Sunny, record heat and an ice creamc reation that's chocolate and otherwise fantastic!

Good Morning Augusta

Today we have lots of sunshine with near record high temperatures. High will reach near 90ºF. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight we’ll have partly cloudy skies with a stray shower or thunderstorm possible. Low 66ºF. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 59%, the dew point is 55ºF and outside it’s 70.2ºF.

The wind direction is South Southwest between 0.1 MPH and 1.0 MPH, with a heat index of 71ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 29.83 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is at 5:08 a.m. Sunset is 8:03 P.M. Moon rise is at 1:14 a.m., Moon set is 11:41 a.m., and the moon phase is waning gibbous being 55% illuminated.

The RAW METAR readings from Augusta’s airport are:

METAR KAUG 181053Z AUTO 23003KT 10SM CLR 21/12 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP094 T02060122

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 Kilometers with clear, sunny skies today.

We didn’t receive any rain here over the past 24 hours.

Space Weather for this morning is:

Today’s Solar flux is 74, the solar wind speed is   395 Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 1%.

Okay folks, today it’s going to b hot, so let’s get back to some ice cream creations.  But let’s show ‘em that we have some class.  So, try some:

BAKED ALASKA (with options for making it DIABETIC STYLE)

Or just make it the usual, sinful way.

sugar-free cookies for the base

sugar-free ice cream

egg whites (or the commercial kind IF it says okay to use for meringue)

sugar substitute okay to use for baking (like Splenda)

Six eggs or equivalent in egg substitute: Whip for about a minute and a half until the consistency of whipped cream.  Add about one half or three quarters cup of sugar substitute and continue whipping.  When the texture has reached that of a wet, marshmallow consistency, it is done.

Next, you have two choices:  You can bake a chocolate cake and cut out 4 inch rounds to act as bases for the ice cream, or use the sugar free cookies.  Put a large, rounded scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt on it  Cover with meringue.  Place on a cookie sheet and put into freezer for about an hour.  Just before serving – pull them out of the freezer and place into a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 3 minutes.  Remove from oven, place on dessert plates, and cover with hot fudge sauce.  

 

Speaking of hot fudge sauce:

(Keep some of this stuff around, it’s great)

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

½ cup heavy cream

3 tblsp. butter, cut into small pieces

1 sq. unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Pinch of salt

½ cup strained unsweetened cocoa powder

Place cream, butter, and unsweetened chocolate in a heavy 1-quart saucepan over moderate heat.  Stir until butter and chocolate are melted and the cream just comes to a low boil.  Add both sugars and stir for a few minutes until the sugars are dissolved.  (Test: taste it until you don’t feel any granules on your tongue.)

Reduce the heat.  Add the salt and cocoa and stir briskly with a small wire whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat.

This should be thick, but if it’s too thick, stir in a very little bit of hot water.

Serve immediately, refrigerate to store, reheat a few seconds at a time in the microwave.