Berry Cherry White Tea Popsicles

At Whole Foods yesterday I saw white tea berry cherry popsicles...that were crazy expensive. No thank you. I'm making these myself. Aaron and I got popsicle molds a while ago but haven't been too consistent about making them. So this was a good one to try, and I'm a fan!

Berry Cherry White Tea Popsicles (makes 6 1/3 cup popsicles - adjust depending on the size of your molds)

1 cup white tea
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries (I used 1/2 cup each of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cherries
Agave nectar and/or lemon juice, to taste

Blend all ingredients together, adding agave nectar if it's not sweet enough and lemon juice if it's not tart enough.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

Enjoy!

Hunky Monkey Ice Cream

When thinking of a new ice cream flavor to make a few days ago, I suggested banana bread to Aaron. He came back with Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey (insert all copyright/trademark info here...I'm not trying to steal your thunder, Vermont!). A lengthy discussion then ensued about how I don't like large chocolate chunks in my ice cream because they get too cold and hard to eat and could we please do a fudge swirl instead but when we've tried fudge before it never comes out right because we're not patient and this time we're going to do it right.

Enough talking. I bring you...the tastiest ice cream ever. Inspired and enjoyed by Aaron, my hunky monkey. (PS Ben and Jerry's is going to start catering to the dairy-free soon)

Hunky Monkey Ice Cream

2 frozen bananas
2 cups non-dairy creamer
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 recipe chocolate fudge sauce
1-1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Before you begin, decide what container you will use to hold your ice cream and make sure there is space in your freezer for it to lay flat.

Blend together the bananas, creamer, coconut milk, and sugar. Batter = done.

Make according to your ice cream maker's directions, adding in the walnuts in the last few minutes of churning. Spread evenly in whatever container you're using and freeze for a few hours, until pretty thick but not rock-solid.

While the ice cream is churning, make the chocolate sauce and refrigerate.

Once the ice cream is good to go, glob the fudge sauce on top.

Using a fork, gently distribute the sauce into the ice cream. You want to swirl it, not fully combine it. Both the ice cream and the fudge sauce need to be as cold as possible while still being able to "move," otherwise they will melt together too much (which if you want it that way, obvs fine, just not how I wanted this one.)

Freeze again until solid. Make sure it is flat in your freezer, otherwise it will get too swirled together (unless you want it that way!)

Scoop and serve.

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream

Trader Joe's never ceases to amaze me. It's a shot in the dark if they'll have say, basil, but the selection of "accidentally" vegan novelty grocery items they have is quite fantastic (for the full list, see here). My mom found snickerdoodle cookies that are both vegan and gluten free, and they are so good. I like softer cookies and these are so melt-in-your-mouth chewy and delicious. I was in the mood to do something different with ice cream so I added these to a new kind of ice cream batter* and was quite pleased with the result. I don't have my own vegan snickerdoodle recipe but if Trader Joe's isn't in your future, Google can help you find plenty.

*I mean new for me, I highly doubt I'm the first person to make ice cream this way.

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream

1 cup cashews, soaked in water for several hours or overnight
1 can coconut milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup crushed snickerdoodle cookies (6 if you're using the ones from Trader Joe's)

Drain and rinse the cashews. Blend all ingredients (except the cookies) together until smooth.

Make according to your ice cream maker's directions. Freeze the cookies while the batter is churning and add in during the last few minutes.

Chocolate Coffee Almond Cake

We had family over for lunch the other day and I was inspired by this ice cream currently in our freezer to make this cake for dessert. As a side note, when I was a kid I wouldn't even try coffee cake because I thought it was coffee-flavored. Needless to say I missed out on some tasty desserts of my childhood. But this cake does taste like coffee - the perfect amount, with chocolate and almonds too. My mom took one bite and asked eagerly "You're going to blog about this, right?!?" So for my mother and all other chocolate/coffee/almond lovers out there, this one's for you.

Chocolate Coffee Almond Cake (serves 12-16)

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbls. cocoa powder
1/2 Tbls. chia seeds, crushed
1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
3 Tbls. vegan butter, softened
1/4 tsp. almond butter (I used plain almonds, with no added seasonings)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup strong coffee, divided*
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp. each of chocolate, almond, and coffee extracts
2/3 cups sugar

For the frosting:
3/4 cup blanched almonds, soaked in water for a few hours**
1/4 cup strong coffee*
1/4 cup almond milk
1 Tbls. cocoa powder
1/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 - 1 cup powdered sugar

* 1/2 cup + 2 Tbls. total strong coffee. Make a pot and sip the rest as you bake :)

**You can buy blanched almonds at the store but if you're like me and inadvertently do things the hard way, here's how to blanch almonds that still have their skin on:

First, boil the almonds for 1-2 minutes. I think they smell like earl grey tea when they boil...anyone else?

Strain and rinse under cold water. The skin will be wrinkly and may be starting to come off. This is good.

Pinch the almond at either end between your thumb and forefinger until the skin pops off. Discard the skin.

Repeat with all of your almonds. Then demand a hand massage from someone. preferably someone who will later be enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Soak the almonds in water. If you do this first thing when you start the recipe they should be good to go by frosting time. And if you're using pre-blanched almonds, this is where you start.

Okay, now onto the recipe.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Start by combining the chia seeds with 1/4 cup of the coffee to make a chia gel. Refrigerate so it can gel while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium bowl sift the flour and combine with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

In a large bowl melt the baking chocolate. Beat together with the rest of the cake ingredients (except for the dry mix you just made), and adding in your chia gel.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients to the wet.

Spread in a small rectangular cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.

I forgot to take a picture post-baking but it looks like chocolate cake. Use your imagination.

The cake needs to be cooled before you frost it so depending on how long your almonds have been soaking and how long it takes to cool, make your frosting at some point. Drain the almonds and blend with the remaining frosting ingredients until smooth. Yummmmm. Frost the cake, assuming you haven't eaten all of the frosting.

Slice and serve.

Carrot Cake

Aaron has been talking about making carrot cake for over a year. Why it took us so long to make it is beyond me, though we've had no trouble buying it from Blind Faith Cafe (shh, don't tell our wedding cake we sometimes cheat on it). He had a long day the other day so I surprised him by working on this recipe, and we've nearly devoured it. And of course, there is a cream cheese frosting. How carrot cake came to traditionally have cream cheese frosting I have no idea, since I don't think carrots and cream cheese are foods that are typically served together, but who cares, because it is tasty. I made this one plain but I think it would be good with raisins and/or walnuts too.

Carrot Cake (serves 12-16)

For the cake:
1/2 Tbls. chia seeds, crushed as best as you can
1/4 cup water
1 large carrot
3 Tbls. vegan butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted (measure first, then sift)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 Tbls. canola oil
2 tsp. vinegar

For the frosting:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for a few hours or overnight
Juice of one small slice of lemon (about 1/8 of a lemon)
2 Tbls. water
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Pinch of salt.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl combine your chia seeds and water. Pop in the fridge while you continue to prepare the cake. It will turn into a gel in about 10 minutes and mimic the function of the egg in the cake.

Shred/grate the carrot and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugars, oil, coconut milk, vinegar, and chia gel.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until almost mixed.

Fold in the carrot.

Spread the batter into a 8x8 square pan (or something roughly equivalent in size). Bake for 30 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the frosting by blending all the frosting ingredients together. Be sure to drain and rinse the cashews first. Frost the cake when cool.

Nom nom nom (enjoying the very last piece as I write this post).

Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

Hoooo boooyy it has been a WHILE since I've posted! Rule #76, no excuses, play like a champion, let's get this blogging show back on the road.

When I was a kid, my parents made popsicles by freezing cranberry juice (I know, super simple, but we thought it was the greatest thing in the world). The coolest part was probably that the handle had a little straw coming out of the side of it so you could sip whatever popsicle juice melted without making a mess. Aaron and I aren't quite as cool so our popsicle molds don't have that feature, but they still work great. These popsicles are quite tasty and perfect for the summer - though be sure to adjust the quantities as needed based on your popsicle molds. As a side note, I could not for the life of me get these photos to rotate...thankfully this recipe isn't too dependent on photos!

Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles (makes 6 1/2 cup popsicles)

2 cups water
3/4 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)
2 Tbls. lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbls. sugar

Blend all ingredients together.

Divide evenly in popsicle molds.

Freeze several hours and enjoy!

Jimmy Fallon Ice Cream

Where has March gone? The month is half over and this is my first post...but it's an epic one, so I hope that makes up for the hiatus. If you're a fan of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and/or Jimmy Fallon, you know that the dynamic duo recently created The Tonight Dough, a ridiculous concoction of caramel and chocolate ice creams with chocolate cookies, chocolate chip cookie dough, and peanut butter cookie dough. The bad news is that this has cow juice in it and therefore won't be going in my body, the good news is that it can totally be veganized. I have to admit I took some shortcuts with this. I made the ice cream a caramel-chocolate ice cream rather than swirling together the two separately, mostly because it would have taken a couple days because I only have one ice cream bowl. I also used peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough instead of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie doughs separately because, well, it was just easier. If you do eat dairy and want to compare the "real thing" with this one I would love to know how they stack up, but even if they don't taste the same that's fine by me because this is tasty.

Jimmy Fallon Ice Cream (inspired by Ben & Jerry's The Tonight Dough)

For the ice cream:
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbls. coconut oil
2 cups soy creamer, divided
1 cup non-dairy milk, divided
1 oz. baking chocolate
2 Tbls. cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. chocolate extract

For the mix-ins:
3/4 cup crushed chocolate cookies*
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbls. water
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

*We happened to have some chocolate cookies already in the freezer but if you don't, make these (with or without the chocolate chips) and freeze them before crushing.

The ice cream part is a bit complicated to make so it helps to set up everything beforehand. First, get set up on the stove a pan or small pot with 1 cup of soy creamer and the coconut oil. In a large pot, add the sugar and shake gently so it sits in an even layer.

On the counter next to the stove, have your whisk ready to go, the remaining 1 cup of soy creamer + 1/2 cup milk, the chocolates and salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the arrowroot powder whisked in thoroughly.

Heat the creamer mixture and keep it simmering. You won't need it for a bit but it needs to be super hot when you add it.

Turn the sugar on medium heat and let it melt. Once it starts to get brown around the edges, stir it around a bit using a spatula.

Keep the sugar melting until it is nearly all liquid.

Slowly pour in the hot creamer mixture and keep stirring with a spatula until all the bubble frenzy dies down.

At this point you will likely have some lumps of caramel in the batter. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes until they have melted. Stir occasionally with a spatula.

Slowly add in the remaining cream/milk mixture and the chocolates with salt. Let it all melt together, whisking occasionally.

Once everything has mixed together, bring the mixture to boiling and then quickly whisk in the arrowroot mixture until the batter has thickened. Let cool for about half an hour and whisk in the extracts. Refrigerate until cool.

Now it's time to make the cookie dough. In a large bowl combine the peanut butter, agave nectar, vanilla, and water.

Stir in the flour and salt, then the chocolate chips.

Prepare a sheet of silpat or parchment paper, making sure it will eventually be able to fit in a bag or tupperware in your freezer (this is a good time to make sure you have freezer space too). Form the dough into balls the size of small marbles and place them on the paper. If the dough gets too soft while you're working, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. I got 80 out of the dough with a spoonful left over for eating :). I arranged them this way so I could fold the paper but do whatever works for you. Seal tightly in a bag or tupperware and freeze.

You're almost there! Once the batter is chilled and the mix-ins are frozen, make the ice cream according to your ice cream maker's directions. During the last few minutes of churning add in the cookie crumbles and cookie dough. Yum-may.

Apple Crisp

Last week my friend Ashley moved to the Chicago area from California with her family - including her adorable newborn. They were so nice and invited us to come over about 48 hours after they had arrived, which is quite impressive. We brought lasagna and this apple crisp, and everyone agreed it was a hit. I took a risk making something off the top of my head that I hadn't tried before but hey, now we have an awesome new dessert recipe! In a year or so when her baby is eating solid foods we'll have to make it again to see if she's in agreement :)

Apple Crisp (serves 8-10)

2 apples, any kind (I used pink lady)

1/4 cup + 1 Tbls. brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup + 1/2 Tbls white sugar, divided

2 Tbls. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 Tbls. coconut oil (liquid)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 tsp. salt

4 Tbls. frozen butter, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine in a large bowl with 1 Tbls. of brown sugar, 1/2 Tbls. of while sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, and coconut oil.

Peel the apples and slice thinly. Toss with the mixture, along with the walnuts. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the flour, oats, salt, and remainder of the sugars. Grate in the frozen butter (or chop it up as small as you can) and combine with a fork until the mixture resembles large crumbs.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. Spread the apple mixture in evenly.

Spread the flour mixture on top. Chop up the remaining frozen butter as small as you can and evenly place over the flour mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to caramelize the top. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn!

It's good at any temperature, but we like it best warm :)