S'Mores Ice Cream Cake

It's hot here, has been hot and is supposed to be hot through fall.  Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year....The weather, the holidays, the food....One of my favorite things in the fall is all things S'More.

It's to hot to bake here.  My poor air conditioning barely keeps up with the windows covered and cooking mainly in my #InstantPot.  I saw an episode of Sweet Julia on cooking channel where she made Baked Alaska.  I decided to try and turn that into a S'Mores Ice Cream Cake to get my fall fix and boy am I glad that I did.

Isn't that a thing of beauty?  It is so simple and needs zero baking.  Yeah, I used some processed stuff like Little Debbie's Brownies but hey, Cheat Day is Cheat Day!

I also used Wildtree Coconut Oil so along with the Calcium from the ice cream it kinda of counts as health food, right?

Cheat Day is only one day, so I made a small one.  It is the perfect size for dessert for a family, with a little left over.  You could make a big one by using a full size bundt or angel food pan.  I just picked up a Hefty EZ Foil pan at my store - the 6 cup variety.

The beautiful thing about this is you can experiment!  The next time I make this I think I might make the riff on the Dairy Queen Cake Fudgy-Crumbly goodness with graham crackers instead of the Little Debbie's.

This does take freezing time for sure, but the beauty of this dessert is you can make it days ahead of time!

S'mores Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups your favorite chocolate ice cream

2 cups your favorite vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup Pillsbury Marshmallow Frosting

1/2 cup Graham Cracker crumbs/chunks

For the Fudge Layer:

8 Little Debbie's Brownie packages divided
2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil

For the Frosting:

1 3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
6 egg whites

To start prepare you pan.  I used a 6 cup Hefty EZ foil, but you can use whatever you want and adjust the measurements accordingly.  I love this because without the need for seasonings you can just play!

Line the pan with plastic wrap like so:

Just make sure all of the surface of the pan is covered and you have plastic wrap on the outside of the pan so that you can pull it off.

Get your chocolate ice cream all melty.  It doesn't have to be liquid, but melted enough that you can mold it into your pan.

Stir in 1/4 cup of the crushed graham crackers.  I just put mine in a sandwich bag and beat the bejesus out of it with my rolling pin.  I left some chunks in it so that you would get a crunchy bit every once in awhile.  You can really have fun with this part - add chocolate chips, marshmallows, pretzels....Lots of things you can do!  Just remember to adjust the measurments so you have enough room in your pan!  If you add 1/4 cup chocolate chips, use 1/4 cup less ice cream.

You want to work fast at this point so that the crackers don't get soggy.  Pour/spoon into the bottom of the pan and mold with your spoon to an even layer, making sure the ice cream is compacted down to a solid layer.

Yeah, I'm a computer administrator, not a food photographer but you get the picture, right?

Immediately put into the freezer for at least 2 hours.  Hey, I said it was easy, not fast.

Next you need to make the fudge layer.  Now what I'm really making is Magic Shell - You know that stuff you drizzle on ice cream and it becomes rock hard?  A friend of mine worked at DQ as a teenager and told me they just took their brownies and mixed in a bit of the magic shell to make that layer, so I decided to give it a go.  I've seen people use oreos or other chocolate cookies, but using the Little Debbie's (closest I could find to those dairy queen brownies) really did the trick!

Ok, here we go.  So there are two ways you can do this.  Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave/heat safe bowl.  You can either microwave in burst of 10 seconds, stirring between each burst until smooth, or slap a pot of water onto the stove, bring it to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, and place your bowl on top, stirring until smooth.

You'll have a lot left over, but the beauty is you can store in an air tight container in the fridge and melt in the microwave when you want some magic shell on your ice cream!

Of course I use Wildtree Organic Coconut Oil but any will work!

Pulse 4 packages of Little Debbie's in your food processor.  If you don't have a food processor you can always just break them into little bitty bits with your hands.

Now this part takes some experimenting...I used 5 tablespoon of Magic shell and mixed with the brownies, but I would recommend 3.  It will come out more crumbly and more like the DQ layer in their cakes.

Mix the crumbled brownie with the magic shell until it's all coated and slightly crumbly.

Take your pan out of the freezer and spread mixture evenly over the chocolate ice cream layer.  Put back into the freezer immediately.  Freeze for at least 1 hour.

Just like the chocolate layer, you will want to get your vanilla ice cream a bit melty so you can manipulate it.  Add the marshmallow frosting (not necessary but gives the cake a bit more of a marshmallow kick) and 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs to the vanilla ice cream and mix until incorporated.

You now the drill by now, add on top of the chocolate fudge layer making it compact and smooth.

Freeze at least two more hours, then repeat the chocolate fudge layer for the bottom of your cake.  TaDa!  The cake part is done!  I let it freeze for 4 hours before frosting, just to be safe that it was rock solid.

Now for the only part of this recipe that really involves any type of skill.  I followed Julia Baker's recipe to the T and it worked perfectly! You can find the original recipe for Baked Alaska here.

For the Italian Meringue:

Place the egg whites in a stand mixer or use a hand mixer and beat on high until soft peaks form.  This takes between 3-4 minutes.  The whites will mound, but not form sharp tips when you remove your beater and turn it upside down.

In a heavy bottom sauce pan combined the water and the sugar.  Do not stir.  Do not touch.  Just heat it on medium heat until it reaches soft ball stage, 236 F.  Yep, you will need a candy thermometer for this.

Once the eggs are at soft peaks and your sugar mixture is at softball stage, you need to combined them.  Please be very, very careful and make sure all obstacles are removed as sugar at 236 degrees will cause some serious damaged.

Slowly drizzle the syrup into the egg whites with the mixer on low.  Once all the syrup is in turn the mixture to high and beat until the bowl is cool to the touch.

You'll have double what you need, but have no fear!  You can drop it by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet and bake for an hour at 300 F and you'll have nice little cookies!  Or, if you are like my household during a hot streak the fam will gather around the bowl and shovel it into your mouths by the tablespoon :)

Icing the cake is fun and requires little skill or attention span and it will still look amazing!  Take your frozen cake out of the freezer, and pull up on your plastic wrap freeing your cake.  Place it on your favorite cake plate, or like me, a salad plate.

Not so pretty, eh?  It doesn't matter....You are going to cover it with all of that Italian Meringue goodness and it'll look fabulous!

Cover your cake with the frosting until no ice cream shows through.  Then take your spatula and do little swirlies, adding more frosting as you go.  You can also just touch your spatula to the cake and pull away to make little spikes.  There is no wrong here, go crazy!

Mine looked so pretty I almost didn't want to torch it, but what is a S'more without some torch?  It's a pretty sad S'more I'd say.

So you torch it!  Move the torch along the cake like you are airbrushing a painting.  When finished put back into the freezer until ready to serve.  The frosting will not freeze, it's like some kind of pastry miracle!

Isn't it beautiful!  It'll look like you slaved away making some fancy dessert when really it takes very little actual work time.  If it wasn't for the freezing stages you could whip this up in no time flat!

I hope all who read enjoy this recipe and use it as a base to create your own fabulous ice cream cake!  If you'd like to see other concoctions I come up with be sure to like my facebook page.

I use Wildtree products a lot.  I love this organic, natural company.  If you'd like to try some or would like to learn how you can start a nifty little business. please visit my website here!  They are an amazing company with amazing products!

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chocolate Banana Nut Bread

It's super hot today, so baking isn't in the cards.  I love to bake.  Like anything - savory, sweet, anything cooked in the oven. I had seen how people had done baked goods in their Instant Pot, so I figured I'd try it out.  I can do my favorite type of baking even if it's 95 out?  Yes please!

My Mom used to make banana nut bread in empty cans, so I thought I'd try that recipe out. Turns out, it's delicious and doesn't heat up my whole house!

Ingredients:

Dry team:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Wet team:

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla (or butter vanilla emulsion if you can find it)

3 large very ripe bananas mashed

Add ins:

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup roasted walnuts

Materials needed:

Three empty cans cleaned.  Be sure to get all paper and "glue" from the outside of can. Spray with non-stick spray and place in your freezer while you mix your batter.

Whisk your egg and sugar together until it turns to a butter yellow color and falls off your whisk in ribbons.  Whisk in your melted butter.  Make sure it is not "hot" as you don't want scrambled eggs!  Even if mine is only a little warm I go slowly, raising the temp of the eggs at a slow rate so that this doesn't happen.  Add vanilla and bananas and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the items of your dry team to another bowl and whisk to combined.  Add the wet team and fold until just incorporated - do not over mix!  Even if you see a little flour it's ok!  Fold in your chocolate chips and walnuts.

Fill your cans 3/4 of the way.  Tap cans on counter to get all that gooey deliciousness even in the can.

Add 2 cups of water to your Instant Pot and put the trivet in.  Cover your cans with foil.

Place your cans on the trivet, close the IP and set to manual 30 minutes.  When finished turn the pot off and let it sit 10-15 minutes for a natural release.  Carefully remove foil with tongs, being sure to dump any excess water to the side so that it does not go into the bread.  Remove to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn upside down and gently tap until break loaf comes out.

These are awesome with a little butter, cream cheese, or hell with nothing!  So delicious!  These freeze really well to so I usually double the recipe and make a bunch!

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Instant Pot Polenta?? Yes Please!

To say I was skeptical that you could make decent #Polenta in a pressure cooker is about the understatement of the year.  I love my Polenta, I just hate standing at the stove stirring the bejezus out of it for 20 or more minutes.

So I finally decided to jump in and try it in my Instant Pot.

Whoah.

It's good.

And easy.

It's like I found a beautiful unicorn.

I wanted to make some garlicy, lower calorie Polenta.  This is all I did:

Ingredients:

4 cups Beef Broth
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Wildtree California Style Garlic Pepper Blend
1 tablespoon Butter
1 cups Corn Meal
1/2 cups hot water

Put beef broth, salt, butter, and California Style Garlic Pepper Blend in the Instant Pot and turn it to saute.

Once it is hot enough to start bubbling, slowly add the Corn Meal and whisk away or it will get clumpy!

Once all the Corn Meal is incorporated add the 1/2 cups of hot water, give it a good stir, and place your lid on the Instant Pot.  Set to manual for 7 minutes.  Quick release (carefully, in spurts in case you have foamage happening)

You get creamy, garlicy Polenta.  So good.  So delicious!  Helpful tip:  remove from Instant Pot immediately and soak.  Mine did not burn, but did stick a bit on the bottom and if I wouldn't have soaked it right away I probably would have had a hard time getting the bottom clean.  As it was it cleaned up like a champ!

You could replace the Wildtree seasoning with something from your local grocery store, or you could check out my Wildtree Site.

Interested in starting a business with an organic, natural company?  Click Our Opportunity on my site and see how you can join for $49.99!  Best decision I ever made!

Questions?  Email Me.

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

I don't know many people that don't like Alfredo sauce.  It is the Queen Mother of comfort food sauces in my book.  Since I am currently obsessed with my Instant Pot and saw that people actually cook pasta in it, I had to give it a try.  What I did I get?  Some of the most absolutely delicious Chicken Alfredo I've ever eaten!

In true pressure cooker fashion it was done in no time flat, and only required one pot to wash!  #Winning.

1 Pound Cellentani Noodles
1.5 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Teaspoons Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
1 Tablespoon Wildtree California Style Garlic Pepper Blend
1/2 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (fresh, grated)
1/2 cup White Wine
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Fat Free or 2% Milk
1 Cup Wildtree Alfredo Extraordinaire
Water

Drizzle Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil on both sides of Chicken.  Generously sprinkle California Style Garlic Pepper Blend on both sides.

Turn Instant Pot to Saute mode and add 2 teaspoons of Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil to the pan.  Once display reads "hot" add chicken breasts. Sear on both sides and remove from pan.

Deglaze pan with white wine, stirring until you get all the tasty bits off the bottom.  You want to cook as much liquid out as possible because once you are using pressure cooking mode it will not cook the alcohol out of the wine.

Place your trivet into the pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water.  Place the chicken on the trivet, close the lid, and set to manual mode for 7 minutes. 

Once done let the pressure come down naturally for 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.  Move chicken to a plate to rest after checking that it has come to a safe temp, which is 165 F.

add your pound of pasta and cover until it is just all barely under water.  Do not take out the water that was left from cooking the chicken.  It is going to add tons of flavor to your pasta!

Set the pressure cooker to manual for 5 minutes.  Carefully release the pressure a little at a time to make sure no foam comes up through your release valve.  Place pasta in a colander in case you have any extra liquid. 

Turn you pot back to saute mode and add butter and milk.  Stir to make sure you don't scorch it, and once the butter is melted turn the pot off.  Add the Wildtree Alfredo Extraordinaire and whisk until it is all incorporated.  Return Pasta to the Instant Pot and  add the Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Stir to combined.

Secure lid back on the Instant Pot.  Slice your perfect chicken however you'd like it.

Remove lid.  You can either just add the Chicken to the pot and mix to combined or place the chicken on top of each plate of pasta.  It is tender and juicy and the flavor is out of this world!  I didn't even add salt and I'm a salt fanatic.

If you'd like to try some of the Wildtree products they can be purchased here.  I'm sure you could find substitutes in the grocery store, but why would you want to do that?  Wildtree is organic and is a company with a conscious :)

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Pear and Berry #Snickerdoodle Crisp

Pear and Berry #Snickerdoodle Crisp
This time of year I #crave desserts.  Like I don't want regular food at all!  This #Vegan recipe is just the ticket!  Organic coconut oil and fruit...Why it's practically health food!

If you'd like to get your hands on some of the Wildtree products in this recipe or would like to learn more about the company, visit my site here.  You can sub other products, but why would you want to?

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained 1 package Wildtree Snickerdoodles 1/2 cup rolled oats 4 tablespoons chilled Wildtree Organic Coconut Oil, cut into pieces 5 pears, diced 1 tablespoon Wildtree Raspberry or Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

Method of Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F and coat a shallow, 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together 3/4 cup Snickerdoodles mix and oats. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers, incorporate butter into flour mixture until large, moist clumps form. In another large bowl, toss pears with flavored balsamic vinegar, thawed berries, and remaining Snickerdoodles mix until well coated. Sprinkle evenly with oatmeal topping. Bake for about 50 minutes until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffles

Who doesn't love truffles?  You need to seriously reevaluate your life if you don't!  These peppermint hot chocolate truffles are a snap to make and are delicious!

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons Wildtree Peppermint Hot Chocolate 1 cup chocolate chips, semisweet 1 cup peppermint candies, crushed Method of Preparation Whisk heavy cream and Wildtree Peppermint Hot Chocolate together in a pot and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, pour the hot chocolate over the chocolate chips and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 10 minutes, stir to combine, and refrigerate until stiff, about 1 hour. Scoop the ganache into rough spheres using a tablespoon and freeze for 1 hour. Wearing gloves, quickly roll the truffles into a sphere and toss in peppermint candy pieces. Serve chilled. If you'd like to get your hands on some delicious Wildtree Peppermint Hot Chocolate visit my website here. Don't forget to like my facebook page!

Dulce de leche Apple Wontons

I know it's technically Pumpkin season, but I've always been more of an apple girl.  Those are coming into their own too, and I love nothing more then a good apple pie.

I wanted to make something a little more portable, and also something that would be great for a party.  These are so delicious!  Crispy, creamy, sugary with just a little bit of tart.  This is my new favorite make to take!

Ingredients:

3 Granny Smith Apples
3 Gala Apples
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup Dulce de leche
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Cardamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
46 wonton wrappers
1/4 cup Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

Method of Prep:

Core and peal apples, and dice into 1/2 inch chunks.  Place apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with lemon juice.  Add sugar, spices and flour and mix well with your hands making sure all apples are covered and mixture is incorporated fully.

Line a slow cooker with foil and put 1/3 mixture in the bottom.  Add 1/3 cup of Ducle De Leche. Add the second 1/3 mixture of apples and follow again with Dulce De Leche.  Continue with last of apples and top with last of Ducle De Leche.  Cover and cook on high for an hour.  With a spoon stir your apple pie mixture.  Taste for firmness.  Some may like it more mushy or with more of a crunch.  I think I ended up cooking mine about an hour and a half, but I could have stopped at an hour.

While your apples are cooking pre-heat oven to 400 and brush wontons with Grapeseed Oil on both sides,  Gently press them into a mini muffin pan, forming a cup.

Bake for 5-10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them because they can burn quick,and all ovens are different.  When they start turning golden brown they are done.  Mine were perfect at 7 minutes. You can also sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon before they bake.  I chose not to do this because the mixture is already so sweet.

You can pour your Dulce de leche apples into a bowl and place your wontons around it, creating a make your own apple pie bar.  Hell you can keep the apple mixture in the crock pot to keep it all warm and ooey gooey and hot.  Warm apple pie on demand?  Yes please!

There are lots of things you can set out with it too.  Crumble topping, nuts, and whipped cream are just a few things I can think of off the top of my head.  It's just so. good.

If you'd like to learn more about Wildtree products or purchase our awesome oils, check out my website!

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