Raspberry Mint Sorbet

Ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid + raspberry picking = this recipe is perfect.
I did not strain out the seeds, which added a nice texture to the sorbet.

yield: ~1 quart

ingredients

1C water

1C sugar

¼C mint leaves (I used chocolate-mint leaves)

3C fresh raspberries

¼C lemon juice

directions

1. Freeze bowl of ice cream maker for at least 24 hours.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the water, sugar, and mint.
3. Whisk occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved; remove from heat before the mixture starts to boil.
4. Cover the pan and allow the mixture to steep at room temperature for ~30 minutes.
5. Place the mixture in the refrigerator.
6. In a blender or food processor, puree the raspberries and lemon juice until smooth.
7. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Strain the mint leaves from the mint syrup mixture.
9. Whisk the raspberry puree into the mint syrup bowl.
10. Pour the mixture into the ice cream make and freeze according to the manufacturer's instruction.
11. Enjoy!

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

Whoa chocolate. Whoa.

yield: 12 cupcakes

ingredients
for ganache filling
2oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼C heavy cream
1 tbs powdered sugar

for cupcakes
3oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
⅓C unsweetened cocoa powder
¾C hot coffee
¾C bread flour
¾C sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
6 tbs vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

for frosting
1 ¼C salted butter, room temperature
1C powdered sugar
¾C unsweetened cocoa powder
¾C light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
8oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

directions

1. for ganache: place chocolate, heavy cream, and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
2. Heat in the microwave on high powder, 20-30 seconds until the mixture is warm to touch.
3. Whisk until smooth.
4. Refrigerate, no longer than 30 minutes.
5. for cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners (or cooking spray).
7. Add chocolate and cocoa powder in the bowl of a stand mixer.
8. Pour hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth.
9. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
10. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
11. Add the oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture, beating on medium speed until smooth.
12. Slowly add the flour mixture, beat on medium speed until smooth.
13. Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full. 
14. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon of the ganache filling on top of each cupcake.
15. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch.
16. Let cupcakes cool completely.
17. for frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and cocoa powder on medium speed for two minutes.
18. Scrape sides of the bowl.
19. Add corn syrup and vanilla extract, beat on medium speed until well combined.
20. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth.
21. Beat on medium-high speed for four minutes.
22. Pipe frosting on to cooled cupcakes.
23. Enjoy!

Chocolate Bourbon Pie

When choosing what pies I was making for a birthday party, I decided that for a guy that likes both chocolate and bourbon I couldn't go wrong with a chocolate bourbon pie.

My husband's feelings on this were "ooooh rich chocolate. and then ooooo bourbon". Take that as you will.

yield: one 9" pie

ingredients

1 refrigerated pie crust

2oz semisweet chocolate chips

1C (2 sticks) salted butter, cold

½C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½C sugar

3 tbs Lyle's golden syrup

3 tbs sour cream

4 eggs, room temperature

1 egg yolk, room temperature

¼C bourbon

1 tsp vanilla extract

directions

1. Bake pie crust according to package directions. Let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 325°.
3. In a heatproof bowl (or double boiler), melt chocolate and butter.
4. Remove from heat, add cocoa and whisk until blended.
5. Add sugar, syrup, and sour cream; whisk until blended.
6. Whisk in eggs, egg yolk, bourbon, and vanilla until just combined.
7. Pour into pie crust.
8. Place pie shield (or aluminum foil) over the crust and edges of the pan.
9. Bake for 40-42 minutes, until the edges are slightly puffed and the center of the filling jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
10. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
11. Cover until ready to serve.
12. Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

My husband's thoughts on this pie recipe were "So limey. Good, but so limey."

yield: one 9" pie

ingredients

1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks

2 tsp Key Lime zest

½C Key Lime juice

1 (9") graham cracker piecrust

1C whipping cream

3 tbs powdered sugar

Key Lime slices for garnish (if you want a garnish!)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, zest, and juice until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into the pie crust.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until pie is set.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Beat whipping cream at high speed for 2-3 minutes, until soft peaks form.
7. Slowly add powdered sugar, beat for another minute.
8. Top pie with the whipped cream.
9. Garnish if desired.
10. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pie

This recipe is the perfect summertime, not too sweet, not too tart pie recipe.

The original recipe called for fresh blueberries, but I had a ton of frozen ones on hand so that is what I used!

yield: one 9" pie

ingredients

1 refrigerate pie crust

6C frozen blueberries

1 ½C granulated sugar

½C water

6 tbs cornstarch

2 tbs salted butter, cold

2 tbs lemon juice

directions

1. Bake pie crust according to directions on the package. Let cool.
2. Combine 3C of blueberries with the sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan.
3. Pour water on top of blueberry mixture.
4. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil.
5. Once mixture boils, cook for 2 more minutes.
6. Remove pan from heat; stir in butter and lemon juice.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes.
8. Fold in the remaining blueberries.
9. Pour mixture into cooled pie crust.
10. Chill for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
11. Enjoy!

Fresh Mint Ice Cream

I have the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer and I also have two mint plants on my deck (orange-mint and chocolate-mint).
This recipe utilized both perfectly.
While the ice cream didn't thicken in the ice cream maker as much as I expected, but after some quality time in the freezer it hardened up just fine and was pretty damn delicious.

yield: ~1 quart ice cream

ingredients
2C 2% milk
1C half-and-half
20 fresh mint leaves (I used chocolate-mint leaves)
¾C turbinado sugar
dash of salt
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

directions

1. Make sure the freezer bowl for the ice cream maker has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
2. Combine milk, half-and-half, and mint leaves in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.
3. Heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges (~180°), but do not let it boil.
4. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes to let the mint steep.
5. Using a slotted spoon, fish out the mint leaves and discard them.
6. In a new bowl, combine sugar, salt, and egg yolks; stir with a whisk until the mixture is pale.
7. Gradually add egg mixture to the milk mixture, while stirring constantly with a whisk.
8. Cook over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes (or to 160°), stirring constantly.
9. Pour the mixture into a bowl, stir in vanilla extract.
10. Place the bowl in the fridge until the mixture cools completely, stirring occasionally.
11. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
12. To harden the ice cream a little more, pour into a freezer-safe container and stick it in the freezer for a few hours.
13. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't think you can go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie recipe, but this particular recipe goes very very right.

yield: ~48 cookies

ingredients
2C minus 2 tbs cake flour
1 ⅔C bread flour
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ sticks salted butter
1 ¼C brown sugar
1C + 2 tbs sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ lbs bittersweet chocolate chips or disks
sea salt

directions

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
6. Drop in chocolate pieces and carefully incorporate them.
7. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours.
8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°.
9. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. 
10. Scoop 1½ tablespoon mounds of dough onto baking sheet.
11. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
12. Bake until golden brown but still soft, 10-12 minutes.
13. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto a cooling rack.
14. Enjoy! 

Potato Pizza Crust

We love pizza in our house and I am constantly on the hunt for new recipes.
This recipe resulted in a tasty, but not fully sturdy pizza crust alternative.

yield: 9" pizza crust

ingredients
2C grated raw potatoes, firmly packed
½ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
¼C grated onion
vegetable oil

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Spray a 9" pie pan with cooking spray.
3. Place row potatoes in a colander and salt; let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Squeeze out water from potatoes
5. Mix potatoes, egg, and onion in a small bowl.
6. Pat into pie pan, building up the sides.
7. Bake for 20 minutes and then brush with oil to help crispen the crust.
8. Bake for 20 additional minutes.
9. Add pizza sauce and toppings. (Sauce makes this crust less sturdy than if you use sliced tomatoes).
10. Bake for ~10 minutes, until cheese is golden.
11. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting.
12. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

For as much as I love peanut butter, I have never been a fan of peanut butter cookies.

But, this recipe for soft and chewy peanut butter cookies was a huge hit at a BBQ last weekend.

yield: ~28 cookies

ingredients

½C salted butter, room temperature

½C brown sugar

¼C sugar

1 egg, room temperature

¾C creamy peanut butter 

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking soda

1 ¼C all-purpose flour

directions

1. Preheat oven in 350°.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium speed.
3. Mix in peanut butter, egg, and vanilla; scrape down sides as needed.
4. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour, until just mixed.
5. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll about 1½ tablespoons of dough into a ball.
7. Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet or silpat.
8. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will be soft and may appear not fully cooked.
9. Press fork down slightly on each cookie.
10. Let cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
11. Enjoy!

Berry Cobbler

Last month, I went berry picking for the first time ever and then went on a hunt for some recipes to take advantage of our haul.
I opted for this recipe and it was delicious....particularly when paired with vanilla bean ice cream!

ingredients
for berry filling
2lbs mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and black raspberries)
3 tbs lemon juice
½C sugar
2 tbs cornstarch
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

for cobbler topping
2 ¼C all-purpose flour
½C brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
6 tbs chilled, salted butter, cut into ½" pieces
1 egg
¾C heavy cream
3 tbs sugar

directions

1. for berry filling: Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Lightly butter a 9"x13" baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, combine the berry filling ingredients; toss to coat the berries evenly.
4. Pour berry mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
5. for cobbler topping: In another bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
6. Scatter the butter pieces over the top of the mixture and use a pastry blender (or 2 knives, or your hands) cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream.
8. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring and tossing with a fork until the topping mixture holds together.
9. Place large scoops of the topping evenly over the berries, leaving 1" border uncovered around the edge of the dish.
10. Sprinkle sugar over the top.
11. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
12. Bake until the top is golden brown and the berry filling is bubbling, about 35 minutes.
13. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
14. Enjoy!