Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

I've made this before. This is what the recipe looks like if you cut it in half. The recipe cut in half makes two batches in my 1.5 quart Cusine Art ice cream maker. Which is plenty for our small crowd. I usually make the first batch and put the second batch in the fridge, refreeze my ice cream bowl... and make the second batch later in the week! It's so good and so refreshing! Perfect for a summer dessert. I ate way too much..

Ingredients

4 Cups plain yogurt
4 Cups raspberries
1 whole smashed bananas
1/8 cup O.J
1/8 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

Steps

Whip bananas and milk in a blender. Add orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and cream. Mix yogurt and berries in separate bowl, then add to the banana mixture. Freeze according to manufacture directions.

Banana Pudding

Pumpkin Ice Cream

I've made this twice it's incredible! Both times I've made it, It's been gone to quick to take a picture of it. It's so creamy and soooo yummy! The recipe has a few more steps than some others.. but it's so worth it. I made this Halloween night and think that it will become a fun tradition in our family..

Recipe from Williams and Sonoma

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or canned
unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
5 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tbs. bourbon

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/2 cups of the cream and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar. Cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar. Whisk until smooth and the sugar begins to dissolve.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 4 to 6 minutes. Do not allow the custard to boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

Place the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice water, stirring occasionally until cool. Whisk the pumpkin mixture into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Transfer the custard to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the bourbon during the last minute of churning. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. Makes about 1 quart.

Peanut Butter Suprise

This recipe was given to me by my sister in law Vanessa. She is the dessert master! These cookies are so yummy. Unlike my other Reese's cup cookies, these aren't chocolate based, so not AS rich... which means you can eat A LOT OF THESE IN ONE SITTING!!! Thanks for the recipe Vanessa (and all the extra calories you have given me) Be aware.. these are addicting to make and eat.

1 cup butter
1cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cups

Preheat overn to 350 degrees. Cream 6 ingredients until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in chopped peaunut butter cups. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from sheets and cool on wire racks. makes 5 dozen cookies.

Fudgy Peanut Butter Pie

This recipe comes from my Southern Living cook book. I found this recipe a few years back.... The picture in the cook book looked amazing. I LOVE ice cream and I'm a sucker for Reese's peanut butter cups, so WAAA LAA :) The ice cream cake looks really pretty and very easy. The frozen peanut butter on the crust tastes so good! I found Reese's ice cream topping that I drizzled on top too. This dessert is a perfect chocolate and peanut butter combo.

Ingredients

1 (1.75 quart) container moose tracks ice cream
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 ready made chocolate crumb piecrust
6 peanut butter cups candies, halved
1/2 cup chocolate-peanut butter shell coating

Steps

ALLOW container of ice cream to thaw 20-30 min to soften

SPREAD peanut butter over crust; freeze 10 min

SPREAD softened ice cream evenly over peanut butter in crust. Arrange peanut butter cup candy halves around pie crust. Drizzle chocolate-peanut butter shell coating over ice crema and freeze atleast two hours.

CUT feozen piw with a warm knife.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

OK, I was craving Pumpkin Ice Cream the other day.. I was at my parents house and this is what I came up with. I know it has nothing to do with Ice Cream but It does have the pumpkin flavor :) I loved these and whats not to love about warm chocolate chips smoothered inside a pumpkin flavored cookie. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com and it was the one with the highest rating! I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but I can't. What I can take credit for is the extra calories i WILL be giving you if you eat these :)


Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Steps

1.Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2.Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
3.Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Ben & Jerry's Heath Ice Cream

OK, sorry I didn't get a picture of the actually ice cream.. it actually went that FAST! So, this ice cream was so creamy. Once it was finished it did taste a lot like Ben & Jerry's BUT Brad and I are not big vanilla fans. So, I put in 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup chocolate sauce to add some flavor. The chunks of heath were so good. You could always make the vanilla and add other candy bars, oreos, fruit, ect. to add more flavor. Be ready because it's super creamy and rich.. Thank you Ben and Jerry for giving us a reason to love ice cream so much!


Ingredients

4 Heath Bars
2 lg Eggs
3/4 c Sugar
2 c Heavy or whipping cream
1 c Whole wilk
2 ts Vanilla

Steps

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the candy bars into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks. You should have about 1 cup. Place the chucks in a bowl, cover and freeze. Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl until lihgt and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue to whisk until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, milk, vanilla, and whisk to blend. Tranfer the mixture to ice cream maker and freeze following manufactorer's instructions. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done) add the candy, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready. Makes generous 1 quart.

Gingerbread With Hot Carmel Sauce

I love seasonal breads and desserts for the holidays. This one makes the whole house smell yummy. I made a big mistake making this, I over cooked the caramel sauce and it became rock hard. I have had this dish with the caramel sauce done right and it was so delicious! So, be careful not to over cook the caramel sauce. The bread has a rich spice flavor and I like to serve it with whip cream, flavored with a hint of nutmeg.

Ingredients

1 C. Dark Molasses
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c sugar
1 Stick butter, melted
2 c. flour
1 c. boiling water
2 eggs, separated
powdered sugar to garnish
whipped cream to garnish

Steps

In a large bowl mix molasses, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add sugar, butter, flour, and boiling water. Stir in beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Pour into a greased ring mold or bundt pan. Bake 350 for 40 minutes. Cool. Turn gingerbread out onto a cake stand and sift powdered sugar over the to. Serve with hot caramel sauce and whip cream.

Caramel Sauce

1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
2 heaping T. flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
dash salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. boiling water

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugars with melted butter and stir until sugars are dissolved. Add vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Add boiling water. cook for 10-15 min, stirring sauce until thickened. DO NOT OVER COOK! Serve over gingerbread or pool underneath.

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake

This is a spin off of my mom's favorite cheesecake. It's easy and can be put together pretty fast. The recipe calls for a pre made chocolate crumb crust, I prefer an Oreo crust. The last few times I've made it I have just crushed Oreos and made my own crust. Both ways taste yummy. This cheesecake is simply good.

Ingredients

6 ounces of cream cheese
1 can (14 0z) sweetened condensed milk
3 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 Cup fresh or frozen Raspberries
1 chocolate crumb crust
2 ounces semi sweet baking chocolate
1/4 Cup whipping Cream
A few extra raspberries to throw on top of cheesecake

Steps

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Add egg; beat on low speed just until combined. Arrange raspberries on bottom of pie crust. Place pie crust on a baking sheet. Slowly pour cheesecake mixture over fruit. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack.

Chocolate sauce on top:

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and whipping cream. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat. Top cheesecake with chocolate glaze; chill. Garnish with fresh raspberries if desired.

My New Toy

Don't ask me why I decide to buy one of these at the END of the summer. Could of used cold, fresh ice cream on some of those hot days! Well, it was on sale at crate and barrel.. actually half off! So, get one if your in the moood for some delisious homemade treats. I made some Ben 7Jerry's Heath Ice Cream the other night.. If that doesn't make you want to run out and buy one, I don't know what will.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

I had to try out my new ice cream/frozen yogurt machine. (See post above) This recipe turned out great! It was very refreshing and the hint of banana was refreshing. If using a small ice cream maker like mine, that makes 1.5 quarts I would half the recipe.


Ingredients

8 Cups plain yogurt
8 Cups raspberries
2 whole smashed bananas
1/4 cup O.J
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
2 cup milk

Steps

Whip bananas and milk in a blender. Add orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and cream. Mix yogurt and berries in separate bowl, then add to the banana mixture. Freeze according to manufacture directions.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies were awesome! The peanut butter cups were my favorite part. The cookie dough kept great in the refrigerator. I made cookies a few days later and they still tasted great. I cooked them for 9 minutes. Please make these and ENJOY.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
10 chocolate covered peanut butter cups, cut into eighths

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter cups. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool for 1 or 2 minutes on sheet before removing, or they will fall apart.