Mango Coconut Ice Cream (Dairy free)

Being off of Facebook for a while means *cough* that I spend more time on my other social media.  As I scroll through my Pinterest feed I keep coming across these alternative ice cream recipes.  I guess ice cream is just so good that even sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo -you name it- people must have their own version.  And that's fine with me. :)  I've tried the banana ice cream a number of times with varying degrees of success.  The raw cashew version looked great, but who keeps raw cashews in stock?!  So when I came across this delightful looking coconut milk recipe I bookmarked it right away.  Coconut milk is almost always in our pantry.

This morning I was sick of being sick and decided that ice cream was in order, except I didn't want to eat dairy products that would make me more congested or something with lots of processed sugar that would hurt my immune system.  Enter coconut milk ice cream!

I adapted from this recipe by Hannah of Immer Wachsen.  I used one can of coconut cream (just the fat part), about a 1/5 cup of honey, and half of a fresh, ripe mango.  I blended it for about 5 seconds, then put half in an ice cube tray and half in the bottom of a bread pan so I could test the different freezing methods.  I blended it up in our personal serve ninja cup because this small of a recipe doesn't make that much.  I ended up liking the bread pan version better, just so you know.  It was easier to manipulate.

And the taste?  Perfect.  My mom (who can't eat dairy) said it tasted like butter - in the best way possible!  It is so rich that the portions you see here were plenty.  It's a one-scoop wonder. :-) Dad and Emmy were the only other ones home at the time and both thought is was great.

The mango added the perfect amount of tangy with the sweet of the honey and exotic of the coconut. Definitely trying this one again sometime!

Mississippi Mud Pie

We went over to a friend's house on Friday.  That happens about once a year.  Just saying.  Big families don't usually get asked over.  It's a lot of food and dishes.  So this was pretty cool.  We offered to bring a dessert, and I volunteered to make it.  So this happened.  It was pretty awesome.

We had made chocolate pudding the night before with a nifty homemade mix and had lot's extra so I decided to make something with that.  Originally I was thinking a French silk pie so I google recipes and this version of the traditional Mississippi Mud Pie resulted.

Dark chocolate shavings

Real whip cream

Chocolate pudding

Brownies

Oreos

Uh huh.  Yeah, if you ate a piece the size you see in the pictures I'm pretty sure you'd die. It is incredibly rich and oh so yummy!

1. Put a package of oreos in your food processor and grind them up.  Press into the bottom of a greased 10 inch spring-form pan.

2. Make up a fudge brownie mix and pour over the oreos.  Bake per box instructions.  It will take a deal longer that it says though.  Test with a toothpick and take out when baked batter is sticking to it (not dripping batter)

3. Let is cool!

4. Spread your chocolate pudding over it.

5. Whip just over a cup of heavy cream till it forms soft peaks.  Add 2 Tb of white sugar and beat into stiff peaks.

6. Spread whip cream carefully over the pudding.

7. Shave chocolate evenly over the top and refrigerate for at least an hour.

8. Eat. But not too much. :-)

Breadsticks

A couple months ago I made dinner. Yes, that is how behind I am in blogging. :-)  Anyway, I needed to something other than school, so I made dinner.  Fettucini Alfredo with grilled chicken, a salad, and breadsticks, in case you were wondering.

At our house we use leftover pizza dough to make breadsticks.  Our favorite recipe in Wolfgang Puck's.  You can find it on Martha Stewart here.  It makes fabulous pizzas too, by the way.

Dough on the paddle

Roll out your chilled dough and spread butter or olive oil lightly with a pastry brush.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese and any of your other favorite Italian spices.

 Finished

 Use a ravioli roller knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips.  Just like pizza, I cook the breadsticks on a stone at 400º F for around 8 minutes.  It isn't a science, and it tastes so good.  Go ahead and try it!

Eat them by themselves or with marinara straight out of the oven.  Mmmmm.

Apple Cider Pound Cake

This recipe is amazing! I found it on Hannah's blog, Trusting In His Love. Thank you so much Hannah!

Apple Cider Pound Cake

2 1/2c. sugar

3 sticks of butter or margarine

6 eggs

3c. all-purpose-flour

1/2tsp. salt

1/2tsp.baking powder

1tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2tsp. ground allspice

1/2tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4tsp. ground cloves

1c. apple cider

1tsp. vanilla extract

Icing:

1/2c. sugar

1/4c. buttermilk

1/2tsp. vanilla extract

1/4tsp. baking soda

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir together all dry ingredients; set aside. Add cider and vanilla to sugar, egg and butter mixture. Add dry ingredients to batter mixture. Mix until well blended. Spoon into a greased 10-in. angel food cake pan or fluted tube pan. Bake at 325 F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until cake is done. Meanwhile, combine all icing ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. While cake is warm, drizzled icing over cake. Enjoy!

Cherry Cream Scones

I know they're called Cherry Cream Scones, but when I make them I use cranberries, or like this morning, dried blueberries. They turned out great, and I am very satisfied with this recipe from Taste of Home. Also, if you don't like almond extract, don't put it in, because you can REALLY taste it. I've reduced this from the original recipe by a teaspoon, but it still really makes a difference. Enjoy!

Cherry Cream Scones

Ingredients

1 Dozen

• 3/4 cups dried fruit

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 Tablespoons sugar

• 1 Tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/2 cup cold butter

• 1 egg, separated

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 3/4 cup half-and-half cream

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Set aside dried fruit.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar. With pastry blender cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine egg yolk, sour cream, half-and-half, and extract.

4. Add to flour mixture, and stir until soft dough forms.

5. On a floured surface, knead in fruit.

6. Divide dough in half and shape into balls. Roll each ball into a 6 inch circle, and cut into 6 wedges. Place lightly on a greased cookie sheet

7. Beat the egg white until foamy; brush tops of scones and sprinkle with sugar.

8. Bake at 400° for 20-24 minutes. Serve warm

Austrian Cream Cookies

   Mrs. Anna at Pleasant View Schoolhouse had a recipe for these lovely cookies on her blog, and I decided to make them.  For 5 minutes after my family tried them all I heard was "mmmmm,  wow.   mmmmm, wow."  They liked them enormously. :)  Try it out and tell me how your family likes them!

Beat 2 eggs until light.

Blend in 1 c. sugar

and 1 c. cream.

Mix in 3 3/4 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

and 1 t. salt.

Chill for an hour.

Roll out to 3/8 inch thick on floured board, then cut into 2" squares. Use the back of a knife blade to press a tic-tac-toe design onto the top of each cookie. 

Grease the baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10-13 minutes.

Frost with a dab of buttercream and garnish with strawberry slices, or a tiny lemon twist and a mint leaf, or a single perfect raspberry . . . .

(from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book 1963)

Berry Sauce Recipe

Berry Sauce

-2 3/4 cups frozen fruit (blueberries in this case)

-1 cup water

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 Tablespoon corn starch

Mix frozen fruit, water, and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat. Turn heat up to 9, then add corn starch and stir until thick, or when the color darkens.

This is a very easy recipe that my grandmother and I sort of made up. My family loves it, and I always make it when we have waffles. All of these measurements are subject to the likes of your family, for example, change the amount of sugar to taste or the amount of corn starch depending on how thick you want it. I have only tried raspberries and blueberries for this so far, but you can try whatever you want. Comment and let me know how it turned out!

The Day AFTER Thanksgiving...

My Mom always makes "Mashed Potato Rolls" out of the leftover mashed potatoes.  They are REALLY good, so I thought I would share the recipe with you.  I don't know if this recipe already exists somewhere, but my Mom just made this version yesterday.

Mashed Potato Rolls

Ingredients

Makes approximately 24 3-inch rolls

• 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes

• 3 cups of milk

• 4 Tablespoons butter

• 7 cups white flour

• 1 Tablespoon salt

• ¼ cup honey

• 3 Tablespoons yeast

• 1 ½ cups spelt (optional)

Directions

1. Heat milk, mashed potatoes, and butter together on the stove until butter starts to melt.

2. Mix white flour, spelt, salt and yeast in a mixer.

3. Stir heated mixture.  After butter in melted, pour into the mixer and mix.  This will create a heavy dough.  Add more flour as needed.

4. Mix on high for 3 minutes

5. Spray two baking sheets that have high sides.

6. Pour/Glop dough into the sheets.  Flatten so the dough is an even height everywhere.  Cut into squares and let rise.

7. Preheat oven to 375°, and bake the risen dough for approximately 25 minutes.

*You may also use sugar instead of honey

**You will need a pretty large mixer

I hope you enjoy it!

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I was going to start an Etsy yesterday, but I just can't think of  a good username.  Any suggestions?  My family gave me lots of ideas, but you have to admit that "Joanna's Junk"  doesn't give a very good image!  Please tell me what you think!

~Joanna

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

Amount

• 4 cups apples (sliced like for pie)

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons flour

• ½ cup flour

• ½ cup quick oatmeal

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ½ cup semi-softened butter

Directions

1. Mix the first group together in bowl.

2. Place in a greased baking dish

3. Mix second group of ingredients as for pie crust and sprinkle over top.

4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour

Apples

Topping

Greased pan

Mixture in the pan

Topping on the mixture

Just out of the oven

Ten minutes later....:)

Recipe courtesy of Grandma Judy

Recipe of the week

This weeks recipe was given to me by my Grandma Judy. 

 We made it last week and it was very good.  

Rhubarb Crunch

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour

• 5 Tablespoons powdered sugar

• ½ cup butter

• 2 eggs, beaten fluffy

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup flour

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

• pinch of salt

• 2 ½ cups finely cut rhubarb

Directions

1. Combine first group of ingredients for pie crust.  Pat in bottom of 8 or 9 inch square pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350°, or until light brown.  Remove to cool slightly.

2. Mix eggs and vanilla.

3. Combine third group (sugar, flour, baking powder, & salt).

4. Stir into egg mixture, add rhubarb and stir together.

5. Pour mixture over baked crust and bake the crunch for 35 minutes at 350°.

6. Serve with ice cream of whipped cream.  Best when served warm and definitely the ice cream!

Bon Appetite!