Frozen Blackberries & Yogurt with Honey

This recipe is now the second that I've made from Alison Roman's cookbook Dining In, which I recently bought after my first bite of her salted chocolate chunk shortbread cookies. Her dessert recipes look, sound, and taste outstanding. Well, to be fair, I've only made 2 of them so far, but she's got a 100% success rate so far. This recipe was really fun, very easy, needs no special equipment, and yielded a delicious and frozen dessert hat is a mix between frozen yogurt and a semifreddo. The swirls of tart yogurt and berries compliment each other well and it looks lovely in a bowl. Try it out!

INGREDIENTS
12 oz (total) fresh blackberries and raspberries
3/4 cup honey (separated into 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup whole fat greek yogurt or labneh
pinch of salt
squeeze of lemon juice

Prep a loaf pan by lining the inside with plastic wrap. You may need to spray the pan first with cooking spray first so that the plastic wrap sticks to the edges well.

Heat the berries with 1/4 cup of honey in a small saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil for 8-10 minutes, until berries start to break down and sauce thickens a bit. Let cool completely (I allowed the freezer to help me speed up this step).

Meanwhile, using a whisk & arm strength or an electric mixer beat the heavy cream into medium stiff peaks. Fold in the greek yogurt and a pinch of salt, being careful not to overmix. Stir in a little lemon juice to the berry mixture (if you think it could use a little tart kick) and then carefully fold the mixture into the yogurt cream with only 3 or 4 folds... you want to be able to see and taste each individual flavor, not have it all blended together. Pour into prepared pan and freeze for a few hours (Alison recommended 2-3 and I found that it was better at 4-5). If its too hard to scoop leave it on the counter for 15 minutes before putting into bowls.

Killer Chocolate Sorbet

This is a recipe that I got from my dad who swears this chocolate sorbet will knock your socks off. It is incredibly chocolatey and absolutely delicious. It is important to use high quality chocolate in this recipe, as all you taste is chocolate... since there is no milk or cream to dilute the flavor. Mmm, super rich, amazing, yummy.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoon dark rum

In a saucepan whisk together 1 1/2 cups water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and the salt. Bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Remove from heat after 45 seconds of boiling. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Add the vanilla, remaining 3/4 cup water and rum. Stir together. Transfer mixture into a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill thoroughly in the fridge.

Once very cold, pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions. Serve and enjoy!

Pineapple Lime Rum Popsicles

So I just planted some pineapple sage on my back porch a few weeks ago and have been wanting to make something edible with them... I decided that since the leaves smell like a tropical fruit drink (they are unbelievable) that I would make a fruity popsicle and use the leaves in it somehow. I added a dash or two of rum so that the pops would a) not freeze so hard and b) remind me even more of the tropical vacation that I wish I was on. This is not your typical popsicle... this one is LOADED with flavor. Intense. Very very good.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup water

- 1/3 cup sugar

- handful of pineapple sage leaves chopped

- 6 ounces pineapple juice

- 2-3 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice

- 1 tablespoon rum

To make the pineapple sage simple syrup boil the water and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Immediately add the pineapple sage leaves and cover, letting steep for about an hour. Remove leaves and you've now got pineapple flavor-infused simple syrup!

Mix the fruit juices together and add enough syrup so its just sweet enough. Add the rum and taste. Make sure all the proportions are how you'd like them. Add a little of this, a little of that, etc.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze 6-8 hours. Serve and enjoy!!

White Chocolate Berry Popsicles!

OK. So, its summertime... officially. And I found a popsicle mold for $3.99 at Target last week, so I figured it was time to start making frozen treats again. I started thinking about different flavors of popsicles and my all time favorites are from a place in North Carolina called LocoPops. They have a slew of milk-based ice-creamy popsicles that I love (in particular a mexican chocolate popsicle that I will try to recreate soon), so I decided I'd try to make something along those lines. I found this recipe online from David Lebovitz, whose frozen desserts are absolutely trustworthy. These turned out really well, although next time I will blend the ingredients before I pour them into molds... I think it'll be better if the flavors all combine- I have adjusted the recipe below to include blending. Makes 4 popsicles.

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup whole milk
2.5 ounces white chocolate
pinch of salt
6-8 ounces frozen berries
a squeeze of lemon juice

In a small saucepan heat the milk, chopped white chocolate, and salt over low heat just until the chocolate is melted and incorporated, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Pour into a blender, along with the frozen berries (I used strawberries and raspberries) and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Taste and add any additional lemon juice or berries.

Pour into popsicle molds and carefully "rap" on the counter, like you would with cake batter in a pan, in order to get rid of air bubbles (pay no attention to the two air bubbles in my popsicle pictured above, eh hem). Freeze at least 6-8 hours. To remove from the popsicles, dip the molds in warm water, which will make it easier to remove. Serve and enjoy!

Strawberry & Raspberry Mascarpone Granitas!

My first experience with granitas was at a dinner party at my friend Erin's house a few months ago (she is the same friend I credit for all of the italian recipes that I post on this site- her recipes are trustworthy). We paired these granitas with champagne and it was perfection. However, these aren't only good when drinking bubbly... in fact, now that the weather is heating up, these would be a perfect summer afternoon/dessert/anytime treat. Traditional recipes suggest that you "flake" the granita into a cup, almost like a snow-cone/italian ice kind of thing... however, since this recipe uses mascarpone (and I added vodka so that it wasn't hard as a brick), it turns out to be something between an icey sorbet and ice cream. BUT, the best part is that you don't need an ice cream maker to get to the fantastic end result. YUM! The original recipe is from Giada de Laurentiis, but I've adapted it slightly...

1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup raspberries, chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
6 ounces mascarpone cheese
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup vodka
pinch of salt

Put the strawberries and raspberries in the food processor with 1 tablespoon of sugar and blend until smooth.

In a pan over medium heat bring the water, 1/2 cup sugar, and mint to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Strain the mint leaves out of the simple syrup and add it to the food processor. Blend to incorporate. Add the mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, vodka, salt and blend.

Pour into a tupperware container and place in the freezer. Let freeze until hardened (I would let it do this overnight). Scrape/flake or scoop out with an ice cream scoop. Serve in a glass. Can be garnished with more chopped fruit and mint leaves.

Grasshopper Pie

I made this traditional 1960's pie this past week mostly as a joke. I didn't think I would enjoy eating it, but thought it might get some laughs. It did get laughs and those that tasted it seemed to enjoy it- although I will say it was not my favorite dessert... by any means. What was better (in my opinion) was the ice cream pie that I made that same day. Because what's better than 1 pie? 2 pies. Stay tuned for that recipe.

Ingredients
-1 chocolate pie crust
-32 large marshmallows
-1/2 cup milk
-1/4 cup creme de menthe
-3 tablespoons white creme de cocoa
-1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
-few drops green food coloring, optional
-chocolate shavings

In a saucepan on medium heat melt the marshmallows and the milk together. Once melted pour into a bowl and refrigerate until cool. Whisk in the creme de menthe and the creme de cocoa. With an electric mixer whip the cream until stiff. Fold into the marshmallow mixture and add food coloring. Pour into prepared crust and freeze for at least 5 hours. Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top right before serving. Enjoy.

Aztec Hot Chocolate Ice Cream!!

My mouth is watering as I think back to this delicious ice cream. Its creamy and chocolatey just like you’d expect, and then it hits you— this extra spicy after-kick that hits the back of your throat unexpectedly. In turn, you shove more cold ice cream in your mouth to soothe the burning in your throat, only to have it burn more… you can see how the result is that you finish your bowl in 5 seconds flat. Its incredible. A great balance of hot and cold, which is pretty neat for a traditionally cold dessert. Make me now. Adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. 

• 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-3 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 2 tablespoons vodka

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk frequently over heat, until it comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, whisking until fully melted. 

Stir in the milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, chile powder and vodka. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds). Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator completely. 

Once chilled, pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. 

Serve and enjoy!

Coffee Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

I love coffee ice cream… it might be my favorite flavor. And everything is better with chocolate… so, this ice cream is pretty outstanding. Ice cream recipe is my own, fudge ripple is David Lebovitz's.

Coffee Ice Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons (about) instant coffee (or espresso, which I used this time)
• 5 eggs
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2-3 tablespoons Kahlua or vodka

Pour the cream into a large bowl and set over ice. 

Combine the milk, sugar, coffee, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a whisk. Heat the milk mixture until warm and then pour over the eggs and stir. Pour the entire milk-egg mixture back into the saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until custard coats the spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go with a flexible spatula. 

Pour the custard through a strainer and into the chilled cream. Add the vanilla bean and whisk to combine. Add the liqueur and stir to combine. Put in the fridge until completely chilled. At this point, I always taste the ice cream… A) because its delicious and B) to make sure there is enough coffee flavor. If not, you may heat 1/4 cup of milk and add LOTS of coffee and add the strong brew, in small amounts, to the mixture until it reaches desired coffee flavor. 

Freeze in an ice cream maker, according to manufacturer instructions. Once frozen, spread 1/3 of the ice cream into a container and pour some of the fudge swirl on top, swirling with a knife (recipe below). Continue to layer the ice cream and fudge swirl, using a knife to get a marble effect. Freeze in the freezer for a few hours. Serve and enjoy!

Fudge swirl…

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a sauce pan over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Continue to whisk until it comes to a low boil and boil for 1 minute, whisking. remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Chill completely before adding to the ice cream.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I’m not sure why this is the first ice cream post on my blog since I really really really love ice cream. I have a few favorites, all of which include chocolate chips/chunks of some kind (i.e. Java Chip and Cherry Garcia). So when I found this recipe for mint chocolate chip ice cream I thought I’d give it a shot. Its rich like ice cream should be, but refreshing which is nice seeing as it is currently 100 degrees in Knoxville. It is also much easier to make than the typical ice cream, as this recipe has no eggs in it, and thus does not require that you make a custard before freezing. I’d say its so easy that an idiot could make it, but that phrase hits a soft spot (re: Chocolate Idiot Cake Disaster)…. so I will refrain. 

It also pairs quite well with homemade brownies, like the ones in the post below (shameless plug?)

• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon green food coloring (start with less, add more if necessary)
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (or homemade chocolate chunks)

Mix the sweetened condensed milk and the heavy cream in a bowl. Add the peppermint extract (to taste) and the green food coloring (to sight) and mix well. Refrigerate for about 3 hours. You want this to be quite cold before churning in the ice cream maker. 

Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze based on manufacturers directions. Near the very end of freezing, add the chocolate chips (if you do this too early, they will all fall to the bottom and will not be incorporated throughout the ice cream). 

Once frozen, pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for about 3 more hours until stiff. Serve and enjoy!