Browned Butter Sugar Cookie Ice Cream

The idea for this ice cream just popped into my head one day. Once it was there, it was hard to stop thinking about it. I even pushed back a chocolate ice cream to make this one, so that’s saying something! I wanted the flavors of my favorite sugar cookie recipe, given to be by my friend Shaye. Butter, vanilla and almond. The vanilla and almond flavors were easy, but I was worried about incorporating butter. I didn’t want it to be greasy or lumpy. Who wants to eat a chunk of butter in their ice cream? Well, some of you do love butter.

This ice cream is definitely Scoopapalooza-worthy!

I know there are butter flavorings out there, and I did look at some. But Lori at The Burp! Blog chimed in on my Facebook discussion (thank goodness!) and told me not to worry. She and Eric had just done a Browned Butter Cinnamon Ice Cream. She said the texture was perfect and still had all of that buttery good flavor in it. Even better, because it was browned butter, and if you’ve never tried it that way, you’re missing out! So this recipe base is based on the method in their recipe. Thanks, Lori!

You don’t have to add sprinkles to this if you don’t want to. I wanted to pretty it up a bit and have it look a little like the famous Lofthouse sugar cookies. There were no multi-color sprinkles at the store, so I went with pretty in pink ones.

Browned Butter Sugar Cookie Ice Cream

Makes about 2 quarts

12 tbsp butter (Yes, twelve.)
1 - 1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (That’s what gives it tiny brown flecks. Optional-you can use extract instead.)
2 cups half and half (You'll add more later for a total of 3 1/2 cups.)
Approximately 1 1/2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp almond extract
a couple pinches fine sea salt
1/2 cup sprinkles

In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Keep an eye on it, and let it go until it starts to brown and smell nutty. Don't let it go too far and burn! When it's smelling good and nutty, add the sugar and salt. (*Start with 1 cup of sugar, you can always add a bit more later if it needs it.) Mix the salt and sugar in well, then carefully add 2 cups of half and half, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve.

Pour the hot liquid into a heat safe container and chill completely.

When you remove the chilled liquid from the fridge, carefully lift off the solids that have collected on the top. Don't discard this buttery goodness--it tastes incredible! Use it on muffins or scones or pancakes or something. So you've removed the solids, add enough half and half to bring it to 3 1/2 cups total--test it now to see if you need more sugar. If you think you do, add up to 1/4 cup more and stir until it's dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream, almond extract and sea salt. 

Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions. In the last few seconds of churning, add the sprinkles and let them get completely stirred through. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze from a few hours to overnight so it can set up.

• This ice cream is scoopable right out of the freezer--no waiting or popping it in the microwave to soften it a bit.
• It’s buttery, slightly nutty, sprinkly, creamy and a tiny bit salty. Kids love it. Adults love it. It’s a win-win. It also makes pretty ice cream sandwiches, as you can see in the photos. I used some Duchy Originals Oaten Biscuits which aren’t sweet all, so they were a nice contrast to the ice cream.

Sugar Cone Peanut Brittle Ice Cream and Cuisinart Giveaway

“What the what?” (I can hear you saying…) Let me explain. Peanut brittle, with added chunks of sugar cone. So Sugar Cone Peanut Brittle. But I don’t want any of you to break a tooth on frozen brittle (I don’t want  your dental bills, ha!), so we’re going to take that brittle and process the heck out of it so it becomes a velvety “butter.” Like nut butter, only better. Way better! It’s a burnt sugar bonanza in your mouth. Good on a spoon, or dip a pretzel in it, or heck, dip your face in it. But save some for the ice cream!

The contest is closed, but the recipe still rocks, so check it out below! The randomly chosen winner is Renee - Kudos Kitchen. Congratulations, Renee and thank you to all of you for playing along!

We’re not only going to mix some of that brittle butter into the ice cream base, but we’re going to swirl some in at the end for added burnt sugar goodness on your taste buds. With some chopped peanuts and chocolate flakes for good measure.

This is my latest entry for Scoopapalooza. And oh hell, it’s a decadent one if I do say so. You can read all about Scoopapalooza on our Flickr Group page, and also Like us on our Facebook page. This way, you’ll never be at a loss for ice cream ideas! And as always, please join us if you like! Making ice cream just makes you happy. Bad day? Ice Cream! Annoying boss? Ice cream! Kids going nuts? ICE CREAM!

And in addition to all of this ice creamy goodness going on, Heather from He Cooks She Cooks and I have a fabulous giveaway to kick off Summer and a Summer of Scoops! We’re each giving away a Cuisinart 2 Qt. Ice Cream Maker ($145.00 Suggested Retail Value).

Yes, that’s right. We each have one to give away, so you have double the chances of winning one. Cuisinart has generously provided each of us with an ice cream maker to use and review, and two more to get a couple of lucky readers a jump on a summer of ice cream! (A huge thank you to Rachel!) Read on to find out how to enter.

Using the Cuisinart ICE-30BC is so much fun! It works great, and looks good on the counter, as well. From the website:

• What's better than a quart of luscious homemade ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt? Two quarts! The fully automatic Cuisinart® Pure Indulgence™ makes 2 quarts of your favorite frozen desserts or drinks in as little as 25 minutes. It's easy -- an integrated motor, double-insulated freezer bowl and automatic mixing paddle do all the work. Results are consistently smooth, cleanup is easy, and the brushed metal styling is simply sensational.
• Double insulated freezer bowl holds up to 2 quarts of frozen dessert
  Brushed metal housing with embossed logo
  Fully automatic
  Heavy-duty motor makes frozen desserts or drinks in as little as 25 minutes
  Large ingredient spout for adding mix-ins
  Instruction/Recipe book
  Limited 3-year warranty
  BPA Free

You’ll love using this ice cream maker, and with a trusted name like Cuisinart, you don’t need to worry about it breaking down. The large ingredient spout is worth the price of admission alone! My last ice cream maker had a small one--and size does matter in this case. And just think about how much fun you’ll have making ice cream this summer!

Sugar Cone Peanut Brittle Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts

3 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (totally optional)
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of the sugar cone peanut brittle butter (recipe below)
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/3-1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled, broken into "flakes" (instructions below)
Remaining sugar cone peanut brittle butter to swirl in

In a medium bowl, whisk the half and half with the sugar and salt until their dissolved completely. Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla powder (if using) and extract. Now whisk in 1/2 cup of the brittle butter. You'll have to work it in, and there may be some small lumps left, but don't worry, it's all good in the end.

Make sure the mixture is nice and chilled. Chill in the fridge if need be. I whisk mine up in a medium bowl set in a large bowl with ice to keep it cold while I work.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. This should take about 25 minutes.

While that's working, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring at each interval. When completely melted, spread very thin on a parchment lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer to chill. When it's completely chilled, remove it and using the paper, break the chocolate into "flakes." I used a dough scraper (straight edge) to help it along.

When the ice cream is done freezing in the machine, add the chopped nuts and chocolate flakes and let the machine stir them in. This should only take about a minute or less.

Turn the ice cream out into an airtight container, and working quickly, plop the remaining sugar cone brittle butter into the ice cream--in smaller clumps, not one large one, and swirl it in with a knife or rubber spatula. Freeze for a few hours or overnight and then pig out!

Sugar Cone Peanut Brittle Butter

Makes a little more than one cup

1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
6 sugar cones, broken up into small bits (about 1 cup total)
1 tbsp coconut oil (if you don't have coconut oil, use canola or some other neutral oil)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment.
Pour the sugar in a heavy 10-12 inch skillet, and heat it over low heat for about 20 minutes.
The sugar should start melting around this time. If you're impatient like me, you can turn the heat up a little, but watch it carefully. Swirl the pan around if the sugar seems to be getting too dark. If the sugar isn't melting in the center, stir it just a bit with a wooden spoon--not plastic!

When the sugar is all melted and caramel colored, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, nuts, and sugar cone pieces--again--using a wooden spoon.
Return the pan to low heat and stir to coat the nuts and cone pieces.
Heat until the caramel starts to bubble.

PLEASE remember that this is extremely hot, so be careful.
Pour it out on to the parchment, and separate the big clumps. Let it cool completely. When it's cooled, break the brittle into pieces and set aside 1/2 cup for eating or garnish. Add the rest to your food processor. 

Pulse the brittle until it's a fine powder. Continue processing until the powder starts to come together in a smooth paste. This will take a few minutes--maybe 7-10? Mine needed a little help at this point, so I added the 1 tbsp of coconut oil and it turned into a paste immediately. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

• This ice cream is creamy and rich--and not too sweet with the added nuts. The chocolate chips I use are Ghirardelli Bittersweet, so they cut the sweetness factor, too. It scoops well and satisfies your cravings for sweet, salty, crunchy and smooth, all in one. 

The rules are simple.

Leave us a comment here telling us if you could make any ice cream flavor at all - what would it be. No answer is too weird. You know you want that taco ice cream.

For additional, completely optional entries:

1. Tweet about this contest: "Win a Cuisinart 2qt ice cream maker from @MyCuisinart & EllesNewEnglandKitchen.com / @elleskitchen  http://tinyurl.com/7r2aopf  #giveaway." Then come back and leave an additional comment telling us you tweeted.

2. Share this giveaway on Facebook. Come back and leave an additional comment.

3. Stumble this page with a thumbs up and you’ll get one more comment. Be sure to let me know that you did!

4. Like Cuisinart on Facebook, and leave yet another comment here.

SO that would give you a total of FIVE entries to win this AHMAZING ice cream maker. Head on over to Heather’s blog to check out her ice cream and get more entries! And laugh your butt off--man, she cracks me up!

A random winner will be chosen on Friday, June 22nd. You must leave a valid email address so you can be contacted. You’ll have two days to respond or another winner will be chosen. Open to US residents only.

Disclaimer: We were given the Ice Cream Makers to review at no charge.

Hood Sweet Raspberry Tea Cake {$100 Giveaway}

Well, in this case, make that Hood Sweet Boysenberry Tea Cake. I couldn’t find any seedless raspberry jam! This is a a beautiful tea cake that you can quickly whip up for Easter or any other occasion when you want that pretty but not too overdone cake. Baby and bridal showers come to mind! There’s a sweet layer of jam in the middle, along with some jam swirled throughout the batter.

Hood is celebrating Easter with their recipe for Sweet Raspberry Tea Cake using Hood Sour Cream and Hood Half & Half. They will also be giving away a new high end brand name mixer (I can’t mention the name for legal reasons, but it’s a brand you all know and love. And it will aid you in so many recipes prepared in your kitchen.) on their Facebook Easter Sweepstakes page, so go and enter! (*Please see note on mixer giveaway eligibility requirements below.) They’d also love for you to try out this recipe and share your creations on that same Facebook page.

HP Hood, the creators of the Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off, would also like to provide one of you with a $100 gift card to use for cooking supplies! See below for rules and how to enter.

Hood has provided a link for an online coupon that you can use toward your purchase of their sour cream to make this cake. Or of course, for any recipe you need sour cream for. You can click here to download the coupon.

This tea cake from Hood spotlights their Sour Cream and Half and Half.

So let’s get to the recipe now. I only made two changes, and those were to cut the sugar from 2 cups of granulated to one cup, and then add 1/2 cup of maple sugar. Why only 1/2 cup? Maple sugar is sweeter than regular sugar, so you need less cup for cup. If you don’t have any on hand, just use the 2 cups of regular granulated sugar. I also used a nonstick spray to coat the pan rather than the 2 tbsp of butter. Then again, I had slight sticking issues, so you may want to go with the butter.

Hood® Sweet Raspberry Tea Cake

Ingredients
(Cake)
1 cup Hood Sour Cream
1 cup Hood Half & Half
2 sticks unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp to coat the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple sugar (if you don't have this, use 2 cups granulated sugar in total)
2 eggs
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tsp vanilla extract
3½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
 
(Icing)
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Hood Half & Half (I needed more than this, see Note)
½ pint fresh raspberries

Instructions
Cake:
Before starting, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
Generously coat a large 6 cup Bundt pan with 2 tbsp of unsalted butter and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325°. In a large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) together and set aside.
Thin out the raspberry jam with the vanilla extract in a small bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the remaining unsalted butter until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs in one at time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Mix in the Hood Sour Cream.
Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the Hood Half & Half, being careful to not over mix.
Carefully fold in ½ of the raspberry jam mixture, but do not incorporate completely.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Take the remaining raspberry jam mixture and spread it over the batter in the pan, being careful to stay away from the edges.
Pour the remaining cake batter into the pan.
Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Cool completely and remove from the pan.
 
Icing:
Combine the Hood Half & Half, vanilla, and confectioners sugar in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
Pour the mixture over the top, allowing the icing to fall down the sides of the cake. Garnish the top with fresh raspberries and serve.

NOTE: I needed more than 2 tbsp of half and half for the glaze, so I added a little at a time until I got the right consistency. It should be thick, almost like white glue. Don’t thin it too much, you want it nice and bright white on the cake! If you add too much liquid and it ends up too thin, just add more sifted sugar, a little at a time.

See more recipes from Hood here.

• You’d think this cake would be too sweet--with the jam and the sugar glaze, but surprisingly, it’s not! The bottom (which was the top during baking) has a nice soft crust, and the cake is super moist with a tender crumb. The family loves it!
• This is simple enough to whip up for any old day, but also pretty enough to serve to company, or to set out for a special occasion.

Giveaway!

Like I said, Hood has offered to gift one of you with a $100 gift card for cooking supplies. How great is that? I know we could all use the extra $100 for those cooking and baking supplies we have on our radar.

To enter:

1) Go to Hood.com’s recipe page and come back here to let me know which recipe looks like something you’d love to try. That’s one comment equaling one entry.

2) Like HP Hood and Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off on Facebook, then come back here and leave two more comments, equaling two more entries.

Optional entries:

3) Make the Raspberry Tea Cake above and post either a photo or comments (or both) on the HP Hood Facebook page, then come back here and leave a comment, for one more entry.

4) Tweet about this giveaway for one extra entry.

That gives you FIVE possible entries to win yourself a cool $100. Easy money!

I’ll choose a random winner on Tuesday, April 10th. Good luck, and thank you to HP Hood for sponsoring!

*A note about eligibility requirements for the Hood Facebook mixer giveaway: THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS OPEN TO LEGAL U.S. RESIDENTS OF CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI OR VT WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THESE OFFICIAL RULES.

Berry Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake and cookies--two of my favorites. Combining the two is something I should have done sooner, I think. These are seriously delectable little cookies. They’re petite and look all ready for Spring, with their pretty jewel-like dried berries showing through. I used a dried berry mix from Trader Joe’s that has strawberries (yes, really!), cherries and blueberries. If any dried fruit could be described as “juicy,” it’s these. They’re not hard or dry, they’re soft and tender. I decided to go for a not so commonly used nut in cookies--toasted pine nuts. If you can’t find them or don’t want to splurge on them, use your favorite.

The taste is just like a bite of cheesecake on your taste buds. They’re not crispy, and not cakey--but in between. A soft cookie, but they also hold up very well in storage. I’m not kidding--I had them in a Ziploc bag that was getting moved around from place to place in the kitchen, and they didn’t break apart. They’re also not a hugely sweet cookie--just enough.

Berry Cheesecake Cookies

Adapted from  About.com
Makes about 5 dozen

1 cup butter, softened
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 -1 tsp almond extract
1 egg
2 tbsp half and half or milk
2 cups flour
8 oz dried berries (I used a mix of dried strawberries, cherries and blueberries from Trader Joe's.)
1 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, or a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and extracts. Add the egg and the half and half (or milk), mixing well. Add the flour to the bowl and blend in. With the mixer on low, stir in the berries, chocolate, and nuts.

A note on the dried berries. The strawberries were a little large, so I went ahead and chopped those up to make them smaller, since these cookies are fairly small.

Drop batter on to a parchment covered baking sheet using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon. My small scoop has a 2 teaspoon capacity. Bake for 15-16 minutes (The cookies will be pale on top, but golden brown around the bottom edges.) and let the cookies cool for one minute on the baking sheets before removing to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

• These would be lovely on your Easter table, or perfect for baby and bridal showers!
• How about with your afternoon tea? Having a ladies lunch? Add these to the menu!
• If you can’t find the dried berries I used, go ahead and use what you’ve got. I don’t recommend raisins, though--they’re just not cheesecakey.
• These improve with age--they were great the first day, but in the following days, they really got their "cheesecake thing" going on. 

Simple Cranberry Apple Tarts

With just a few simple ingredients, you can have these delicious little tarts on the table and ready to serve to your family and guests. Puff pastry, apples, cranberry apple butter, plus a few other pantry staples and you’re all set! Simple, too! Yes, really.

I had two sheets of puff pastry kicking around in the freezer, and I couldn’t make my mind up about what to do with them. Fate took over when I found that Trader Joe’s was selling sacks of Macoun apples. They’re one of my favorites! They’re crispy, crunchy, juicy--and have just the right balance of tart and sweet. I look forward to their season every year. So with a sack of those, and a jar of Cranberry Apple Butter, I was on my way.

Cranberry Apple Tarts

Makes about 18 tarts

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
5 medium apples (I used Macouns) peeled, cored, thinly sliced, and tossed with
      one to 2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
Cranberry apple butter- 9 oz or so (you can use something else here, your fave fruit butter, an apple butter, jellied cranberry sauce, etc.-just be sure it's not too juicy or leaky)
Turbinado sugar

Heat oven to 400.

Roll the puff pastry sheets out into a rectangle. Cut each rectangle into about 9 rectangles or squares. The shape doesn't really matter, just try to make them all roughly the same size. Put the cut pieces on a parchment lined sheet and refrigerate while you get the apples ready.

In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the pie spice, sugar and salt. Mix well, and set aside.

Spread each pastry square with a bit of the cranberry apple butter (not too much, just enough to make a thin layer), and place one sheet in the fridge while you work with the other sheet. Layer the apples on each pastry square over the apple butter, and them sprinkle each tart with some turbinado sugar. Place that sheet in the fridge, and finish the second sheet, layering the apples and sprinkling the sugar.

Bake the tarts for 23-25 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool the tarts on cooling racks.

• Don’t feel stuck the the rectangular shape of these. You can cut out circles, or any other shape you like. You could even make one large tart.
• These were truly a hit, all the way down to the very last one. They were disappearing off of the cooling racks faster than I could keep track of!
• The cranberry apple butter added a very nice tart to contrast the sweet apples, so if you can find some, it’s worth it! I got mine at Trader Joe’s.
• How pretty would a tray of these be for the holidays? You can set them on the dessert table, or serve as a lighter version of a full fledged pie, with small scoops of ice cream or whipped cream. Cinnamon whipped cream! Yes.
• These would also be a lovely addition to an office party potluck, or any for any party when you’ve been assigned to bring a dessert.