Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Our friend Katie's birthday was a couple of days ago. We took over some of these cupcakes along with this ice cream. I used one of my favorite vanilla recipes for the base, added some chocolate chunks and of course a handful (more like a couple of handfuls) of eggless cookie dough bits. It was perfect. I'll definitely be making it again!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Ingredients
1 c. whole milk
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise or 1/2 tsp. ground vanilla bean
6 large egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. chopped chocolate chunks (Toll House Chunks)
1 eggless cookie dough recipe- see below


Eggless cookie dough
1/4 c. + 4 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. water
1/8 c. semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels

DIRECTIONS:
1. Warm the milk, salt, sugar and 1 c. of cream in a medium sauce pan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean or add the ground vanilla bean to the warm milk. Cover and keep on low heat (just enough to keep warm) for 30 minutes.
2. Pour the remaining 1 c. of cream into a large mixing bowl and place a mesh sieve on top.
3. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. After combined, scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Using a heatproof spatula, scrape the bottom as you stir, until the mixture coats the bottom of the spatula and/or reaches 170 degrees.
4. Pour the heated mixture through the strainer and into the cream. Add the vanilla extract.
5. Place over an ice bath to cool, then place in refrigerator for 30 minutes until chilled throughout.
6. Meanwhile, to make the cookie dough bits, in a small bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Then mix in flour and water. Gently fold in mini chocolate morsels.
7. Place dough in a ziplock bag, flatten to allow it to cool faster. Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, remove and roll into bite size bits (set aside).8. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. When finished churning, stir in cookie bits and chocolate chunks with spatula.
9. Place in a air-tight freezer safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Macro mode

This past week's homework assignment was all about shooting in macro mode. I know most of these pictures are pretty boring, but we were learning how close our cameras could get to the subject and all about depth of field. We also learned that in order to get the best macro images you should always shoot in RAW. The last picture was suppose to trick our teacher... everyone thought it was licorice, but it is not, so I guess I got an A on that assignment :)

*sigh*

I've spent the last 4 hours uploading and reformatting images. Not so fun.

But at least I've got something to show for it, right?

nataliedicksdesign.blogspot.com

BITS + PIECES of love

Breakfast in bed,
a box of goodies from California,
sour cream sugar cookies,
notes from loved ones,
cupcake cookie jar,
PB&J thumbprint cookies,
mail for Stephen,
handmade bag + Stephen's present,
packaged goodies,
gifts- his & hers.

Hope you had a great day, we did!

Lofthouse-style Valentine's Cookies

Today is Valentine's day, and for me, there is no better way to show someone you love them than by giving them a box full of homemade cookies. I made these Lofthouse-style sugar cookies and my mom's peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies (recipe to follow).

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

When I was thinking of things to bake for Valentine's Day, these cookies immediately came to mind (along with a hundred other recipes I've pinned on Pinterest). I asked my mom for the recipe and was so surprised how simple they were to make. Usually we just do a thumbprint in the center when we bake them for Christmas, but instead, I did a heart. You can fill them with any kind of jam you have on hand- strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, etc.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. peanut butter

3/4 c. shortening

1 egg

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

(1/4 c. jam)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine shortening, peanut butter and sugar. Beat until creamy.

3. Add vanilla, salt and egg. Mix until combined. Then, with speed on low, gradually add flour until incorporated (the dough will become thick).

4. Using a standard cookie scoop, create a ball of dough. Using your thumb or a spoon, press a deep circle into the center of the cookie. Place on an ungreased sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are golden brown (they will look like they are cracking but once they come out of the oven they usually sink and the cracks disappear).

5. Remove from oven, gently/carefully press down the center if it has become shallow. Transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, using a small spoon, fill with jam.

Hey, you-

Tutorial: Heart Gift Bag

This morning I was running errands and suddenly remembered that I needed a bag for Stephen's Valentine's Day present. Being that it was so last minute, the only bag I could find was this really plain brown bag. So when I got home I grabbed some acrylic paint that I had laying around and whipped up this little beauty. You could do it any color you want, any size and you could even use glitter paint- I think he will thank me for not doing that though :)

What you'll need: A gift bag, some paint (it can be glittered), a paint brush, painter's tape, pencil, scissors and a piece of cardstock. To start, fold the cardstock in half, draw half of a heart on the cardstock. Cut out with scissors and open. Make sure you leave room at the top and bottom of the cardstock so that you have a full stencil.

 Tape the stencil to your bag, making sure it is flat (also you will want to gently press down the tape so it doesn't end up ripping part of your bag off when you remove it). Then press the stencil down with your free hand and paint around the edge of the heart. Once the edge is of the heart is finished, fill in the center. Carefully remove the stencil and touch up any rough edges. And voilà, you'll have a perfect heart!