I had no idea that I had a deep love for citrus desserts until I met Matt. When we first started dating we decided to grab some desserts on campus and eat them on the quad. We went up to the Chocolate Bar, which, first, if you’ve been to Boston College recently it’s not like it used to be and second, it was as amazing as it sounds. I am a chocoholic so I would always get the Oreo frappe or the chocolate croissant. I picked out a chocolate dessert, probably a chocolate croissant, and Matt got a lemon tart. We went outside with a couple forks for our little dessert picnic and I could not believe how much I loved the lemon tart! As our relationship went on, the more citrus desserts Matt ordered, the more I would love them until next thing I knew I was full-on citrus dessert obsessed.

One of my favorite citrus treats to drizzle on waffles or stuff inside cupcakes is homemade lemon curd. I’ve been making it for a few years now and I figured it was time I branched out and tried the recipe with a different citrus flavor. Key limes have a bright punch to them that pairs well with subtle sweet flavors, like graham crackers or angel food cake.

Just like the lemon curd, this key lime curd is smooth and decadent. In addition to be slathered on cookies, spread over cheesecake or generally just eaten with a spoon, I think it tastes particularly delicious stirred into some plain Greek yogurt. Whatever you do with it, make sure you keep some for Wednesday’s post! I can’t wait to show you how I used up my batch of key lime curd.

Key Lime Curd

 

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Yield: 1½ cups

Ingredients

• ½ cup key lime juice
• Zest of 3 key limes
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the key lime juice, key lime zest, sugar and eggs. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in the pieces of butter. Whisk the curd frequently until the curd is thick enough that it keeps the mark of the whisk when you touch it to the curd in the saucepan. It takes a bit of time for it to thicken, but just keep whisking!
2. Strain the key lime curd through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl to get rid of any egg lumps. Cover the surface of the key lime curd with a piece of plastic wrap so that it’s completely touching the curd. Place in the fridge to cool. After cooled, if not using right away store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I have a huge dessert obsession, except when it comes to fruit pies. I love key lime pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and definitely ice cream pie, but I’m fairly indifferent when it comes to fruit pies. Matt, on the other hand, has a huge fruit pie obsession, specifically cherry pie. Usually if there’s a fruit pie I might take a bite, but that will be the extent of it. However, a few years ago, Matt’s parents came to visit and brought a Raspberry Peach Pie from an orchard near their house. Raspberry is one of Matt’s favorite fruits, but it definitely isn’t mine. I figured I would try a bite and that would be the end of it. Instead, I couldn’t stop eating the Raspberry Peach Pie! The tartness of the raspberries mixed with the rich sweetness of the in-season peaches had me hooked.

I’ve been wanting to recreate that pie for years, but I haven’t been adventurous enough in the kitchen with pie making. I’ve also been all about simple recipes this summer so I brainstormed how I could still get that same mouthwatering combination in an easier manner than test-baking pies all summer. The answer was easy – Raspberry and Peach Turnovers! I love working with store-bought puff pastry because it’s ready to use as soon as you thaw it. If you’ve never bought puff pastry before you can find it in the freezer section of your grocery store, usually near the other frozen desserts and fruit.

Peaches are in peak season right now and I’ve been getting some super sweet and juicy ones at the store. I tossed the fresh peaches with raspberries, cinnamon and a little brown sugar for some added sweetness. The fruit mixture gets stuffed in the puff pastry before being topped with an egg wash and baked until golden brown. The heat of the oven reduced the raspberries to an almost jam-like texture in the turnovers, which paired really well with the sweet peaches and cinnamon flavoring. Pie crust is good, but for me, puff pastry takes the cake pie. It’s light, flaky and definitely buttery.

Since the Raspberry Peach Turnovers are so simple on their own I decided to give them a little something extra. You could top them with powdered sugar OR you could drizzle them with this easy fresh raspberry glaze. Look how pretty the glaze looks on the turnovers! The glaze also helps bring in some additional raspberry flavoring and sweetness. Don’t be shy with the glaze; after I took these photos I smothered the turnovers with all the rest of the glaze!

One bite of these turnovers brought me right back to that raspberry peach pie, but I love how easy then puff pastry turnovers are. These are perfect to make for a brunch treat, a fruity dessert or simply because you have fresh raspberries and peaches to use. The bulk of the turnover is the fruit so make sure your fruit is ripe and bursting with fresh summer flavor!

Raspberry Peach Turnovers with a Fresh Raspberry Glaze

 

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Yield: 8 turnovers

Ingredients

for the pastries

• 1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets - 17.3 ounce package), thawed according to manufacturer’s instructions (see note)
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2 cups diced ripe peaches, skin on
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg

for the glaze

• ⅔ cup fresh raspberries
• 1 ½ tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

for the pastries

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the raspberries, diced peaches, cinnamon and brown sugar.
3. Roll each sheet of puff pastry into a 12” square. Divide each 12” square into 4 squares.
4. Scoop some raspberry and peach filling onto the center of each puff pastry square. I found about ⅓ cup was the perfect amount for not over-filling them. Fold one corner of the puff pastry square to the opposite corner to make a triangle. Press the edges together with your fingers and then press down with a fork to seal the turnover. Cut a couple slits in the top of the turnover so it doesn’t puff up too much while it is baking. Repeat for the remaining turnovers.
5. Beat the egg with a teaspoon of water then brush over the tops of the turnovers. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Let cool before topping with the glaze.

for the glaze

1. Combine the raspberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and mashing the raspberries frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Strain over a fine mesh colander into a bowl to remove the seeds then let cool. Once cool, whisk in the powdered sugar and milk. If your glaze is too thick, add some more milk. If your glaze is too thin, add some more powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cooled turnovers.

Notes

You want to try to touch and work with the puff pastry the least amount of time possible because touching it makes the pastry warm, which means less of a rise during the baking. I leave the second roll of puff pastry in the fridge until I’m done working with the first one.
The amount of brown sugar you want to use may depend on how sweet or tart your fruit is. I found 1½ tablespoons to be the perfect amount of sweetness for us when we used in-season raspberries and peaches.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

Happy Friday, friends! It is the last day of my self-proclaimed ice cream week and I have an epic grand finale for you. Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae Ice Cream Pie! I’ve turned the classic dessert into an ice cream pie because everyone needs more ice cream pie in their lives. Especially during the summer time. I love making ice cream pies year round though; it is my go-to dessert to make for someone’s birthday or any type of celebration. Usually my ice cream pies have four major components: cookie or graham base, ice cream, some sort of decadent topping and whipped cream. Well, five components if you include the cherries, candy or other goodies that get sprinkled on top.

This pie uses Monday’s Chocolate Brownie Walnut Ice Cream in an unbelievable way. Or a criminal way, as my Dad said when he tried it. As in, “that ice cream pie was criminal – it should be outlawed!” Direct quote right there. The first layer of this pie is your standard no-bake Oreo crust. On top of the crust we have a layer of hot fudge, since we are trying to replicate the hot fudge brownie sundae after all. I was making so many other components of this pie that I went with store bought hot fudge, but you could definitely make your own if you have a go-to recipe. I don’t have a hot fudge recipe on Lemon & Mocha, but I’m adding it to my list to test for you all!

Next we have the Chocolate Brownie Walnut Ice Cream. I debated whether I wanted to have an entire brownie layer or to put the brownie chunks in the ice cream, but I went with the latter. There’s just the right amount of brownie chunks and walnuts that you get some in every bite, adding the perfect fudgy and crunchy texture.

I used a chocolate ice cream base because more chocolate makes everything better, but you could certainly use vanilla ice cream before folding in the brownies and walnuts. Simply follow my Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe up until the step where you’re about to put it in the ice cream maker, then follow the Chocolate Brownie Walnut Ice Cream recipe for brownie and walnut mix-in directions. Or, if you’re using the shortcut version I talked about in Monday’s post you would just mix the brownies and walnuts into your favorite store-bought vanilla ice cream. Finally, pile on the quick homemade whipped cream followed by plenty of cherries.

Obviously I love eating ice cream pies because I’m ice cream obsessed, but the reason I love making them is because of the flexibility of the components. Feeling ambitious and like you want to show-off? Go full-on homemade with everything. Short on time? Pick up everything you need at the store. I usually fall somewhere in between. I like to have one or two components I can impress with and then take shortcuts on the rest to save time.

I can’t wait for you all to try this Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae Pie soon since it is so crazy criminally delicious. I have been trying to eat really well, but I could not avoid this one when it was sitting in the freezer! So be sure to make it soon, especially if you feel like living dangerously! Ha!

Brownie Fudge Sundae Ice Cream Pie

 

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Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients

• 24 Oreo cookies
• 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup hot fudge
• 1 batch chocolate brownie walnut ice cream
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Cherries, for topping

Directions

1. Line a pie dish or a springform pan with plastic wrap. Make sure plastic wrap is hanging over the sides. When the pie is done you will want to remove it from the pan so you can get a clean cut. If you don’t care about getting a clean cut, you can make the pie directly in the pie dish without any plastic wrap, but it will be hard to get out the first piece or two.
2. Crush the Oreo cookies (filling and all) in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin until they resemble fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt then pulse in the food processor until combined or stir together until combined in a mixing bowl. Press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie dish and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
3. Heat the hot fudge if it’s not pourable. Pour the hot fudge into the bottom of the chilled Oreo crust and put in the freezer until chilled.
4. If you are using homemade ice cream, you can pour the ice cream straight from the ice cream machine into the chilled hot fudge Oreo crust. If you are using semi-homemade ice cream (see note), pour the softened ice cream with the walnuts and brownie pieces mixed in right into the chilled hot fudge Oreo crust. Lightly cover and freeze until firm, about 6-8 hours.
5. Place the metal stand mixer bowl or a metal mixing bowl and the metal beater of your stand mixer or the metal beaters of your hand mixer in the freezer to chill for at least 15 minutes. Pour the cold heavy cream and the sugar into the chilled bowl then beat until you see stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the ice cream pie. Top with the cherries before serving.

Notes

The pie will be best if you add the fresh whipped cream right before serving. Fresh whipped cream will also be okay in the fridge for a few hours so you could make the whipped cream and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to top and serve the pie. If you do freeze the pie with the whipped cream (we did this with the leftover pie) it will still be good, but it won’t be a light whipped cream topping; it will be frozen.
If you would prefer to use store-bought whipped topping, you will need 2 cups.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

July is National Ice Cream Month so I’m posting ice cream related recipes all this week! I would have posted ice cream recipes all month long, but you got to have balance, right? Also, my freezer is only so big so there’s that. Did you check out the outrageous dipped cones I had in Monday’s Chocolate Brownie Walnut Ice Cream post? If not, go check it out now!

I love getting dipped cones when I go out for ice cream. The problem is usually the only dipped cones are the waffle cones. Those things fit SO much ice cream! So unless I’m feeling super ambitious it’s a plain cone for me. Then when I was thinking about ice cream month I realized that I could just make my own epic cones! It is actually so simple that I debated even posting it as a recipe, but they are so adorable how could I not share?

The decoration and topping options are endless, and you all know how I feel about food variation possibilities! I limited myself to just six different varieties with ingredients I already had in my kitchen, but I could have easily kept going. I went with cookie crumbs, walnut pieces (had to pay homage to Monday’s post), crushed M&M’s, pretzel pieces, cornflakes cereal and of course, sprinkles! You could really do any candy, cereal, nut, cookie, or even salty snack. I’m thinking Reese’s Pieces, Fruit Loops, cashews, Chips Ahoy and potato chips – yum!

The key, which I learned the hard way, is to keep the pieces small. And I mean very small, like almost crumbs, especially if the items are heavier. See my walnut cone and M&M cone? Those pieces were too big and they started sliding down the chocolate the minute I tried to sprinkle them on. The cookie crumbs and sprinkles worked the best because they were so small and light. That’s why I test it though, then you don’t have to make my same mistakes and can have yours come out perfectly!

Once you have your toppings picked out and chopped you are ready to melt your chocolate. I like to use my liquid measuring cup because it’s microwave safe while also being narrow and deep. A deep and narrow bowl or cup is better because then you can dip your cone deeper without having to use more chocolate. The dipping bowl or cup only needs to be as wide as your cone. I melt the chocolate chips down in the microwave with a little coconut butter to help keep the chocolate shiny and smooth. I used to use vegetable oil, but now I use coconut butter because it’s healthier, but feel free to use whichever one you would prefer or already have in your kitchen. Once the chocolate is melted down you can start dipping. Dunk the whole mouth of the cone right into the chocolate then let all the excess drip off. And I do mean all the excess! You have to be a bit patient with it and let it drip, rotating and giving it a few shakes to help the dripping along. If you don’t let enough excess drip off then your toppings will be more likely to drip right off your cones.

Then, sprinkle all over with the toppings! I would say this is the fun part, but we all know the real fun part is eating them with a scoop (or two) of ice cream! Simply place the topped cones, opening side down, on a wax paper lined small cookie sheet and place in the fridge for twenty minutes. Then time to eat! What toppings would you pick for your chocolate dipped cones?

Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Cones

 

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Yield: 6 dipped cones

Ingredients

• Toppings for dipping (see above for ideas)
• ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 6 sugar cones

Directions

1. Make sure your toppings are crushed small and are ready to go. Line a small baking sheet or sturdy cutting board with wax paper or parchment paper. Make sure the baking sheet or cutting board you choose will fit in your fridge with the cones upright.
2. Pour the chocolate chips and the coconut oil in a microwavable liquid measuring cup or a deep and narrow bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Be sure not to over-heat.
3. Dip the open end of your cone into the chocolate. I dipped mine about 1½ inches deep. Let the excess chocolate drip off, rotating and lightly shaking your cone. Be patient! Too much excess will lead to runaway toppings. After the excess chocolate is dripped off, sprinkle on your toppings. I held my cone sideways over a bowl and sprinkled the toppings over the chocolate dipped cone. Once you’ve added your toppings, stand the cone upright, opening faced down, on the prepared baking sheet or cutting board.
4. Repeat for the remainder of the cones. You may need to tilt the liquid measuring cup as you dip the cones to get enough of the cone dipped. You will have some leftover dipping chocolate. Once all the cones have been dipped and topped, put the baking sheet or cutting board in the fridge for 20 minutes before filling with ice cream and eating. I stored these in the fridge, but if you weren’t worried about the chocolate getting melty you could store them at room temperature.

Notes

If you don’t have coconut oil or cannot use it for dietary reasons, you can substitute the same amount of vegetable oil

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I can’t believe it’s almost August and I haven’t posted a single ice cream recipe this season! I’ve made ice cream a couple times this summer, but I never got around to photographing them for Lemon & Mocha. So today we are going into full ice cream mode! I am a chocolate person through and through and there’s no exception when it comes to ice cream. Chocolate ice cream is delicious on its own, but it’s even better if it has more chocolate in it!

Eating at Coldstone Creamery over the years has let me try basically every type of topping in ice cream so I knew brownie would be a perfect addition. Does anyone else put so many toppings in their Coldstone ice creams that they have to put your creation in the next size bowl because it got so big from all the toppings? I can’t be the only topping weirdo out there! Anyways, the brownie adds a chewy and fudge-like texture to the chocolate ice cream. I also love when ice creams have a bit of a crunch so I added in the walnuts as well. My stepmom always makes brownies with walnuts so I was thinking this ice cream is kind of like a play on those brownies. With all my toppings talk, I kept this Chocolate Brownie Walnut Ice Cream fairly simple, but it was still the perfect bite.

If you want to make this ice cream, but you don’t have an ice cream maker I definitely suggest you get one! They are relatively inexpensive (under $50) and I’ve had mine for over 14 years! This is the updated version of mine. However, if you wanted to make this ice cream, but didn’t want to wait for all the steps of a homemade custard based ice cream, you could simply fold brownie chunks and walnuts into your favorite chocolate ice cream! Beat the ice cream in the bowl of a stand mixer to make it softer without getting melty then beat or fold in the brownies and walnuts.

Did you know this is my 10th ice cream post on Lemon & Mocha? Here are my other ice cream posts if you’re looking for additional flavors: Honey Ice Cream with Pralined Almond Crumble, Orange-Vanilla Frozen Custard, Browned Butter Peach Ice Cream with a Graham Cracker Crumble, Coffee Ice Cream, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream, Straciatella Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato and Egg Nog Ice Cream.

P.S. How adorable are these ice cream cones? I have a fun post going up on Wednesday to show you how to make and customize your own cones. I also cannot wait for you all to see what I use this Chocolate Brownie Walnut Ice Cream for in my Friday post – prepare yourselves to take this chocolately deliciousness to the next level!

Chocolate Brownie Walnut Ice Cream

 

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Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 5 ounces semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅔ cups chopped walnuts
• 1⅓ cups brownie pieces

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder. Whisk until the cocoa is blended then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer for 30 seconds, whisking continuously.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat before adding the chopped chocolate and stirring until smooth. Add the remaining cup of cream, stir, then pour the whole mixture into a large bowl. Place a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.
3. Using the same saucepan combine the milk, sugar and salt over medium heat until warm. In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks then slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the saucepan. Constantly stir the mixture over medium heat with a heatproof spatula making sure to scrape the bottom and not let any clumps form. Continue stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula.
4. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it through the mesh strainer into the large bowl with the chocolate mixture. Stir until combined then mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Insert the bowl into an ice bath and continue stirring until cool.
6. Chill the mixture in the fridge. Once cold, pour into your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's directions. During the last 5 minutes add the chopped walnuts and brownie pieces. Let firm in the freezer before scooping. If you are using this to make an ice cream pie, you can pour it right from the ice cream maker into your prepared pie crust.

Notes

I find it is easier to cut and incorporate the brownies into the ice cream if they’re already cold so I usually refrigerate a couple brownies before chopping them up and mixing them into the ice cream.
I prefer to use Ghiradelli chocolate.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments