Rocky Road Ice Cream - No Churn

Well it's election day across the country and no matter how you feel about where things are headed politically, it's always a great day for ice cream...right???

And if you are living in Southern California, it's even a better day for this frozen delight because Fall has decided to go into hiding for a few days as our temperatures soar into the 80s!  YEP - that's not a typo - low 80s today and high 80s tomorrow ON THE COAST!!  I am so NOT a fan of warm weather in November.  I want to put my socks and sweats on and get comfy.  Guess I have to wait a while for that.

So I will make myself feel a little better with a cup (or more) of this taste treat!  And since we will have warm weather for a while, be prepared for more delicious and easy ways to cool yourself off and feel nurtured all at the same time!

Rocky Road Ice Cream - No Churn

adapted from Oh Nuts

2 c. heavy cream, chilled
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c. miniature marshmallows
3/4 c. roasted almonds (used Trader Joe's roasted honey almonds)


Coarsely chop the roasted almonds (you don't have to use the honey almonds that I did, but I love the flavor and texture they added).  You want them sized so they are easy to eat - no large pieces!

At least several hours before making this recipe, place a medium mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer.  I usually leave them in overnight to get them icy cold and make the whipping process even easier.

In a separate bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and the unsweetened cocoa. Whisk well until blended and well combined.  You should have a shiny, smooth, rich chocolate mixture.  Add the mini marshmallows and chopped almonds (reserving a few of each for the top) and gently fold into the chocolate mixture.  You will be tempted to stop now and just dig in with a spoon, but if you can hang on until you have finished all of the steps, this ice cream is worth the wait.

Now pour the heavy cream into your chilled bowl and beat about 2-3 minutes until soft peaks form. Fold in the cocoa mixture until well blended and no streaks are showing.  Pour into a freezer storage container  and top with a few remaining mini marshmallows and chopped roasted almonds.

This is delicious served in a bowl, a cone, or right out of the container! (I won't tell)!

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Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream

I am still having a love affair with ice cream. I think I am actually enjoying making it even more than eating it - strange I know!  This is a little "icier" than other recipes because it is made with heavy cream and milk, so the fat count is lower.  You can substitute half and half for the milk if you would like a richer, creamier product.

The chocolate and maraschino cherries are a great combination, and the touch of cinnamon is an added taste treat.  It's just enough to notice but not overpower in any way.  YUM!

And with "fall weather" several months away in southern California, there will definitely be more frozen treats to share!

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream

adapted from Butter with  Bread

2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. milk (I used whole but 2% is fine; half and half will produce a richer result)
1 c. organic cane sugar
3 T. cocoa
1/4 t. cinnamon (optional  - but it adds a nice flavor)
1/4 c. maraschino cherry juice
20 maraschino cherries, quartered 
1 T. vodka (optional  - will keep it from freezing into a solid brick!)

Mix all of the ingredients together (except the cherries.)  Use an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes to blend them all well.  Pour this mixture into the ice cream maker and let process according to the machine's directions.  About 5 minutes before the ice cream is done, add the quartered cherries. 

Freeze in a quart container for a few hours - at least.

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Banana Chocolate CHUNK Muffins! - low sugar

Again, I had a surplus of over-ripe bananas.  I often peel them and put them in the freezer to use in smoothies, but wanted to another fun muffin recipe. And I think I found my new favorite!  The batter itself is low sugar, so the chocolate chunks can be omitted to keep them lower in sugar and calories......but....if you can add the chunks, the intensity of the flavor is memorable... and addicting!

And I wanted to try a muffin recipe using self rising flour and I was amazed at how beautifully they rose.  It was easy to convert - you just  take out any salt and baking powder and as long as your self rising flour is fresh, they will rise perfectly.   It was fun to experiment and learn something new, even at my age!! :)

Dark chocolate makes everything healthy, right?

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHUNK MUFFINS - low sugar

adapted from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion cookbook

1 stick butter (1/2 cup_

1/2 cup Truvia Baking Blend

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. nutmeg  (I used fresh ground)

1/2 tsp. allspice

2-3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup vanilla coconut milk (regular milk is fine)

2 cups self rising flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. chocolate chunks (I used the Burgundy chunks from KAF)

Preheat oven to 350.  

In a mixer bow, cream the butter and Truvia baking blend until they are well-blended and smooth.  Scrape the bowl down, and add the egg, banana and milk.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and baking soda. Add the chocolate chunks and gently fold into the butter mixture. 

Spoon the batter into 12 greased muffin tins.   Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Oven ready...

Oh the aroma!....

Patiently waiting for them to cool...

Look at that melty chocolate....... can you say breakfast decadence??

They warm up beautifully too and taste as fresh as the day they were made.

Try to find the time to put your ripe bananas to good use baking these muffins.  

I promise you will not regret it!

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Skinny Banana Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins - Low Sugar

It's muffin time again.  I know that the fresh fruit of summer will be gone soon, so I want to take advantage of every tantalizing combination that I can!

My bananas have been ripening faster than I can use them, so this recipe was the perfect one to pair my mushy bananas and super sweet and LARGE raspberries!  My neighbor loved the combination so much that she made the recipe using white chocolate chips.  That was a great change and I will do that next time (see picture at the bottom!)

SKINNY RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA MUFFINS - low sugar

adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. Splenda brown sugar blend

1 cup mashed banana (about three medium bananas)

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (I used Yoplait honey vanilla)

1 egg, beaten (I use x-lge)

3/4 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup vanilla coconut milk & 1/4 cup Coffeemate GS Caramel & Coconut Creamer)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used a combination of dark and milk chocolate chips)

 1 3/4 cups fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray regular muffin tin with non cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.  Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the honey and Splenda brown sugar blend together. It will be VERY thick.  Add the mashed bananas, yogurt and beaten egg. Gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold them all together. It will be very thick.  Add the milk slowly and continue to gently fold the ingredients together. The milk will thin the batter a little.  Then fold in the chocolate chips.  Finally fold in the raspberries just until blended so they don't crush and turn the batter red!  Overmixing will cause tough muffins.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups.  Fill them to the top.  Sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar if desired.

Bake for 17-18 minutes or until golden brown.. Allow the muffins to cool on a wire rack.

 These are chock full of raspberries and chocolate.  The flavor combination is soooooo good!

Sparkling sugar makes everything better!

Brimming with raspberries. You can see the steam on the plate!

Spotlight on this muffin with the white chocolate chips.

I love all of the photo editing you can do with Pic Monkey.

Enjoy!!

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