Butter Pecan Ice Cream

I warned you it would happen. And here it is. One of many ice cream escapades to come. With the new ice cream maker and my inborn obsession with ice cream, you can expect to see a lot more of this in the very near future.

Because, let me tell you, I love ice cream. Truly. Madly. And deeply. In fact, that Savage Garden song actually explains our relationship perfectly.

My boyfriend told me he was finally sure I actually liked him when I grudgingly gave him a bite of my ice cream at Dairy Queen after about a year of dating. The true test of affection? Whether or not you'll share your cone. That's love right there.

And homemade is always so much better than anything from the store. Sorry Breyers, but I have you beat. I've never been a fan of butter pecan in my life, until I made this upon my Grandma's request. The lady did just turn 80, so I thought I'd give her what she wanted! And I was so glad I tried this recipe, adapted from my Aunt Becky's.

{Butter Pecan Ice Cream}
Ingredients:
6 eggs (I used egg beaters, 1 package)
2 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 pint half & half
1/2 pint whipping cream
6 TB vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Approximately 1 qt. whole or regular milk
3 cups pecans, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter

Directions: Beat the first 7 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour into ice cream container and add milk to the fill line. Stir. Follow directions for your ice cream freezer to make the ice cream. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 1 stick of butter. Add pecans and stir constantly, until the pecans are soft. Allow to cool.

When the ice cream is done, pour in the pecans and any extra sauce from the butter and pecan mixture. Stir, then place in freezer to harden for at least 2 hours. Makes 1 gallon of buttery creamy nutty goodness. The three cups of pecans make it very nutty, so if you prefer more ice cream to nut ratio, use 2 cups. It tastes just as good after pulling out of the freezer a few days later, if you have any left over.

White Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

You are going to start noticing a few themes here. Besides chocolate and brown sugar. These themes will be showing up consistently over the next few weeks, months or years, I'm betting. So I hope you like:

1. Ice cream. With the appearance of a brand new ice cream maker in our house, plans to buy the new Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams cookbook, a humid Ohio summer and a girl who's in LOVE with ice cream, what else would you expect?

2. Cookie dough. Because it is amazing. And I've recently discovered an eggless version that tastes just like the real thing, so no risk! Bonus.

3. Cupcakes. I recently took a trip to Chicago with my best friends and there were so many cupcake shops! They inspired me with their cute little icings and surprising flavors.
We went to Molly's Cupcakes (they have swings!) and got these:

We chose chocolate chip cookie dough, red velvet and lemon meringue.

Almost too pretty to eat!

I fell in love with cupcakes, a dessert I previously gave far too little attention. So, today I began my cupcake-making quest, starting out as a beginner with a lot to learn. Eventually I'll master the red velvet and chocolate chip cookie dough, but today I decided to keep it simple and unpolished.

White Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Icing
For the Cupcakes
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup crisco
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

Mix all ingredients except the egg whites. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites for 2 minutes. Beat into the other ingredients.

Pour into cupcake tin, 2/3 full. Don't overfill or you'll end up with a mess!


Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.



For the frosting
Ingredients:
2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped







Directions:
Cream butter and brown sugar, then beat in the powdered sugar. Add in other ingredients. Fold in chopped up chocolate chips. Apply liberally to cooled cupcakes. I went for the rustic look and just used a spatula to frost the cupcakes.

I couldn't resist adding chocolate, what a surprise

These cupcakes are sweet and almost caramelly with all the brown sugar. The bittersweet chocolate in the icing evens out the sweetness. I don't know Molly's, I may beat you yet.

Spicy Baked Pita Chips

 I used to think I hated hummus. It's gritty. It's goupy. It's a weird brownish-beige color. It's made out of something foreign called chick peas. Hummus was not my thing.

Then I finally actually tried it. And, what do you know, loved it. Especially with delicious food to dip in it.

In honor of how awesome hummus is, I made some baked pita chips to accompany it. Because store bought just doesn't cut it these days.

Spicy Baked Pita Chips
Ingredients:
12 pitas (white or whole wheat)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch of seasoning salt
fresh chives

Directions: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pitas into triangles. Mix olive oil and spices together, then brush over pitas. Try to cover every surface, but don't overdo it. They should be covered, not soaked. Put them on a pan and pop them in the oven for about 7 minutes or until they start to brown. They will burn fast, so keep an eye on them. 

Chocolate Mousse

 I'm going to a wedding tomorrow, and I need to look good in my dress. So what do I do? Decide to make a decadent dessert that I can't stop eating, right in time for that dress.

Oops.

I'm actually not that sorry. Some things are more important in life. Like chocolate. 

Intense Chocolate Mousse

4 egg yolks
2 TB sugar
pinch of salt
1 TB goat cheese (this adds a rich creamy flavor and a little tanginess, so good. Omit if you like)
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 TB cocoa powder (I used special dark)
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions: In a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt until it warms and the sugar dissolves completely. There should be no sugar granules.

Add the cocoa, chocolate and goat cheese to the mixture and whisk until it is all melted and combined. Let cool. In a separate bowl, whip the cream. Fold into the chocolate mixture.

Place in two serving dishes or ramekins. I just got these beauties at an estate sale, love them so much.

Cover with seran wrap and place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours. The more time the better. When you are ready, take them out, put a dollop of whipped cream on top and maybe some extra chocolate, for good measure.

Dress shmesh. This is so worth it.

Cornies

These little guys said hello to me this morning.

Cornies, or cornmeal pancakes, are a classic in my family. They grace the breakfast table for every birthday or special occasion and on most Sunday mornings. They signify a treat, a welcome break from cereal, and most importantly, comfort.

They are simple and not at all gourmet. But they are oh so good.

On this pollen-infused Wednesday morning, I needed something wonderful. Something that doesn't require a lot of thought or movement from that huge sinusy mess that used to be my brain. Pancakes will make everything right in the world. Cornies it is.

Ingredients:
All you need is a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, which usual sells for under 25 cents at the store. Add in:

1 egg
2 TB shortening
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 TB corn meal

Necessity: REAL maple syrup
Optional additions: butter, pecans, blueberries

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Heat griddle to 350 and grease lightly. Pour batter onto griddle by large spoonfuls. Flip when bubbles appear.

The most important ingredient for this morning treat is, of course, real maple syrup. I happen to be a syrup snob, but trust me, it makes a huge difference. Look at that golden beauty:

Drizzle (who am I kidding, the proper verb is drench) the syrup on the cakes and dig in!

Family secret: mash the cornies. So much better that way!