Key Lime Ice Cream on a Graham crust cone

Key Lime Ice Cream

3 cups Heavy Cream

1 can Condenced Milk

1/4 cup Sugar

2 limes, juiced

1 pinch salt

Heat 1/2 milk and dissolve sugar, then combine the remaining ingredients. Allow to cool.

Process in ice cream maker. Place in a freezer container and hold in freezer.

For the cone, dip in some melted dark chocolate and roll in Graham Cracker crumbs! Top your cone with the ice cream. 

Babka

Babka

Dough

6 1/3 Cups all-purpose flour (795 grams)

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon Orange - Zest

4 Large Eggs

3/4 Cup Milk

1 Teaspoon vanilla bean paste

16 Tablespoons Butter- softened

1 Teaspoon Salt

 

Egg Wash

1 each Egg

1 Tablespoon water

 

Simple Syrup

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup water

 

1 Mise en place all ingredients at room temperature.

2 In a bowl for a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and zest, combine completely. With the mixer on low add eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat until the mixture comes together, adjust with milk or flour until it comes together.

3 With mixer on low add the butter a tablespoon at a time, Add salt, beating just until combined. Increase the speed and beat until a smooth and elastic dough forms and pulls away from the sides, until it passes a pane test.

4 Spray a bowl with cooking spray, place dough in bowl, allow to proof in a warm draft free area for 1-1.5 hours, or until double in size. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or over night

5 Bring dough out of the refrigerator to warm up slightly and divide in half. On a heavily floured surface roll out to a 12" x 16" rectangle, Brush with egg was on the edges. Spread the desired filling leaving a 1" border on long side of dough. Starting at one long side, roll up dough, jelly-roll style, and press the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife cut in half lengthwise. Carefully twist the dough pieces around each other leaving the exposed cut facing up. Place in a prepared greased 8x4 loaf pan. Tuck the ends under loaf. Repeat with the 2nd half. Cover and let stand in a warm draft free place (75 degrees) until double in size, about 1-1.5 hours

6 Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Bake loaves for 30 minutes, Cover with foil and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the cent come out clean, about another 30 min.

7 While babka bakes, prepare the Simple Syrup. In a small sauce pan, bring sugar and water to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour over the warm loaves while still in pans. Let cool in pans doe 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

 

Chocolate Filling (2 Loaves)

1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

3/4 Cup Butter

3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 Cup Cocoa

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Melt the butter and chip until smooth, whisk in the sugar, cocoa and salt. Let cool to room temperature

 

Cinnamon Pecan Filling (2 Loaves)

2 Cups Butter

2 Cups Sugar

4 Tablespoons Cinnamon

2 Teaspoons Nutmeg

1 Cup finely chopped Pecans

Combine all in a mixing bowl until fluffy and smooth. 3-4 minutes.

 

Orange Cranberry Scone

Scones:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

scant 1/2 cup half and half

zest of one orange, divided

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in small pieces and well chilled

1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

Glaze:

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice (from the zested orange)

1/2 teaspoon orange zest (reserved from above)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg, half and half, and most of the orange zest (reserve about 1/2 teaspoon for the glaze); set aside.

4. Rub cold butter pieces into the flour mixture with your fingertips (or use a pastry blender) until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped cranberries.

5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once and stir until the mixture clumps together. Dump mixture out onto a floured countertop and, with floured hands, gather into a ball and knead once or twice to combine everything. If it’s quite sticky, just sprinkle some extra flour on the counter and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking. Cut dough into two equal pieces and pat each into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut each circle like a pie into 8 slices. Arrange scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before dipping in the glaze.

Glaze:

In a small bowl that is wide enough to dip a scone, combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons orange juice and the reserved orange zest. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the scones.  Once glaze is dry, scones can be stored in a container or covered in plastic wrap. They are best eaten the day they are made, but will stay somewhat fresh for a day or two if carefully wrapped.

Cookie Monster Ice Cream Blocks

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

6 drops Blue Food Coloring

14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

30 mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cut cookies into quarters or small chunks.

Pour cream and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks are formed, adding the food color, adjust the recipe to your desired Cookie Monster color, add in the condesed milk, mix well. Fold in the cookies.

Spoon into desired molds. A loaf bread pan works well. Freeze over night!

 

Key Lime & Huckleberry Popsicles

5 8oz Key Lime Greek Yogurt

3 Tab. Huckleberry Jam 

1 zest of a Lime

Place all yogurt into a bowl, add the zest and mix well. Add the Huckleberry Jam and fold together lightly. 

Place mix in a pastry bag and pipe into Popsicle molds. Place the lid on mold and insert sticks

Freeze overnight and enjoy! 

Gumbo-laya

“Gumbo-laya” Stew with Spicy Sausage, Chicken and Shrimp with Okra

(Serves about 6-8)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound spicy andouille (or smoked) sausage, sliced
8 chicken tenderloins (or 2 skinless/boneless chicken breasts), cut into bite-size pieces
• Salt
• Pepper
3 celery stalks, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large bell pepper, finely diced
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon, heaping, tomato paste
½ pound okra, sliced into ¼ – ½” thick slices
1 (28 oz) can organic diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups chicken stock, hot
½ pound peeled and cleaned, medium size shrimp (raw)
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Rice

Preparation:

-Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add the sliced sausage in, and allow it to caramelize and brown for a few minutes; once well browned, remove the sausage from the pot, and set it aside for a moment; next, add the chicken pieces into the pot along with a sprinkle or two of salt and pepper, and allow them to brown in the oil/sausage drippings for about 2-3 minutes; remove the chicken pieces from the pot, and set aside for a moment; next, add in the diced celery, onion and bell pepper, and caramelize it for about 2-3 minutes in the oil, then add in the bay leaves, the Creole seasoning, the cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and stir to combine; next, add in the garlic and stir, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the tomato paste, and cook for about 1 minute to cook out the “raw” tomato flavor; next, add in the sliced okra, the diced tomatoes with juice, the hot chicken stock, and the browned sausage and chicken, and stir to combine, and allow the stew to simmer gently on low/medium-low, uncovered, for 20 minutes; after 20 minutes, add in the shrimp (you can season it with a sprinkle of salt/pepper if you wish), and simmer for only 2 minutes more as to not overcook the shrimp; finish by stirring in the chopped parsley and cilantro, and serve over the Fragrant Garlic Rice, with some additional spice/heat options like hot sauce, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, if desired.

EXTRA FLUFFY BLUEBERRY ALMOND PANCAKES

EXTRA FLUFFY BLUEBERRY ALMOND PANCAKES

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  25 mins

Serves: 2

 

These pancakes are extra thick & fluffy with the addition of Greek yogurt, and are full of fresh blueberries, slivered almonds, and lemon zest.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• 6 tbsp almond milk, or any milk {see note}
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground almonds, sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and milk. Add egg and almond extract and mix until smooth.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in slivered almonds and blueberries.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat; spray with oil. Cook ¼ cup pancake portions for 2 minutes on the first side (or until edges have set and bottom is golden). Flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side (or until golden and cooked through)

Notes

Batter will be quite thick...you will need to flatten pancakes slightly with the back of a spoon.
If batter is too thick, add more milk one tbsp at a time.