Category Archives: Ice cream

Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Ice Cream {National Ice Cream Month}

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Celebration/Holiday, Dessert, Ice cream and tagged with , ,
[Welcome! In case you missed it, this month is National Ice Cream month. Each Tuesday I’ll be sharing a new ice cream recipe for the entire month of July. If you want to see the first two recipes, they can be found here and here.]

Week three already, can you believe it? This week we are diving headfirst into decadence with a peanut butter and chocolate confection. Regular readers have probably noticed that peanut butter is something I consider to be a staple food. I eat it at least once a day, usually spread atop an English muffin with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar (my standard breakfast), or as a dip for a sliced apple sprinkled with cinnamon (my go-to work snack). I never grow tired of peanut butter, whether I’m eating it straight out of the jar or in a more complicated creation. I even took my own jar of Jif when I spent six weeks in Japan, having learned from my Scotland semester abroad that peanut butter is not quite as common in other parts of the world. (My mom saved the day by mailing me a jar to Scotland so I could eat all the PB&J I wanted, much to the confusion of my British flatmates and friends.)

Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

In any case, peanut butter is a big deal here in the home of Baking Bytes. M almost always tops his preferred flavor of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, peanut butter, and a banana. (According to him, the banana makes it healthy.) I thought this week I’d try combining some of those flavors into one sweet treat, namely peanut butter ice cream with a chocolate ripple.

Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

My first attempt had way too much peanut butter (like that’s even a thing) and ended up more like extra fluffy peanut butter than an ice cream. I toned it down for my second attempt and in addition to not freezing hard as a rock, it’s definitely ice cream. Smooth and very peanut buttery, the chocolate ripple breaks up the thickness of the flavor. I’d never tried a ripple before, but it turned out to be very easy. If a mix-in isn’t really your style, just top it with your favorite chocolate sauce or keep it plain; it is certainly delicious all on its own.

Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Below find my recipes for peanut butter ice cream and a chocolate ripple, as well as instructions for combining the two. Keep in mind this is not a hot fudge recipe, it is meant to stay soft in the freezer as a mix-in, rather than be served on top, so it is very thin at room temperature – this is normal. Just make sure you chill it in the fridge before you add it to the ice cream or it may blend in too much.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream 

Makes ~6 cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup half and half (or milk)
1/4 – 3/4 creamy peanut butter1
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth and completely combined; mixture will be somewhat thick.
  2. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  3. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions, then place in a freezer-safe bowl to freeze for an additional three hours, or overnight.

Notes

1 You could use chunky if you want, although likely the texture will still be pretty smooth after blending. The more peanut butter you add, the harder the ice cream will be. I like to use about 1/2 or 2/3 cup, which results in a strong flavor but still stays fairly soft. If you’re looking for a more subtle peanut butter flavor, I’d cut that amount in half.

Fudge Ripple

Borrowed from Brown Eyed Baker
Makes about 1.5 cups1

Ingredients

½ cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder2

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together all ingredients except vanilla. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until the sauce comes to a low boil.
  2. Continue cooking for another minute, whisking almost continuously.
  3. Remove sauce from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool in the pot for several minutes.
  4. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using in ice cream.

Notes

1 I did not use near this amount in my ice cream, so I’m storing the leftovers in the freezer to use in another recipe. Depending on how much fudge ripple you like, you may end up with extra. I used about a third to half of the recipe, and I would probably use a little more next time to make sure the ripple permeates every bite.

2 The original recipe calls for Dutch-processed cocoa powder but I just used Hershey’s because that’s what I always have on hand. I used one tablespoon dark cocoa powder and the rest regular.

Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 recipe ice cream of choice, chilled but not churned
1 recipe of fudge ripple (above), chilled

Directions

  1. If you haven’t already, place a freezer-safe bowl in the freezer.
  2. Freeze ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s directions.
  3. Remove bowl from freezer, and drizzle some chocolate sauce on the bottom.
  4. Gently spread about one cup of ice cream into the bowl, and top with another drizzle of chocolate sauce. Avoid stirring or the ice cream will look muddy. Repeat with remaining ice cream (you may have sauce leftover), finishing with a sauce drizzle on top.
  5. Return bowl to freezer for about 3 hours, or until ice cream is firm (or serve immediately if desired firmness is already there.)

Baileys Ice Cream {National Ice Cream Month}

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Celebration/Holiday, Dessert, Ice cream and tagged with , ,
[Welcome! In case you missed it, this month is National Ice Cream month. Each Tuesday I’ll be sharing a new ice cream recipe for the entire month of July. If you want to see last week’s recipe, it can be found here.]

Happy Tuesday! This week we’re going a bit less traditional and adding booze to our ice cream. Personally, I have found very few dairy-based items that Baileys doesn’t improve (like hot chocolate and pudding and whipped cream), but this happens to be one of my favorites. Even better, it’s no more time-consuming than my normal vanilla ice cream. Simply throw in a couple ounces of Baileys and prepare your taste buds for a glorious experience.

Baileys Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Smooth and creamy, with that wonderful Baileys taste we all know and love (caveat: if you don’t like Irish cream liqueurs, this post is probably not for you, but be sure to check back next week!), this ice cream is great on its own or as part of something more complicated. It would pair beautifully with a Guinness chocolate cake for a St. Patrick’s Day treat, although I haven’t tried this yet. Note to self: do this next year. It also makes a great milkshake (add a little Kahlúa, vodka, and chocolate sauce  for a mudslide) or an adult root beer float.

Simple as it may seem, what started as a whim has quickly become one of my favorite recipes and is now one of my go-to flavors when I want something besides regular vanilla. Plus it helps me get through my ever-growing collection of Baileys flavors.

Baileys Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

With regards to the strength of the flavor, I’ve given you a range in the amount of Baileys so you can tailor it to your preferences. I generally add two ounces, and this is also the amount I’d use if I were planning to serve it alongside a cake or other dessert. For a root beer float, a stronger version might be better. Four ounces definitely packs more of a punch, but since Baileys is a relatively mild alcohol it’s still not crazy overwhelming. You can certainly start with one ounce if you’re just looking for a hint of flavor, but I would caution against going much higher than four ounces as I can’t guarantee the ice cream will freeze properly with a higher alcohol content. Mix up the other ingredients and add the Baileys one tablespoon (2 Tbsp == 1 oz) at a time until it tastes right to you, keeping in mind it will be slightly more subtle after its frozen.

Next time you want to up the ante on the ice cream front, give this a try; I guarantee you’ll want a repeat experience.

Baileys Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Baileys Ice Cream

Makes ~6 cups

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup half and half (or milk)
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 oz Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur1 

Directions

  1. Whisk together all ingredients until completely combined.
  2. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  3. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions, then place in a freezer-safe bowl to freeze for an extra three hours, or overnight.2

Notes

1 I have used multiple flavors of Baileys with delicious success; my favorite so far is Vanilla Cinnamon. If you’re not a Baileys fan, substitute your preferred cream liqueur.

2 Because of the alcohol, this ice cream probably won’t be hard enough to eat straight out of the ice cream maker. Nice and soft straight out of the freezer, it does melt relatively quickly so don’t dilly dally if you’re serving it to several people.

Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream (& DIY Dixie Cups) {National Ice Cream Month}

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Celebration/Holiday, Dessert, Ice cream and tagged with , ,

Welcome to July! We are halfway through the year, can you believe it? June went by crazy fast; probably because I spent a third of it at home in Alaska, but I digress. We bring in the second half of the year with National Ice Cream Month. Didn’t know that’s a thing? That’s okay, I forgive you. You have all month to make up for it.

To celebrate I’m going to do something a little different with the blog. In addition to the regular bi-weekly Monday posts, I will be posting a weekly ice cream recipe. We’ll have something for everyone with both classic flavors and some less traditional ones. These posts will go live on Tuesday mornings, giving you plenty of time to make a batch for your weekend barbecues.

DIY Orange Vanilla Dixie Cups {{Baking Bytes}}

For this first week, I’m introducing orange creamsicle ice cream. Remember those tiny Dixie cups of half vanilla, half orange deliciousness that came with the silly wooden spoon? Here is a DIY version just for you. It’s a little bit more time-consuming than just making one flavor, of course, but they are super cute, super delicious, and super easy.

If you’re not interested in the combo, this orange ice cream can certainly hold its own. Reminiscent of a creamier Orange Julius, it bursts with orange flavor and a hint of vanilla. It’s very easy to adjust to how “orange-y” you want yours to be. The citrus flavor is delightfully summery, making it a wonderful treat on a hot day. Despite the extra water from the orange juice, it stayed scoopably (that’s a word, I promise) soft in my freezer, but if it freezes too hard in yours just let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before dishing.

DIY Orange Vanilla Dixie Cups {{Baking Bytes}}

Below find my recipes for orange creamsicle and vanilla ice cream, as well as instructions for making your own Dixie cups. They would be a great addition to a 4th of July barbecue, sure to impress the whole crowd, adults and children alike. I did add food coloring to this batch of orange so it would stand out next to the vanilla, but you certainly don’t have to. The orange juice is a key flavor, so make sure you buy a quality brand of 100% juice (or juice your own oranges). I like to get the Simply Orange brand.

I used these Snapware, 1-cup glass containers, but anything of similar size should do. Small canning jars, waxed paper cups, whatever you can find. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find actual disposable ice cream cups to use, if you’re worried about glass breaking. It’s best to use a lidded container, but you can always cover the tops with parchment paper (so they’re stackable) if you’re not planning to keep them in the freezer more than a few days.

DIY Orange Vanilla Dixie Cups {{Baking Bytes}}

Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream

Makes 4-5 cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 – 1 cup pulp-free orange juice (I used 3/4 cup)1 
1/4 cup egg substitute
3/4 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

yellow and red food coloring (optional)

Directions

  1. Whisk together all ingredients until completely combined.
  2. If desired, add food coloring. I used 6 drops yellow and 2 drops red, but add more or less to suit your preferences. It does lighten fairly considerably after it’s frozen.
  3. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  4. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions, then place in a freezer-safe bowl to freeze for an extra three hours, or overnight.

Notes

1 If you have pulpy juice on hand, just use a mesh strainer to remove the pulp. For a subtler orange flavor, use 1/2 cup. For a strong flavor, use 1 cup. The larger end of the range will result in a more grainy texture, but it’s still creamy.

Vanilla Ice Cream1  

Makes approx. 3.5 cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup egg substitute
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Whisk together all ingredients until completely combined.
  2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  3. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions, then place in a freezer-safe bowl to freeze for an extra three hours, or overnight.

Notes

1 This is the same recipe as my previously posted vanilla ice cream recipe, just halved and with less vanilla so as to not compete so strongly with the orange.

DIY Dixie Cups 

Serves 8-10 (6-8oz each)

Ingredients

1 recipe orange creamsicle ice cream (above)
1 recipe vanilla ice cream (above)

Directions

  1. Make and freeze vanilla ice cream.
  2. Make orange ice cream, but stop once you’ve placed the mixture into the fridge. If using glass jars for your servings, place those in the freezer at this time. Chill everything for at least 4 hours.
  3. Scoop vanilla ice cream into your jars, using a spatula (or something else sturdy and flat) to hold the ice cream into half the container while you press it to fill the space. Smooth the tops and return to the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until your orange ice cream is done.
  4. Freeze orange ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s directions.
  5. Retrieve the cups from the freezer, and fill the remaining half with orange ice cream. Smooth the tops, and return to the freeze for at least 2 hours, or until ready to eat.
  6. Serve directly from the freezer to adoring fans.

These sound a lot more complicated than they actually are. There is a lot of down time waiting for things to freeze/chill, but it’s not a difficult recipe. The most time-efficient method would be like this:

  • Day 1 pm: Mix vanilla and put in the fridge. Mix the orange and put it in the fridge also. If you’re using glass containers, put them in the freezer now because it won’t hurt them to be in there a long time.
  • Day 2 am (e.g. before work): Churn the vanilla and put it in the freezer. Wash and dry the ice cream maker bowl, and return it to the freezer. (This should take about half an hour total.)
  • Day 2 pm (e.g. after work): Portion the vanilla to fill half of each cup, and put them back in the freezer. Churn the orange ice cream. Retrieve the half-filled cups, fill with orange, smooth the tops, and return to the freezer until ready to serve.

Obviously, depending on how much time you have you can spread this out a lot more, but this timeline will give you ready-to-eat desserts for Day 3, meaning you still have time to make them for the 4th of July, and actually enjoy the barbecue, even if you don’t start until Wednesday. If you are making these for more than 10 people, double the vanilla recipe, and make 1.5 of the orange (I don’t think double will fit in a standard ice cream maker.) You should have enough for closer to 20, or more if you make them smaller, of course.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Dessert, Ice cream and tagged with

Even though it’s just the two of us, making ice cream is a weekly occurrence. I have the recipe to our favorite French vanilla memorized so it takes no time at all to mix up, but after week after week of vanilla, I decided we needed another staple. I set my sites on a strong chocolate flavor without resulting in a hard or grainy ice cream. Three iterations later, it turns out that the easiest change is also the best one. I learned a lot about how changing ingredients affects the end result, and I’m excited to try new flavors throughout the summer.

Chocolate Ice Cream

This ice cream is perfectly chocolatey, smooth and doesn’t freeze too hard (at least not in my freezer.) Observant readers might notice this is exactly the same as my French vanilla ice cream recipe, with the addition of cocoa powder. A bit more time-consuming than the standard vanilla, but worth the extra few minutes for a decadent treat.

Chocolate Ice cream 2

Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes approximately 6 cups

Ingredients

1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla

Directions

  1. Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  2. Cool mixture in the fridge until completely chilled, or over night.
  3. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions.
  4. Enjoy alone or with your favorite toppings; I like a generous squirt of whipped cream.

Chocolate Ice Cream 3

Notes

  • I like to use about half of each regular and dark cocoa powder, leaning more towards dark, but any combination will do.
  • For chilling the ice cream, I like a 2-quart glass batter bowl. Plenty of room for whisking and a spout for pouring into the ice cream maker. Mine is from Anchor.
  • Place your freezer-safe storage bowl in the freezer (no lid!) while the ice cream is churning so the ice cream doesn’t melt along the edges when you pour it in.
  • For freezer storage, these glass, lidded, 7-cup round bowls by Pyrex are the perfect size for a 6-cup recipe. (Plus they’re stackable!)

Pumpkin Mudslide Milkshake

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Beverages, Dessert, Ice cream and tagged with

On this last weekend in November, before eggnog season (December 1 for me) officially starts, you may find yourself wanting a sweet treat in which to indulge. Perhaps, like me, you had that last bit of extra pumpkin to use up, and not quite all of the ice cream has been eaten.

The Cupcake Project designated this to be a Halloween drink, with which I fully agree, but I also think it makes an excellent post-Thanksgiving indulgence for that awkward weekend between cider and eggnog. (Or maybe I just over think the seasons too much…)

My version, inspired by CP, is tailored to my own personal preferences for an alcoholic milkshake, with a less boozy taste. Feel free to customize the alcoholic proportions to fit your own individual tastes. Due to the alcohol, these milkshakes are not particularly thick, but taste delicious. The recipe below is for one serving, so multiply as necessary to fit your needs.

Alcohol not your style? Too early in the day for vodka? Want to make a virgin adaptation for your kids? No problem! Simply substitute 2-3 oz milk for the liquor and you’re good to go. As a plus, this will result in a thicker milkshake.

And don’t worry, this should be my last pumpkin recipe for a while.

Pumpkin Mudslide Milkshake

Inspired by the Cupcake Project
Makes 1 milkshake

Ingredients

1/2 oz. whipped cream vodka (I use Pinnacle Whipped)
1/2 oz. Kahlúa
1/2 oz. Irish cream liqueur
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 dash* ground cinnamon
1 pinch* ground ginger
1 smidgeon* ground cloves
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
Chocolate sauce, to taste
Whipped cream, to taste

* I have this fun set of measuring spoons my mom got me for these measurements. If you don’t (honestly they’re pretty silly, but fun) just give a small shake of each from your spice jar. Just aim for more cinnamon than ginger, more ginger than cloves, and not very much of each. Having precise measurements is not really important.

Directions

  1. Swirl chocolate sauce on the inside of your glass; set aside.
  2. Place liquor, pumpkin and spices in a blender, and pulse a few times to smooth out the pumpkin.
  3. Add ice cream and blend until smooth. Pour into prepared glasses and top with whipped cream. Some mini chocolate chips would also add a nice touch to the top. (I just didn’t have any on hand.)

Notes: Serving these at a party and concerned about the chocolate blurring into the milkshake? Place your glass in the freezer for about 15 minutes, swirl the chocolate, and return to the freezer for 30 minutes. Even better: use Magic Shell chocolate sauce (or similar product.)