Category: Dessert

Spritz Cookies

I’m back with another cookie recipe using some of my favorite OXO tools, specifically OXO’s cookie press, disk set, and Ceramic Pan!

Every year, OXO supports Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and the fight against pediatric cancer. Before I share my cookie recipe for Spritz Cookies, I want to share a bit about Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer (CFKC) is a nonprofit founded by two OXO employees after their son, Liam, was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Through grassroots bake sales across the country, CFKC raises funds to develop new, improved and less toxic treatments for childhood cancer. Liam Witt’s legacy lives on as the organization works toward a cure for pediatric cancer, helping children and families everywhere.

Every year, OXO supports CFKC by encouraging people to bake and share.

This year, OXO sent me a Non-Stick Pro Ceramic Coated Metal Bakeware Half Sheet Pan, a Cookie Press with Disk Storage Case, a Christmas Cookie Press Disk Set, and a 2-Cup Recycled Angled Measuring Cup (paid links). When you receive a cookie press and Christmas cookie press disk set, there’s really only one type of cookie to make: Spritz Cookies!

For every cookie baked, OXO donates $1 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer up to $100,000, so here is my new cookie this year to support the cause and spread the word!

Here are some of my old cookie swap and Cookies for Kids’ Cancer posts, in case you’re in a baking mood:

So on to the recipe!

Ingredients (makes about 50 cookies):

Spritz Cookies:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • food coloring, if desired
  • sprinkles, for decorating

Optional Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk, or as needed

Continue reading Spritz Cookies

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Every year, I am tasked with bringing a chocolate pumpkin dessert to Thanksgiving. Pumpkin and chocolate is my aunt’s favorite combination so I try to experiment a bit each year. This year’s recipe is actually really simple, and if you use store-bought ice cream, you can make this whole Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie in just minutes (plus freezing time)!

In fact, you can make this Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie as homemade, or as store-bought as you’d like. I personally made my ice cream, but bought the pie crust and the whipped cream.

Ingredients:

  • 1 9-inch chocolate pie crust
  • 2 pints pumpkin ice cream, softened
  • whipped cream, to taste

Continue reading Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Cannoli Cookies

With Thanksgiving so late this year, I hope you’ll forgive me for sharing a Christmas cookie recipe before Black Friday; these Cannoli Cookies are too good to keep a secret!

If you’re a cannoli lover, these Cannoli Cookies are sure to impress, especially because they are quite a bit easier to make than homemade cannolis!

Cannoli Cookies are spiced ricotta cookies with chocolate chips, pistachios, and orange zest, delivering the flavors of a classic cannoli in cookie form!

Ingredients:

Cannoli Cookies:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • the zest of one orange
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Continue reading Cannoli Cookies

Election Cake

I had no clue that Election Cake used to be a thing until I saw an article recently about this lost tradition! Recipes for Election Cake are found back to the late 18th century, but apparently the tradition has fallen off in recent years.

This yeasted spiced bundt fruitcake was traditionally prepared prior to Election Day and served to hungry voters.

For years, I was the machine inspector for every general and primary election in my South Philly polling location, so any attention I can bring to voting is super important to me! I am also down for any and all food holidays so let’s bring back Election Cake!

I don’t have a ton of experience using yeast, so I looked up a recipe from NY Times Food. Because of the yeast, there are two proofing times in this recipe, so set aside 4 to 6 hours to make this cake.

Ingredients (serves 10):

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 (¼-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 lemon, divided
  • 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup brandy, divided
  • ⅔ cup golden raisins
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Continue reading Election Cake

Homemade Halloween Candy Ice Cream

Every year, without fail, I end up with a ridiculous amount of candy leftover after the trick-or-treaters have gone. I have made Day After Halloween Brownies in the past, but this year, because it is still so warm, I decided to make Homemade Halloween Candy Ice Cream using my leftover candy!

This recipe for Halloween Candy Ice Cream can be adapted for any candy you would like in your ice cream. I went with an assortment of chocolate candy: mini candy bars, Reece’s, M&M’s, Kit-Kats, and Snickers, because that’s what I had on hand.

Feel free to add in whatever candy you have leftover, just make sure it ends up being about 2 cups of chopped candy.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups various Halloween candy, chopped

Continue reading Homemade Halloween Candy Ice Cream

Homemade Apple Cider Donut Ice Cream

You read that correctly. Homemade Apple Cider Donut Ice Cream!

My love of pumpkin is well documented on this blog, so I’ve been trying to start including another fall favorite: apple cider!

This apple cider donut ice cream includes a base of apple cider flavored ice cream with chunks of apple cider donuts stirred throughout.

Ingredients (makes 1 quart):

  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 apple cider donuts, roughly chopped

Continue reading Homemade Apple Cider Donut Ice Cream

Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I made my last ice cream recipe (Dark Chocolate Ice Cream) for my mom, so this time around, I am making Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream for my dad!

I feel like Mint Chocolate Ice Cream can be a pretty divisive flavor, but my dad loves it, so it’s about time I made him some!

This is a pretty simple recipe and does not require you to heat the milk mixture or add in eggs. It does still require overnight refrigeration of the mixture to get it nice and cold before churning.

This recipe also includes some food coloring to get a nice mint green color, but that is completely optional (my dad swears the green mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes better!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon peppermint extract (paid link)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon green gel food coloring, optional
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Continue reading Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

This Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream recipe has been a long time coming! As I mentioned in my Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream post, I have been trying to emulate Capogiro’s scuro gelato – a beautifully dark chocolate gelato that I have missed since the day Capogiro closed years ago.

This recipe for Dark Chocolate Ice Cream is just that. It’s ice cream, not gelato. Gelato tends to have less egg yolks and is churned at a lower speed. Regardless of the technicality, this Dark Chocolate Ice Cream is silky, decadent, and decidedly dark chocolatey!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate cocoa powder (paid link)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon coffee extract (paid link)

Continue reading Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably noticed that I pick up a student-run CSA share every week from a high school in New Castle, Delaware, which means I have a bunch of fruits and vegetables in my home that need using! (If you’re in the area, definitely check out Penn Farm CSA!)

The last couple of weeks have included beautiful peaches so this week, I knew I had to make a homemade peach ice cream!

This rich and creamy homemade peach ice cream can be made in an electric ice cream maker (paid link). This recipe includes small chunks of fresh peaches as well as the juice of the peaches, so it’s chock full of peachy flavor!

Ingredients (makes 1 quart):

  • 2 cups peaches, peeled and roughly chopped (about 3 peaches)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
  • the juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Continue reading Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

I am having way too much fun making all these different types of ice cream! Homemade ice cream is so SO much better than store bought, and this Homemade Coffee Ice Cream is absurdly delicious!

If you’re a coffee lover like I am, you may have just found your new favorite ice cream.

Ingredients (makes 1 quart):

Continue reading Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies

This recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies was a result of my desire to bring a different dessert to a gathering with some of my college friends. My friend who was hosting is a big fan of Strawberry Shortcake. That, plus my love for whoopie pies made Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies a no brainer!

These Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies are made of fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries sandwiched between two vanilla cake-like cookies.

Ingredients:

Whoopie Pies:

  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 5 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Other Ingredients:

  • 3 cups strawberries, sliced

Continue reading Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

So, I’ll be honest. I was actually trying to make a different ice cream than what I ended up with. But this oh so chocolatey Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream is so delicious, it was quite a happy mistake!

My original goal/inspiration was to recreate the now defunct Capogiro’s scuro gelato – the most decadent and beautifully silky dark chocolate gelato. It was my mom’s favorite gelato ever and she’s basically been chasing the high of Capogiro’s scuro gelato ever since they sadly closed in December 2018.

I didn’t quite get to dark chocolate status this round (don’t you worry, that will be a future post!), but I am pretty sure this is the best chocolate ice cream ever.  EVER. Don’t believe me? Try this recipe out for yourself!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I took a couple of months off from making ice cream but I’m back at it with this awesome recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream!

We adopted a puppy back in December, so we have considerably more peanut butter in our house now to fill his toppl (paid link).

So this recipe, inspired by what I already had in my house, is chock full of peanut butter: peanut butter ice cream swirled with creamy peanut butter!

This recipe is pretty straightforward. You’ll need an electric ice cream maker (paid link) to make this recipe.

Ingredients (makes 1 quart):

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Chocolate Smash Cake

My niece’s first birthday is soon, and my sister asked if I would make her smash cake; what an honor!

My sister requested a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and as this will be my niece’s first taste of chocolate, I have to make sure it’s tasty with a few more baby-friendly adjustments.

This Chocolate Smash Cake is a fluffy, chocolatey mini cake perfect for (obviously) first birthdays, or for smaller get togethers.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup applesauce

Chocolate Frosting:

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • pinch fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup whole milk, plus more as needed

Continue reading Chocolate Smash Cake

Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

I love Oreos. They are easily my favorite cookie since childhood, and I used to eat them almost every day as my after-school snack. So, it probably goes without saying that Cookies and Cream Ice Cream is one of my favorite ice creams.

I have no idea why it took me so long to make my own homemade cookies and cream ice cream, but after making this recipe, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to the store-bought stuff!

This recipe for Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream uses just 6 ingredients. Because there are no eggs in this recipe, there is no heating of the milk mixture so it comes together pretty quickly. Note that this recipe does still require you to refrigerate the mixture overnight and churn the ice cream the next day.

Ingredients (makes 1 quart):

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 sleeve Oreos (regular, not Double Stuf), chopped

Continue reading Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

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