Georgetown Valley Candy Co.

The last few weeks have been hectic for me at work. While I don't work in politics, it seems like everyone in Washington, DC logs more hours during election seasons. Work has been the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. Needless to say, I've been in need of some serious R&R - and I was thankful to get a taste of it last weekend in Colorado.

One of my best friends, Elysia, is a Colorado native. We met and became friends while living in Seattle. While we both moved away a couple years ago (me to grad school in DC; she back to Denver), we remain very close. I periodically crash with Elysia and her Great Dane, Rupert, when work sends me to Denver. And this past weekend, the boyfriend and I spent a weekend in Colorado to attend the Great American Beer Festival. It was the fourth GABF for me, and it was the seventh one for the boyfriend. To be honest, it's not just the GABF that keeps me coming back every year - it's the chance to hang out at Elysia's parents house right outside the town of Idaho Springs, Colorado. Elysia's parents are the type of people that instantly make you feel relaxed and invited. I feel as comfortable in their house as I do in my own; rummaging through the fridge, wearing my sweats, and helping myself to whatever I find. Their house is actually a two-level cabin, complete with a wood-burning stove and brick oven. The cabin sits next to a mountain stream, and you can actually fish off the back porch! It's a little piece of heaven.

When I can tear myself away from the wood-burning stove and porch fishing, I love exploring downtown Idaho Springs. This little town of less than 2,000 people is nestled in the mountains about an hour outside of Denver. In 1859, the first gold in Colorado was discovered here. And it's impossible to ignore the state's mining history in Idaho Springs today, with the Argo Gold Mine & Mill perched on a hill overlooking the town and the number of old railroad tracks you drive over. The town is also a halfway point between Denver and Breckenridge (a super-popular skiing destination), so it boasts more restaurants and shops than most towns of its size. On Saturday morning, Elysia, the boyfriend, and I drove downtown to grab some ice cream before we needed to leave for the Great American Beer Festival.

The Georgetown Valley Candy Company is located right in the heart of downtown Idaho Springs. This is actually the second location; the company is based in nearby Georgetown, where its owners have been producing high-quality candies and chocolates in small batches for over twenty years. What makes the Georgetown Valley Candy Company unique is the focus on old-fashioned classics like caramel corn, salt water taffy, classic fudge, and different types of nut brittles. The Idaho Springs store is a bit smaller than the Georgetown flagship, but the selection is just as extensive.

We were already big fans of Georgetown Valley's candy from prior visits to the Idaho Springs shop, but I had yet to try their homemade ice cream. According to the extremely friendly store clerk (seriously, this guy was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable), the two dozen ice cream flavors are all made in Georgetown and trucked to Idaho Springs on a regular basis. And - like their candies - Georgetown Valley Candy Co.'s ice cream flavors pay tribute to some old-fashioned favorites, such as Butter Pecan, Black Cherry, and Rocky Road. But other flavors were quite contemporary, like Cotton Candy, Green Tea, and PB&J. Elysia picked one of the more new-age flavors: Cookie Dough. I was feeling indecisive, but I finally ordered a kid-sized scoop of Butter Brickle after it came highly recommended by the store clerk. With the enthusiasm this kid had, he could sell ice to an Eskimo. When he told me the ice cream featured Georgetown Valley's own butter brickle candy, I was sold. Butter brickle is very similar to English toffee (the center of a Heath bar), and it reminds me of my mother's dad. My grandfather (aka "Pops") was a gruff man, but he demonstrated his love for me and my sisters by sneaking us pieces of gold-wrapped toffee whenever my parents weren't looking. Now I realize that they wouldn't have cared about the candy, but the sneaky way in which Pops shared his toffee made it feel like we were sharing a special little secret. What can I say? The nostalgic feel of Georgetown Valley Candy Company's Idaho Springs store was making me sentimental.

Before leaving the store, I also purchased my mom a bag of Georgetown Valley's black licorice hard candies. My mom adores black licorice, but I don't think she's had it in hard candy-form. The store clerk rang my purchase up, asking for $4.25. Thinking it was a mistake, I reminded him that I'd also ordered an ice cream. Surely the candies and ice cream would not cost less than five dollars. But, indeed, they did! Nostalgic treats at nostalgic prices. Talk about a win-win.

The verdict? Talk about comfort food. Instead of throwing in chunks of hard brickle, Georgetown Valley blends thick, gooey swirls of liquid butter brickle into the ice cream. But have no fear, there are little bites of the hardened toffee. The buttery warmth of the brickle was a nice contrast to the coldness of the dessert. But I have to say, I'm glad I chose the smallest size. This ice cream is a tad too sweet - even for someone like me, with a mouth full of sweet teeth! If I could chat with the owners, I'd suggest they use a less-sweet ice cream base to highlight the sweet butter brickle. After all, the candy is the star of this ice cream. Elysia was also happy with her choice. While Georgetown Valley's version of Cookie Dough wasn't the best she'd ever had, Elysia was happy with the generous size of the cookie dough bites. And both Elysia and I agreed that you just can't beat the value or customer service at the Georgetown Valley Candy Company. This might be a new Colorado tradition for me.

The Stats:
Georgetown Valley Candy Company
1501 Minor Street
Idaho Springs, CO
(720) 242-9524
http://www.shopgvcc.com/

Pumpkin Spice Gelato

Eating pumpkin makes me feel grown up.

As a kid, I didn’t care for pumpkin at all. On Thanksgiving, I’d skip over the pumpkin pie and pile my plate with cake and cookies instead. Something about vegetable-esque desserts just didn’t jive with me, and pumpkin pie never held any appeal. That is - until I caught my mom eating leftover pumpkin pie… for breakfast. I had to be seven or eight years old when I discovered her little secret. On the morning after Thanksgiving, I trudged into the kitchen to pour myself a bowl of Cheerios. My parents upheld a strict "no junk food"  breakfast policy. And there my mom was - in her pajamas - eating a slice of pie. "That's not fair!" I sputtered, "Why can you eat dessert for breakfast but we can't?" Always the quick thinker, my mom calmly countered that I was welcome to join her. She explained that pumpkin is healthy and full of fiber, and that pumpkin pie was an appropriate breakfast "once in a while." You better believe that I sat right down and served myself a slice of pie - the very one I had turned my nose up at the day before. And low and behold, I liked it. Sure, it didn't compare to chocolate cake or sugar cookies,  but it was a heck-of-a-lot better than my normal cereal. I felt quite grown-up that morning, enjoying a special breakfast with my mom.

Over the years, I’ve become a full-fledged pumpkin fan. When October rolls around, I suddenly become obsessed with anything pumpkin: pumpkin beer, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin risotto, and - of course - pumpkin ice cream.

Last week, when my sister Carolyn was here, we hosted a small dinner party for the premiere of Homeland (our favorite TV show). Carolyn was making her famous chili, so I was put in charge of dessert. And - surprise! - pumpkin was on my mind. I had yet to experiment with it in my Cuisinart, so I scoured the internet for pumpkin ice cream recipes. There is certainly not a shortage of recipes out there, but most called for 4-6 egg yokes. I'm a novice when it comes to making ice cream, and I don't feel ready to tackle so many raw egg yokes. Luckily, I stumbled across an egg-less recipe to use as inspiration for my own concoction: Pumpkin Spice Gelato.

Pumpkin Spice Gelato 
{Inspired from recipe in New York Times}

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk (at least 1% milkfat)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (100%; not the pie filling kind)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

• Combine the milk, heavy cream, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin spice in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking from time to time, until it almost reaches a simmer. Reduce to very low heat.
• Place the maple syrup, salt, and remaining brown sugar in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add about 1/2 cup of the warm milk/cream mixture, whisking as you pour.
• Return the maple mixture to the saucepan and increase the heat slightly (just below medium). Continue cooking until the mixture just begins to thicken. Do not allow it to boil.
• Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla extract. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
• Pour chilled mixture into a blender and pulse to liquefy any solids. Freeze mixture in your ice cream maker, per the manufacturer's directions. If you're using a Cuisinart, this means 1) turn on your machine, 2) slowly pour mixture in, and 3) leave the thing be for 15 minutes or so. The consistency should be like firm but not icy.
• Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm (about 2 hours in my case). Looks best when topped with a candy corn pumpkin :)

The verdict? Not too bad for my first try! This gelato was a little less sweet than most pumpkin ice creams, but I think that's why this tasted more like real pumpkin pie. The consistency was a bit grainy, which I didn't mind. If grittiness isn't your thing, I suggest using a strainer - rather than a blender - to get rid of solids before adding the mixture to the ice cream maker. My guests reported that the spice level was good, but I thought the cinnamon overpowered the nutmeg. Next time I'll just use more pumpkin spice and reduce the extra cinnamon amount. All in all, this recipe was a keeper. I can't help but wonder... Will mom approve this for breakfast on November 23rd?

Impromptu Visit to Serendipity 3

ser·en·dip·i·ty

noun

: the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for

I'm a planner. Ask anyone who knows me. I'm not quite the "fly by the seat of my pants" type, but I'm surrounded by people who are. And thank goodness for that! Planning and strategy are good things - but so is spontaneity.

My middle sister, Carolyn, visited us here in DC last weekend. Now, Carolyn is one of the most adventurous people I know. At the ripe old age of twenty-three, she's already started her own business and works at a new tech startup in Boston. And ever since we were little, Carolyn has been trying new things - and pushing me to do the same. Some of her ideas were better than others. Trying on Mom's ruby red lipstick? You go ahead, Carolyn. I'll watch.

But popping into a new restaurant for an impromptu sundae? That's something I'll agree to!

By the time Carolyn's plane touched down at Reagan National Airport, I had an entire weekend's worth of fun activities planned. Dinner reservations? Done. A new (to us) tour to take? Found it. Heck, I even had a Homeland premiere party in the works. But, as always, the best parts of Carolyn's visit were totally unplanned. Only Carolyn can morph my "quick trip" to Target for toiletries into a quest for Halloween decorations, which leads to an afternoon of decorating and eating candy corn. And it was her idea to hit up a comedy club late on Saturday night. Turns out, the DC Improv Comedy Club is right around the corner from my apartment - and I'd never even heard of it! But, my favorite impromptu activity involved ice cream... and lots of it!

On Friday night, Carolyn, the boyfriend, and I headed into Georgetown for dinner. We enjoyed fantastic burgers and fries at Thunder Burger & Bar and were tempted by the dessert menu. But Carolyn suggested trying a different dessert place - and that's when I remembered that the famous NYC dessert institution, Serendipity 3, had just opened their first DC location right down the block! You may know Serendipity 3 as the place where the 'Sex & the City' gals gossiped over frozen hot chocolates. But I know it as the creator of The Grand Opulence - the world's most expensive sundae! Needless to say, Carolyn and I practically skipped over to the restaurant.

From the outside, Serendipity 3 doesn't look like much. It's housed in a simple white-painted brick building with black awning over the windows. But step through the front door, and you are transported into a girly-girl's fantasy. The decor is whimsical, with pink walls, slightly-gaudy chandeliers, heart-backed chairs, and Tiffany-style lamps. To pay homage to their host city, the Georgetown location features one of our Founding Fathers.

I knew Lincoln was my favorite for a reason!

I was worried that Serendipity 3 would be packed at 10pm on a Saturday night - but we easily secured seats at the bar, where the bartender welcomed us with glasses of ice water. After ordering a glass of wine, we began perusing Serendipity's over-sized menu. Since we were still full from the burgers, the three of us decided to split one sundae. Sure enough, The Grand Opulence was there, priced at $1,000. But until my student loans are paid off, Serendipity's Drug Store Sundaes will have to do. All of the sundae descriptions sounded delicious... from the carrot cake sundae to the deep-fried Oreo one. Carolyn suggested the Black N' White Sundae. The description read: "chocolate and vanilla ice cream, marshmallow cream, white chocolate fudge, chocolate fudge, whipped cream & tuxedo strawberry." How could we go wrong with that?

A mere five minutes after we placed our order, the bartender delivered this...

The verdict? The Black N' White Sundae is the very definition of extravagant - both in ingredients and size. The massive scoops of premium vanilla and chocolate ice cream were smooth and creamy. I usually prefer a vanilla base for my sundae, but Serendipity 3's chocolate ice cream is flavorful, yet not so rich that it overpowers the toppings. The marshmallow cream was easily my favorite component of this dish; it was thick, sticky and reminiscent of my favorite childhood condiment: Fluff.  Serendipity's hot chocolate fudge sauce is nothing to complain about, either. Now on the other hand, I was disappointed by the white chocolate fudge - which was thin and watery. All of these sauces were served warm - not hot - which I appreciated. As I've mentioned before, a major pet peeve of mine is when pipping-hot toppings melt my ice cream into a soupy mess (#firstworldproblem). Serendipity's whipped cream is deliciously sweet and airy, nicely contrasting the thick ice cream and heavy toppings. Nestled on top of the sundae was the featured 'tuxedo strawberry,' which my companions graciously allowed me to claim. Serendipity drenched a big, fresh strawberry in a thick coating of milk and white chocolate. Swoon. Split three ways, this sundae was still too big to finish! A surprising end to an unexpected night out. Thanks, sis.

We made a gallant effort.

The Stats:
Serendipity 3
3150 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-5193
http://www.serendipity3dc.com/