This month’s Key Ingredient is something I’ve never worked with before, though I’ve watched it flood my feeds in the kind of viral way that only social media can conjure — trend after trend until even the scroll becomes exhausting. The ingredient came from Hanna, a chocolatier based in California and the owner of Hanna’s Chocolates. We went to different schools together in Chicago — meaning, of course, that we’ve never actually met, but know each other in that uniquely digital way that social media breeds: algorithmic acquaintanceship.
When it came time for her to give me an ingredient, I had no idea what to expect. Well — I sort of did. Something chocolate-adjacent, I figured. And I was right. She hit me with kataifi. I ordered it. It took forever. The delivery estimate said less than a week, but in reality it was about as frustratingly long as calling customer service and getting trapped in an automated phone menu. You know the kind — three solid minutes of pre-recorded nonsense, none of the options you're looking for, and absolutely no escape. You start yelling "representative" into the void, which does nothing. Eventually you resort to pressing zero repeatedly (if you press zero fast and often enough, you might just get somewhere.)
When it finally arrived, I had no idea what to do with it. Normally I figure out the direction pretty quickly — at least the genre of what I want to make. But this time… blank slate. I knew I didn’t want to make a chocolate bar — that’s already been done (and if you haven’t seen the Dubai chocolate bar trend, well… give it a quick search). I still wanted to include chocolate, but in a way that made sense with kataifi. Not as a bar, not as a bon bon — something else. So I turned to what I know best: ice cream.
But just folding it in didn’t feel right. I wanted crunch, texture — something that lived between a crispy edge and chewy center. So I went full memory lane and created a Star Crunch-style inclusion, then rolled in toasted kataifi and pistachio for extra texture and depth.
As for the video this month… well, I went in a more Chef’s Table direction — or rather, a slightly absurdist homage to it. Dramatic, moody, serious about dessert in the most unserious way. Because if I can’t have fun with this, what’s the point? Also, a big thank you to my editor friend Ben Zweig for encouraging me to finally take the leap and upgrade to Premiere Pro. His advice—that the best way to tackle the learning curve is to simply dive in and edit my next project with it—was exactly what I needed.
Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Kataifi Clusters: recipe by Ryan Kurr
Milk Chocolate Ice Cream:
383 g. heavy cream
260 g. 2% milk
150 g. sugar
21 g. Dutch processed cocoa powder
143 g. milk chocolate, chopped
95 g. egg yolks
¼ t. kosher salt
½ t. vanilla extract
· In a bowl, mix the cocoa with the sugar and salt.
· In a medium pot, heat the cream and milk to a simmer and slowly stream the sugar mixture into the dairy while whisking.
· Temper the hot milk mixture into the yolks, then return the mixture to pot and cook until 180 degrees F.
· Strain into a bowl with the chopped chocolate and vanilla, wait one minute, then buzz with an immersion blender to emulsify.
· Set over an ice bath, stirring to cool. Cover and chill in the fridge at least 4 hours.
· Blend with an immersion blender a second time, and churn in ice cream machine. Add in the kataifi clusters after churning. Transfer the ice cream to a container and freeze at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.
Honey Caramel: recipe by: Ryan Kurr
250 g. heavy cream
100 g. corn syrup
5 g. kosher salt
25 g. butter
200 g. sugar
50 g. honey
100 g. water
5 g. vanilla
· Cook the cream, corn syrup and salt in a small pot over medium high heat until the cream begins to simmer, stirring to dissolve the corn syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside.
· Place the sugar, honey, and water in a saucepan, stir to saturate. Cook over medium high heat and caramelize. When you have reached a caramel color, remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Add the warm cream mixture, whisking to combine. Add the vanilla and stir.
· Strain the caramel into a clean container.
Kataifi Crunch: recipe by: Ryan Kurr
28 g. butter
100 g. mini marshmallows
2 t. milk
½ t. kosher salt
65 g. honey caramel
40 g. corn syrup
10 g. neutral oil
10 g. coconut oil
70 g. melted milk chocolate
85 g. toasted kataifi
· In a medium pot, melt the butter. Add the salt, mini marshmallows, and milk once the butter is fully melted. Stir until the marshmallows are fully melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate, oil, and corn syrup. Once combined, stir in the toasted kataifi and turn out onto a greased sheet tray, spread as thin as possible. Place in the fridge to cool. Once fully chilled, chop with a knife into small ¼ inch pieces.
To Assemble:
· Prepare a sheet tray with parchment and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
· Using an ice cream scoop, portion out the ice cream onto a sheet tray, working quickly. Return to the freezer and let rest for 15 minutes.
· Remove the ice cream from the freezer and roll each ball in a bowl filled with toasted kataifi and chopped pistachio, pressing to adhere. Return to the freezer until ready to serve.
Share this post