Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

This cake was inspired by the ice cream cakes at Dave and Andy's- my favorite ice cream place in Pittsburgh. The pumpkin, cinnamon, and birthday cake flavors are all amazing. The waffle cones are made at the shop so it smells amazing as soon as you walk in and then they put an m&m in the bottom of your cone and basically it is heaven. Their ice cream is so good, I'm forming run-on sentences describing the shop! 

Ice cream cake from Dave and Andy's has an actual cake layer. I love that. Cake + ice cream. 

Brittany and Laura came to Philly to celebrate Brit's birthday! I asked Brit what kind of cake she wanted (while secretly thinking mint chocolate either way) and she said what I was thinking. We had cake, went to the beach, went to America's best bar. Didn't get America's best pizza. Wah. But we did see the Impressionist exhibit at the art museum. And got federal donuts. And Mad Mex. And la Colombe coffee. Phew.

The ice cream is from Minimalist Baker. The cookie crumble is from here via Google. The cake is from Molly Yeh who inspired this entire venture. By the way, this recipe makes enough for 2 cakes or for an epic 4 layer ice cream cake.

First the cake:

1 small bunch fresh mint (bonus points if you have chocolate mint)

1 1/4 cup coconut milk 

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup canola oil 

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

2 large eggs

3/4 c boiling water

Cake directions:

In a small saucepan bring the coconut milk to a boil. Rip up the mint leaves into the milk. Cover saucepan with lid and turn down heat to low for 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Strain out leaves and measure only 1 cup of the milk to use. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line 2 round 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Springform pans would be ideal but not necessary.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a larger bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and coconut milk. Add the extracts. Fold in the dry ingredients. Whisk in the boiling water. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 28 minutes. Let cool completely. Then wrap and freeze.

Then the cookie crumble (aka magic shell plus oreos)

2 1/2 cups Newman's Mint Oreo Cookies (almost whole package)

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp coconut oil

In a food processor, blend the Oreos in 3 separate batches to form cookie crumbs. You want them to look like crumbs! Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Then melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Add to cookie crumbs once finished. 

Spread a thick layer of the crumble over both cakes. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze again. 

For the ice cream

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, divided

1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight and rinsed)

1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk or coconut cream 

1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract 

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup 

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Pour coconut milk into small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add half the mint leaves. Turn down heat to low and middle the leaves with a wooden spoon. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. 

Add coconut milk plus cooked mint and fresh mint to blender and blend until mint is completely immersed. Add the rest of the ingredients minus the peppermint extract and blend again until really smooth. Add the mint extract 1/2 tsp at a time until you get an acceptable level of mintyness. Process in ice cream maker. 

Get cakes out. Spread the finished ice cream onto the cakes just up to the edges. Sprinkle with crushed mint Oreos. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.

Let cakes thaw 15 minutes before singing happy birthday and serving!

Tahini Ice Cream with Berry Crumble

The berry crumble is from 101 Cookbooks. Her recipe has a doubled crumb topping. Hell yes. Also berry season. I just used sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds. The tahini ice cream uses an ice cream base from Minimalist Baker. It has been my preferred vegan ice cream since the cashews mellow out the coconut flavor. Basically the coconut is not as prevalent. The tahini ice cream is everything. 

Also since we were at family dinner, I didn't get a great shot of the ice cream.

Tahini Ice Cream 

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight 

2 tbsp coconut oil 

1/2 cup tahini 

1/2 cup maple syrup 

2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

1 pinch sea salt 

Blend everything until smooth. Chill for 4 hours. Churn in ice cream maker. Pour ice cream into frozen glass container and chill. Let thaw for 15 minutes before serving over berry crumble! 

Apricot Lavender Cake

At the blueberry farm we bought some apricots in addition to the blueberries. I had seen this recipe on a fellow food blogger's Instagram and wanted to make it right away. Lavender forever. I didn't have a springform pan, so I split the cake into 2 pans. The recipe is from Plenty More via The Baking Bird. I've been cooking my way through Plenty (the original book) now that it's summer and all the vegetables are in season. Our tomatoes are just ripening now. 

• ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 cup plus 1½ Tablespoons white sugar
• 1¼ cups almond flour
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup pecans
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp sea salt 
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1½ teaspoons dried lavender buds
• 11 ripe apricots, halved and pitted
• Turbinado sugar 
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2 8 inch pans.
• Process the pecans and lavender in a food processor until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. In a large mixing bowls, combine The butter, oil, sugar, and almond flour until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition to incorporate fully. continuing to beat until well incorporated. Fold in pecans, lavender, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, and teaspoon salt.
• Fill pans with cake batter and arrange apricot halves cut side up. Push down slightly so they are securely in place in the cake. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. 
• I served each slice with a dollop of mascarpone and a drizzle of honey.

Lavender Peaches with Mascarpone and Amaretti

Peaches with Lavender Sugar and Amaretti Cookies

It's peach season! I've been making these for years but originally I saw the recipe while watching Giada on the Food Network. This recipe includes gram measurements for the cookies. Love and Olive Oil has a recipe that uses cup measurements. I was just really excited to use my scale.

I also made powdered sugar for this recipe in my Vitamix. It was pretty exciting! (I inhaled a lot of sugar granules in the process)

Amaretti Cookies 

• 3 large egg whites 
• 280g/9.9oz almond meal
• 280g/9.9oz white sugar
• 3/4 tsp natural almond extract (the artificial kind is too strong)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 
  
• For rolling:
• 2 heaped tbsp. white sugar
• 2 heaped tbsp. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill 2 separate bowls with the different sugars.

In a large mixing bowl and using a mixer, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. If you lift your beaters out of the egg mixture, the peaks that form should not fall over.

Fold in the rest of the ingredients with a spatula. The dough will be sticky.

Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough and roll them in the white sugar first followed by the powdered sugar. The method helps all the powdered sugar not dissolve in the dough. It actually worked! 

Place cookies 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheets.

The site said they're good for 3-4 days, so I froze about half of mine for later.

-------------------------------

I usually serve 1 peach/person, so I'll just do a general guideline.

Ingredients:

Firm, ripe peaches

White wine

Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp dried lavender buds 

Blend the lavender with the sugar or grind in a mortar and pestle. Halve the peaches neatly and take out the pit using a little knife. Sprinkle peach halves with the lavender sugar. 

Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat until pretty hot. Spray with coconut oil. Lay peaches cut side down for about 5 minutes without moving them. You want them to be a nice brown color on the edges. Alternatively grilling them would be amazing. Flip over the peaches with a spatula and cook for another 2 minutes. Add a splash of white wine and let cook down for another minute. Now you have a delicious syrup to serve with the peaches.

Serve the peaches with their natural syrup, a sprinkle of extra lavender sugar, a tablespoonful of mascarpone for each peach half, and one crumbled cookie for each peach half. Done. Easiest summer dessert.

Currant Tart

The first time I had currants was working at Garden Dreams. We had a couple bushes at the farm. I had no idea the berries were edible or better yet, delicious. They're really tart but paired with creamy coconut and sweet almonds they are perfect. The recipe for the almond tart came from this shortbread recipe. 

I made this on a weekend when my sister and I stayed at home alone. We ate lots of ice cream and watched the Lizzie McGuire movie. Ya!

Red Currant Tart

Crust:

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup softened butter

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings:

1 bunch red currants

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Cream:

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in fridge

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1/3 cup powdered sugar

To make crust:

Place dried ingredients in a food processor and blend. Add wet ingredients and blend again. Mixture will be soft. Also you can do this all by hand.

In a 10 inch pie pan, spread out the cookie mixture on the bottoms and sides just like a pie crust. It's very sticky so you can use a greased spatula or just your hands to help you along. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and prick dough with a fork all over. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crust is a nice golden brown color. 

Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust and let melt for 5 more minutes. Carefully spread chocolate with a spatula over the bottom of the crust. Let crust cool completely, then chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make coconut whipped cream:

Chill ceramic bowl and beaters in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove can of coconut milk from fridge. Scoop out the cream on top and place into chilled bowl. Beat on low increasing speed until medium. Add in vanilla bean caviar and powdered sugar gradually. Increase speed up to high until the mixture looks like whipped cream! 

Pour into chilled tart.

Top with currants. I kept the fruit on the vine- people can pick them off as they eat. It's prettier that way.

Tart keeps in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Oatmeal Pancakes

These oatmeal pancakes are the basis of almost every brunch I make. Back in pharmacy school, my friends would make a batch after our exams (which were at 7 am!). It would be a way of celebrating having our lives back if only until the next exam. These were ladies who joined me in many adventures, bikes tours, and cooked meals. Also lots of studying that didn't get done. And sleeping in class. The recipe is from an old school cookbook, but I couldn't find it online. Does this count as citing my source? Am I the worst? Probably. 

I had the recipe written on the back of my pharmacology notes with doodles and stickers from my friends. I'll keep it forever but just in case of zombie apocalypse, etc I'll have it on the internets just in case. Just kidding, I have it memorized. 

This is my adaption. The recipe does great with substitutions. Just don't use gluten free flour. They will turn into rubber. Trust me. You can double, triple, etc the recipe.

Other substitutions/additions:

For the flour:

1/2 cup buckwheat + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour 

For the sugar:

1/3 white sugar for brown sugar

Oats:

Same amount of instant oats

Buttermilk:

1 1/3 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar

Same amount of thinned plain yogurt

Egg:

Flax egg instead

Chia egg instead 

Additions:

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp flax seed

Makes 9 medium pancakes

1 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1 egg

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk. Make a well and pour in wet ingredients. Whisk until just mixed and few lumps remain. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Keep in oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Sunflower Seed Brittle

Rarely do I try a restaurant without a recommendation or a quick glance at Yelp or TripAdvisor. I just hate paying for food that I can easily make myself. I am literally turning into my mom, ha. We can't take her anywhere because she makes the best food. 

Nick and I were in Easton for our anniversary and all of the restaurants had a long, long wait. So we walked and came across an Italian restaurant and took a chance. It was incredible. We had whole artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and butter. For the meal, rhubarb and strawberry white pizza. I love when chefs totally try something I would never think to make. For dessert we had panna cotta with fresh strawberries and amaretti cookie crumbs with espresso. I was up until 3 after that but it was worth it. So I've been wanting to make panna cotta for awhile. Now I want to make it all the time. You don't even have to turn on the oven for this dessert. It's so light and fresh. Need I say more?

The sesame seed brittle is from the My New Roots cookbook which I cannot rave about enough. It is amazing. I'm cooking through almost every recipe in the book since it starts with spring and follows the seasons. The recipe for this brittle was featured over at Sprouted Kitchen. You can also use any store bought or homemade brittle. I've even used homemade granola. Anything with crunch. 

The rhubarb butter is from this recipe.

The panna cotta is from Martha Stewart who seems to have every recipe ever on her site. 

Instead of dessert, maybe try this in a large tart pan for super fancy brunch?? 

Makes 6 servings 

2 cups buttermilk (whatever fat content you choose- I always go for full fat)

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

2/3 cup heavy cream

Scant 1/2 cup sugar 

1 vanilla bean, split

Set 6 ramekins out on the counter.

In a heavy pot, pour in 1 cup buttermilk. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over this buttermilk. Then give it a quick stir and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the cream, vanilla bean, and sugar just to  a boil. Then pour into the buttermilk/gelatin mixture. Turn the burner to low heat and whisk until gelatin dissolves and no lumps remain. Just a couple minutes.

Stir in the rest of the buttermilk. Take out vanilla bean. 

Pour gelatin mixture into the ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave in the refrigerator for 4 hours until set. Does this remind you of making jello? Because it really is that easy

To make:

Top with a dollop of rhubarb butter. Crush some brittle and sprinkle on top.

I didn't bother to unmold the panna cotta for even more ease.

Moroccan Stew

Lately we've been hosting Sunday night family dinners. Family dinner is basically when my cousins and I get together and eat all the food. We go out to eat or we stay in and have a homecooked meal. It's becoming a tradition in the same way that soup group or girl dinner was in Pittsburgh. Some highlights lately have been fish tacos, peanut noodles, and this stew! Restaurant-wise, Vedge was literally the best dining experience of my life (so far). All vegan. All vegetables. I mean the rutabaga fondue was enough to make me fall of my chair.

Also, with Sunday dinner comes Game of Thrones. Sadly it's over now but this stew from The First Mess makes it better. I doubled the recipe easily to serve all of us.

Moroccan Stew

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 red onion, small dice
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 dates, pitted + chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled + chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked chickpeas
salt + pepper

1 bunch lacinato kale

Heat the coconut oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook  until soft and translucent. I just let this cook for 15 minutes or so stirring occasionally. Then add spices plus garlic and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring constantly. Watch out for the spices burning. 

Add the dates, carrots and sweet potatoes. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the vegetable stock. Boil the soup then turn down heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Add the chopped yellow peppers and chickpeas and stir the soup. Season the whole thing again with salt and pepper. Simmer until everything is cooked to your liking. Chop the kale and add to the pot for a couple minutes. Serve with brown rice, additional dates, or bread + cheese to make it a meal.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

OMG this chocolate hazelnut tart! This is going to become a staple in my life. Lately I've just been trying to blog things I know I'll be making again and again. Maybe some special occasion recipes once in awhile. I usually have all the ingredients to make this dessert on hand minus the hazelnuts. Laura had me listen to a podcast on chocolate in Ecuador and it just reinforced my chocolate hoarding tendencies. I prefer to buy the chocolove brand. I love the pretzel milk chocolate and the hazelnut. Really I'll take any flavor. After Ecuador, I'll try to seek out Kallari chocolate too. Organic and so so delicious!! We went to the kallari store twice and had hot chocolate (we drank this daily), brownies, and chocolate mouse. Also just chocolate bars whole. Guh. In fact, I'm having severe chocolate withdrawal as I type this. (Don't worry, I have Justin's peanut butter cups stashed in my purse.)

This recipe is from Green Kitchen Stories. This family cooks amazing food and travels all around the world! My goals in life!

Also sorry no pic for now- will update later. For now here's pic of a similar tart.

Crust!

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted

10 Medjool date's pitted

3 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 pinch sea salt

Filling

1 3/4 cups / 200 g cooked black beans 

5 Medjool dates, pitted

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup strong coffee

1/2 cup almond milk 

5-6 ounces dark chocolate (70%)

Note: I used a 10 inch tart pan, so I increased the filling recipe.

Start by making the crust. In a food processor or blender, blend the hazelnuts until they are chopped finely. Not so much that it turns into hazelnut flour. I liked having some bigger chunks in the crust. Add the dates, coconut oil, cacao, and salt. Pulse until everything is mixed thoroughly. If the dates are hard, soak them in some water for 15 minutes and drain before making crust.

Press crust mixture into bottom of the tart pan. I greased my fingers with a little coconut oil to facilitate the process. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer while making filling.

Melt the chocolate with the almond milk. I did this quickly in the microwave. Stir to combine. Add the beans, dates, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and coffee to the blender and blend until completely smooth.  Like really really smooth. Add the chocolate mixture into the blender and blend once more. Pour the filling on top of the crust and place it into the freezer overnight to a couple days. 

My favorite part of this dessert is that I can make it in advance. Also I can trick people into eating beans!

Oh ya and let it thaw for 30 minutes on the counter to soften up a bit.

Rhubarb Butter

It's rhubarb time! I have an hour left at work and I am literally dragging. Thankfully I have this butter to drizzle on my oatmeal tomorrow. Things that keep me going...

Rhubarb Butter

(Makes about 1 1/2- 2 cups)

4 stalks rhubarb, chopped

1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and chopped

1 handful strawberries, tops removed

1/4 honey

1/4 cup raw cane sugar

1/2 small lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to heavy ceramic pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until everything has softened and broken down substantially. Stir often. Then blend until smooth. Store in a mason jar for a couple weeks.

I've been putting the rhubarb butter on my oatmeal.

Spring Pasta with Peas, Goat Cheese, and Smoked Salmon

This recipe is like spring in a bowl. I checked out the Fairmount farmer's market which is just a couple blocks away from me. There are about 6ish vendors who all have gorgeous veggies, homemade bread, and jam! I snatched up some garlic scapes and basically the rest of the ingredients for this pasta dish. I also like working with measurements like 1 handful as it is closer to how I actually cook. This recipe is from What Katie Ate. You might recognize her books which I've seen all over. Gorgeous photography and traveling and food. All good things as far as I'm concerned. Also this is the back of the latest bust magazine.

What you need:

1 lb/454 g dried spaghetti

1 heaping cup frozen baby peas, defrosted

400g + plain goat cheese (1 large log)

3 garlic scapes, chopped (optional)

Small bunch fresh dill

Small bunch fresh basil leaves 

Small handful mint leaves (about 16)

1 handful arugula 

Zest and juice 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4- 1/3 cup hot pasta water 

8 slices smoked salmon, torn into strips

Garnish with fresh basil and dill and fresh Parmesan 

What to do:

Cook pasta until al dente. Remember to reserve some pasta water when straining. Return the strained pasta to the cooking pot.

Add peas, goat cheese, herbs, lemon, and olive oil into a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add as much pasta water as needed to thin to a sauce consistency. Katie heats up the sauce but I skipped this. 

Stir the sauce into the pasta and heat for 3 minutes or so over medium low heat. Then plate the pasta then add the salmon and garnishes.

Note: the garlic scapes make the sauce less smooth but so much more delicious!

Bitchin' Sauce + Bowl

This sauce is amazing. Like really. I have been putting it on everything lately. Sweet potatoes, Bitchin bowls, empanadas. Additional ideas for dipping include raw or steamed veggies or chips. This sauce tastes like an awesome queso. The ingredient list looks ridiculous but these are probably all things you have in your kitchen already.

This recipe originates from the Fauxmartha and the San Diego farmer's market. Hopefully the next time I'm in California, I can check it out!

The sauce:

3/4 c. + 2 tbsp water

1/2 c. + 2 tbsp grapeseed oil

1/2 c. raw almonds, soaked overnight 

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp tamari 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp raw honey

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 chipotles in adobo sauce

1 tsp adobo sauce 

1/4 cup diced red onion 

Rinse almonds after soaking. Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until super smooth. 

Keeps in fridge for a week or so. 

Back in college a couple of my good friends always had beans and rice for a quick dinner. With fried egg on top. The first time I ever had rice and beans was on a mission trip to Louisiana. Yum! This is like a step up.

Bitchin bowl:

Brown rice

Black beans or chickpeas

Sautéed onion plus cumin

Steamed greens (kale or spinach)
Sautéed mushrooms

Pickled red cabbage (I made my own but this one is similar)

Goat cheese Brie

Salsa 

I should have probably added a fried egg

And obviously cover the entire bowl with sauce.