Hazelnut Mocha Ice Cream

It is pretty peculiar, I confess, but even though I do not drink coffee and cannot even stand the smell of it brewing, I am a sucker for coffee flavored desserts, ice cream being definitely one of them. I also happen to be a huge fan of hazelnuts... So, that's where this Hazelnut Mocha Ice Cream comes in and it took all of two days for it to completely disappear from our freezer. Apparently, Mommy's kiddos are hazelnut-mocha aficionados as well. :) My Mom, a.k.a. Baba, enjoyed a nice serving of it too. So, if you love coffee and the flavor of hazelnuts, I strongly urge you to make a batch of this ice cream right now. Once you have a taste, you will be singing it your own praises too!

 

Hazelnut Mocha Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1 cup hazelnut coffee creamer
1 cup milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. instant coffee granules
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together hazelnut creamer, milk, sugar, instant coffee granules, and salt until sugar and coffee have fully dissolved. Mix in whipping cream. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until chilled.

Once chilled, pour into your ice cream maker and process following manufacturer's instructions. My ice cream maker takes about 25-30 minutes to produce soft serve ice cream. You can enjoy it right away, or if you prefer it firmer, transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

That's it! I hope you give it a try! It is unbelievably good! :)



Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Here is an ice cream for all peanut butter lovers! My kids gobbled it up pretty quickly and have already requested more. :) This particular recipe is actually made with raw eggs, so what I do is "coddle" them first to kill any bacteria that might be in them. If you are wondering how to coddle an egg, it really is very simple: pour boiling water over a room temperature egg for a minute and then right after that transfer it to an ice water bath for two minutes. That's it! You've got a coddled egg! :) Now you can rest easy about proceeding with the rest of the recipe. And trust me, it is worth the extra step- for peace of mind, and for the delicious result that you will be enjoying once you are done making this heavenly peanut butter frozen delight.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 eggs, coddled using the method described above
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup peanut butter (you can use creamy or chunky, depending on your preference)

Directions:
Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until pale in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the sugar, and whisk until completely dissolved and blended, another 2 minutes. Pour in the cream milk, and vanilla extract, and whisk to blend. Pour about 1 cup of this mixture to a separate bowl and whisk in the peanut butter, a little at a time. Return the peanut butter mixture to the remaining cream base and stir until well blended. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, pour in your ice cream maker and process following the manufacturer's instructions. Enjoy right away as soft serve ice cream or freeze for about 2 hours to let it "ripen" and acquire a firmer consistency.

Recipe adapted from "Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book" by BEn Cohen and Jerry Greenfield with Nancy J. Stevens

Vanilla Ice Cream

The classic of all classics- Vanilla Ice Cream! This recipe is rich, luscious, creamy, and unbelievably  easy! It shines all on its own but is also terrific as an accompaniment to all kinds of desserts in summertime or throughout the year. We are simply in love... :)

Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup half-and-half
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Whisk whipping cream and sugar in a mixing bowl or large measuring cup until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour in half-and-half and vanilla extract and whisk to blend.

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions. Mine usually takes about 25-30 minutes to produce ice cream at the soft serve stage. If you prefer a firmer consistency, move the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 2 hours or overnight.

Makes 1 delicious quart. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from "Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Dessert Book" by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield with Nancy Stevens

Apricot Cake

 

 

I made this dessert for us a couple of weekends ago when we were expecting company and it turned out beautiful and delicious! It was also a breeze to prepare! I made it with apricots but really, it can be made with any kind of fruit such as peaches, plums, berries, etc or even a combination of different kinds. It is very simple in that it does not require a frosting, just a sprinkling of powdered sugar would be enough. I served it with some homemade vanilla ice cream (stay tuned for that recipe in a post coming up soon!) and it was a killer combination! My kids raved! I am sure it will get rave reviews in your family if you make it. Go ahead- whip it up, you can thank me for it later. :) I send my special thanks to Crafty cooking by Anna where I found the original recipe (which I adapted slightly).

 



Apricot Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract 
about 2 cups pitted and chopped fresh apricots  (or peaches, plums, berries, etc- any fruit you prefer, or a combination of several different kinds)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.

Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan, or an 8x8 inch square pan, or any baking dish of similar size.

In a medium size bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, milk, oil and vanilla extract.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined and flour pockets are gone. Do not overmix! Mix about 1 1/2 cup of the fruit into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Decorate the top with the rest of the fruit.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Start checking after 25 min. Baking time may vary depending on your baking dish, your altitude, oven, etc. Do not overbake- cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes our clean. Cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Enjoy!





 

Recipe adapted from "Crafty Cooking by Anna": https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.835685949775346.1073741911.753830617960880&type=1



Strawberry Ice Cream

 



What better treat than delicious homemade strawberry ice cream on a hot summer day? Now that strawberries are in season, the flavor of this ice cream is all the more mouth-watering and irresistible!



This is an all-natural recipe that doesn't use any food dyes or artificial flavors- it boasts pure strawberry flavor that comes exclusively from fresh, juicy local strawberries. It is simply divine!



Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
3 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb fresh strawberries





Directions:
Pour heavy cream and milk in medium size saucepan. Bring to a simmer on medium heat- not a full boil, just tiny little bubbles around the edges of the pan. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Watch that it doesn't boil!

In the meantime, using your electric mixer, cream eggs and sugar in a separate bowl. Whisk until pale in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

When the cream/milk mixture is hot, pour about 1/2 cup of it into the egg mixture and continue whisking. Add another 1/2 cup and whisk again. This ensures that the eggs are "tempered" and do not curdle. Now, add all of the egg mixture back to the saucepan with the rest of the cream/milk and whisk while on medium heat until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Once it reaches the stage when it can coat the back of a wooden spoon, bring down from the heat. Add vanilla extract and salt. Mix in to incorporate.

Pour the custard over a bowl through a fine mesh sieve, so you can remove any possible lumps. Cover with plastic wrap, laying it directly on top of the custard to avoid a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least 5-6 hours, or overnight (that's what I do).

***

When ready to use custard base, stem and hull your strawberries and puree them in a food processor or blender. If you do not like little strawberry seeds in your ice cream, run the puree through a fine mesh sieve (I do not bother with this step, as I don't mind strawberry seeds :). Mix strawberry puree and custard base until nicely incorporated.

Add mixture to your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Mine usually takes about 25 minutes to come to a nice soft-serve stage which is the favorite consistency in our family. If you prefer your ice cream firmer, freeze for about 1 hour or more.

Note: Due to the water content in the strawberry puree, this ice cream tends to harden up considerably while in the freezer, so you may need to leave it out on your counter for about 10 minutes or so before being able to scoop and enjoy. Soft or firm, I am sure you will love it if you give it a try! It is a definite favorite around here! :)