breezes have been welcomed into our home.  Every single window has been opened wide to capture the full warmth of the sun.  The bright blue, sunny sky has charmed smiles from all of us.

The recent explosion of sunshine and happiness was reason enough for me to celebrate with a generous bowl of cool, homemade ice-cream.

For quite some time I have wanted to incorporate avocado into a sweet dessert.   I was inspired by the avocado milkshake, apparently one of the most popular drinks in Southeast Asia, in Pichet Ong’s, The Sweet Spot.

I took the basic ingredients that Ong includes in his recipe (avocado, whole milk, lime juice, condensed milk and salt), adapted the quantities to my taste and then continued the preparation to make ice cream.

This ice cream is sinfully sweet, yet surprisingly, pairs well with the sweet nuttiness of a crisp sesame brittle.

{ Avocado ‘milkshake’ ice cream & sesame brittle }

Avocado ‘milkshake’ ice cream Recipe inspired by Pichet Ong’s, Avocado Milk Shake from The Sweet Spot

* Ingredients *
200g avocado flesh (approx. ¾ avocado – I used a Shepard avocado)
395g condensed milk (1 tin)
250ml whole milk
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch salt

* Directions *
Place all the ingredients into a food processor, and blend until thoroughly combined.  Transfer to a jug/bowl and refrigerate overnight.  The following day, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer to a container, and freeze for a further 1-2 hours to firm up the texture.

Sesame brittle Recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

* Ingredients *
40g sesame seeds (I used half white and black)
60g white sugar
30g water

* Directions *
Sprinkle the sesame seeds in a single layer over a silpat sheet on a baking tray.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan, place the sugar and water and stir until clear.  Place over a medium heat and, without stirring, cook until syrup comes to a boil.  Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush if necessary.  Continue to cook until it reaches 165C/325F.  At this stage, gently pour the caramel over the prepared sesame seeds.  With an offset spatula, evenly spread the caramel across the sesame seeds.  Allow to cool.

Separately, I have received a few gentle requests for an update on baby Mélanger.  I have not included any photographs of her on my blog all year (shame on me!).  She is, if you can believe it, only a couple of weeks away from 11 months!  So here is a little sequence from earlier this week.

I have started experimenting with some muffins (looking at low fat and low sugar options) for baby Mélanger.  Here is the result of one of my recent trials.  This muffin included blueberry, which she had never eaten before.

I think she likes them, no?