Ultimate cravings killer-Coffee Ice Cream

Ok, so 7 days after my Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee arrived, I am still loving it. Today's recipe incorporates the ultimate Ice Coffee transformation. I used brewed iced coffee and turned it into a yummy and soft ice cream. 

When Rick and I got married, I got an ice cream maker. Tried it once, failed miserably and never touched it again. Till my dear friend and co-foodie partner at work Sarah, started whipping up some yummy treats in her machine. She totally inspired me. Sarah, this one is for you!

@Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee Ice Cream

* No ice cream maker? No problem. Keep reading.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
•  Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee.  3/4 cup Whole bean or 5 table spoons ground
• *Whole bean would be easier
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the yolks until the are thick and pale yellow. Beat in the flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside

Combine milk, vanilla and whole beans in a heavy medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. lower heat, cover and keep warm for 20 mins. I used ground coffee. I warmed the milk and cream in the microwave first, then brewed in a french press.

Remove the coffee beans with a skimmer of slotted spoon. Slowly beat the warm milk or brewed coffee into the eggs and sugar. Just a wee bit at a time, to slowly warm the egg mixture. You don't want to cook the eggs. Once the eggs have been warmed finish adding the rest of milk/brewed coffee. Whisk well. Pour the rest of the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.

Remove from the heat and put in fridge to let cool. Overnight is best.

While waiting for custard to chill. Chop or blend your chocolate chips into fine pieces. 

Stir the cooled custard and then pour into your ice cream maker. When the mixture thickens slightly pour in the chocolate chips. 

**you can skip the ice cream maker and just pour straight into a freezer safe container. Let set for 3 hours, then mix in the chocolate chips. Ice cream may not be as airy, but still yummy.

When done (ice cream will be a soft serve consistency) transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for 2 hours. 

Enjoy!

Check back later this week for my post on Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee Ice Cream Pie.
Here is a sneak peak!

Got a sweet tooth? Try this seasonal delight

Here we go again. My cart rolls down the produce aisle and it's the same story as the last time we were here. (me and baby girl to be clear). Choices are: apples, bananas, or $5.00 for three semi-ripe strawberries. Yeah, I'm bitter about winter draughts for fruit. What of it?

Oh my wonderful July how I miss you! Your luscious red juicy strawberries, sweet tiny blueberries, tart and strange looking rhubarb, peaches, plums the list goes on.. All ready for the picking at a super cheap price.

Then, I turn the corner and see them. The cutest little orange balls of fruit, Clementines. The sign says sweet, seedless, easy to peel and in season.

So, I pick up a few.

Granted, since my zip code clearly shows that these are not locally grown, they are still intriguing to me. Hmm. beyond juice I come quickly to the conclusion that I am not really an orange expert. So, I start looking up some recipes for oranges. Well, they seem to get put in salads a lot. Pork, chicken, a few sorbet recipes.. This was a bit boring. Well, while I search, I decide to peel one. WOW! This is not your typical orange. These are really sweet. Not the buttercream type, but a perfect balance of slight tart and yummy sweetness. Sweet enough to make me forget about that batch of cupcakes I was going to make. Sorry honey.So, I quickly jump up, peel another, these guys are pretty small you know, and toss it into the blender.

A little plain yogurt, a few frozen strawberries, and zap, instant smoothie. Fresh, creamy and sweet. 

So the next time you are in the store, take a detour to the fruit before you hit the bakery aisle. In season Clementines might surprise you. 

Baked Cinnamon Squares

Such a yummy start to the day. And middle and ending if we are being totally honest..

This morning's challenge was to find something new, simple and yummy for breakfast. I'm not typically a sweets person, but my husband and daughter are. In fact Charlotte just hears the word cake, donut or just plain sweets and her little-fat-2 year old feet come running as fast as she can from wherever she is. 

For this reason, sweets are at a minimum in the house.

I stumbled onto this great recipe a few weeks ago from Cooking with my kid, and thought that it might be a nice alternative to the store bought options and the recipe is really easy, light and surprisingly not chucked full of fat or sugar.

OK, OK.. I know its also not full of any kind of nutrition, but not everything we eat has to be perfect. How else are these kids going to learn Good Karma Balance, if I never show them the dark side?

Since I don't have a donut pan (although these nearly put me in a trance straight to William Sonoma to pick one up) I made them into what I hoped were donut holes. They came out more like squares, so for now, that's what I am calling them.

Prep Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 1 6 oz container of non fat organic vanilla bean yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the cinnamon and sugar together, put into a ziplock bag (shake and bake style) and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients.

In another bowl stir together oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, egg and yogurt.

Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole.

Gently fold everything together until combined.

The batter will be pretty thick and airy.

With a spoon ice cream scooper drop dough onto greased pan.

If do have a donut pan, fill each pan with dough at this point.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool for a few moments and then flip over onto a cooling rack while still warm.

Dip each donut into butter and then place in bag of cinnamon sugar. Shake and place on plate (or directly into mouth)

Makes 6 donuts or 15 squares.

** could use powdered sugar as well.

Results
Love all around! 8 thumbs up.. Jake was more into the plain version so I wish I left more plain. He just didn't want to get messy he said. .