Perfect for the last hot days of summer....

This is one of the creamiest home-made ice creams I have ever tasted....probably due to the addition of vanilla instant pudding. This is probably my favorite home-made vanilla ice cream to date!

Country-Style Vanilla Ice Cream (ToH Aug/Sept 2008)
6 cups milk, divided
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 pkgs (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a large saucepan, heat 2 1/2 cups milk to 175 degrees; stir in the sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160 degrees and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Place remaining milk in a bowl; whisk in pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir into egg mixture. Stir in whipped topping. Press waxed paper onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

I was looking for a recipe that would taste similar to Hershey's Hot Fudge sauce....Allrecipes claimed that this was a similar version...but I would have to disagree :(. Until I find another recipe to try, I will continue purchasing the real Hershey's Hot Fudge sauce in the glass jar :).

Hot Fudge Sauce (allrecipes.com)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/3 cup butter
5 oz evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar and cocoa in small saucepan. Stir in corn syrup and evaporated milk; continuously stir over medium heat on stove until mixture comes to a boil; boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter until butter is melted. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Happy 7th Anniversary

June 7, 2003

My husband and I are celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary! This anniversary is quite different than any other we've celebrated in the past, as it's our first with our precious baby girl. Here's a glimpse of previous years' anniversaries.....

5th Wedding Anniversary, Boulder, Colorado

6th Wedding Anniversary, Oahu, Hawaii (pregnant with Ally)

Although we didn't get to go away for our anniversary this year, we made the most of it at home by going out to dinner (and lunch!) and enjoying a decadent dessert (that I worked on for three days!!).
I am posting the link to the dessert recipe here....it's quite lengthy, so I'm not going to re-type the recipe. If you are looking for a show-stopping dessert, this is one to consider. It's good enough to make again (although not sure that I will ever get around to it) and my only tweak for next time would be to double the amount of caramel for the caramel layer.

Snowball Cake

I didn't grow up on hostess cakes as that wasn't something my mom generally bought for us, but once I was old enough to purchase my own snacks, I would sometimes choose the hostess snowballs. The fluffy filling was my favorite part, then came the coconut on the outside...yum! When I came across a recipe for a Snowball Cake, I knew I had to try it. It doesn't have the fluffy filling as it has a more grown-up flair with cheesecake filling! I love that you bake this cake in a bowl...one less item to clean up as you can mix the cake mix and bake it in the same dish! I made this dessert for our Christmas dinner which we spent with some of our Air Force family.


Snowball Cake (Kraft Foods)
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 Tbls granulated sugar
1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold milk
2 cups thawed whipped topping
1 cup coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake batter in 2 1/2 qt ovenproof bowl, as directed on package; scrape side of bowl (this is what prevents it from sticking). Beat cream cheese, egg and granulated sugar until well blended; spoon into center of batter in bowl. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in bowl 10 minutes. Loosen cake from bowl with knife; using potholders if necessary, invert onto wire rack. Remove bowl. Cool cake completely. Meanwhile, beat dry pudding mix, powdered sugar and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 minutes. Stir in whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place cake on plate; frost with pudding mixture. Cover with coconut. Keep refrigerated. Serves 16.

Seven Layer Bar Cookies

The first Warren Spouses' Club Bunko gathering is tonight and I needed something to take. It was suppose to be an appetizer, but who can go wrong with desserts? I was recently going through my ever expanding recipe files and came across this recipe which was given to me in Montana. I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, which is always nice!

**Update: I made these bars a day in advance and have since been told that I won't need to sub for Bunko this evening, which means my husband and his co-workers had a great treat today at work! And I had enough ingredients left over to make a second batch which I took to some friends with dinner for the arrival of their new baby.

Seven Layer Bar Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter and mix with graham crackers. Put mixture in 9x13 pan and spread over bottom until even. Layer next 4 ingredients evenly over graham cracker mixture. Pour milk over entire pan evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Brownie Pudding

My friend, Wanda, is a paper fanatic! She sells Stampin' Up and is always willing to share her skills with those of us less talented in the paper department. I am working on a project, but needed some advice (and to use some tools that I don't have) so I solicited Wanda's help. Yesterday afternoon, I went to her house and brought along an afternoon snack for us to enjoy. Wanda doesn't like fruit, so I thought something gooey and chocolaty would be more her style!
Brownie Pudding (Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I'm not sure why Ina Garten's recipes always call for extra-large eggs...I use large eggs and add an extra)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 Tbls framboise liqueur (optional)
vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, for serving

Preaheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart oval baking dish. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5-10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside. When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, lower the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise (if using), and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined. Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out three-quarters clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding. Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. Serves 6.

Angel Lush

I needed a quick dessert to take for a church luncheon this afternoon. I have made this Angel Lush before and remember it not only being quick and easy to make, but also a great summer dessert!
Angel Lush
1 (10-in) angel food cake
20 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup whipped topping, thawed
a few strawberries for garnish

In a medium mixing bowl gently combine pineapple, pudding mix, and whipped topping. Cut angel food cake in to three layers. Between each layer, spread 1 cup of pineapple mixture, ending with the pineapple mixture on top. Garnish the top layer with sliced strawberries. Refrigerate at least one hour to set. Serve cool or at room temperature. Serves 8.

Cupcakes to celebrate a Baby Boy

One of my friends is expecting her "last" baby in September. She already has two beautiful girls, and she and her husband will be adding a baby boy to the family. A group of us ladies had a surprise baby shower last week. I'm not one to partake in baby showers beyond the first baby as in the Midwest typically you have one shower and that is it. However, I have since learned that the military doesn't operate the same way. With people moving in and out, and new friends coming and going, there are many opportunities to welcome new babies in to our world. I was asked to make some type of cake for the occasion. I decided to go with cupcakes so we wouldn't have to mess with cutting the cake, serving, and extra plates, as we held the shower in a local restaurant. Here's a picture of the final product:

In hindsight, I should have added a little wisp of hair, but I was running low on icing and time.

TWD: French Pear Tart

What a great way to start another year of Tuesdays with Dorie. Dorie herself chose this week's selection; check out her blog for the recipe. I made the tart yesterday as I had a dinner guest last evening and we couldn't get enough of the dessert! I would have to say my favorite part is the crust. I am anxious to try the crust and filling with some other fruit options. The pears were good, but I also think peaches would be a wonderful pairing with the almond cream and sweet tart crust!

Baby shower Cake

A friend in my Monday morning Bible study group is getting ready to have her second boy in the middle of December. It was decided that we would surprise her with a diaper and wipe shower during our regularly scheduled time together. I was asked to make a cake for her. I already had a cute cake pan and was able to alter the design slightly by adding a fondant blanket to make it look more baby-ish. Here is the final product....

Cookie Carnival: Blackberry Almond Bars (from Williams-Sonoma)

This month's recipe features the blackberry! I thought of my mom while making these bars and was wishing I were closer so I could give her one of them to try, as she enjoys blackberries. I remember her picking buckets during the summer so she could bake a blackberry pie. In Indiana, you had to pick the berries as soon you saw them ripen, otherwise they served as a nice treat for the birds! I didn't have the pleasure of picking my berries and had to resort to picking them up at the store. As I was making the blackberry curd, I loved the deep purple color of the blackberry juice and the swirl you got on the top from the addition of butter. I should have taken a picture of heating the curd in the pan...it was so pretty. I, of course, had to try a little sample of the shortbread "dough" before baking it, and let me just say, I could eat just the shortbread! I'm a big fan of almonds which makes up the base flavor of this bar. I timed making this recipe when I knew I would be having company for lunch and I also had the opportunity to share it with the Vacation Bible School ladies that I worked with this past week. Everyone had rave reviews and seemed to really enjoy the bars! They were a little more "labor" intensive than I would typically prefer when baking, but I would definitely make them again!


Blackberry Almond Bars (Williams-Sonoma)
INGREDIENTS:
For the shortbread:
* 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 tsp. salt

For the blackberry curd:
* 2 pints blackberries
* 4 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
* Pinch of salt
* 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
* 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room
temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch cake pan.
To make the shortbread, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, flour, almonds, granulated sugar and salt and process until small lumps form. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom. Bake until the shortbread is golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Meanwhile, make the blackberry curd: In a food processor or blender, puree the blackberries until smooth. Pass the puree through a chinois set over a bowl, using a pestle to press on the solids and extract as much juice as possible; discard the solids. You should have about 3/4 cup juice.

In the top pan of a double boiler or in a nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until blended. Then whisk in the blackberry juice, salt and lemon juice. Set the top pan over but not touching simmering water in the bottom pan, or set the saucepan over medium-low heat. (If using a saucepan, take care not to heat the mixture too quickly.) Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula or spoon, until the mixture is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Begin adding the butter a little at a time, stirring each addition until blended before adding more. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until a finger drawn across the back of the spatula leaves a path, 8 to 10 minutes more. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Pass the curd through the chinois set over a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk to blend, then pour the curd over the shortbread, spreading it evenly to the edges.

Bake until the curd is set, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into individual bars, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust the bars with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Makes 20 bars.

A Cool Dessert

My husband invited some friends from his office and their wives over for dinner tonight. It has been pretty warm here in Cheyenne and I wanted a dessert that would be cold so hopefully our guests won't realize how hot our house is...right! I'm doing my best to keep the cool air in and the hot air out, so today I am sitting in the dark as all the shades are drawn and the windows closed! As I was looking for a dessert recipe, I picked up my most recent Taste of Home magazine and turned to a page with a yummy looking pie and better yet you serve it from the freezer! I wanted to post the recipe while I have a little time, but will get a picture up later tonight.


Frosty Toffee Bits Pie
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbls sugar
1/2 cup half and half cream
1 carton (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed
1 pkg (8 oz) milk chocolate English toffee bits, divided
1 graham cracker crust (9 in)

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cream until blended. Fold in whipped topping and 1 cup toffee bits. Spoon into crust; sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

Always room for Dessert!

I love desserts, and I love baking them even more! It was my turn to take dessert to my Sunday night focus group. I've noticed the past two Sundays, we've run out of the dessert and everyone seemed like they would have liked more. So tonight I made two very different desserts to share with everyone. Both of these recipes are found in the Pampered Chef Classics cookbook. I hadn't made either one of them until today and they are definitely ones I would make again.

Chocolate Macaroon Bars

1 pkg fudge browning mix (plus ingredients to make brownies)

2 egg whites

1 pkg (14 oz) sweetened flaked coconut

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 pkg (2.25 oz) sliced almonds

2 Tbs semi-sweet chocolate morsels, melted

1 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large edged cookie cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Spread evenly onto cookie sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes or until brownie is set. Do not overbake. Remove from oven to cooling rack. In clean bowl, combine egg whites, coconut and sweetened condensed milk; mix well. Spread coconut mixture over top of brownie to within 1/4 inch of edge. Sprinkle with almonds. Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until edges of coconut are deep golden brown. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Place chocolate morsels and oil in microwavable safe container. Microwave, uncovered on High 45 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring after each 10 seconds. Do not overheat. Drizzle chocolate over pizza. Cut into bars; serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Heavenly Lemon Angel Cake

1 pkg angel food cake mix

1-2 lemons

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups thawed, fat-free frozen whipped topping

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour into ungreased deep 9x13 baking pan. Bake on center rack in oven 35-40 minutes or until top of cake is golden brown, cracked and firm to the touch. Do not underbake. Remove from oven. Carefully invert baking pan onto cooling rack; cool completely. Turn baker upright; poke holes in cake about 1 1/2 inches deep and 1/2 inch apart with large fork. Zest one lemon to measure 1 Tbs zest. Juice lemons using juicer to measure 1/4 cup juice. In small bowl, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest; whisk until smooth. Slowly pour glaze over cake, spreading evenly. Let stand 30 minutes or until glaze is set. Spread whipped topping over glaze, drop raspberries on top as garnish.

I didn't get a picture of the angel food cake because it wasn't very pretty in the pan; however, I do think more people preferred the lemon angel food cake over the chocolate macaroon dessert. I enjoyed a little slice of both! My only suggestion about the chocolate macaroon dessert is to bake it for the lesser time in the directions. Mine came out very chewy and I would have preferred it to be a more soft. Overall, they were both a success!