pumpkin spice ice cream !

as we all know by now, i'm obsessed with all things pumpkin! and today its pumpkin spiced ice cream & its served in its own tiny little pie crust cup! this recipe follows the same directions as the ice creams i posted about last week. super simple and super delicious !! here's how i did it :

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 can of sweetened  condensed milk.

in your mixer beat 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. in a separate bowl mix pumpkin, vanilla, condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice until combined. then fold mixture into the whipped cream and freeze for 6 hours in a tupperware container. serve in pie crust and drizzle with caramel (optional)

you can buy a pre made pie crust or follow this easy recipe :)

1 3/4 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C vegetable oil

2 tbsp water

 

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.

Stir in oil and water and mix until just combined.

Form dough into ball and place it in a greased pie pan.

Press dough out evenly until it covers entire pie pan including the sides. Make sure you press it thin where the side and bottom meet. Crimp edges if desired. 

 

Bourbon sweet potato cupcakes with bourbon cream cheese frosting !

WOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! these cupcakes are delicious! but before i get into that let me take a step  back . today i went to the christmas tree shop and found these adorable cupcake liners. i didn't realize at the time that they were texas style (aka jumbo) so i had to re think my whole idea of making simple cupcakes today. go big or go home right??? well the other day i came across this recipe for burbon sweet potato cupcakes. these cupcakes are so unbelievably rich and tasty i don't even know how to describe its wonders ! i changed this up a bit from the recipe i based it off of because it had a glaze vs a frosting and since they are so big in size i thought i needed something more substantial, and oh my heavens i couldn't of been happier with the results! 

for the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes
1/3 cup bourbon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line cupcake trays with 24 baking cups.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl.
• In another large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar, butter and eggs until fluffy.
• Add sweet potatoes and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add 1/3 of flour mixture to sugar mixture until combined. Add bourbon. Add second 1/3 of flour mixture. Add milk. Add final 1/3 flour mixture.
• Mix well with each addition.
• Fill baking cups.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.
• Cool completely.

for the frosting :

4 ounces of soft cream cheese

1 stick of soft butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp burbon

1/2 bag of powdered sugar

beat the cream cheese, butter, burbon and vanilla until combined. add sugar little at a time and beat until light and fluffy.

california style eggs benedict !

oh my gosh do i love eggs benedict! its one of those timeless breakfast dishes. its made so fast and can be served everyday or for the fanciest of occasions. 

4 eggs 
4 pieces of Canadian bacon
2 English muffins
1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh spinach
1/2 avocado 
fresh cracked pepper 
fresh parsley 
salt and pepper to taste

to make tomatoes- saute tomatoes in olive oil/ salt and pepper to to taste until tomatoes caramelize and blacken a bit. 

for the hollandaise- In a small saucepan, melt four tablespoons of butter. Do not let it brown. In a bowl, beat together four egg yolks, two tablespoons fresh lime juice, one tablespoon heavy cream, freshly ground pepper, and salt.
Next, you need to combine the eggs with the melted butter . If you add the eggs to the melted butter, the eggs will curdle, and you'll end up with a chunky, runny sauce when you want a smooth and creamy sauce. When you temper eggs, you warm them up slowly by adding a little bit of a hot liquid to them, and this keeps them from curdling. To temper the eggs, take a spoon and add a teaspoon of the melted butter to the egg mixture and beat with a wire whisk. Keep adding the melted butter to the egg mixture slowly until you've added about five tablespoons or so, whisking the entire time. Now you're ready to add the egg mixture to the saucepan. Turn the heat to low and cook the egg-butter mixture very quickly - only about ten to fifteen seconds or so - whisking vigorously. If your hollandaise isn't thick enough, cook it a little bit longer in five second increments, whisking vigorously, until it reaches the consistency you desire.

poach 4 eggs, toast 2 muffins and spread 1T of butter on each. layer with spinach,avocado, bacon, egg and holindiase sause. top with roasted tomatoes, parsley and fresh cracked black pepper. 

banana pumpkin bread

Fall is here!!! not really, but almost ;) if it were up to me it would be fall every day! its my absolute favorite time of the year. and though i love to cook all days its these next few months you will find me glued to my kitchen cooking all things pumpkin! banana bread is a staple in my house. i make about 2-3 loafs a week! today after going to my friends house and having her blueberry-banana bread (which was DELICIOUS!) i decided to change it a bit and make a pumpkin bread. but as i was about to mix it, i noticed i had bananas that needed to go too so i tossed them in there and oh my heavens ! its now one of my new favorites!  :)

2 bananas 
3 eggs 
1 1/2 cup brown sugar 
1 stick soft butter 
2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
2 1/2 cup flour 
1 can of pumpkin 

Glaze 
2 cups powder sugar 
1/4 cup maple syrup 
3-4 tablespoons of pumpkin spice creamer or however much you need to loosen

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick come out clean

cake batter blondies!

the other day we were invited to a birthday party but it didn't start until later in the day. and all i could think about was cake and ice cream. i didn't have time to make a cake nor did i really want to but i did however have enough time and all of the ingredients to make some cake batter blondies and it was so so good! served warm with vanilla ice cream with a caramel drizzle it was to die for. best part is you probably have all of the ingredients sitting right in your pantry already ! 

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• 
  
• Directions : 
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• 1 box yellow or vanilla cake mix

• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 1 large egg

• 1/3 cup of milk

• 1/2 cup sprinkles

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Spray 11x7 baking pan with nonstick spray.

1. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense & thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips.  Pour into prepared baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top, and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown.

1. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.

salisbury steak meatballs!

if you love salisbury steak you will love all of the flavors in these meatballs. its simple, easy and perfectly delicious. this is comfort in a bowl.

For Meatballs

• 1½ lb ground beef

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup ketchup

• ¼ cup coarse grain mustard

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp seasoned salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp butter  (for frying)

For Gravy

• 6 tbsp butter

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 cup beef broth or chicken broth

• 4 tbsp cornstarch

• 1 tsp seasoning salt

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• parsley for garnish

For Mashed Potatoes

• 5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

• 1 stick unsalted butter

• ¼ cup half and half 

• ¼ cup cream cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

1. Add all the meatball ingredients (excluding the olive oil and butter) to a large bowl and mix well, use your hands. Shape into 1 inch meatballs. You should get about 40 meatballs.
2. Add the olive oil/ butter  to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add meatballs and cook. If you're using a large skillet all meatballs should fit in one batch otherwise, you might have to fry them in a couple batches. Cook the meatballs on all sides, add more oil if needed. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.
3. To the same skillet add butter and melt. Add onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent. In a bowl add the cornstarch and beef broth and whisk. Add broth and remaining gravy ingredients to skillet, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, sauce should thicken. If the sauce is too thick add a bit more beef broth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
4. When the gravy is done add the meatballs back to the skillet and toss them around so they're covered in the gravy. Garnish with parsley.

For Mashed Potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1 inch cubes. Boil them on medium heat until potatoes are tender, for about 20 minutes.

1. Drain potatoes and in a medium bowl, add the potatoes, milk, butter, cream cheese and salt and pepper. Using a potato masher mash the potatoes until desired consistency. You may also use a hand mixer if you wish. Add additional milk as necessary.
2. Serve meatballs over mashed potatoes.

ranch seasoning!

quit spending money on those hidden valley ranch packets and make your own! its easy to make , taste amazing and best part is, you know exactly whats inside!

• 1/3 cup dry buttermilk

• 2 Tbsp. dried parsley

• 1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

• 2 tsp. garlic powder

• 2 tsp. onion powder

• 2 tsp. dried onion flakes

• 1 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1 tsp. dried chives

• 1 tsp. salt

refrigerate  for up to 3 months.

3T  of this mix is 1 packet of the store-bought seasoning mix

i scream for ice cream!

LISTEN UP! this is probably the most important post I've ever written. today i stumbled upon a miracle ! a two ingredient ice cream that can be whipped up in minutes ! this is , i repeat: this IS the BEST ice cream i have ever had! like EVER! and you don't even need a ice cream maker. the best part is  you can literally make or create any type of ice cream with the same two ingredients.

Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream:

the two magic ingredients:

2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 can of sweetened condensed milk

what makes the flavor cinnamon bun is the add-ins (this is the point where you can make it any flavor you want)

add ins:

1/2 t vanilla bean paste
1/2 t cinnamon
3 T melted butter

her'es how you make it:

whip 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. in a separate bowl add sweetened condensed milk, melted butter,vanilla  and cinnamon, mix to combine and fold into cream. put it in a plastic container and put it in the freezer for 6 hours and enjoy!

some other flavors ,
you do the same as above except change the add in ingredients.
for instance :
strawberry cheese cake:

 to the condensed milk add a few drops of pink food coloring, and a few slices of chopped up cheese cake and fresh strawberries. fold into the whipped cream and done! (freeze for 6 hours)

double chocolate pecan ice cream:

1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup pecans , 1/2 cup chocolate chips. fold into the whipped cream and done! (freeze for 6 hours)

the flavors are endless and totally up to you! Now go make some ice cream!!

peach and almond tarts!

so recently we purchased sea world passes, and every time we go i always get suckered into their little bakery! and of course in standard theme park fashion everything is picture perfect ! they have chocolate cakes a mile high, the biggest muffins/cookies and of course tons of shinny glossy tarts! not to mention they sell Starbucks! its a lose lose for my wallet. so when the hubs told me he wanted to take the kids to sea world today i jumped in the kitchen to make these peach and almond tarts with my own starbucks coffee! after all, they are super simple to put together, looks and tastes like a million bucks and now i can save that $11 and get a churro instead lol !

here's how i made them: (for two tarts)

1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)

1/4 cup of almond paste 

1/3 cup of cream cheese (soft)

5 Tablespoons of sugar plus more

1 large peach (sliced thin)

1 egg (for wash)

1/4 cup of apricot preserves (melted)

pre-heat oven to 350

cut two large circles into your puff pastry. in the middle where your peaches will lay, prick holes with a fork so it wont puff up while baking. 

slice your peach into thin slices.

next, mix cream cheese and 5 T of sugar together. 

spread almond paste on the bottom of the puff pastry dough, next spread on a layer of the cream cheese and sugar mixture. then lay your peaches on top and sprinkle with an additional tablespoon of sugar or two. last, brush the edges with the egg and bake until golden brown. 

when the tarts are done baking brush with melted apricot preserves. this will make it picture perfect shinny! and enjoy :)

skirt steak with chimichurri sauce!

i am a steak girl ! i can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! (seriously!) we probably eat rib eye about 4 times a week! that's a lot of red meat! when Corey proposed to me , he did so at a fabulous steak restaurant in winter park now called Christiners formally known as Del Frisco's. anyway i swear they have the best steak ever ! worth every bit of my $85 dollars! i love their steak so much so i actually spoke to the chef and he told me exactly how to make it. and im telling you, you cant tell the difference! i say all of that to say this: it takes a lot for me to stray from eating my usual rib eye. and that's what makes this post extra special. because tonight i'm bragging about my new found love, this skirt steak ! it is SO DAMN GOOD! its something about the rub its mixed with so many wonderful spices that go so well together. and the little bit of brown sugar caramelizes against the butter which sears it really well. i promise you it is so good not only do you not even need the chimichurri sauce but it will probably become a weekly favorite :)

Ingredients
Steak Rub
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

2 lbs skirt steak brought to room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil

Chimichurri sauce
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper