*Special "70s Dinner Party" Post: Carnival Cream*
Normally, we’re only making star dishes from our star elected representatives. But this past week, I looked upon the face of a truly unique dish, brought to you by the historian-archivists at 70s Dinner Party and The Mid-Century Menu. I saw this post in Instagram and thought, “Ketchup. Heavy Cream. Maraschino Cherries. And I don’t even have to cook the eggs?? Sold.”
It’s Carnival Cream!
Thank you so dearly to 70s Dinner Party, The Mid-Century Menu, and all the folks on Instagram who absolutely begged me to make this mouthwatering dish.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Heinz Ketchup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 tbsp finely chopped Maraschino cherries
2 tbsp chopped toasted almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff.
Now I know what you’re thinking, because you saw the ketchup on the ingredients list — “what is this, ketchup-flavored ice cream?”
Potentially!
2) Fold in 1/4 cup of the world’s best loved ketchup, Heinz, and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Such a bold combination of ingredients that could only arise in a place like these United States. Is there anything more American than bootstrap-ingenuity?
3) Beat 3 eggs with 1/2 cup sugar until thick.
Like you, I was surprised that the instructions did not say to separate yolks and whites — it seems like a good opportunity to make a meringue (though I just made one recently). However, that yellow hue will actually create a more visually appealing Carnival at the end.
4) Fold into whip cream mixture.
“Fold” is a cooking or baking term that means “mix in without further beatings.” The eggs and cream have already been whipped — we don’t want to mix too much and make them congeal. The freezer will do that for us in Step 5.
5) Pour into individual molds or ice cube trays. Sprinkle with maraschino cherries and chopped toasted almonds. Freeze until firm. (makes 8-12 servings)
No cooking required! It’s as easy as a jello mold — even the eggs get to stay raw! And the result, 20 hours later, is this. So turn on Diff’rent Strokes, perm that hair, and serve up Carnival Cream!
The taste is one-of-a-kind. Yes, you could have just cracked open a bottle of Heinz ketchup and poured it over French vanilla ice cream (and you certainly should), but this is a much more elegant formulation. The texture is something closer to custard than ice cream though; it definitely congealed. I imagine this is what blood pudding might feel like in your mouth? But lighter and significantly more American.
Verdict:
I love the 1970s with all my heart. The music, the style, the films, the psychotic presidents…but this is a bridge too far. I should have known that a “ketchup dessert” might be texturally offensive and nearly inedible.
