Thursday's Treat: Ice Cream Addicts Anonymous

I've been super lazy lately and haven't made any treats.

Ok that's not completely true, I just took photos of them on Sprinkles the Ipad, and haven't remembered to transfer them over so I can share them with you.

So I felt guilty about not sharing my bad eating habits with you, so instead I'm giving you a ranking of my FAVORITE ice creams. Sorry if this is cruel.

5. Ba-Nom-A-Nom.

Denver, CO + metro area. Strawberry-Banana.

This is a food truck... and it is not technically ice cream... but I let it slide since it is sooo good.
What is Ba-Nom-A-Nom? Frozen soft-serve fruit. No dairy, gluten, sugar, or anything else but frozen fruit.  It's actually super creamy and the flavors are super refreshing - like watermelon!

4. Amy's Ice Cream.

Austin, TX. Bourbon Chocolate Walnut.




Apparently I eat my ice cream too fast since I have no pictures of my many visits here.

 

Located throughout Austin (and popping up in other Texas cities) is Amy's. A must go if you are visiting, especially if you have a friend who used to work there and make you delicious combo flavors like Bourbon Chocolate Walnut mixed with Baileys.

3. Lik's Ice Cream.

Denver, CO. Mexican Chocolate.

On an unassuming corner in Capitol Hill is Lik's. I was super excited to find a place in Colorado that has Mexican Chocolate. It was delicious and loaded with cinnamon.

2. Jenni's Splendid Ice Cream.

Columbus, Ohio + your local specialty market. Milkiest Chocolate in the World.

I'm kind of ashamed to say how much money I spend on Jeni's ice cream. It is SO good, I never want another basic chocolate cone in my life. Totally worth every penny of the $12 it will cost you to take home a pint.

And the winner is.......

1.  Herrell's Ice Cream. 

Northampton, MA + Huntington, NY. Mexican Chocolate, you will always have my heart.

Look how happy Steve is!



Copious amounts of jimmies.



First off, there is nothing quite like Herrell's ice cream shops. Basically Amy (#4) got her idea for her shop while studying at Tufts University and eating at Steve Herrell's original shop in Boston. People also contribute the idea for Cold Stone and all those all mix-in shops back to Steve. All the flavors are delicious, and Western Mass will kick you out if you say no to the real chocolate jimmies (sprinkles) offered with every scoop. I'm pretty sure they put cocaine in their Mexican Chocolate, and that is why they stopped making it, and why I'm still going through withdrawal symptoms.

xxCharlotte

P.S. Can you eat too much ice cream?

Thursday's Treat: Blackberry Mini Pies & The Darling

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest meant heaping bounties of blackberries in the summer months. While the Himalayan Blackberry is actually an invasive plant, which can grow to be bigger than a house, it does provide some pretty tasty treats.

I shelled out for a bunch of fancy Whole Food berries when Christine came into town, but I has a tiny pint leftover. Too little to make a real pie, but too many to justify eating with whip-cream and sugar (don't judge). So I made this:

Blackberry Mini Pies

This is all you need:

• 1/8 cups white sugar
• Single pie crust (from here), or get lazy and buy a frozen pie crust (the rolled up kind - not the already in a pan kind)
• 6 ounces of fresh blackberries
• Butter (just a sliver, and don't try to subsitute this for anything else, just leave it out if you need to)
• Tart pans (I use these) or a muffin pan



Hedgehog measuring cups help out the process a lot.

Steps:
1) Wash the berries and let them air dry while you create/defrost (frozen) dough.
2) Mix the berries with the sugar and leave to mix together
3) Roll the dough out, and create mini pie crusts by tracing around the edge of the tart pan + 1 inch.

3) Press the dough gently into the tart pans, and trim the excess off. Chill in the fridge for 2 - 3 minutes
4) Roll the edge of the dough over, tucking into the tart pan to make things pretty

5) Butter the bottom of the crust
6) Dump in some sugared blackberries
                              

7) Top the mini pies with the extra dough in a lattice work pattern
8) Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until the lattice work looks almost brown. Kill the heat and let sit in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.

9) Enjoy with ice cream, whipped cream, or a trashy magazine.

According to Caroline, I can't be a true yuppie because I don't have a cake stand.

P.S. Christine got me this Cupcake Royale plate for Christmas!

The Darling

I've been spending a lot of down time on porches and balconies lately, grilling, drinking, and people watching....

and last weekend Grant created this concotion:

1.5 ounces of Bourbon (he uses a bottle from Breckenridge Distillery)
1-2 ounce Schweppes Bitter Lemon soda
and 2-3 wedges of clementine

1) Muddle the clementine at the bottom of the glass
2) Pour in the bourbon, followed by the soda to taste
3) Mix and enjoy!

P.S. I totally helped him name it, that counts, right?! I thought of the song my Grandpa used to sing Oh My Darling, Clementine....which is actually a really sad song.

xxCharlotte

Thursday's Treat: Fauxbucks

Remember how I told you my coffee obssesion started young? Well I'm not proud to admit it, but I often toted those pre-made Starbucks frapp drinks around in addition to my short vanilla lattes.

At nearly $3 for a short bottle, and $4-5 for a big bottle, you are paying a lot for convenience.

But floating around the internet was a cheat recipe to make 10 cups of the stuff for a lot less:

In fact I've made roughly 10 cups. I already had the white and brown sugar on hand (since I'm an adult, Grant). I had to go out and buy coffee ($6.77 on sale) and the creamer ($3). Since I have enough coffee grounds leftover to probably make another 30+ cups and enough creamer left over for another 10 cup batch, I figured it came out to about $3.25 per batch.

Fauxbucks

Ingredients for 10 cups:

• 10 cups hot water (it doesn't need to be boiling)
• 10 tablespoons ground coffee
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vanilla creamer

Supplies:

• Coffee maker + filter, french press, pour over filter (what I use)
• Contianer to hold it all (I use giant mason jars)

Steps:

1) Use a coffee pot (or other method) to make 10 cups of coffee (you may need to do this in batches)
2) While coffee is brewing, put the sugar (white & brown) in the bottom of your container.
3) Pour the ready coffee into the container, disolving the sugar by stirring ever so gently as you go.
4) Let cool, pour in creamer and stir well.
5) Refrigerate overnight, pour*, enjoy.

*The ingredients sometime settle at the bottom, so you may want to shake things up before you pour... another reason I use the mason jars.



Iced fauxbucks goes really well with this healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough recipe:

Which is found on an amazing vegan treats blog called Chocolate Covered Katie. I made this dip in October and while Grant didn't really like it, I did - so yay more for me! I've been thinking about it ever since, and just might need to make it again this weekend.


xxCharlotte

Thursday's Treat: Infused Bourbon & Mint Juleps

Attending the Kentucky Derby is one of the top placeholders on my bucket list. One day when I have a lot of spare cash and the patience to wait it out in the lottery system for a ticket, I will go.

Until that time, I always make it a priority to watch the race on television... even if that means wearing a huge hat and yelling at the TV by myself in the living room.

This year I've convinced the boyfriend to go to the largest Derby Party outside of Churchill Downs... which happens to be in downtown Denver. I even bought a new fascinator for the occasion!



Mint Juleps! Image via


While the event I'm going to has bottom-less mint juleps, I thought it would be a fun way of kicking off Derby Weekend with a twist on the classic:

Mint Infused Bourbon

Ingredients/tools:

Large, clean mason jar (should hold about 3.5 cups)

Enough fresh mint sprigs to fill up the jar loosely (I used about 6 ounces)

3.5 cups cheap Bourbon*

Steps:

1) Wash mint sprigs and pat dry

2) Fill mason jar with mint sprigs, ripping slightly as you tuck them in

3) Pour in the bourbon up to the top
4) Seal off the jar
5) Let sit in the sun for a couple hours to kick off the infusing process
6) Tuck it in the fridge for a couple of days#

*I've been told by bourbon/whisky enthusiasts that infusing takes away the harsh bite of cheap bourbon. So instead of "ruining" good bourbon, get a bottle of the cheap stuff.

#Most people who do this say you need about 5 days to really infuse the bourbon. If you are short on time, keep the bourbon is the sun for 2 days - should do the trick.

Derby Drinks



Image via.



The Traditional Kentucky Derby Mint Julep:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Sprigs of fresh mint

Crushed ice

Kentucky Whiskey

Silver Julep Cups

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling the cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces Kentucky whiskey. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

The Grey Goose® Oaks Lily
1 ounce Grey Goose vodka
1 ounce Sweet and Sour Mix
3 ounces of Cranberry Juice
Splash of Triple Sec

Mix ingredients, place in a stemless wine glass with crushed ice, add a straw, and garnish with an orange wedge and cherry. This drink is typically served at the Oaks race, the day before the Kentucky Derby.

Frozen Mint Julep
4 mint leaves
4 ounces of bourbon
4 ounces of Sweet and Sour Mix

Blend with ice until smooth, pour into a tall glass and garnish with mint

Ginger Julep
1.5 ounces bourbon
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
1 medium piece of candied ginger
1/4 teaspoon molasses
3 ounces bitter lemon soda

Muddle all ingredients except the soda in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Transfer to a rocks glass with ice. Fill with bitter lemon soda. garnish with a lime twist.

Mint Julep Lemonade
2 ounces mint-infused Bourbon
2 ounces simple syrup
1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
Lemon-lime soda

Add the first 3 ingredients to a glass filled with crushed ice. Stir, add more crushed ice and top with soda. garnish with a mint sprig and a lemon wedge.

Ginger Peach Julep
1.5 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce peach liqueur
1 teaspoon ginger puree
10 mint leaves
Splash of water
Crushed ice

Muddle puree, syrup, and mint leaves lightly in mixing glass. Add ice and bourbon and mix well. Double strain over crushed ice into a Julep cup. Garnish with ginger and mint sprig.

Sweet Bourbon Punch
2 cups unsweetened ice tea
1 cup sugar
1 12 ounce can frozen OJ
1 12 ounce can frozen limeade
1 750ml bottle of bourbon
7 cups water

Mix all ingredients and chill. Makes a gallon to share with friends.

Going to a Derby Party? Bring this perfect set to your host/hostess!



Image via.


I'm wishing today's warm weather will melt away this week's freak snow storm before Saturday, and hoping that either Palace Malice or Falling Sky pull off a win!

xxCharlotte

Thursday's Treat: Banana Bread

I grew up in a household where bunches of bananas were bought...and then left untouched. Let's just say we had a lot of over-ripe banana treats growing up. Besides Banana Frosties (I will have to dig out the recipe for that one another day) the house favorite was Banana Bread.

I'm not sure what recipe my mom used....mostly because I've been too lazy to ever ask her... but she always ruined the bread dropping in my nemeses: walnuts. Ugh-  it's the worst thing you can do to a treat - make it all healthy and stuff.

Bananana Bread. 

I made this a long time ago based on this All Recipes one.

 Ingredients:

2 cups flour (all purpose)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) - softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
6 (yes, 6) large over ripe bananas

First off, if you don't want to wait until you have an abundance of over-ripe bananas floating around the house, I have a trick for you. Buy a bunch, put them in a brown paper bag for 2-3 days, and roll the end up and secure it. You will have ugly over-ripe bananas. OR you can go to your local 7-11 (many of them sell bananas) and I've had good luck finding a bunch when my local grocery store only had the green ones.

Seriously, you need a lot of these.

Steps:

1) Is your butter softened? Proceed to step 3. No? You are failing at this already- go to Step 2.
2) Let you butter sit out for an hour or two at room temperature. Do NOT microwave it. You will ruin everything. Softened? Go to step 3.
3) Turn your oven on, and to 350F.
4) Mash all the ripe bananas together in a bowl or glass measuring cup. I have good luck using a fork. Do NOT blend them it will be too smooth and not very rustic. You should have over 2 cups of banana mush.

Mutilated bananas.

5) Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Sift together.
6) In bowl #2, mix together soft butter and brown sugar, until it is almost a paste..a delicious paste.

Delicious paste!

7) Crack those eggs in a tiny bowl and beat them if you haven't already. Slowly pour the egg mixture into bowl #2, and mix together.

Egg waterfall!

8) Pour the banana mush (slowly) into bowl #2 and incorporate it with the butter/sugar/egg mixture.
9) Grab bowl #1 (I'm sure he has been lonely) and slowly pour about a quarter of the banana/butter/egg/sugar mixture into the flour mixture. Mix and add more of the banana mixture. Repeat until the flour mixture is just moist.

Almost done!

10) Grease/butter/spray a loaf pan.
11) Pour the mixture into the loaf pan - it will be okay if the mixture almost reaches the top. I use a 9x5 clear Pyrex/Anchor loaf pan.
12) Bake for 60- 65 minutes.

It's a miracle!

13) Check the bread by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it's clean you are good to go. If the toothpick has batter goop on it, you want to up the oven temperature to 400F, and bake for another 5-7 minutes.

Just hanging out in the oven..

14) Once done, pull out of the oven and let cool. 
15) Eat, enjoy, pretend you are a monkey.

Additions/Alternatives:

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cinnamon
• Chocolate chips (thanks, Rae)
• Walnuts (just don't tell me about it)

Muffins: Pour into a prepared muffin tray and bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes.

Words of wisdom: don't pull a Sylvia Plath and stick your head in the oven.

Enjoy!

Charlotte

Thursday's Treat: A Sundae for Thursday

Once upon a time in 2011, I worked for an ice cream parlor as a hostess. It absolutely hated it, though the sundaes were beyond compare. Originally I was going to recreate their peanut butter sundae, but while I was at the grocery store gathering supplies, a bar of chocolate caught my eye: milk chocolate with crushed up bits of pretzel. Into my basket it went, and onto my sundae when I got home, my plans of making a peanut butter sundae totally abandoned. Maybe some other time.

I also had a cookie that I needed to eat (that my wonderful roommate set aside for me).

So, this treat wound up becoming the dessert version of C.O.R.N. (For those of you not from the Midwest, it means "Clean Out the Refrigerator Now"...meaning you put random stuff you need to use up in a casserole dish, bake it, and serve it for dinner. I am incredibly grateful to my father for imposing a "No casseroles of any kind" law in our household growing up.)

So. Here's my sundae:

I put the cookie on the botton of my dish.

Then I beat the sh-t out of my chocolate bar with a rolling pin.

I put two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of the cookie and sprinkled them with chocolate bar debris. Then I made a mountain of whipped cream on top of it all and decorated with very small bits of chocolate. (...I guess now's as good of time as any to tell Charlotte that I used some of her whipped cream...)

And then I ate it all like I was Dudley Dursley.

I will, of course, be having a sugar crash at any moment, so I better reheat my coffee as an added precaution.

Have a wonderful rest of your week.

xx, Caroline.

Thursday's Treat: Grandma's Pecan Pie

So maybe you're thinking to yourself "Hey, I miss all the delicious foods of the Holidays"...

What? You're not saying that? I'm the only one?

Whatever, I want delicious pie....

Grandma's Pecan Pie

I've always been told that Grandma Dorothy made fantastic pies, and that pecan was her best. My dad especially loved hers because it used real butter and no corn syrup. I vaguely remember her pecan pie being delicious, but by the time I got old enough to really enjoy her culinary feats, she had passed away. I'm pretty sure she took her special pecan pie recipe to the grave with her- but that just encouraged me to try (and fail) at a bunch of other pecan pie recipes.

Finally, I found a contender. This is a recipe I adapted from this one on All Recipes, and I used my house crust recipe (which is the one listed below). The best part of this recipe is that is doesn't use corn syrup, just like Grandma's!

CRUST:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

4 - 5 tablespoons cold water

1. Stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until pieces are pea-size.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until all the dough is moistened. Form dough into a rough ball.

3. Wrap dough ball with plastic wrap and chill* in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

4. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

5. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the floured rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate (I use a clear Pyrex one). Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch or tear pastry.

6. Rim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry.



Dough all wrapped up and ready to chill.

 *You may be asking yourself, why can't I roll it out now?! But honey, you are using butter- not shortening, and that stuff warms up as you're forming the dough. If you were to try rolling out the dough now it won't be pretty. Don't believe me? You go right ahead- just don't come crying to me when the dough rips/stretches/tears as you're loading it into the pie pan.

PIE

Ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, plus extra
2 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use the good kind, or it won't taste the same)
1 cup chopped pecans, plus more the decoration

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2) In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. This may take a while, so at some point take a breather and zap the butter.
3) Once eggs are foamy, stir in melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and the flour. Mix until well incorporated.
4) Stir in milk, vanilla extract, and pecans.
5) Lightly coat the bottom of the pie crust with butter. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
6) Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes.
7) I like to sprinkle some chopped pecan or crust cut outs on top of the pie 5-10 minutes before pulling it out of the oven.
8) Let cool for an hour, then enjoy! I like mine with vanilla ice cream.

Add ons:

Chocolate chips (sprinkled in the batter, or on top the baked pie)
Pastry cutouts with any extra dough left over from the crusts (see above!)



Enjoy,
Charlotte