Spring Themed Sugar Cookies

Have I mentioned how happy I am to be back East?  It's glorious to see the explosion of life and color here in Arlington, Virginia.  Tulips and daffodils are everywhere and I was so envious of folks who'd planted bulbs last fall, I decided to buy a few dozen daffodil bulbs that were 50% off at a local garden center and planted them a few weeks ago as an experiment.  I did not have high hopes they'd bloom this spring, but lo and behold, I am beginning to see daffodils!

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see this.  I celebrated by pulling out my cookie and cake decorating box, selecting some pastel colored decorating sugars and mixing up a batch of sugar cookie dough.  (This made my boys happy about spring, too.)  Here is the recipe I remember from childhood, modified to suit my tastes. 

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup organic lightly salted butter, softened (don't melt it in the microwave - just let it sit out until it's soft)
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or maybe a touch more depending on your taste)
1 organic egg
2 3/4 cups of organic all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
colored decorating sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar and blend until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla and blend until incorporated.
2. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

3. While the stand mixer is running, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until fully mixed.
4. Roll the dough into balls roughly 1 inch in diameter.  Dip the top of each ball in some colored sugar and place the ball sugar-side up on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake approximately 8 minutes until the bottom of the cookie turns golden brown. (If you wait until the top is golden brown, the bottom will be dark brown and the cookie will taste burned.)

Makes about 48 sugar cookies.  If you want to use a cookie cutter rather than dough balls, chill the dough first for 30 minutes, then roll out.  The dough also freezes well, so you can make a few cookies at a time, fresh for dessert.

Enjoy!

Organic Gelato - Made In An Ice Cream Machine

Gelato differs from ice cream in a few different ways.

It's lower in fat since its milk to heavy cream ratio is higher.  It's lower in sugar.  It's taste is richer and texture is creamier.  And it's served at a higher temperature.  Gelato experts might argue that the experience is also different because it's blended at a slower rate than that employed by an ice cream maker - but you CAN make gelato in a regular ice cream maker.

Ultimately, and in my humble opinion, it's just plain better than ice cream.  And after a nine day trip this past summer to northern Italy, my kids agree.

Here's a great recipe for a gelato base.  To this, you would add whatever flavorings you like - chocolate, fruit, spices, extracts, etc. This recipe will make two batches - so you can make one batch tonight, refreeze your freezer drum, then make another batch tomorrow.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups organic milk
• 2 cups organic heavy cream
• 8 organic egg yolks
• 1 cup organic sugar

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, mix milk and cream. While stirring, heat until foamy. Remove from heat.
• In a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. With the mixer running, slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks. Blend another 30 seconds, then return the mixture to the saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. I know this is hard to gauge since heavy cream naturally coats a spoon, but it'll be hot and you'll sense additional thickness to the mixture.
• Pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl. Cover, and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker with desired flavorings and let the machine do its thing for about 25 minutes. Mixture will be slightly soft when done. If you're not ready to eat it right away, transfer it to a Pyrex bowl, cover and place in the freezer for two hours to firm up.
• Let it thaw 15 minutes before serving.

Additional ingredients and directions to achieve certain flavors, added to the ice cream machine unless otherwise specified:

Chocolate: ideally, you would add the following ingredients to the saucepan while it is simmering: 2 tablespoons cornstarch and either 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or 1 melted 4 oz bar of bittersweet chocolate; OR you could just add 2/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder directly to the ice cream maker.
Vanilla: ideally, the seeds from one vanilla bean, split lengthwise and added to the gelato base while it is simmering, then strained out before chilling; OR you could just add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the base when you first put it in the ice cream maker.
Stracciatella (the Italian version of chocolate chip): 4 ounces of melted bittersweet chocolate, drizzled into the ice cream maker in the last five minutes of churning.
Cinnamon: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup: 2/3 cup chopped up chocolate peanut butter cups, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Strawberry: 12 ounces of lightly pureed (in a blender so it's still a bit lumpy) strawberries.  You could do the same with banana, peaches, pears, raspberries or blackberries.  Optional: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Homemade Organic Chocolate Cream Pie Ice Cream

Love chocolate cream pie?  Check.
Love vanilla ice cream?  Check.
So why not combine them?  My kids would eat this every day if they could.

Ingredients

• 1 organic 9" frozen pie shell, cooked  at 400 degrees F until golden brown, then cooled to room temperature
• 1 package Dr. Oetker's organic chocolate pudding mix, cooked and chilled (requires 2 cups of organic milk)
• 1-1/4 cups organic granulated sugar
• 3 cups organic heavy cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a stand mixer (that's what I use), combine sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract.  Mix for about five minutes. 
2. Pour the combination into the ice cream maker's freezer bowl.  Add the chilled pudding. Turn the machine on and mix until the ice cream has thickened, about 25 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.  Line the bottom of a dish with 1 inch pieces of pie shell.  Spoon the ice cream on top and serve. 
3. If you want it to be a little firmer, line the bottom of a Pyrex bowl with 1 inch pieces of pie shell and spoon the ice cream on top of it.  Cover it with a lid and put it in the freezer for about two hours. Remove it from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Yum!

Chocolate Brownies

My boys love brownies.  I don't love all of the nonsense that's typically found in brownie mixes (but I have one organic favorite: Arrowhead Mills Brownie Mix.) 

I enjoy making my own.  Here is my recipe.  It's quick and easy and goes great with my homemade vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) organic butter, melted

6 tablespoons powdered cocoa

1 cup organic sugar

2 organic eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup organic flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

note: 1/2 cup halved walnuts optional. (If you only want them on part of the brownie batch - as my family does -  just sprinkle them on when the batter is in the pan.)

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, combine melted butter, cocoa and sugar (I melt the butter in a Pyrex dish in the microwave).  Blend well.
2. With mixer on low, add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
3. Add flour and mix until blended. 
4. Add walnuts (if you wish) and chocolate morsels. 
5. Pour into greased 9 x 9 inch baking dish. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Vanilla Ice Cream

We love ice cream, but we don't love high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial flavors.  And we don't like to pay up for organic brands.  So I make my own with my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.  Here is my recipe for vanilla ice cream.  It goes great with my chocolate brownies!  

  

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups organic whole milk

1-1/4 cups organic granulated sugar
3 cups organic heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a stand mixer (that's what I use), combine all ingredients.  Mix for about five minutes.
2. Pour into the combination into the ice cream maker's freezer bowl.  Turn the machine on and let mix until thickened, about 25 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. 
3. If you want it to be a little firmer, transfer it to a Pyrex bowl with a lid and put it in the freezer for about two hours. Remove it from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Serve this alone or with some homemade brownies and you will wow your friends and family!

Also, check out my recipe for chocolate ice cream, here.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate ice cream.  Big yawn, right?  Well, not if you've got a Cuisinart ice cream maker.  I started this chocolate ice cream (recipe courtesy of the Cuisinart website) while I was making dinner and it was ready by the time we were ready for dessert.  And it was SO good.  Creamy, chocolaty but not too sweet.  Serve yourself a scoop and don't think about the fat content.  Just enjoy.

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process preferred)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Turn machine on; pour mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 35 minutes (it's a fun show for the kids).

The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture (see left). 

If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. (The photo, right, is of tonight's batch just before I popped it in the freezer to firm up.)

Everyone in the family devoured it.

Oatmeal Spice Cookies

Fresh baked cookies are one of my kids' favorite treats.  Today I whipped up this batch of Oatmeal Spice cookies.   Note: raisins and chopped walnuts are optional.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened (to speed this up, I remove the wrapper, put it in a microwave-safe dish and nuke it for 30 seconds)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
• 3/4 cup softened, drained raisins (put them in a microwave-safe dish and nuke for 1 minute, then drain)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Microwave your raisins, if you choose to use them, drain and set them aside to cool.
3. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
4. One by one while still mixing, add the egg, vanilla, milk, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
5. Add the flour.  Once that is completely blended in, add the rolled oats, then the raisins and walnuts (if you choose to add them).
6. Using a teaspoon, slide spoonfuls of the dough onto your cookie sheet.  Bake until golden brown - remove them from the cookie sheet immediately so they don't overcook.
7. This recipe made 36 cookies and the cook time was about 10 minutes (I have a convection oven).  The key is to keep checking them so they don't overcook.

Enjoy!

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

Last night, my older son asked if we could make some homemade ice cream in our Cuisinart ice cream maker.  I asked him what flavor he'd enjoy and he said "cherry.  and watermelon."  So tonight I made cherry vanilla ice cream.  I'll make the watermelon ice cream in a few days, once I've mulled my approach.

Ingredients (not as high fat as your typical ice cream since I don't usually have heavy cream in my fridge)

• 2-1/2 cups 1% milk
• 1-1/8 cups (plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 2 cups half & half
• 1-1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup thawed, pitted, quartered cherries (I bought the organic frozen variety since they aren't in season for us)

Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the half & half and vanilla.
• Sautee the cherries with 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar until soft.
• Drain and combine cherries with the contents of the mixing bowl.
  Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. 
• The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. (I froze ours)

Seriously delicious!

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Avocado, watermelon, pumpkin - these are a few of my absolutely favorite foods. 

Pumpkin is a highly flexible fruit (yes, it's a fruit, not a vegetable!).  It can be made into bread, muffins (see my recipe here), gingerbread, cookies, pancakes, pudding, pumpkin butter, soup, ice cream, cheesecake, and, my favorite, pumpkin pie.  In my view, pumpkin pie even trumps strawberry shortcake, which I chose as my wedding cake because cakes can't be made out of pumpkin pie.  No, I'm actually not joking. 

Now we are now solidly into pumpkin pie season and there is a pumpkin pie in my refrigerator.  As a pumpkin pie connoisseur, you might logically expect me to share with you my favorite pumpkin pie recipe - so here it is!

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• one 15 ounce can 100% pure pureed pumpkin
• 12 ounces of half and half (I prefer this over evaporated milk)
• one 9-inch unbaked deep dish pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Stir in half and half. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F, then bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 2 hours, then serve immediately or refrigerate.

 Yum!!

Apple Pie Kefir Ice Cream

This past Thursday was my older child's first day of school. To celebrate, we went out for ice cream. As we walked from the car, we discussed what flavor he might like to have. His response was "pear!" I wasn't confident they would have such a gourmet flavor, so I mentioned that we could make our own pear ice cream sometime (though I'd never done it before!).

On the way back to the car, after he'd enjoyed his scoop of mint chocolate chip and I my cookies 'n cream, we bought an ice cream maker at Williams-Sonoma (which happened to be right where our car was parked - convenient!).

When we got home, I immediately opened the box, washed the mixing bowl and put it in the freezer (it's filled with a fluid and needs to freeze completely before you can make your frozen treats).

The next day, I decided to just go for it. But I did not have any pears. I examined my refrigerator and freezer and discovered: 1 bottle of vanilla low-fat kefir, 4 organic gala apples and some frozen all natural pie crust. So I decided to make:

Apple Pie Kefir Ice Cream (2 quarts)



Ingredients:

4 organic gala apples
4 cups of vanilla low-fat organic kefir
2 cups of low-fat organic milk
3/4 cup granulated organic sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp organic butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 all natural pie crust

Directions:

1. Keep the ice cream maker's mixing bowl in the freezer until the last second before you use it.
2. Peel, core and dice the apples. In a saucepan, melt some butter and add the apples, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, occasionally stirring, until the apples are soft. Taste test to ensure the seasoning is as you like it. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown. Remove and let cool to room temperature.
4. Strain the apple mixture and place it in a large bowl. Add the milk, kefir, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Taste test to see if you need to add more cinnamon or nutmeg. Mix this all together.
5. Remove the ice cream maker's mixing bowl from the freezer and put it in the ice cream machine. Put your ice cream mixture in the bowl, put the mixing arm in and the top on. Run until the mixture thickens (about 30 minutes).
6. Break up the pie crust and scatter it at the bottom of a Pyrex storage container. Scoop the ice cream out of the mixing bowl and put on top of the crust. Smooth the top and put the covered container into the freezer until you want to serve it.
7. When you serve it, don't forget to scoop some crust from the bottom!

My family LOVED this.

Postscript: If you plan to freeze this and serve it another day, allow 5 minutes for it to thaw -- it does freeze quite hard. Alternatively, you could make this into wonderful popsicles!