Scott's Firehouse Peppermint Ice Cream

From the ARCHIVES...

I am the luckiest ducky in the world because my hubby is one fantastic cook and he teaches me things all of the time. I am his "official taste tester" and he is mine! {Amongst other friends and neighbors}.

Last night, he finally perfected his Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream. TO.DIE.FOR. and the best part about it is that he is sharing it with all of you. Now, we are all lucky little duckies {even though I don't believe in LUCK!}

Thank you, Honey, for workin' on it until you got it "right"! Such the sweetie you are!!!

Here is a fun idea for Christmas gifts or for entertaining during the Holidays. This is great because it can all be made up ahead of time. When dessert time rolls around, all you need to do is to pull out your tray of Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream containers. You may want to make two different sizes. The good news is there is no mess {YAY!} and no clean-up...EVEN BETTER!  If they are too full, they can take it home!

Your guests will feel completely pampered and pleasantly full!

Scott's Firehouse Peppermint Ice Cream

Scott Pearson



INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 cups milk

2-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2-1/2 cups half & half

1-1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp. TORANI PEPPERMINT SYRUP or MONIN

5 cups whipping cream

2 cups crushed peppermint candies


DIRECTIONS:

• Heat milk until bubbles form around pan.

• Remove milk from heat

• Add sugar and salt, stir until dissolved.

• Stir in remaining ingredients.

• Place into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions.{BUNNY FOO FOO!}

****This recipe makes 5 quarts of ice cream******

This is such a versatile recipe! Eventually you will come up with your own variations.

Another yummy option: Skip the peppermint candies and fold in two rows of Trader Joe's Candy Candy Joe Joe's, chopped...or if you really want to have a sugar coma, go ahead and roughly chop the whole entire box of chocolate cookies. Just FOLD in the cookies after the ice cream has already been made! This is hubby's secret!




Packaging Ideas:

As soon as the ice cream is made. Pour into whatever containers you plan on gifting and place in freezer until needed.

Simply place four embellished containers in a Take-Out drink carrier {My friends and family collect these for me year-round! THANK YOU!}

Placed cedar clippings around the containers and attached a sweet little label with the family's initial to a branch. That is it!


What are some ideas you have for Christmas this year?





JUST BECAUSE I HAVE TO SHOW OFF MY VERY SWEET DOGGIE...





Shared with:  Stone Gable

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Zesty Strawberry Shortcake

When the birdies start chirpin' early in the morning and the sunbeams bounce off your warm bed blankets, you know SPRING is in the air which means picnic season is on its way! Although we enjoy picnics all year long {making picnic fare and eating at games, in the car etc.} warmer temps mean hikes, bike rides, adventure in the warm fresh air! What do you look forward to when the sun starts to shine and mornings start to become a tad bit warmer?

Here is a quick recipe that beats the storebought variety. It will take you less time to make these yummies than it will take you to take a trip to your local grocery store! The smell of the orange zest baking in these biscuits will entice your children to be members of "the clean plate club"!...with the promise of a healthy dessert to follow!



Zesty Strawberry Shortcake
Lisa Pearson

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

Zest of 1 orange

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened OR Organic All Vegetable Shortening {Spectrum brand}

1 cup whipping cream...sweetened a bit OR Vanilla Soymilk

Extra cream or soymilk
Coarse sugar

DIRECTIONS:

* Mix dry ingredients together.

* Cut in butter and add cream.

* Mix until dough is soft and ingredients are all mixed in. It will look like cookie dough.

* Place six to eight mounds onto a greased baking sheet or SILPAT. Flatten just a bit.

* Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

* Bake at 425* for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Let cool and wrap each shortcake in a cellophane bag. Tie with a string.

BERRIES:

*Slice four pints of fresh strawberries, add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sugar...depending on how   sweet the berries are.

*Sprinkle with a little lemon juice.

*Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Slice shortcake in half, add strawberries, top with ice cream or whipped cream or BOTH!!

If you want to make these in advance, just bag the individual wrapped shortcakes by putting them into gallon Ziploc bags and freezing them. They will stay as fresh as the day you baked them!

...OR...you can make lots and lots and lots and have friends over and enjoy it outside!



                                                                            {photo credit...Rob Buster}



Shared with:  stone gable

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Mini Trifles...to go

Yes.  We all seem to be embarking on the season of the "tyranny of the urgent".  Do you ever have so many things that need to be done at the same time that you have no idea where to start?  

Anyhoo, I have had a couple of different friends ask me what I keep on hand for entertaining when I am short on time and on a budget.

This is one of them.  

A batch of baked brownies kept in the freezer is one of my favorites, along with a container of Cool Whip...there are organic varieties as well.  You can easily add ice cream to the brownies along with an ice cream topping and be the hero...or you can make mini trifles! 

Trifles sound complicated and look stunning served in a glass trifle dish, too but not everybody has one...so, mini trifles in disposable containers are a great option.  I have found myself running to this as a go-to for years now.  {I'm so happy Laurissa actually e-mailed Kim asking for the recipe because she loved it after enjoying it at a girl's night!} The possibilities for this dessert are endless.  They could be used for picnics, baby showers, bridal showers and birthday parties to name a few.  They can be kept simple by putting them into a clear plastic cup or fancied up with twine, ribbon, and fresh mint.   

This is so easy to make at the last minute, especially if the brownies are already baked and in the freezer.

All you need to make is a big box of instant JELLO pudding...which is another STAPLE.

It is amazing what one can pull of with these three simple store-bought goodies!

Mini Trifles

1 box brownies, prepared according to the package directions.  I follow the fudgy brownie recipe.

1 large box of Instant JELLO pudding mix. {Follow the directions for the pudding, not the pie filling.    I also add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla or vanilla paste for a "from scratch taste".}

1 container of Cool Whip

Directions:

*Simply crumble a bit of brownie at the bottom of your container.

*Put a generous amount of pudding on top.

*The crowning glory is Cool Whip...and that is it!

A few chunks of YORK PEPPERMINT PATTIES or any candy bar for that matter makes it look oh.so.decadent.

If you are serving them to children, gummy worms are a hard to beat.

The best thing about these little gems is that they can be made up to 24 hours in advance!

So, take a break from the rat race and bake up a batch of these!  Be sure to share.  Trust me, your to do list is going no where.  It can wait!

Have FUN!

Happy Thursday

*

Shared with:  comfy in the kitchen, stone gable, at the picket fence

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A Great Big "OOPS" Berry Cheesecake Trifle

Well, in trying to copy a post from last year, I erased it...but like all good kitchen disasters, it deserves to be written AGAIN!

I had a mess of lemon cupcakes that stuck to my Demarle muffin trays.  Yep, that is pretty hard to do, but I managed to do it.  Since I had made a double batch {of course!} I could not bring myself to throw it all away.  I saved what I could and bagged up the mess to deal with on another time and another day, when I stopped feeling sorry for myself!

I had leftover key lime whipper filling and berries in the freezer, so I decided to make a trifle!  It was so good!!

I would not suggest making a big ol' mess, but a plain pound cake, lemon cake or white cake would be just perfect.

Sprinkle a bit of sugar over fresh or thawed frozen berries and add a bit of lemon zest.

Layer the cake on the bottom.

Pour a bit of key lime whipper filling on top and add a few berries.

Repeat...tadah!

I saved out a bit since I was making it to give away.  I probably skimped a bit on the key lime whipper filling because it was simply addicting!

I boxed it up in a leftover birthday gift box...and it was the easiest dessert EVER!  Not sure I would go through the trouble of digging out stuck cupcakes to make it...but then again, maybe I would!

Key Lime Whipper Filling:

1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

1 6-oz. can frozen limeade concentrate {NOT thawed}

1 cup of heavy whipping cream


Directions:

*Whisk the condensed milk, limeade and heavy whipping cream in a large mixing bowl with a whisk attachment.

*Beat until fluffy and a bit stiff.

*Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.




Happy Wednesday, ladies!




Shared with:  comfy in the kitchen, pink saturday

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Neopolitan Pecan Bars

Yesterday was "mommy day". Riss was back for the night on Wednesday night...so we had a festive shrimp fettucini dinner...so fun...well, I woke up to a little bug snuggled up to me yesterday morning=sheer delight! I will never get tired of bringing her Nutella toast in bed! My children still love to eat in bed which is something my Momma did for us! It is fun to think they will be doing the same with their children one of these days. Never underestimate little random acts of kindness! They may become TRADITION!

My son forgot his lunch at home and normally it is "too bad, soo sad"...but he texted me and then called and I thought to myself "how many more times am I going to be able to do this?" So, I ordered his favorite take-out food, picked it up and ran it to him before driving downtown to watch my hubby play in a basketball benefit tournament. EEEEEKKKK! I know sometimes being a Momma can be so demanding, but it feels good to be able to nurture your family...especially when it is easy to put them on the back-burner. So, if you are feeling frazzled...try loving on your family...it is sure to charge your batteries. Even if it is tucking them in at night...you will be sure to feel like you just got a big ole shot of vitamin D!

Riss got Nutella toast, Caleb got Wu's and my hubby got these...according to him, they are "quite possibly the best dessert!" Mr. Pearson says that about everything...but he was pretty convincing!!! "He" wants to make them for all the guys at work...that would mean "me"! Good thing they are easy!

This is a combo of two different recipes...

{In attempt to make it healthier, I had to add something in from Trader Joes!}

Enjoy!

Neopolitan Pecan Bars

1 package plain graham crackers, crushed or Trader Joes waffle cookies, crushed

1/3 cup pecans, chopped {optional}

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

1 large Tablespoon flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups sweetened coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons water

1 tsp. vanilla or ½ tsp. peppermint extract

one drop of red food coloring...this will be pink!

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, butter, sugar and flour together
and press into the bottom of a greased 8x8 inch pan.

Bake at 275* for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Turn heat up to 300*.

Mix the coconut and sweetened condensed milk and
spread on the baked crust.

Bake for 40 minutes until golden
brown around the edges

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Beat the butter, powdered sugar, water, vanilla {or peppermint} and food coloring
until light and fluffy.

Spread frosting on cooled bars.

Refrigerate until frosting is set.

These can be cut into little squares…because they are very rich.

Embellish with coconut

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Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream {Christmas Gift Idea}

I am the luckiest ducky in the world because my hubby is one fantastic cook and he teaches me things all of the time. I am his "official taste tester" and he is mine! {Amongst other friends and neighbors}.

Last night, he finally perfected his Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream. TO.DIE.FOR. and the best part about it is that he is sharing it with all of you. Now, we are all lucky little duckies {even though I don't believe in LUCK!}

Thank you, Honey, for workin' on it until you got it "right"! Such the sweetie you are!!!

Here is a fun idea for Christmas gifts or for entertaining during the Holidays. This is great because it can all be made up ahead of time. When dessert time rolls around, all you need to do is to pull out your tray of Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream containers. You may want to make two different sizes. The good news is there is no mess {YAY!} and no clean-up...EVEN BETTER!

Your guests will feel completely pampered and pleasantly full!




Scott's Famous Peppermint Ice Cream

Scott Pearson



INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 cups milk

2-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2-1/2 cups half & half

1-1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp. TORANI PEPPERMINT SYRUP

5 cups whipping cream

2 cups crushed peppermint candies


DIRECTIONS:

• Heat milk until bubbles form around pan.

• Remove milk from heat

• Add sugar and salt, stir until dissolved.

• Stir in remaining ingredients.

• Place into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions.{BUNNY FOO FOO!}

****This recipe makes 5 quarts of ice cream******

This is such a versatile recipe! Eventually you will come up with your own variations.

Another yummy option: Skip the peppermint candies and fold in two rows of Trader Joe's Candy Candy Joe Joe's...or if you really want to have a sugar coma, go ahead and roughly chop the whole entire box of chocolate cookies. Just FOLD in the cookies after the ice cream has already been made! This is hubby's secret!




Packaging Ideas:

As soon as the ice cream is made. Pour into whatever containers you plan on gifting and place in freezer until needed.

I used Garnish products {soup containers and baker's twine}

Simply place four embellished containers in a Take-Out drink carrier {My friends and family collect these for me year-round! THANK YOU!}

Placed cedar clippings around the containers and attached a sweet little label with the family's initial to a branch. That is it!


What are some ideas you have for Christmas this year?





JUST BECAUSE I HAVE TO SHOW OFF MY VERY SWEET DOGGIE...








Shared with: at the picket fence

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Christmas Cream Puffs {with peppermint ice cream!}

Christmas Cream Puffs


Heat to a rolling boil in a saucepan:

1 cup water

½ cup butter

Stir in all at once:

1 cup sifted flour {it takes 48 seconds…Caleb timed it!}

Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture leaves the pan {yep…!} and forms into a
ball {ABOUT 1 MINUTE}

Remove from heat.

Beat in thoroughly: ONLY 1 AT A TIME

4 eggs

*Beat mixture until smooth and velvety. Don’t give up! KEEP stirring. It takes a bit of muscle…but they are worth it.

*Drop by spoonful…about ¼ cup size…onto ungreased baking sheet. {I put mine onto a SILPAT}

*If you have a pastry bag you will waaaaant to USE it. I made 16 mini puffs.
Simply eyeball the sizes and if you have a bit of extra mixture, go back and add a “second layer” of pastry dough.

Bake at 400* for about 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

*Remove from oven and let sit a few minutes until they have stopped steaming.

*Using a sharp knife, cut off the tops and scoop out the doughy dough.

*Fill with scoops of SCOTT'S PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM.

EMBELLISH EMBELLISH EMBELLISH! Freeze until ready to serve!

Cream puff dough recipe straight out of GOOD OL' BETTY CROCKER!




Shared with:  Stone Gable

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Clay Saucer Pie

Grammy's Apple Pie

*This recipe will yield 4 sweetheart pies...one serves two!

*You will need 4 un-glazed clay saucers about 4 1/2" in diameter. Be sure they are not the shallow ones. You want the deeper ones to hold all of the apple filling goodness!

*Also, you need to make your filling up in advance, so that the apples absorb all of the flavors and shrink in the prep bowl and not in your pie!

STORE-BOUGHT pie dough {I LOVE Trader Joe's brand...because nobody can believe it is store-bought. Well, I am assuming, because they ask for the recipe!}

7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced and cut into small pieces

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon...be generous!!!

1/2 tsp. nutmeg. If you happen to have fresh, please do use it!

2 tablespoons butter, melted

a bit of heavy whipping cream

coarse sanding sugar for sparkly tops that glisten like snow!

{Directions}

*Combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, spices and melted butter. Let it sit in the fridge for several hours or even overnight.





*Roll out dough just a tad.



*Use a bowl slightly larger than your clay saucer









*Distribute filling evenly between 4 clay saucers...be sure not to get too much liquid unless you don't mind soggy pie crust!

*Once all of the pies have their filling in them, take your bigger bowl and cut out 4 tops and place them on top of the bowls.



*Once the tops are crimped and you have cut a decorative steam vent, brush each pie with a bit of heavy whipping cream cream and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.

Bake at 375* for about 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly!



Okay, girlies, you are going to want to set your little pies on a juice catcher of some sort, because these babies like to bubble as they bake and if you don't want this mess in the bottom of your oven...making your home smell like the fire department should have made a call to your house...one of my biggest fears! How embarassing would that be? Another reason my hubby works for another county!!!!









Happy Saturday baking to you!

oh...one more thing. I finally found the site for the sweet little printables. I just used my stampin up punch and punched away

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Candy Cane Cones

{Thank you, Bunny for the most.adorable cake plate!}


Making your own ice cream cones is fun and economical. The added benefit is no added chemicals and guaranteed sweet dreams. Who doesn't like going to bed in a home that smells like an old fashioned candy store? Or children waking up to sweet cones baking? {yes, our daughter had one hot off the press with syrup for breakfast!}

I am thinking that I need to find a new spot for ours. Digging behind screening material, old candle chandeliers, TYVEK home wrap, shelves, fuzzy slippers and paint rollers is not my idea of convenient at o dark thirty! On second thought, maybe it should be kept way far away, because these little treats are oh.so.yummy!

Pizzelle makers can be found at thrift stores and garage sales for the perfect price. Who knows, your Grandma might just have one sitting around!

ANNND, if you don't want to mess with the mess or are short on time, purchased cones work just as well. Simply melt your chocolate or candy discs and let your kiddos dip away in crushed candy canes, sprinkles or whatever else strikes your fancy!



Grammy’s Old Fashioned Waffle Cones

3 eggs

¾ cup sugar

½ cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp. almond extract

1 ¾ cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

{Directions}

*Beat eggs and sugar together. Stir in melted butter and almond extract.

*Add flour and baking powder.

*Heat Pizzelle maker and brush with a tad bit of oil.

*Fill pastry bag with thick batter.

*Squeeze batter onto center of Pizzelle maker.

*Remove waffle disc when the steam stops.

*Wearing food prep gloves, remove and shape into a cone.

Hold for a second until it holds its shape.

Store cooled cones in a ZIPLOC bag.


Before serving, dip cones in melted white chocolate and then into crushed candy canes. Let dry and enjoy!


Red and white twine provided by THE TWINERY










Shared with: stone gable, comfy in the kitchen

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