If you’ve been positively sweltering these past few weeks, today’s post is for you! These are the yummiest no-churn frozen treats on this site, and even without a fancy ice cream machine, you can have delicious homemade ice cream in no time.
What is No-Churn Ice Cream?
No-churn ice cream is as simple as it sounds. Unlike traditional ice creams that require a machine or churn, no-churn ice creams come together with just two ingredients and a bit of mixing. Once you have a standard base recipe, the opportunities for ice cream flavors are endless! Just swirl in your favorite sauces, sprinkles, cookies, or toppings, and watch the magic happen.
How to Make It
Most no-churn ice creams start with heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk. Two cups of heavy whipping cream are whipped on low speed until fluffy and thickened. After that, a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk is folded in, and voila- an ice cream that is ready for the freezer. To make vanilla ice cream, simply add a splash of vanilla extract or vanilla bean. On the other hand, for chocolate, stir in a bit of cocoa powder into the milk. In the end, most recipes include the basic ingredients of 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream.
In addition, you can opt to use whipped coconut cream and cream of coconut or even dairy-free whipped topping. Today, we’re looking at the traditional method in 10 of my very favorite original recipes. Someone, start the countdown!
Attention all peanut butter lovers! This peanut butter caramel ice cream has bits of chocolate sandwich cookies and is, to this day, one of my all-time faves.
For this Girl Scouts inspired treat, chocolate sauce, coconut flakes, and bits of shortbread cookies combine to create a dream of a no-churn ice cream!
No-churn ice creams are a great way to start making homemade frozen desserts. If you have a favorite of your own, please share them with me! In the meantime, happy baking!
The other day, I found myself googling, “What are the dog days?” Unknowingly, the term had registered in my brain, and even though I couldn’t fully define what it meant, I knew I was living it. It turns out, I was partially right. The dog days, according to Merriam-Webster, is the hottest period of the year, usually between July and August, and it has also become synonymous with a general sense of sluggishness. Can anyone relate?
We’ve been doing all sorts of things to keep the dog days at bay: swimming, beaching, frozen cocktails, and even a fairly elaborate collection of sprinklers. We’ve made no-churn ice cream, taken rides in inner tubes, and cranked our outdoor fan up to high, but so far, not much has protected us from the muggy sleep cloud formally known as an Alabama Summer. One would think that after nearly 20 years in the south I would be used to it, but I’m just not sure one can ever acclimate to 100 degrees temperatures when there’s a toddler crawling on your lap.
To beat the heat, we’ve been having fun doing some indoor things too, like the tea party Aimee and I threw for her classmates last week. We made lemonade punch, macarons, and these little strawberry shortbread cookies, and it was as precious as it was delicious. We loved this recipe so much that I have decided to share it with you today!
My favorite go-to shortbread cookies recipe has become a sleeper hit on this site. So many of y’all love them! When the idea of a fruity shortbread cookie came to mind, I knew we could start safely with my original recipe. Here, butter, sugar, brown sugar serve as the basis for a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. Freeze-dried strawberries add flavor and texture, and a white chocolate drizzle makes them extra sweet. The cookies can be made ahead and the dough only takes minutes to put together. Talk about a win-win!
If you’re looking for a summery recipe requiring little effort, look no futher than these strawberry shortbread cookies. Happy baking!
If you like these strawberry shortbread cookies you should try:
These strawberry shortbread cookies are loaded with bits of dried strawberries and topped with a white chocolate drizzle!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:15
Total Time:25 minutes
Yield:40
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–3/4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
1/8 of salt
¾ cup finely chopped freeze-dried strawberries (dried raspberries also work well!)
½ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
Cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar just until barely combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix just until barely combined, adding the strawberries at the end. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and bring the dough together into a ball with your hands. Roll it out into a log about 1-1/2-2” thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for two hours or overnight if desired.
When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice into ¼-1/2” thick slices and place 2” apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set. Allow to cool.
Gently melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments, stirring regularly to keep the chocolate from seizing. Use a piping bag or a fork to drizzle the white chocolate onto the cookies, allowing it to set prior to enjoying!
There may be a million typos in this post about today’s black and blue margaritas, because we have been traveling and my brain is still in a fog. This past week, we spent some time as a family in California visiting the San Diego Zoo. If I’ve never said it before, I’ll say it now: vacations with kids are a lot of work. Don’t get me wrong- good times were had by every one of the animal lovers in our house, but I’m definitely still recovering.
If you’ve never been or have been considering going to the San Diego Zoo with little ones, let me be the first to cheer you on. With over 1600 acres of California real estate, the zoo and accompanying safari park are more like amusement parks than anything else. Gift shops, restaurants, and hundreds of species from all over the planet round out a destination that is somehow simultaneously fun and educational. Over the past year, my kids have turned into full-on animal enthusiasts, and the zoo was the perfect indulgence for their growing little minds.
Because the zoo and safari park are in two different areas of San Diego, we opted for two different hotels during our trip. Our first leg was spent near the zoo itself, and we stayed at a nearby Marriott on Coronado Island. The second leg was dedicated to the safari park and visiting friends in LA, so for that time, we found a Park Hyatt that was killer for kids. With water slides, multiple dining options, and even a Top Golf Swing Suite, this hotel was a destination in itself. We would 100% go back in a heartbeat.
Tips for Visiting the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park
Do not try to do the zoo and safari park in a single day. Not only are these parks far apart locationally, it’s also physically taxing. I’d recommend setting aside two days to see both.
Consider getting a membership! We actually saved a good deal of money by purchasing one adult and one child membership. Not only do you get discounts on food, merchandise, and some of the tours and safaris, but you also get a few guest passes and tickets discounts with some memberships as well!
Pick a route and stick with it. You can download maps of the park on the zoo website, and I highly recommend scoping out a route ahead of time. The parks are both very expansive, and I found it helpful to have a plan that didn’t require much backtracking.
Download the app! The San Diego Zoo app was extremely helpful for navigating the parks and exploring the animal options available.
Consider additional excursions. We did both an inside look tour and a safari during our time at the zoo and park. I would 100% recommend the safari but would probably skip the behind the scenes option next time. Do make time to ride the double decker bus at the zoo though!
For more information on hotels, the zoo, and other San Diego attractions, I highly recommend checking out this and this site. I found her local intel to be really helpful and 100% on the nose. The San Diego Zoo is truly a great spot for young families, so keep it in mind for your next vacay! Now that we’ve gotten the travel talk out of the way, let’s get to the main event: black and blue margaritas!
Black and Blue Margaritas
These black and blue margaritas are a simple summery drink recipe from my new book, Her Daily Bread. I was eager to include a margarita in the drinks section of the book, and this one is a great way to include fresh summer produce. With muddled blackberries and blueberries as well as a honey simple syrup, these margarita is flavorful, refreshing, and beautiful, too! Let me tell you how to make it.
We start with the syrup. Water and honey come together on the stove until dissolved and smooth. Once cooled, the syrup is muddled with berries before fresh lime juice and silver tequila are added. Shake in a tall cocktail shaker filled with ice until chilled and then serve. This recipe for black and blue margaritas can easily be batched, so come thirsty or invite a friend to join.
With summer kicking into gear, I hope you’ll give these margs a try. If you have any great kid friendly vacation destinations, shoot me an email to tell me about them! In the meantime, happy baking and have a great week!
If you like these black and blue margaritas, you should try:
These black and blue margaritas are made with fresh summer berries, lime juice, and a honey simple syrup!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:5
Total Time:5
Yield:1 Drink
Category:Drink
Ingredients
For the margaritas:
¼ cup fresh berries (I use a mix of blackberries and blueberries)
2 ounces tequila blanco
1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice (from about 1 lime)
¾ ounce honey simple syrup (recipe below)
Coarse salt (optional)
For the honey simple syrup:
½ cup honey
½ cup water
Instructions
Muddle the berries in a tall cocktail shaker until they’re broken down and juicy. Add the remaining ingredients to the shaker and fill it with ice. Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. Wipe the flesh of the lime around the rim of a margarita glass and dip the glass in salt, if desired. Fill with ice and strain the chilled mixture into the prepared glass. Enjoy!
To make the simple syrup:
Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a whisk until the honey is dissolved and then place in a small jar or heat-safe container to cool in the fridge. This can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.
I’ve started dreaming of traveling abroad again. This past decade has found me staying close to home, because apparently you can’t just leave children and small businesses unattended for long periods of time? But recently, as my kids have gotten a smidge older, I’ve started to wonder if we might be ready for a bigger adventure, the kind that calls for foreign languages and a short hop across the pond. At one point in time in my life, I was sure that I was destined for a life dotted with passport stamps and foods I couldn’t pronounce the name of, and now, 9 years into an entirely different (but even more-so wonderful) kind of life, I’m realizing that I kind of forgot about some of those dreams. This raspberry tiramisu is a small glimpse of me dusting that part of myself off.
A few months back, I found a bucket list I wrote back in college. I was pretty tickled to realize I have gotten to experience many of the things I wrote on that original list, but one of the items that I hadn’t even gotten close to was listed second thing on that list: “Learn French.” Over the past couple of months, I have kept coming back to that bullet item, feeling silly for wanting to pursue something so frivolous. Let’s face it: I live in Small Town, AL. Not many people around here speak French, you know? But I couldn’t shake it. I still wanted some of those things that 20-year old me wanted, and I didn’t know why I was shelving something that, at one point, was worthy of a #2 spot.
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” – Vincent van Gogh.
So I downloaded Pimsleur French, bought a few books, and for the past month or so, I’ve been fumbling through simple phrases and the pronunciation of those throaty French R’s. I wouldn’t say I’m spectacular at it, but it has scratched an itch for creativity and exploring that has felt really untouchable lately. And with learning a new language, I’ve started tossing around other ideas, too, namely, traveling abroad. So that brings me to this raspberry tiramisu.
Raspberry Tiramisu
While I was googling things like “idyllic AirBnB in Provence” and “traveling to Paris with kids,” a friend tossed out the idea for an Italian trip. Within days, my heart tumbled down a rabbit hole of Roman ruins and espresso-soaked desserts, and that, plus a fridge full of summer berries led me to this raspberry tiramisu. Classic tiramisu is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and the chocolate tiramisu I shared on this site some time ago remains a fan favorite here too. This raspberry tiramisu is a light, more summery version of the classic featuring the flavors of tart berries and zested lemon. The mascarpone whipped cream is the star of the show, and I cannot get over how well it mingles with the fruit. Truly, it’s a cloud-like dream of a dessert!
Be sure to read through all of the instructions before you attempt this dessert. While incredibly simple, there are a few steps, so take your time and enjoy every bite. And in the meantime, if you find yourself ready to dust off some old ideas, dreams, or goals, I hope you’ll take this as your green light to move ahead. I’m only a few days into my weird, totally unnecessary pursuit, but so far, I’m loving it. Happy Monday to you guys, and Happy Baking!
If you like this raspberry tiramisu, you should check out:
This raspberry tiramisu is a summery take on classic tiramisu, made with a whipped mascarpone cheese and berry-soaked ladyfingers.
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:30
Total Time:30
Yield:8 Servings
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
½ cup sugar, divided
½ cup water
2 cups raspberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup raspberry preserves
20 or so ladyfinger cookies, soft or hard are fine
Confectioner’s sugar and raspberries, for decorating
Instructions
Line an 8×4” loaf pan with plastic wrap in two directions with the wrap extending over the sides on all directions. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine ¼ cup sugar with the water and 2 cups of raspberries. Stirring regularly, allow the sugar to dissolve completely and then remove immediately from heat. Gently press down on the raspberries to release some of the juices. Stir in the lemon zest and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer, beat the mascarpone gently just to smooth out. Slowly stream in the whipping cream and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until thickened to a fluffy consistency. Set aside.
Strain the raspberries from the syrupy mixture, reserving both the berries and the syrup. Stir 2 tablespoons of the syrupy liquid into the preserves and then stir in the berries as well. Now that you have the mascarpone whipped cream, the berry preserve mixture, and the raspberry syrup, it’s time to begin assembling!
Quickly dunk a ladyfinger into the syrup, saturating both sides before placing into the bottom of the pan. You can layer these in however you’d like, but you see check out the photo in the post above for a reference of how I assembled. I found two rows of ladyfingers, the second of which was slightly broken off to fit in the bottom of the pan, worked best. Once you have a single layer of soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of your pan, spoon a heaping cup-ful of the whipped cream on top. Spread to smooth. Spread half of the berry preserve mixture on top of the whipped cream and repeat this process again: soaked ladyfingers, whipped cream, and then berry preserves. Finish off your tiramisu layers with a final layer of ladyfingers and whatever whipped cream is leftover. Smooth to finish and then cover with plastic wrap to rest in the fridge for about 6 hours or overnight. To serve, invert the tiramisu onto a plate and remove the plastic wrap. Garnish with raspberries and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, if desired.
It’s finally starting to feel like summer. Sure, the weather is warmer and the days are getting longer, but I can feel the energy in our house changing too. With the school year and extracurricular activities coming to a close, my heart is ready to settle into a summer pace. Today, I want to share a yummy recipe that features my favorite bit of warm weather produce: strawberries. This strawberries and cream pie is a unique way to share summer’s best fruit, so let’s dive in.
Remember that blueberry sour cream pie I made a few years ago? I absolutely LOVED that one. Including sour cream in a custardy dessert was such a new concept for me, and I loved the balance of flavors it brought to the pie. Well, it turns out that the sour cream method can extend into other desserts, too, because this strawberries and cream pie is the bomb. Although it didn’t turn out as polished looking as I would have hoped, it was one of those bakes that I couldn’t keep my hands off of it. After photographing the pie for this post, I found myself picking at the cut slices, nibbling at bits of crumb and enjoying bites of berry and cream. It was perfectly imperfect, and I was altogether thrilled.
Making the Pie
This strawberries and cream pie has a sweet and salty graham cracker crust that features finely chopped pecans, both for flavor and texture. If you’re in a rush, you can skip the homemade crust and opt for a store-bought graham cracker crust instead, but don’t hesitate to try making one from scratch if you haven’t before. Homemade crusts like this one have way more texture, and the addition of the pecans makes it really special.
The filling for this pie is beyond simple. Sour cream, milk, eggs, sugar, and flour get blended together until frothy. After being mixed, the filling is poured into the prepared crust before being topped with sliced strawberries. Here, I used fresh berries, but you could also thaw and rinse frozen sliced ones as well! After a bake in the oven, the pie is topped with even more crumble and baked a bit more until set. The final product is a pie with loads of flavor, crunch, and creamy filling to boot.
Whatever your coming summer months look like, I hope you’ll consider making this strawberries and cream pie! It’s just the thing to get you in the mood for the warmer days ahead. Happy Thursday to y’all and happy baking!
If you like this strawberries and cream pie you should try:
This strawberries and cream pie features and creamy custard filling, a salted graham cracker pecan crust, and fresh summer berries!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:25
Cook Time:45
Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes
Yield:9 Servings
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
For the pie filling:
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped strawberries, stemmed
For the crumb topping:
1 tablespoon flour
1–1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1–1/2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
Instructions
To prepare the pie crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your crust: combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and stir to combine. Press the wet crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom. I like to press a small amount of crumbs up the length of the sides first and then press the remaining into the bottom. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are turning gold and the bottom is set.
To prepare the pie:
Place the prepared pie crust on a sheet pan. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combined the sour cream, milk, egg, egg yolk, sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared crust and scatter the strawberries on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top of the pie feels kind of set but is still a little jiggly in the center. In the meantime, prepare the crumb by combining the flour, sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and butter with the back of a fork. Toss in the pecans and set aside. Once the top of the pie feels kinda set, remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle on the crumb topping. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the crumb is golden and the pie is completely set. Allow to cool prior to serving!
After last week’s *lengthy* discussion on pie dough, I had no choice but to deliver you a pie this week. What say we put our newfound how-to skills to work? This blueberry maple pie is a delightfully delicious way to experiment with pie dough: the filling contains only simple, approachable ingredients, so the fruit and crust really shine. If you are looking for a great recipe to segue from summer to fall, this pie is definitely it.
In writing the description for this pie, I had to boast that is was naturally sweetened with maple syrup- not because I’m particularly invested in natural sweeteners (I’m not), but because I know that’s really important for some of you guys, right? So yes, this blueberry maple pie is naturally sweetened, but that benefits even those of us who aren’t necessarily baking for health. The maple syrup in this pie lends interesting flavor and subtle nuance, complementing both the fruit and the added lemon zest and cinnamon. Truly, it’s a win-win for everyone.
Make the Recipe
To make this blueberry maple pie, we start with perfect pie crust. My recipe utilizes all-purpose flour, butter (for flavor), and shortening (for flake), as well as sugar and salt. All of the ingredients can come together in a food processor or a large bowl of your choosing. The dough does need to chill briefly, so feel free to prep the dough the night (or week!) before. The filling here is simple: fresh berries, maple syrup, cinnamon, and the zest and juice of a single lemon. Together, they combine to make a pie filling that is juicy, sweet, and layered with flavor.
Once the pie dough has been prepared, roll it out into a standard pie plate of your choosing and fill it with the blueberry mixture. The top here can be done according to your preferences: you can take this opportunity to braid or lattice, or you can just not. Either way, this pie will bake up in the bottom third of your oven to a golden brown that is actually worth writing home about.
With summer fruit on the way out and fall flavors coming to town, this blueberry maple pie is fitting and delicious for the times. Give it a try this week and let me know what you think! Happy Saturday to you, and Happy Baking!
If you like this blueberry maple pie you should try:
This yummy summer pie is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and scented with fresh lemon zest and a sprinkle of cinnamon!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:15
Cook Time:75
Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:9 Servings
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
For the crust:
3 ½ cups (420 gm) all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons (12 gm) sugar
3/4 teaspoon (4 gm) salt
2/3 cup (135 gm) chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
3/4 cup (1–1/2 sticks, 170 gm) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
10 tablespoons (approximately) ice water
For the filling:
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
1–1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
For the egg wash:
1 egg
2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
To prepare the crust:
Give the dry ingredients a whiz in the food processor to combine.
Pulse in the shortening and butter, just until barely evenly dispersed.
Begin adding ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time until moist clumps begin to form.
Remove dough from food processor and separate in two flat round disks. Wrap in Saran wrap and chill for at least two hours prior to use.
To prepare the pie:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. I also like to preheat a baking steel or heavy-duty sheet pan on the bottom third of the oven- this is recommended for a crisp-bottomed crust.
In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Set aside while you roll out your pie dough.
On a floured surface, roll out one half of the chilled pie dough to a 1/8-1/4” thick round approximately 1” wider on all sides than the lip of your standard pie pan. Roll the dough onto a floured rolling pin and unroll into the pan. Gently work the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. Leave about 1” of dough extending outside the perimeter of the dish and trim off any excess.
Pour the fruit mixture into the pie dish. Place in the fridge while you prepare you pie top. Latticing is optional here; if you plan to leave a plain single sheet of dough on top of the filling, be sure to vent the top with a couple of slits from your knife. Crimp the edges once finished.
In a small both, whisk together the egg and use a pastry brush to paint a thin layer of the egg wash on the top of the pie crust. Sprinkle with the sugar. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. At that time, check the crust; if the edges are looking too done, make a pie collar out of aluminum foil to gently drape the edges of the pie. degrees. Continue baking for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the middle of the pie has bubbling juices underneath and the top of the pie crust is golden brown. Allow the pie to cool on a cooling rack completely, or overnight. Cutting into the pie too soon can cause the pie to be too runny, but if this doesn’t bother you, you can cut into it as soon as it is a manageable and safe temperature. Serve with ice cream if desired!
We talk an awful lot about mothers here on this site, but today, I want to take time to love on the dads. With Father’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to offer up a few gift ideas for any ladies who may be trying to shop for the special fellas in their life- the parents, husbands, friends, and sons who bring so much wonderful (as well as, in my case at least, a lot of weird body expulsions and sports talk radio) to our worlds. This list contains 100% of things I bought for the men in my life this year, and I feel confident there may be something to be found for yours too! Let’s check it out (in order from top left to clockwise):
For the few dads who may have stumbled onto this page: happy father’s day. Fathering is important work, equal parts challenging and rewarding, and I reminded daily just how much the love of a good father can make in a person’s life. I hope you receive all of the love and affection you are due this coming Father’s Day…and maybe even an awesome gift too!
No-churn strawberry pretzel pie ice cream
Do you guys remember when Jeni’s Ice Cream came out with their special edition Strawberry Pretzel Pie Ice Cream a month or so ago? It literally almost broke the internet- it was that popular. Although I didn’t get my hands on a pint of my own before it sold out, I was lucky enough to snag a scoop at one of their shops, and it didn’t disappoint. It really was as good as the hype led me to believe it would be, but I was so bummed that I wouldn’t be able to bring any home to enjoy later. Cue this no-churn strawberry pretzel ice cream.
I set out to remake Jeni’s ice cream on my own, with a few small modifications in mind. First, I wanted the ice cream to be no-churn so that literally ANYONE could make it if their wanted. Second, I wanted the pretzel crunch to actually be crunchy. Although Jeni’s original flavor was delish, I found the pretzel pieces to be slightly chewy and not so reminiscent of the strawberry pretzel pie I had come to love. I’m happy to say that I totally nailed it. This no-churn strawberry pretzel pie ice cream is incredible- creamy, smooth, and balanced both in flavor and texture. The strawberry sauce swirled throughout adds tang and brightness to the rich cream cheese ice cream base and the pretzel crunch is, without question, the best ice cream mix-in I’ve ever made. Truly.
The directions for this ice cream are simple, and I do hope you’ll give it a try. Maybe make it for the special guys in your life this upcoming Father’s Day and just see how loved and special they feel. Happy Baking!
If you like this no-churn strawberry pretzel ice cream you should try:
This no-churn strawberry pretzel pie ice cream features a cream cheese ice cream base, a strawberry sauce swirled throughout, and bits of pretzel crunch!
Author:Kate
Prep Time:30
Cook Time:20
Total Time:360
Yield:1 Quart
Category:Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the pretzel crunch:
2 cups of crushed mini pretzel twists (crushed to pea gravel consistency)
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the strawberry sauce:
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
For the cream cheese ice cream:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
To prepare the pretzel crunch:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Pat the mixture out into a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, tossing once about halfway through. Remove from oven to cool completely and break the cooled mixture into 1/4″-1/2” sized chunks. Set aside until ready to use.
To prepare the strawberry sauce:
Combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Mash the berries and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to bubble. Cook stirring often for 5-6 minutes and allow to cool completely prior to use.
To prepare the ice cream:
In a medium-sized bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and no lumps remain. Add the condensed milk and vanilla, stirring to combine. In a separate bowl, use a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream on medium speed until thickened to a cloud-like consistency. Fold in the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Fold a cup or so of the pretzel crunch into the ice cream- you can add more as desired, but you may not end up using all of it.
Spread a thin layer of ice cream into the bottom of an 8”x4” loaf pan or other freezer-safe container to store the ice cream. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of the strawberry sauce on top and add a sprinkle of extra pretzel crumbs, if desired. Repeat this process with the remaining ice cream, swirling in as much of the strawberry sauce as you desire. I typically use it all. Once all of the ice cream as been spooned into the loaf pan, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and allow the ice cream to freeze until solid, about 6 hours or overnight. Enjoy!
Sometimes I need an easy button. I need some magic dust, a genie in a lamp, or a fairy godmother to make life easier. There’s not enough hours in the day to constantly complicate it with dead-end tasks and lengthy processes. Sometimes I need something quick, entirely satisfying, no-fail, and EASY. Introducing: peach crumb muffins.
Peach Crumb Muffins
These peach crumb muffins are a cinch- a 2 step recipe, requiring less than 15 minutes of prep work that provides days worth of summery sweet goodness to enjoy. These peach crumb muffins are the answer to “What’s for breakfast? What can I bring for the beach weekend? “What treat can I bake with my kids?” and just about every other question that is coming to my mind right now. They’re simple and good. End of story.
Creating the Perfect Muffin
My goal with these peach crumb muffin was to make a soft, buttery, and moist muffin that was golden on the outside and full of chunky bits of ripe peaches. I also wanted to make sure it had a beautiful round dome to rest all that delicious crumble on top of.
So like any self-respecting blogger, I enlisted the help of my two best friends: other bloggers and the internet. My friend Laura pointed me to a brilliant recipe that enlisted a sweet and salty brown sugar crumble to add some color and dimension to the muffins. I also learned from a hefty amount of research (high fives to my fellow food nerds!) that if you fill the muffin tins up to the tippy top and bake at a high temperature for the first portion of the bake, you can achieve that rounded muffin dome that I was looking for. I kept the batter for these peach crumb muffins pretty thick and sure enough, after a few test batches, we had a moist, domed muffin with bits of sweet summer fruit throughout. I was in heaven.
The muffins are still not as golden brown as I had hoped they would be. I think that with some modifications in the type of sugar and length of baking, I could have achieved more of what I wanted, but my primary concern was to keep the peach crumb muffins ultra moist. So I gave up on that hope. Still, the muffins turned out beautiful with bits of crumble sprinkled on top and the drippy glaze cascading down the sides. I mean, DROOL.
Making the Muffins
To get started, move an oven rack to the upper third of the oven and preheat to a sweltering 400 degrees. Baking our muffins on the top rack will keep the bottoms from burning before we get a little tan up top first. Next, we make our crumble. This is is nothing more than stirring a few tablespoons of melted butter with some dry ingredients. SO EASY. Set aside the crumble while you stir up the muffins.
Add some sugar to the melted butter and then toss in a few eggs and some vanilla. We also add lemon zest because even though we’re making basic muffins we’re also kinda fancy, ok? Toss in the dry ingredients alternating with some room temperature milk, and finish it all off by folding in some itty bitty peach bits. You can even use frozen fruits if you want, but local friends, I’m sure you’ve already stocked up on the good stuff from Chilton County and The Peach Truck, AMIRITE? Line your muffin pan with paper liners and fill it up just below the rim of the liner. Yes, I know everything in you is saying “DON’T FILL IT UP MORE THAN 2/3 FULL!! IT WILL OVERFLOW!” I hear you, I get it, but let’s just try it, okay? If that oven is hot enough, this trick will work. Scouts honor.
Tips for Baking
Divide all that delicious crumble between the 12 muffins and then send the whole pan to the sauna. Once they’re in the oven, close the door and decrease the heat to 375. We’ll bake at this temp for a few minutes, before letting them finish at a slightly lower degree. That initial hot bake is just long enough to set the edges of the muffin so that the insides and center can keep baking up, up, UP! If you know that you oven bakes a little cold, you can bump up the heat by 5 or 10 degrees.
Once the muffins are finished, they are moist, incredibly fragrant, and altogether perfect. That salty crumble tastes oh so good with the super sweet muffin, and each bite is speckled with a juicy burst of fruit. Another bonus is that these peach crumb muffins are super adaptable! Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, substitute fresh berries or nectarines, or top the whole thing with sweet sugared nuts. Just do how you do and enjoy the outcome.
I’m sharing today’s recipe for peach crumb muffins with a load of other bloggers who had a few too many peaches on hand. If you’re really into peach recipes, please check out #summerlovespeaches for some more inspiration. Many thanks to Annie, Ruth and Rebecca for hosting this gathering! Have a terrific weekend and tune in next week for more summer knockouts. Cheers!
If you like these peach crumb muffins, you should try:
These peach crumb muffins are fluffy, moist, and domed muffins with a streusel crumb topping, a drizzled glaze, and juicy bits of fresh peaches!
Author:Kate
Prep Time:20
Cook Time:40
Total Time:1 hour
Yield:12
Category:Muffins
Ingredients
For the streusel:
2/3 cup (85 gm) flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1–1/2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, melted
For the muffin:
1/2 cup (110 gm) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1–1/4 cup (250 gm) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups (260 gm) flour
2–1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (120 mL) milk, room temperature
2 cups (280 gm) small diced peaches
For the glaze (optional):
1/2 cup (60 gm) confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1–1/2 teaspoons of milk
Instructions
To make the streusel:
Combine the flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the butter until clumps form. Set aside while you make your muffins.
To make the muffins:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and move one rack to the upper third of the oven, leaving enough room for the muffin pan up top. Line a 12 compartment muffin tin with liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, stirring until combined.
In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, stirring until combined. Add the milk, stir, and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Fold in the peaches, being careful to not overwork the batter.
Divide the muffin batter amongst the 12 muffin liners. Depending on your liners, you may have a hair too much batter. Just fill as much as you feel comfortable- they will be FULL. Don’t worry! Divide the streusel among the 12 muffins, sprinkling on top.
Put the muffin pan on the top rack and immediately decrease the heat to 375. Bake at this temperature for 10 minutes, then decrease the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 22-25 minutes, or until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The muffins should be starting to bronze around the edges. Allow to cool slightly before topping with the glaze.
To make the glaze:
Whisk together all three ingredients. Drizzle over top of slightly cooled muffins.
Notes
If you know your oven cooks a bit cool, increase the heat by 5-10 degrees for the initial bake. You want to keep the pan from overflowing.
In the few short days since summer began, we have been home resting, taking in the warm air, and baking up treats like the peach berry pie I’m going to share with you all today. I’m making a new effort to slow down in these moments that I have these summer months with my husband and darling babies.
Slowing Down
Aimee seems to run everywhere these days, jumping, dancing, or racing; walking is simply not an option. She sings and answers questions with logic, and with each passing day, I realize more and more how smart she’s becoming. We play and pretend, and she’s finally even gotten to the point where she will laugh at my jokes or a silly part in a movie.
In the quieter moments, she whispers to friends who aren’t there. She giggles with her brother and tries to put shoes on his chubby feet. She pats and soothes her babydolls, tenderly mothering them, even providing them with discipline, praise, and instruction. Now, more so than ever, I see so much of myself in her. The way she coos at George. When she tells me that I look beautiful like a princess. How she cheers for Brett when he finishes his supper. She’s a little lady in the making.
But there’s also the ugly… the parts of myself I see in her that make me cringe. She can be quick to frustration. Stubborn. Full of opinions. Contrary, at times, for no apparent reason… Just grouchy, just because.
I want to give Aimee all of the sweetness. Skills and manners and a sense of identity. I want her to have any goodness that I have to share and lock away the access to the parts of me that don’t bring life. I want to keep her good.
Learning from Our Kids
At the same time, I’m beginning to figure out that this tiny person might have a few things of her own that she could teach me- things that I need more of. I want to dance without embarrassment and not feel so serious all of the time. Or make time for quiet and daydreaming and whispering to the unseen. I want to take pleasure in small things like warm slices of fresh bread and the sound of the rain.
I wonder… what would it feel like to exist without the weightiness of adulthood? To be content and confident and willing to pop right up after falling flat on my face. What would it feel like to shrug off the small stuff and to allow myself time to take in the present? To quit busying myself with busyness. To loosen my grip on the need to control, to produce.
Aimee will continue to learn from me. She’ll pick up on habits and phrases and jokes. We’ll have silly moments and she’ll learn to count to 100 and before you know it, she’ll be grown. But for the time being, I want to try to be a little more like her. I don’t think we’re too grown up to change or to be someone different, and I refuse to believe it’s too late to be a better version of myself.
Someday I’ll teach Aimee to make pies. She’ll crawl up on the edge of the counter and steal sugared berries. I’ll teach her to cut fat into flour, quickly and methodically, just like my Mimi taught me. With four hands, we’ll wrestle the dough moving the rolling pin back and forth, using the leftover bits to cut out decorative flowers or stars. I’ll have to bite my tongue from correcting her too much, because deep down inside, I know that her small mistakes are more memorable than perfection. And we’ll sit cross-legged in front of the oven, watching it bubble and spill over, before sharing oversized slices from our seats in the kitchen.
Peach Berry Pie
Today’s recipe is a simple peach berry pie. No crazy ingredients or exaggerated methods. Just unadulterated pie.
Making the Pie
To make this peach berry pie, we need a solid, double-crusted pie dough. My favorite, no-fail, ultra-buttery and flaky recipe is yours for the taking if you don’t already have a fave of your own. A few simple ingredients, including butter and salt for flavor and shortening for unmatched flakiness, make up the crust. The filling for this peach berry pie is equally simple. Sliced peaches and several handfuls of berries mix with cornstarch and sugar to create the quintessential summer pie- juicy, yet thick enough to stand up on its own.
You can adapt the filling to your berry preferences. I love to use raspberries and strawberries with the peaches, but I had some leftover blueberries in the fridge that made it into the pie as well. As long as your berries are ripe, there is no need to adjust the sugar content of the pie. I used a lattice with a simple braid to top my peach berry pie, but you can skip that design if you’d like. Just slap the second half of dough on top, crimp the edges, and pop it in the oven for a golden, double-crusted peach berry pie that is sure to make your heart sing.
There’s some really neat recipes and tutorials coming up in the next few weeks, so if you haven’t already signed up to receive blog posts straight to your inbox, you can to do that in the side bar of this site’s homepage. Have a great weekend and please give this pie a try! If you do, be sure to snap a photo of it and share it with me here or on Instagram. Cheers!
This peach berry pie is a double crusted pie with a sweet and gooey strawberry, raspberry and peach filling.
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:30
Cook Time:60
Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:9
Ingredients
1 double pie crust, prepared and chilled in fridge (see notes or link above)
2 pounds of peeled and sliced peaches
2 cups of mixed berries, sliced into ½” pieces (I used raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I also like to place a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil on the bottom rack of my oven to prevent any bubbling pie filling from dirtying up my oven, but this is optional.
In a large bowl, combine the peaches and berries. In a small bowl, toss together the brown sugar, the sugar, corn starch, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the fruit and toss to combine. Set aside while you roll out your pie dough.
On a floured surface, roll out one half of the chilled pie dough to a 12” round. Lay carefully in the bottom a deep dish pie pan and gently press into the bottom of the pan. Leave about 1” of dough extending outside the perimeter of the dish and trim off any excess.
Spoon the fruitmixture into the pie dish, discarding any exorbitant excess of juices that may have formed. Arrange the top half of pie dough on top of the filling in any manner you please. If you plan to make a lattice or any detailed pie top, work quickly so that your bottom of pie dough doesn’t get soggy with juices from the fruit. If you roll out the pie dough flat on your filling, be sure to vent the top with a couple of slits from your knife. Crimp the edges once finished.
In a small both, whisk together the egg yolk and water and use a pastry brush to paint a thin layer of the egg wash on the top of the pie crust. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Decrease the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional hour and fifteen minutes/ hour and thirty minutes, or until the middle of the pie has bubbling juices underneath and the top of the pie crust is golden brown. Allow the pie to cool on a cooling rack completely, or overnight. Cutting into the pie too soon can cause the pie to be too runny, but if this doesn’t bother you, you can cut into it as soon as it is a manageable and safe temperature. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream!
Notes
I like to prepare any lattice strips or braids ahead of time and keep the in the fridge while I am prepping my filling and pie pan.
Use any berries you’d like! Just make sure any large berries are cut into manageable pieces.
If your peaches aren’t ripe enough and are tart to the taste, consider adding an additional tablespoon of sugar.
SOMETHING SWEET FOR YOU
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