I’ve been looking for a great chocolate ice cream recipe for quite a while. I’ve tried several recipes and made up several, but I finally discovered a perfectly chocolatey, smooth ice cream. It’s easy and has only three ingredients.
chocolate
Pudding Cake
Chocolate cake that bakes with its own pudding – what more can you ask for? It had been ages since I had this cake. Mom used to make it when I was little. Sometimes I requested it for my birthday. Last weekend, we dug around in Mom’s recipe box until we found the instructions for this cake.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 Devil’s Food cake mix + the ingredients needed to make the batter (I didn’t put those in the picture)
12 marshmallows, snipped in quarters or about a cup or so of mini marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups water
In a 13×9 pan, mix the brown sugar and cocoa together. Stir in 2 cups of water. Scatter the marshmallows over the top.
Mix up the cake batter and spoon it over the top of the mixture in the pan.
Be careful transferring the pan to the oven. It is very sloshy with all that water in the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.
Serve it warm with whipped cream or ice cream if you like. The pudding is on the bottom and I just drizzled it over the top of the pieces as I spooned them out of the pan. The cake didn’t even last 24 hours and I only ate one piece! I better make another one soon.
Coconut Macadamia Ice Cream
Grab a pink paper lei – this ice cream tastes like a Hawaiin vacation! Or as I imagine it anyway, since I’ve never been to Hawaii.
Homemade ice cream is easy to make, especially if you have a Cuisinart countertop ice cream maker. But even if you’re using a regular ice cream maker with the ice and salt, you’ll want to try this.
Gather up your ingredients:
1 can Cream of Coconut – found in the aisle with drink mixes (like pina colada and margarita)
2 cups half & half
a handful each – coconut, macadamia nut pieces, chocolate shavings. The mix-ins should be approximately 1 cup all together.
This amount will make 1 Cuisinart freezer full. If you’re using a regular freezer that makes a gallon, you’ll need to double the recipe. You may also be able to use more than 4 cups of half & half in a regular freezer, but that should still work. You just get more ice cream.
Keep in mind that the ingredients in the bowl are for two Cuisinart freezers, or the amount you would use for a regular freezer. Use half that if you’re only making one Cuisinart or similar freezer.
I found the macadamia pieces in the baking aisle. I was going to buy almonds and they do taste good in this ice cream, but I couldn’t pass up macadamias.
For the chocolate shavings, I used 1 square of semi-sweet chocolate. (Two if you’re doubling) I put it in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds, just to make it a bit softer, but not melted at all. Then I shaved it with a vegetable peeler. I’m sure there is a better way to get chocolate shavings, but I dont’ know what it is. I don’t use the whole square of chocolate. It becomes too hard to hold onto without shaving my fingers. I told you there must be a better way. If you know it, please tell me.
Stir the cream of coconut, half & half together. Pour into the freezer and follow your freezers directions. A few minutes before the ice cream is done, add the nuts, coconut and chocolate shavings.
You can eat this right away, or put it in a container and freeze it for later. Some home made ice creams can be very hard after they are stored in the freezer, but this one dips easily.
Normally, I have no self-control when it comes to ice cream but I made this especially for my Dad and I haven’t eaten any of it. Well, if you don’t count licking the spoons and scraping down the sides of the freezers. I even poured the scoops I photographed back into the container. It will be packed on dry ice and carted off to Dad this weekend. I hope he’ll share.
Coconut Macadamia Ice Cream
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 can Cream of Coconut – found in the aisle with drink mixes like pina colada and margarita
- 2 cups half & half
- 1/4 cup chocolate shavings
- 1/4 cup macadamia nut pieces
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Stir cream of coconut and half & half together until well blended.
- Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions.
- When ice cream is nearly done freezing, add the other ingredients.
- Serve right away or allow to harden in freezer.
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Have I mentioned how much I miss my good camera? I wish the photo of that piece of cake was more in focus. It makes me feel like I need to get a new pair of contacts. Oh well, it tasted yummy!
I adapted this from a recipe in the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. I love this book. Mine is well used.
Gather your ingredients:
For the cake you’ll need:
Devil’s food cake mix
2 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups milk (hang with me a minute and I’ll explain the vinegar in the photo)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
The recipe actually calls for buttermilk. I never buy buttermilk and instead just sour the milk with a Tbs. of vinegar for each cup of milk. However, I was in a huge hurry when I made this cake and just grabbed the milk and poured it in before I soured it. Plain milk worked fine.
Mix all the ingredients in an electric mixer until well blended. Pour into a 9×13 pan that has been greased. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
For the Peanut Butter Frosting you’ll need:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, at room temp.
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbs. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
In an electric mixer blend the butter and peanut butter. Add the other ingredients and mix until smooth and spreadable, mixing in the extra Tbs. of milk, if needed.
Brownies with Chocolate Glaze
The picture doesn’t do these brownies justice. They are deep chocolate. The glaze is smooth and creamy – a perfect pairing with the brownie.
The brownie recipe is Baker’s One Bowl brownie. You’ll need:
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup nuts (optional) I leave out the nuts so that my kids will be happy
Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave for two minutes. Stir until completely melted. Add the sugar and blend well. Mix in the eggs one at time. Add the vanilla. Add in the flour and nuts, if you’re using them. Stir just until blended. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min. Don’t over bake.
While the brownies are cooling, make the chocolate glaze. This recipe comes from my mom. You’ll need:
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbs. water (use 2 first and add more if needed)
Melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from heat and add the other ingredients, being careful not to add too much water. Spread on the brownies and restrain yourself from eating the whole pan.