Apple Pie Ice Cream

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Who wouldn't want this tomorrow after gorging themselves with turkey? Freshly baked, warm apple pie topped with APPLE PIE ICE CREAM!! Oh my goodness, please make this. It's so, so good and decadent and will work perfectly with the other desserts on your Thanksgiving table tomorrow. Just imagine creamy ice cream with scrumptious chunks of sweetened apple scattered throughout. Yum. Enjoy and have a wonderful day with your loved ones! 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For apples:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

For ice cream:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add sugar and stir until combined. Add apples and cinnamon and stir to coat in the butter mixture. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and liquid has reduced.

Transfer apple mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until 1-2 hours or until completely chilled.

In a bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, half-and-half, sugar and vanilla. Gently stir in the cooled apple mixture. 

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. I have a KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker and it took about 20 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Source: SK Original

Mexican "Fried" Ice Cream

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Want fried ice cream without the hassle of setting up the deep fryer, worrying about your ice cream melting and with limited steps? I've got your solution. This month's Secret Recipe Club assignment was Sara's blog, Cook with Sara. She has so many incredibly delicious looking recipes on her blog, so I can't wait to go back and try out some more! This time I chose to make a dessert (obviously) since summer is coming to a close and I need to squeeze in all the ice cream I can before apple cider and hot chocolate take over!

I love ordering fried ice cream when we go to our favorite local Mexican restaurant, so I couldn't wait to make this non-fried "fried" version at home. I decided to leave out the honey since I wanted Bradley to enjoy some and he can't have any until he's one (which is THIS Friday...Oh. My. Goodness.). I love the dash of cinnamon that is mixed in with the ice cream and whipped topping. It gives the dessert that "Mexican ice cream" feel. The topping adds the crunch that typical fried ice cream usually has, but you save so many calories (and your sanity!) by not actually having to fry this. It's so so good. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups crushed Corn Flakes 
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (1.5 quart) container vanilla ice cream
• 1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup honey (optional)
• Chocolate syrup, for serving (optional)
• Caramel sauce, for serving (optional)
• Additional whipped topping or redi-whip, for serving (optional)
• Maraschino cherries, for serving (optional)

Soften the vanilla ice cream and the cool whip by thawing on the counter for 20-30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet. Add the crushed corn flakes and sugar and stir to combine. Fry mixture for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until cereal is golden-brown.

Spread 1/3 of the corn flakes mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the softened ice cream and whipped topping. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Using a spatula, stir a then mix well to combine. Spread ice cream mixture over the top of the corn flake mixture in the bottom of the pan.

Spread the remaining corn flake mixture evenly over the ice cream. Drizzle honey over the top. Cover and place in freezer. Freeze for at least 5 hours, or overnight.

Cut into squares and serve with drizzles of chocolate syrup and caramel sauce, additional whipped topping and cherries. Makes 20 servings.

Note: You can also half the recipe and make it in an 8x8" or 9x9" pan.

Source: Cook with Sara

An InLinkz Link-up

Cantaloupe Sorbet

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We bought some of the most flavorful cantaloupe at the Farmer's Market the other weekend. I love buying fresh produce from the market to support our local farms, so it's always great when we come across new finds that we really enjoy. It's also a fun activity to do with Bradley since we're always looking for new outdoor places to take him to.

I decided to use the cantaloupe to make a refreshing sorbet to satisfy our summer cravings, and it definitely hit the spot. The cantaloupe flavor was intense, and the little bit of simple syrup really made the fruitiness stand out. This was a wonderful guilt-free dessert!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ripe cantaloupe
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar

Peel the cantaloupe and discard the seeds. Cut into chunks and place in a food processor. Whirl until fully processed.

Meanwhile, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan to make simple syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then lower heat. Simmer and continue to stir occasionally for 5 minutes, or until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to get to room temperature.

Once simple syrup is cooled, add half to the cantaloupe mixture in the food processor. Combine, then taste for sweetness. Add more simple syrup, as desired. 

Add the cantaloupe mixture to a tupperware container and chill for 2 hours, or overnight.

Once cooled, add the mixture to your ice cream maker and make according to manufacturer's instructions.

Source: SK Original

Key Lime Pie Popsicles

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You know how they say that you and your partner sort of become "one" once you get married? Well Chris and I are beyond that. We like the same movies. The same snacks. The same TV shows. Before I even make something, I know if he will or won't like it. And we also both learned to love things that we didn't love before solely because the other person is a fan. In my case: key limes.

It's not that I didn't like them before; I just rarely had them. I never would have ordered a key lime dessert off of a dinner menu before I met Chris, but now it's one of my go-to sweet treats. So as soon as I saw that Mary Anne and Mariel from Feast on the Cheap had a recipe for Key Lime Pie POPSICLES, I knew what my Secret Recipe Club post was going to be.

One thing I absolutely love about Feast on the Cheap is that it is co-hosted by a mother-daughter team. I love cooking with my mom, so I know how special the duo must be for them. Their website is filled with a ton of amazing recipes, including these refreshing and delicious (and simple!) Key Lime Pops, so I highly suggest you going over and checking out their site! These pops were perfect on a hot summer evening and tasted just like a frozen version of my favorite pie. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups low-fat graham crackers crumbs
• Juice of 7 limes or about 3/4 cup of Key Lime juice
• 1 (32 oz.) container of low-fat or no-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 (8 oz.) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 sleeve of 5 oz. Dixie cups

Using an electric or hand mixer, combine the sugar, yogurt, cream cheese, lime juice and all but 2 tbsp. of the graham cracker crumbs on medium-high speed. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle a pinch of the remaining ground graham crackers in the bottom of each Dixie cup, then pour in the filling until about 3/4 full. Poke the popsicle sticks into each cup.

Freeze your pops for 2 hours before eating. About an hour in, straighten any sticks that are lopsided.

Note: If you’re freezing these overnight, cover the pops with some saran wrap to prevent potent ice box aromas from tainting the flavor of your desserts.

Source: Feast on the Cheap

An InLinkz Link-up

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

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This month's Secret Recipe Club assignment was Gloria's blog, Canela Kitchen. One thing I absolutely love about her blog is that she writes all of her posts in both English and Spanish. So cool, right? Gloria lives in Chile, so I love reading about her culture and the different types of food that she eats/cooks with. It's fun being able to read about someone who lives in another part of the world and to get a glimpse into a different style of cuisine. I definitely suggest checking her blog out!

I was absolutely drawn to this frozen yogurt recipe the instant I saw it. Chris and I often walk to our local frozen yogurt shop since it's a sweet, satisfying and guilt-free treat that we both really enjoy. Being able to make it in my own home sounded right on point for our lifestyle, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It is creamy, light and fruity. It was perfectly refreshing on a warm spring evening. I will be making this again this summer and maybe even trying it out with different types of berries. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Place the sliced strawberries in large bowl with the sugar. Stir until sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt, heavy cream and fresh lemon juice. Pulse until strawberries are smooth.

Chill mixture for at least 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Source: Canela Kitchen

An InLinkz Link-up

Peach Sorbet

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I go apple picking with my family every year, and since my due date is towards the end of September this year (which is when we normally go) we decided to bump it up to the end of August instead. No apples were available since we went so early, but we got a delicious assortment of peaches, tomatoes and potatoes instead. I thought it was a nice change of pace.

I wanted to make something refreshing with my load of peaches, so I opted to use my new KitchenAid Ice Cream maker and make some sorbet. The result was a perfectly icy mixture with a blend of sweet and tart flavors. This is a great palate cleanser after a hearty summer meal. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 4 cups ripe peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Add the peaches to a blender. Once the syrup is cool, add the syrup and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Freeze the purée using an ice cream maker. This usually takes about 12-15 minutes, but use the manufacturer’s directions. In the meantime, place a container in the freezer to chill. Once sorbet is done, scoop into chilled container and freeze until solid.

Source: SK Original

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

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Back in January, my nephew's school had a Bingo Night, which my entire family attends every year since my sister-in-law (his mom) is in charge of running it. So being a good family, we always go to support her and the school. It's always a great time with tons of fun prizes. Since we are a very competitive family, sometimes emotions run high and mumbles under our breath can be heard from across the table, but it's all fun and games. At least that's what we try to remind ourselves. After all, it is at an elementary school.

My nephew won one of the last prizes of the night, which was two tickets to Luray Caverns in Virginia. He immediately ran over to our table, bypassed me, my dad, my mom, my brother, my other brother and then eventually landed at Chris. "Chris!" he yelled. "Pack your bags--we're going to Luraaaay Caverns!" It was probably the cutest thing he has ever said, since it was filled with pure excitement. Have any of you ever been to Luray Caverns before? Well if not, the look on Chris' face would have said it all. It's great for kids and they would have a fun time together, but it's not the most exciting place. Just leave it at that.

So the other weekend, Chris, my nephew, my niece and myself headed to Luray Caverns for the day. The day trip proved to fun, but very tiring nonetheless. Before we left, I decided to make some homemade vanilla ice cream with the kids since I knew they would love some after our long day. It's something very easy to make and they really enjoyed watching it transform from a liquid to ice cream. My niece is a chocolate fanatic, so I made sure to buy chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles for her to load up on top. This ice cream was fantastic and got rave reviews from the kids (and the adults!). My brother even said it tasted similar to Häagen-Dazs. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine all ingredients; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

Note: For raspberry or strawberry ice cream, substitute 2 cups fresh or frozen berries for 1 cup of half-and-half. Puree berries in a blender or food processor; stir into the other ingredients before freezing. If adding candy pieces, chocolate chips or cookie pieces, add them to the mixture about 10-15 minutes before the ice cream is done.

Source: Taste of Homes

The Easiest Banana "Ice Cream" Ever

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Ever. Ever ever ever.

I know a lot of people title things as the best ever or the quickest ever or the tastiest ever...but in this case this is seriously the easiest thing e.v.e.r. It really doesn't get any simpler than this. If you have bananas, a freezer and a blender or food processor, you're in business.

This is gluten-free, healthy and definitely satisfies your craving if you're in the mood for something sweet yet want to stay away from the extra calories. It tastes exactly like banana ice cream without all the extra additives and fat. All you have to do is freeze peeled bananas, blend them up and you're done! It has the same texture and everything. I'm sure you can do the same with most types of fruit, too. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 frozen bananas, peeled
• Lite whipped cream (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)

Place bananas in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Spoon into a bowl and top with whipped cream and sprinkles, if desired.

Source: Pinterest

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Today I have another post from the Secret Recipe Club! The blog assigned to me this month was deli-cute-essen, which consists of all Vegan recipes. Neither Chris nor I are Vegan, so a lot of the ingredients were unfamiliar to me. I decided to try out these Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches since they looked so delicious. I chose to alter the original recipe a little (i.e. I used regular milk instead of soy milk), but I was surprised how awesome this recipe turned out! Who knew Vegan recipes could be so delicious? And could include something awesome like an ice cream sandwich?!

Before reading this blog, I was kind of ignorant about all the different types of dishes that can be made using Vegan ingredients. There are so many different substitutes that I never would have been aware of otherwise. For example, in this recipe instead of eggs, you whip together (soy) milk and cornstarch. It still gave the cookies a great consistency and I couldn't even tell the difference! I definitely suggest taking a look at this blog even if you don't follow a Vegan diet. There are so many recipes that are very healthy and look delicious! Enjoy!

The cookies were really great by themselves, too!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 tbsp. milk whipped with 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. cinnamon (for topping)
• 4 tbsp. granulated white sugar (for topping)
• Ice cream, for filling

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the vanilla, and the cornstarch/milk mixture, and beat until well-mixed.

In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Stir this into the wet ingredients and combine well.

Begin rolling the cookie dough into balls of about 3 tbsp. each and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, press down on each ball until they are about an inch thick.

If you would rather roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, sprinkle flour on a flat surface and use a rolling pin to roll out.

Combine 2 tbsp. cinnamon and 4 tbsp. sugar and sprinkle over cookies.

Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, and no more. The cookies should still seem very soft when you remove them from the oven. Let cool on the pans for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire baking rack and let cool completely.

To Assemble:

Allow the ice cream to soften slightly. Spread it into an even layer about an inch think in a pie plate. Put it back into the freezer to set while making the cookies. 

Once the cookies are cool take the ice cream out of the freezer and using the same size cookie cutter, cut circles out of the ice cream. Lift them out using a small spatula and place the ice cream circle between two cookies. Press down slightly and wrap in wax paper. Put into an air tight container or ziplock bag in the freezer. Continue until all cookies and ice cream are used.

Source: deli-cute-essen

Lemon Sorbet

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Sometimes I just need to make something. Anything. I consider cooking a hobby of mine, and when the mood strikes, I just need to get in the kitchen. This feeling can come at any time, but no matter when it is, I am always determined to make something. Anything. Even if it doesn't really involve cooking.

It struck me this past Sunday morning, when I was sitting around getting ready to go to lunch. I only had about 45 minutes to spare, but I needed to make something. I had the itch and it just would not go away. I even get a little grumpy if I'm in the mood to make something and I don't get the chance to. Ask Chris. It's not a pretty sight!

I flipped through my Betty Crocker cookbook and found a ton of recipes that I wanted to make. All of them took a lot of preparation and even more cooking time, but then I came across this Lemon Sorbet recipe. I know it's fall, and in fall you're technically not supposed to be making sorbet, but it was hot and humid outside so I figured I could let it slide. This took maybe ten minutes to make and turned out fantastic. If you love lemonade, you need to give this a try! I topped mine with frozen blueberries and it was the perfect accompaniment. Your kids will love it, too!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (12 oz.) can lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 3 tbsp. honey
• Blueberries, fresh or frozen, optional
• Lemon slices, optional

Combine the lemonade, water and honey in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture in to an 8-inch square glass pan. Put the pan in the freezer and allow to freeze for at least 4 hours. Stir the mixture every half hour or so to make sure you get the sorbet consistency you want.

Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices.

Source: Betty Crocker Bonus Edition Cookbook