Non-Tea Chai-Spiced Coconut Ice Cream

Okay, so this one IS a recipe post.  An ice cream recipe post, to be exact.  And I know this doesn't always apply to a lot of people, because not everyone owns an ice cream machine.  But it is worth the purchase, I promise you.  There's nothing quite like eating ice cream that you made yourself.  And you can make it EXACTLY how you want it--all of your own desired flavors.  It's so. much. fun.

I once made a thin mint ice cream.  It was exactly as delicious as you'd imagine.

And I'm envisioning a s'mores ice cream... The recipe idea hasn't quite been perfected yet, but you'll be the first to know.  Of course.

I'm a non-tea drinker.  Partly because it's against my religion, but in larger part due to the fact that I think most teas, even the ones we Mormons CAN drink, taste like watered down herbs.  If I'm in the mood, that can work.  But I'm rarely in that mood.

That being said, I once had a sip of a chai tea (a kind that we are asked not to drink), and I about died because, of course, it was delicious.  I tried to make spiced milk that tasted like chai tea soon after that experience, but I think I hadn't quite mastered the art of a steamer and it came out terrible.

But!  I'm better at cooking now.  And I found this recipe for chai coconut ice cream, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.  And so!  I made my own version that was non-tea.

Bonus:  my version is also lower fat and lower sugar.  You're welcome!  Although, I did change the sugar content a little bit.  The original recipe called for all honey, and I used some honey and some brown sugar, because honey can get expensive when you're just throwing cups at a time into recipes.  And I'm into saving money.

Non-Tea Chai-Spiced Coconut Ice Cream
About a quart (we got about 10-12 servings)
Adapted from Cookie and Katie

1 can full fat coconut milk
1 can lite coconut milk
1/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. honey
1/3 c. plus 1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix together all ingredients in a large pot.  Warm it over medium heat on the stovetop, and whisk vigorously until all spices are incorporated, sugar and honey is dissolved, and any solid coconut cream is completely melted into the mixture.

Pour into a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.   Be sure to taste it at this point and make any adjustments you like, whether you want to taste more spice, or make it a little sweeter.  Refrigerate the mixture until completely cooled through, usually at least an hour or two.

Whisk the cooled mixture, and pour into your ice cream maker.  Follow the directions of your ice cream maker accordingly.  Once frozen through, transfer into a tupperware and keep in the freezer for the ice cream to set up further.

We served this alongside some coconut butter cookies, and that was incredible.  I'd also recommend mixing in some crumbled ginger cookies, if you like a good crunch in your ice cream.
Husband said he thinks this should be served over a brownie, but I think that's just because, for him, a dessert isn't a dessert without chocolate.

Enjoy!

Homemade Croissants

This isn't a recipe post.  Heaven forbid I try to improve upon the methods of the great Joe Pastry. 

Instead, it's more of a call to arms.

(I can't say that without hearing 30 Seconds to Mars in my head)

 It's a call to arms to break out your rolling pin and flour on a Saturday morning.

 To be brave and believe that you have what it takes to make a flaky French pastry.

To eat something fresh and homemade while the morning sun streams in your window.

I'm sure not everyone gets the same meditative joy in rolling out and shaping dough as I do.

But if you do, please make this croissant dough.  It will change your life.

Make it on an evening when you have a couple of hours, then package it in plastic wrap.

And when you wake up on Saturday morning, you have the dough ready for you.

There's nothing quite as satisfying as this.

And if you need a dough-making partner...?  Well, I'm out of dough.  And I love any excuse to make more.

peeeeeeeanut butter!

when i got married, i knew the biggest issue brian and i would have would be what kind of cookies we baked. i die for chocolate chip and brian loves peanut butter. peanut butter cookies have never been a thing i've enjoyed. i just think of the flat dry ones served to me by lunchrooms and well-meaning babysitters. they seemed like a waste of a cookie and i could not see the appeal.

but then! i found this recipe and it might just be the thing that helps us stay married. (i say, a couple who eats baked goods together, stays together)

firstly, these are ALL the ingredients. easy.

 

secondly, you get to chop chocolate. which is one of my favorite things to chop. especially when it's dark chocolate.

 

thirdly, this recipe is so easy. and it doesn't have any flour or white sugar! brown sugar is healthy, right? even if it's not....look!

look at how beautiful they are! these cookies are so chewy and moist. (i think i'm one of the few people who doesn't have issues with the word moist) and look at those hunks of chocolate!

word on the street is that we made a dozen cookies and only two lived to see morning...but i can't verify if that's true or not. (it is)

recipe found on averie cooks. click it, make it, eat (ten of) them.

 

lacy, out.

Almond Chocolate Kringle

You. guys.

I just... I can't even explain the beauty of kringles.  And the magic (and danger) of finally learning how to make laminated dough pastries.   I can make my own croissants!  Croissaaaaaaants.

And kringle.  You can learn all about kringle from Joe Pastry right here.  He has quickly become my favorite baking intellectual and among the top of my list for food bloggers.  His blog is smart.  He just spells out the WHYS of baking and pastry making.  Why you have to knead and roll, how to do it, which way to turn the dough.  He's brilliant.

Alright, so clearly, my pastry is not as beautiful as Joe's. But the flavor is buttery and rich, and the texture is crisp and flaky.  I never knew I could do this in my home kitchen.

The dough is pretty standard.  You've got your milk and yeast; flour, eggs, sugar, and salt.  Make it into a good dough ball (not like that shaggy mess above.  That's only halfway done.)

Ooh, but the fun part comes with the butter.  See the picture above on the bottom right?  That.  is butter and flour, pounded together with a rolling pin.  You take all your aggression out til your butter is a near play-dough consistency from the flour being incorporated.

And THEN you fold the giant butter pat into your dough.

Isn't that cool?  That right there, plus a whole lot of rolling and folding to follow, is how your croissants and flaky pastries get so flaky!  I love the chemistry and science of the kitchen.

Joe fills his kringle with a raisin filling, but in this house, we're more of a chocolate family.  But you can't put straight chocolate into a pastry that needs to be baked so long!  It'll seize up.  So that creamy layer you see?  That's an almond cream.  And I topped that with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.  It was the perfect combination for our tastes.

Joe also tops his kringle with sliced almonds, which is beautiful.  But we didn't have them.  So the first time around, I went with a simple streudel.

Look at this crisp, flaky, almond-cream-filled, chocolatey beauty!

And guess what's awesome?  Joe's recipe makes enough dough for TWO kringles.  Because we so quickly finished the first kringle, I made the second a mere few days later.

And we topped the second one with a simple mixture of ground toasted almonds and walnuts.

I could eat this every. day. for the rest of my life.

movie and snack review. staying-in style.

you know those weekends where you have lots of plans and errands and people to see and many to-do items to check off your list?

 

this was not one of those weekends. my one and singular plan was to make a ho-made (malad joke..) pie. i read up on pie crust to try and ease my fears and part of brian and i's friday night was spent purchasing the needed ingredients. (and a frozen pizza for dinner. we do things classy at our house).

 

i know you're at the edge of your computer chair wondering if i failed at pie crust. so i'm just going to tell you i did not make a pie. i was sick on the couch all weekend, and while visions of raspberry crumble pie danced in my head, there was no willpower to get my butt off the couch and standing in the kitchen.

 

so what, you may be asking, is this post even going to be about if not a delicious pie? firstly, it will be about peanut butter bites and secondly, it will be about movie reviews.

 

 via - how sweet eats

 

let's be real. i didn't take that picture. (but the blogger who did is amaaazing and you should follow her now. finder's fee goes to ashley) i was going to take a picture of the first batch i made but then....i ate them all. and then i made a second batch! but we had people over on friday and they helped eat all but three. (which was the point of me making them, so no hard feelings) i figured three peanut butter bites would make a pretty pathetic photo so....i ate them. are you seeing a pattern?

 

these bites can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes and are full of good stuff like oats and flaxseed. the recipe also calls for chia seeds but i wasn't willing to shell out that much money this time around. i'm considering doing variations on these with cookie butter and crushed up pretzels, or nutella instead of peanut butter.

 

check out jessica's original post and marvel at the rest of her pretty pictures and her hilarity (it includes the line “touch my balls and you’re dead” if that sparks your interest). then make a double batch. thank me whenever.

 

 

since my entire weekend was spent on the couch, we did get some movie watching done. i had already seen pitch perfect in theaters with ashley, but i've basically been wanting to watch it again since we drove out of the parking lot.

 

guys. just watch this. it's great. i laughed. brian laughed. the cats slept.

wins all around.

 

 

 i loved this movie. i think anyone could enjoy it, but it's extra relevant for anyone attending or who has attended college. a guy who graduated ten plus years ago can't quite move past his time at school and then elizabeth olsen shows up......conflict! ok, it's way better than i made it sound, but i'm finding out doing movie reviews might not be one of my strengths.

 

also weird side note, i really like elizabeth olsen's face. she's pretty in a really interesting way. feel free to chime in and agree with me so i don't feel like such a creeper.

.........

 

here's to sick weekends and eating too much peanut butter!