Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough 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, July is National Ice Cream Month. Each Wednesday I’ll be posting a new flavor, so be sure to check back and find your new favorite. if you missed the first two, they can be found here and here.]

Last week we did tea, this week we’re going a bit more traditional and bringing an all-American classic to the repertoire: cookie dough! Despite my adventures in ice cream recipes, M rarely eats anything besides the vanilla and maybe the peanut butter if he’s feeling fancy. I inquired as to what flavors he might deem worthy of veering away from his precious vanilla, and cookie dough was mentioned in the (rather short) list. Since this also sounded delicious to me, I figured I’d give it a shot.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

This is a newly classic flavor (oxymoron, much?) that can be found basically anywhere, but not one I’d really considered making. It seemed a bit tame so it didn’t quite pique my interest in the same way some of the more complex flavors have. But be that as it may, it’s definitely delicious and worth your time.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

I used my go-to vanilla recipe mixed with cookie dough balls from a modified version of the standard Nestle recipe. A creamy base and bites of raw dough make for a more textural experience in addition to being yummy. Great for kids and adults alike, especially served in a cone on a hot day.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

When I made mine, I used approximately 1/2 tsp sized dough balls, but I would make them even smaller next time. This would make them more evenly dispersed as well as be easier to dish, since the cookie dough isn’t quite as scoopable as the ice cream itself. In any case, use whatever size dough balls that suits you, but bear in mind that smaller might be better, just this once.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream 

Makes ~6 cups

Ingredients

1 recipe cookie dough (below)

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

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the cookie dough. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  2. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions, gently fold in cookie dough balls, then place in a freezer-safe bowl to freeze for an additional three hours, or overnight.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough 

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

  1. In the bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until well mixed and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
  2. Add flour and salt, and mix until just combined.
  3. Stir in chocolate chips until well distributed.
  4. Roll entire recipe into small balls (less than 1/2 tsp each) and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to use.

Chai Latte 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, July is National Ice Cream Month. Each Wednesday I’ll be posting a new flavor, so be sure to check back and find your new favorite. if you missed last week’s Peanut Butter Banana, it can be found here.]

Welcome back, kids. This week we’re going slightly off trend and bringing tea into the mix. One of my favorite year-round beverages is a chai tea latte: steaming hot in the winter and over ice in the summer. The spicy tea with the creaminess of milk makes for a refreshing drink at any temperature, both for the drink and the weather. I figured I’d up the ante and try to bring it together in ice cream form to mix it up for summer.

Chai Latte Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

My first attempt I didn’t bother to condense the tea and although the taste was delicious, the texture was rather icy and not what I typically strive for. Take two: I simmered away much of the water from the tea, added it to my usual base, and voilà: deliciousness abound.

Chai Latte Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Oregon Chai Concentrate is something I consider to be a staple, so that is what I used. (Pro tip, it’s hella cheaper at Costco.) I love that it comes in several flavors as well as decaffeinated and is super quick to prepare without sacrificing flavor. It blended beautifully into ice cream, that spicy flavor we know and love permeating a cold frozen treat. It is perhaps a bit icier in texture than plain vanilla, but no more so than last year’s Orange Creamsicle, and definitely still delightful.

Chai Latte Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

If you’re looking to step outside the usual peanut butter or chocolate or fruit concoctions found in the ice cream aisle, this may be the recipe for you. I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think!

Chai Latte Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Chai Latte Ice Cream 

Makes ~6 cups

Ingredients

2.5 cups Oregon Chai concentrate

3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup half and half (or milk)
1/2 cup egg substitute
1.5 tsp vanilla (optional)

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, simmer tea concentrate over medium heat until it is reduced to about 1/2 – 3/4 cup in volume. Let cool while you prepare the base.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Slowly stream in condensed tea, whisking constantly.
  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 additional three hours, or overnight.

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream {National Ice Cream Month}

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

Hi friends! I hope you are surviving the massive heatwaves or at least not giggling too hard at those of us struggling through them. Can you believe we are halfway through the year already? Crazy. Although I can definitely say that if this 100-degree (F) weather keeps up I will be ready for winter really soon.

In any case, I have a month of frozen deliciousness for you! If you were around last year, you might remember that July is National Ice Cream Month and to celebrate I posted a new ice cream recipe each week. This year I’m intending to follow the same pattern so I’ll be posting a total of five new recipes on Wednesdays in July. Are you pumped? You should be. (I am.)

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

To start us off I thought I’d use a classic flavor: peanut butter. Well maybe you think peanut butter isn’t classic, but it’s a very common flavor in my house and I’d eat it probably five times per day if I didn’t specifically try not to. Whoops. Last year I posted peanut butter fudge ripple and this year I’m bringing you peanut butter banana.

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

When I was on exchange in Scotland (several years ago now, boy time flies) I discovered a place called the Marble Slab Creamery. Much like Coldstone here in the states, they add your mix-ins right in front of you and then hand over a perfectly balanced treat made directly to your specifications. I’m sure they had like ten thousand calories per cup but I went there several times during my stay when I needed a pick-me-up or I was celebrating or I happened to be near the mall. My favorite combination was peanut butter banana with Graham cracker and I probably ordered one at least half of the times I went. Sprinkled with crushed Graham crackers, this recipe beautifully recreates that memory in a delicious treat I can make from 4000 miles away.

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Smooth and peanut buttery with the lovely addition of banana, this ice cream tastes like summer to me. It’s a fabulous combination you have probably noticed crops up in a ton of my recipes and I doubt I’ll ever get bored with it. If you think no dessert is complete without chocolate, it would also be great with that fudge ripple from last year or topped with some mini chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream {{Baking Bytes}}

Hope you enjoy the kickoff recipe and be sure to check back next week for a less traditional flavor.

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream 

Makes ~6 cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup half and half (or milk)
1/2 creamy peanut butter1
1/2 cup egg substitute
2-3 medium ripe bananas2

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.
  4. Serve topped with crushed Graham crackers and/or your choice of toppings.

Notes

1 You could use chunky if you want, although likely the texture will still be pretty smooth after blending.

2 For best flavor, bananas should be very ripe or slightly override. I like to use three so the banana flavor is more pronounced, but if you’re more a peanut butter person use fewer of them.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

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

Hello friends, hope you are having a lovely June. If you’re in one of the places having massive heatwaves, I hope you’re staying cool with smoothies and ice cream and other frozen treats. Shameless self-promotion aside, we’ve had the usual gauntlet of rain and hail and sunshine here that typically befalls June. On Saturday I ran my 10th half marathon in West Yellowstone, which also happened to be my first trail race, and it was as warm as it was beautiful.

2015 Yellowstone Half Marathon

You might think the lack of baked goods the last several posts is due to the weather, but it’s actually because my oven is broken. It’s not holding temperature correctly which doesn’t work well for delicate items like cookies and quickbreads. Due to this, M has been making no-bake cookies, which is one of his standbys for when I don’t get around to baking. (The other is brownies, but that also requires an oven, obviously.) Since they’ll probably be a staple until the oven situation is resolved, I thought I’d share them here.

No-Bake Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

These cookies are quite rich but they have a great peanut butter chocolate flavor, and are super quick to put together. They stay soft and delicious for about a week and are extra yummy with a tall glass of milk. I’ll admit they are really sweet (2 cups of sugar will do that) but they’re an excellent go-to treat when you need something fast to satiate that chocolate craving.

Whip up a batch for the week (or the day) and give your oven a break.

No-Bake Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Borrowed from M
Makes 4+ dozen one-tablespoon cookies

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
3.5 – 4 cups Quick Oats (I always use Quaker)1

Directions

  1. Spread wax paper or aluminum foil on the counter (or a cookie sheet if you want to be able to move them).
  2. Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and heat over medium until melted.
  3. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; continue boiling for about 90 seconds.
  4. Stir in remaining ingredients until completely combined.
  5. Using a cookie scoop (or two spoons), scoop cookies onto prepared surface. I usually make them bite-sized (about 1 tablespoon) whereas M prefers a more hefty size (about 3 tablespoons), so feel free to do whatever size you like best.2 
  6. Allow cookies to cool completely, then store in an airtight container on the counter.

Notes

1 The fewer oats you use the more gooey the cookies will be. The pictures are using the full amount but we typically use about 3.75 cups.

2 Makes just under 5 dozen if you do my size, or about 2 dozen if you do his size.

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Beverages, Entrée and tagged with , , , ,

Has summer hit your area yet? It’s been hit or miss here but we did have a lovely hailstorm the other day. And I say that with great sincerity, storms are fun so long as they don’t happen constantly.

The recipe I have for you today (although “recipe” might be kind of a generous term for a smoothie, if I’m honest) is great for those hot days when you want a healthy and filling meal but it’s too hot to make anything. It may not seem like much but I’m always surprised just how full I am at the end. Great for lunch (or dinner, if you’re as lazy as I am) and it is awesome for refueling after a long run.

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie {{Baking Bytes}}

I’ll admit the green color can be a bit off-putting, but it tastes like a peanut butter banana milkshake. If you’re extra afraid of vegetables, like I was when I first started making this, just add a little bit more peanut butter or yogurt until you can’t taste the green. Maybe even put it in an opaque cup if that helps you come to terms with it.

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie {{Baking Bytes}}

Cold, creamy, and sweet, it drinks like dessert but is a protein- and vitamin-packed meal replacement perfect for any day, but especially great on hot ones. A few years ago we had an extremely hot summer here in Montana (especially by Alaskan standards) and there were a couple weeks where I had one of these for dinner while I sat in front of the air conditioner pretty much every day after work. Five minutes to make and no heat to add to already scorching 98 degrees inside and out. Perfect.

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie {{Baking Bytes}}

If you’re looking for a quick, cold, and healthy meal (or very large snack), this is the one you want. Go forth and blend!

Note: I like to blend the spinach and milk first to make sure it is well puréed. If you have a really nice blender and/or are not as averse to larger bits of leaf in your smoothie, you can definitely just blend it all at once instead of in two steps. Also! You can totally buy one of those giant containers of baby spinach (like Costco sells), blend it all up at once with some milk (or water if you prefer), and freeze it in to smoothie-sized portions. I used a muffin tin because that’s what I had on hand, and then I use two frozen portions per smoothie. Works great and there’s no risk of your spinach going bad (although I’ll admit getting them out of the muffin tin was somewhat annoying. In the future I will line it with foil or plastic wrap or something.)

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie {{Baking Bytes}}

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Makes one ~16oz smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 – 1 cup milk (I use 2% but any milk or plant wannabe will work)
1+ cups baby spinach, to taste1

1 ripe banana (peeled, sliced, and frozen)2
1/4 cup yogurt (I use vanilla honey Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions

  1. Blend spinach and 1/2 cup milk until reasonably smooth (no large pieces).
  2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until completely mixed (this could take a minute or so). If it’s too thick, blend in additional milk 2 tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached.
  3. Enjoy immediately with a straw and a sunny day.

Notes

1  I use one or two cups depending what fits, but you can add up to around four cups if you’re a big spinach fan. You likely want to use more yogurt and milk if you add much more than two cups of spinach.

2 I typically slice mine into roughly fourths as they fit into my single-serving blender cup better that way. You can slice yours more or less to suit your needs.