Pumpkin Ice Cream

     I am obsessed with pumpkin.  From the moment I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it.  I decided that Pumpkin ice cream would be our dessert at Sunday lunch.  My mom and I went nuts over this ice cream, but my Dad and J.T. would have probably preferred a slice of apple pie.  I have noticed that men (at least the ones in my family) seem to have some kind of aversion to pumpkin, butternut squash, and other “sweet” vegetables.  Oh well.  I borrowed my mom’s ice cream maker and prayed that it still worked (it hadn’t been used in over ten years).  Luckily, the ice cream maker powered up just fine and I successfully made ice cream for the first time in my life.  I don’t plan on making anymore ice cream this winter, but the warm weather last weekend turned out to be perfect for Pumpkin Ice Cream.    

Recipe adapted from Deliciously Organic

Ingredients

·         1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

·         1 cup coconut milk (not light)

·         2/3 cup honey

·         ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

·         1 ½  teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1.      With an immersion blender (or in a regular blender), mix together the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.  Cover and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator. 

2.      Pour the chilled pumpkin mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer instructions.  Serves 6.  

Indian Cornmeal Pudding

 Each week I make a dessert to be served at Sunday lunch.  I sometimes even make dessert more than once a week.  My husband has a thing for sweets.  He would deny his love for dessert if you asked him, but every night around 8:00 you can find him with a bowl of something sweet.  I usually don’t make anything for dessert that I can eat.  Of course I have dessert on my birthday and I had a slice of wedding cake at our wedding, but dessert is something that I have pushed away.  Mainly because I have a huge fear of gaining back all the weight I have lost.  My love of sweets is the primary reason I used to be overweight.  I will admit that I have somewhat of a complex about being well-rounded again.  Although I have had my weight under control for over 5 years now, I have only recently learned that it doesn't have to be all or nothing.  It is fine for me to have dessert occasionally, because everything in moderation is okay.  The past few weeks I have served a dessert on Sunday that I could eat – all adapted to be gluten and dairy free.  I have been on a pudding kick lately – Vanilla Bean Pudding, Indian Cornmeal Pudding, and Pumpkin Custard.  Indian Cornmeal Pudding taste like the gingerbread men cookies you eat at Christmas, but in pudding form.  I served our pudding warm from the oven and topped it with vanilla ice cream.   

Recipe adapted from Cooking with Cornmeal

Ingredients

·         ½ cup cornmeal

·         ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

·         ¼ teaspoon baking soda

·         3 cups almond milk, divided

·         2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil

·         1 egg

·         ¼ cup dark molasses

·         1/3 cup honey

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1.      In a medium sauce pan whisk together the cornmeal, salt, and baking soda.  Pour in 1 ½ cups of almond milk and whisk until combined.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking continuously until thickened.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

2.      In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, molasses, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining almond milk.  Temper this mixture with the cooked cornmeal mixture until everything is combined.  Pour the batter into a greased 1 quart casserole dish.  Bake for 1 ½ hours at 325 degrees.  Serve hot or cold with ice cream, if desired.  Serves 6.   

Red Velvet Brownies

recipe courtesy of Southern Living, December 2010

Ingredients

• 1  (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 3/4  cup  butter
• 2  cups  sugar
• 4  large eggs
• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1  (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 3  tablespoons  butter, softened
• 1 1/2  cups  powdered sugar
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract 
• Preparation 
• Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

• Garnish: white chocolate curls

Line pan with foil by trimming two long foil pieces to a 9-inch width. Fit strips, crossing each other, in the pan.
Total: 3 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: Makes 16 servings

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).
4. Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil. Spread Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares. Garnish, if desired.