lady's chocolate peanut butter cups

When I made the peanut butter chocolate ice cream, I told you that I was going to try to make a Moosetracks ice cream.  It is one of my favorites.  I have to admit that I started from scratch.  I decided to make my own peanut butter cups.  I started with the peanut butter ball recipe and covered them in chocolate.  My Beloved thought they were lovely.  This is something that if you need them, do not tell anybody in the house they are there or they will disappear!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

2/3 cup old fashioned peanut butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 to 1 cup Enjoy life chocolate chips (these are allergen free)

Mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together.  Shape in balls like the picture above.  Put in the freezer until firm.

Once the peanut butter balls are firm, melt the chocolate.  My father would have fussed something terrible with how I melted the chocolate but I figured that nobody was really going to see the sheen of the chocolate.

I put a handful of the peanut butter balls in the chocolate and cover.  I use a spoon but fingers work too.  I have had a lot of tutelage under my father which I know most people do not have.

Put the covered balls on a piece of parchment paper until the chocolate hardens.  

My kitchen is currently so warm, they went back into the freezer.  Again, I would get fussed out.  My Dad is very particular about how the chocolate turns out on his candies.  My Beloved head nodded when he tasted these. 

Vanilla ice cream and fudge ripple left to make for the moosetracks ice cream.  Wahoo!

The Tall Short Person's brownie birthday cake

My Tall Short Person's birthday was last week.  She had plans so I made her a birthday cake this weekend.  i always expect her to ask for Tres Leches which I had made for her once but I came across a recipe for a brownie cake and she requested that.  I did not realize how much she enjoyed brownies.

This cake is intense.  Part of it is my homemade brownies.  We like intense chocolate.  You could do the same with any thing with any brownie recipe.  Just bake three layers of brownie in any circle shape.  I used a nine inch springform pan.

Brownie cake

3/4 cup cocoa (the best you can find)

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400.  Line the bottom of a nine inch springform pan with parchment paper.  Butter and flour the sides of the pan.

Put the butter a in a medium to large saucepan.  Melt the butter.  Take off the heat and mix in the cocoa, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix in the eggs.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

The above ingredients are for one brownie.  I did this three times.  Let the brownies cool.

Mascarpone frosting

1 pound mascarpone, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Put the mascarpone in a bowl.  Add the sugar and mix well.

This is really creamy.  If you put this on the brownies while they are still warm, it will melt.

Put the first brownie on a plate or cake stand.  Cover with a third of the mascarpone icing.  Place the second on top of it.  Spread another third of the mascarpone icing on top.  Put the last brownie on top.  Use the last of the icing on it.  I found, because I rushed it and my kitchen was hot (not warm, hot), that  I needed to put the cake in the freezer at this point or it would melt.

Add strawberries to the top.

Like I said, this is intense using my brownie recipe.  Dark chocolate intense.  The Tall Short Person only wanted strawberries on top but I think they would have also been good sliced between layers.  This cake made her happy.

My Tall Short Person's birthday was last week.  She had plans so I made her a birthday cake this weekend.  i always expect her to ask for Tres Leches which I had made for her once but I came across a recipe for a brownie cake and she requested that.  I did not realize how much she enjoyed brownies.

This cake is intense.  Part of it is my homemade brownies.  We like intense chocolate.  You could do the same with any thing with any brownie recipe.  Just bake three layers of brownie in any circle shape.  I used a nine inch springform pan.

Brownie cake

3/4 cup cocoa (the best you can find)

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400.  Line the bottom of a nine inch springform pan with parchment paper.  Butter and flour the sides of the pan.

Put the butter a in a medium to large saucepan.  Melt the butter.  Take off the heat and mix in the cocoa, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix in the eggs.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

The above ingredients are for one brownie.  I did this three times.  Let the brownies cool.

Mascarpone frosting

1 pound mascarpone, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Put the mascarpone in a bowl.  Add the sugar and mix well.

This is really creamy.  If you put this on the brownies while they are still warm, it will melt.

Put the first brownie on a plate or cake stand.  Cover with a third of the mascarpone icing.  Place the second on top of it.  Spread another third of the mascarpone icing on top.  Put the last brownie on top.  Use the last of the icing on it.  I found, because I rushed it and my kitchen was hot (not warm, hot), that  I needed to put the cake in the freezer at this point or it would melt.

Add strawberries to the top.

Like I said, this is intense using my brownie recipe.  Dark chocolate intense.  The Tall Short Person only wanted strawberries on top but I think they would have also been good sliced between layers.  This cake made her happy.

balsamic strawberry mascarpone ice cream

I am not a large strawberry ice cream fan.  I think it has a lot to do with I like strawberries when I have been able to pick them straight from the plant.  But most purchased strawberries need something.  Like sugar to make them have any flavor.  It is about how I feel about strawberry ice cream but my Beloved likes strawberry ice cream occasionally.  I thought I would play with it.  

This is very balsamic strawberry mascarpone ice cream is very rich.  The fat from the mascarpone actually leaves a film on the spoon when you eat it but it is soooooo good.  

Balsamic Strawberry Mascarpone Ice Cream

2 cups sliced (chopped) strawberries

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whole milk

a pinch of salt (about an 1/16 of a teaspoon or less)

3/4 cup sugar

16 ounces mascarpone cheese

5 egg yolks

Put the strawberries, vinegar, and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl.  Let sit at least two hours.

Meanwhile, over low heat, heat the milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.  

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

 Strain the custard and let cool.

When the custard is cool, pour into the mascarpone and mix well.  This may take a bit of work.  

Pour into a large coverable pyrex and put in the freezer.  AFter two hours, stir with a wooden spoon.  If it is the consistency of a very thick milkshake, stir in the strawberry  mixture.  If not that consistency, stir again in two hours.  Once you have reached the thick milkshake consistency, mix in the strawberry mixture.

I did not stir again after adding the strawberry mixture but you could.  If you were using a regular ice cream machine, I would put the strawberry mixture in about half way through the freezing process.

This is just goodness.  I would make this again (coming from the person who is not fond of strawberry ice cream!)

last of vacation makings

I am still catching up on posting all my sewing from vacation.  I have to admit that I miss the weather.  In the coastal mountain range, I was able to sew comfortably outside but needed sweaters in the morning and evening.  I do miss it.

My last simple bag.

It is very blue.  

And the last bag with patchwork pockets.

My best friend actually got two of the patchwork pocket bags.  One as a gift and the other she purchased.  I am trying to put stock together for an Etsy shop and the time to put it together.  Maybe I will find the minutes this weekend.  So if you are interested, I will let you know when the shop happens.

Do you ever feel like you need more hours in the day?

peanut butter balls

The peanut butter bits in yesterdays ice cream are actually made separately.  I modified another recipe from David Lebovitz.  Okay, so I did the exact opposite of his suggested ingredients but soooo  good.  

My one suggestion:  Do not tell anyone the peanut butter balls are in the freezer!  Why do you say?  Because my Beloved and myself had a hard time not eating these by themselves!

I really like moose tracks ice cream.  Moose tracks is vanilla ice cream, fudge and peanut butter cups swirled through.  I was thinking on my bicycle ride home from work I could make my own peanut butter cups with this as the middle.  And then make my own moose tracks ice cream.  Yes, I am that person.

Peanut butter drops or balls or patties

2/3 cup peanut butter (I used fresh ground peanut butter)

2 - 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (if you use Skippy's or Jif, use less.  if you use an old fashioned style, more)

In a bow, put the peanut butter and powdered sugar.  Mix together.

Drop on a plate in the shape you wish.  Freeze.  

Once frozen, put into ice cream or put in a ziploc bag for other creations.  

See those light colored bits?  Those are the peanut butter drops.  OMG!  

I cannot tell you how long they last in the freezer because we did not have any leftovers.

Moose tracks, here I come!