Emma Watson Ice Cream (aka Butterbeer Ice Cream) #heforshe

Recently, the UN launched a gender-equality campaign called He For She. The campaign was announced by the UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson. For those of you who don't know, Emma Watson is the actress who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies.

I understand and even share at times the skepticism that surrounds celebrity political causes. I also understand the critiques that it should not take a young and attractive female actress to bring attention to the cause of feminism,which promotes valuing women as individuals and not for their youth and beauty. Nonetheless, I think Emma Watson's speech is a fairly good one. As Ms. Watson stresses, feminism is "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes." At a time when our society has become increasingly polarized and feminism has become wrapped up in negative connotations, He For She is a campaign that is meant to bring people together to recognize and celebrate our common humanity as both men and women. It is a shame that we need a celebrity to bring attention to the issue of gender inequality, but if Emma Watson's celebrity status can bring about a positive change for gender equality, then this is a good thing.

If you have not had a chance to see Emma Watson's speech, you can watch it below:

As a supporter of gender equality and a fan of Harry Potter, I decided to make an ice cream flavor that I associate with Emma Watson's role as Hermione Granger. That flavor, of course, is butterbeer (a popular drink in the Harry Potter books). I had wanted to make a butterbeer ice cream anyway, so this seemed like the perfect excuse to do it.

As I began to do some internet research on what butterbeer ice cream might include, I came across a vast number of websites that had already created their own butterbeer. Many people were engaged in arguments about which butterbeer recipe was most authentic, which I found ironic given that butterbeer is fictional, and thus no one has a better basis for claiming their recipe is more authentic than another. Nonetheless, I found this recipe, which I picked because it sounded tasty. I also added some of my own modifications.

Butterscotch Sauce:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp water
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp heavy cream

In a small saucepan combine dark brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vinegar, salt and heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, put mixture in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours.

Ice Cream Base:
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cream soda
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk milk and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream soda, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Once everything is thoroughly mixed together, cover and refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours.

Once the ingredients are cold, mix the butterscotch and ice cream base together. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn for 20 - 30 minutes.

This ice cream definitely tastes better after it has been in the freezer for a day or two. It has a strong butterscotch flavor, which I enjoy. I particularly like to imagine that I am sitting in Hogsmeade enjoying butterbeer with all my friends from Hogwarts. It makes the ice cream taste even better.

Until next time, keep calm and get your ice cream eating on.