Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

I almost didn't post this one. It has good flavor but it took a long, long time to completely set up. It isn't a custard based ice cream, but one that is a simple mixture of heavy cream, sugar, milk, crushed candy canes, chopped bittersweet chocolate and chopped white chocolate.
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Again, good flavor but I think next time I would make a traditional vanilla ice cream and add the separate add-ins.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Peppermint Bark Ice Cream.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

I made these cookies, thinking they'd maybe make it on my Christmas cookie plate later. Yeah, maybe. There are just so many cookies I'd like to make, so now that I've made these they might be out of my system, no matter how good they were. They were good! I found the recipe because I knew they'd be similar to Panera's cookies.

The first batch came out too dry. I overbaked. They were so soft to the touch that I kept adding minutes and more minutes to the baking time. Mistake. I guess they set a bit after you pull them out, more so than other kinds of cookies. So I learned. I made them smaller with the next batch and took them out earlier. They were crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside. Yum. And so minty!

Click here for the stolen recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies.

Birthday Red Velvet Cake & Ice Cream

I had an opportunity to make a layer cake! I was so excited. I tend to make cupcakes and other desserts that are easily transported. A layer cake! So exciting.

This recipe made THREE layers but the third layer put this over the top. The dome of my cake stand wouldn't even fit over the third layer so I took it off, to my husband's delight. He was then able to have a small piece of the cake early :)

The cake was RED. Really a beautiful red. My husband really, really liked this cake. It was moist and delicious. He even mentioned that maybe I should make this again for Father's Day. I think he'll change his mind and ask for his favorite chocolate cake. We'll see :)

This cake was one of the easiest cakes I've ever made. It was simply mixing the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, and then baking! The amount of red food color concerns me (a 1 ounce bottle) but I think it's normal for red velvet.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Red Velvet Cake.

I took this first picture as I was frosting the cake. I wanted to take a picture of the inside.


Frosted. Plain but just enough.


The third layer that didn't make it into the birthday cake. I also had a small piece before the birthday girl came over. I don't think I admitted that to her!


Birthday cake and ice creams. I didn't mean to show off and make TWO ice cream flavors but I really wanted the mint ice cream (see earlier post) and then I thought the chocolate ice cream would go well with the red velvet. So that is why there are two ice creams. No one complained! I've made the Chocolate Ice Cream before- it is the BEST chocolate ice cream I think I've ever had. My friend mentioned that it was creamy and rich, nothing like store-bought.



Happy Birthday, Friend!

Fresh Mint Ice Cream

The fresh mint must have been calling to me at the grocery store. I wasn't looking for it, I've never seen it before (fresh), and I didn't have a recipe in mind but I grabbed it. I just knew that I would make ice cream. My favorite ice cream in the world is mint chocolate chip.

I turned to David Lebovitz and the Perfect Scoop. Of course he had a mint ice cream recipe! Woohooo!

I knew it would be good. Very good. I don't think I've ever tasted a fresh mint taste like this ever. I just churned the ice cream a few hours ago and I just couldn't wait for it to harden a bit more so I had a scoop. It was a little melty but so creamy. And you know that green color that grocery store ice cream has? Mine is only slightly green. It's actually more cream colored. It doesn't matter. I am just in love with the ice cream.

I need to find out if mint is available year-round. If it's just a seasonal thing I better get my fill NOW!



I used the recipe from my Perfect Scoop cookbook but I found the recipe online.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Fresh Mint Ice cream. I added a few handfuls of mini chocolate chips, my only variation from the recipe.