Tag Archives: vanilla

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Rhubarb Swirl Ice Pops

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Spring has finally sprung in Michigan and it means business! Since the days are warm and sunshine-y, it’s definitely time for all kinds of frozen goodness. In a few weeks, I’m sure  I’ll be avoiding the oven completely. Tis’ the season for sandals, porch cocktail-ing, and frozen delights!

These ice pops combine my perennial favorite, tart rhubarb, with creamy coconut milk and sweet vanilla. I love rhubarb because it’s so weird and so pink and so tart-fruity…there’s a lot to love. These pops are dairy-free by default, the coconut milk is such a wonderful creamy flavor and honestly sometimes I need a break from dairy-overload (I just love cheese and dairy-goods, mmmkay?). The creamy coconut milk juxtaposed with the tart rhubarb is a pretty amazing match–plus, those colors just get me! I can’t resist anything that’s both pretty and tasty — these pops are just that.

So, while the temperatures rise and rhubarb can still be found at the market, make these, eat, repeat, and dream of summer!

Rhubarb Swirl Ice Pops

Makes 10 ice pops.

For the hot-pinkiest of purees, try to buy rhubarb that is pink all the way through the stalk (look at the cut-end, cross-section, is it pink? is it green?). If it’s not super pink, that’s okay, it will be just as delish, just maybe not so vibrant. 

2 cups diced rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

1, 14 ounce, can coconut milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the diced rhubarb with the 1/2 cup sugar until the rhubarb releases it’s juices and begins to break apart, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl rub the seeds from the vanilla bean with the sugar, if using. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and sugar to combine (add vanilla extract/paste at this step if using instead).

Layer spoonfuls of rhubarb into the popsicle molds, followed by the coconut milk mixture, repeat until all the molds are filled. Insert a skewer and swirl the mixture in each mold if needed. Cover and insert sticks (the rhubarb mixture is thick enough to hold the sticks and keep them from being too buoyant  and freeze for at least 4 hours. Un-mold frozen pops and serve immediately or store in a zip-top bag in the freezer.

 

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Hot Cocoa Mix and Vanilla Marshmallows

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Guys! The world totes didn’t end, so if you’ve maybe put off your holiday gifts I have this super easy Hot Cocoa Mix with Vanilla Marshmallows for ya.

I always try to put together gifts that I would like to receive–since I’m kind of picky, I’m my own holiday litmus test. One of my favorite wintertime gifts is a new mug. Just a mug though seems a little wan to me, so I like to add a little something homemade to make it personal and sweet. This hot cocoa mix comes together in about 2 minutes, while the marshmallows take a little longer, but if you have a mixer it will do a bulk of the work for you. To make the marshmallows extra special and glitzy, I like to add about 1/4 teaspoon luster dust (found with cake decorating supplies) into the dusting mixture  It makes the ‘mallows shimmer a bit and takes them into gifting territory. Certain people in my life are receiving this exact gift. I’m hoping they love it as much as I love them.

Speaking of love, Happy Holidays! You are amazing and thank you for reading my crazy ramblings, peeping at my pictures, and being generally awesome.

Love and Peace to you all! XO!

Hot Cocoa Mix and Vanilla Marshmallows

Since this cocoa mix relies mainly on 2 ingredients, use a cocoa powder you really love. I used Valrhona–which is my favorite of favorites. I think a little espresso powder would be a nice addition as well. The marshmallows can be flavored however you’d like–peppermint would be super fun and appropriate, I think.

Cocoa Mix:

Adapted from Martha Stewart

3 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean (optional)

2 cups cocoa powder

Whole Milk to serve.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and in a bowl, rub the vanilla seeds into the sugar until fragrant and well dispersed. Add the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

For Cocoa: Stir 1-2 Tablespoons cocoa mix with 8 ounces of hot milk. Top with marshmallows.

Vanilla Marshmallows:

Adapted from this recipe. 

2/3 cup cold water

4 teaspoons powdered gelatin

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean

1/2 cup water

scant teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons each powdered sugar and cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon luster dust–optional

In a small bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the 2/3 cup water and set aside to soften.

Spray a 9X13inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a gallon bag, shake together the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and luster dust. Set aside.

Scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean and in a bowl rub seeds into the sugar until fragrant and well dispersed. In a medium saucepan combine sugar with water and stir gently to moisten. Heat the sugar and water over medium heat without stirring, until sugar dissolves and comes to a boil, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin and vanilla to combine.

Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the syrup until it becomes light in color, voluminous, and holds a medium-stiff peak. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and dust the top with powdered sugar. Allow to set up several hours before cutting and shaking the pieces in the powdered sugar mix to coat well. Can be kept in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

 

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Marble Cake

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Marble cake speaks to the gemini and the indecisive-crazy-person in me. I mean it’s two different cakes in ONE CAKE.

There really isn’t a way to lose.

This cake is dense yet tender in the crumb and manages to be moist yet sturdy. The light batter is fragrant with vanilla and butter, the dark batter is rich and dense with dark chocolate. I think it’s key not to go too crazy with the marbling, so you can taste the two distinct flavors–just a few swirls with a knife or a toothpick through the batter give you just enough marble, leaving you with dedicated sections of vanilla and chocolate cake. This cake has the character of a pound cake–it’s dense and rests well, getting even better the 2nd and 3rd day. It’s totally the kind of cake to have around for impromptu coffee dates and, I have a hunch, would probably ship well–a theory I plan to test this holiday season.

Marble Cake

Adapted from Baking: from My Home to Yours

The original recipe calls for a little less butter, but I was being a bit of a space-cadet and just chucked two whole sticks of butter into my mixer–the batter was made before I realized my mistake, but the cake definitely didn’t suffer from the extra butter. I used an 80% dark chocolate bar–this made for a super-dense and rich chocolate batter–use a good quality chocolate, whatever is your fave will work great.

2 cups, plus 2 Tablespooons, all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 sticks unsalted butter (8 ounces), room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1/2 cup milk

4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 325*F. Grease and line a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment, place the pan on top of a sheet pan. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Working with a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat another 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. The batter may look curdled at this point, but that is okay. Scrape the bowl and beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Reduce speed to low and alternately add flour and milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Place 1/2 of the batter in a separate bowl and fold in the melted chocolate so you have a vanilla batter and a chocolate batter.

Alternately drop spoonfuls of batter into the loaf pan until the pan is filled with the batter and plunge a butter knife into the batter, making a zig-zag pattern from one end of the pan to the other. Do this only once for a perfectly marbled batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes uncovered. Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake another 30-40 minutes, until the vanilla batter on top is golden brown, the top is cracked, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before turning out and cooling completely. Wrap cool cake well with plastic. Can be kept, wrapped well, at room temperature for several days.

 

 

 

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Cranberry Semifreddo Cups

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Are you tired of pumpkin yet?

I’m totes not…but, maybe we need a teensy break. Besides, fall has other stars! Pink ones even, like the tart and native-North-American-beauty, the cranberry. In my head I’m saying “cran-brerry,” in case you wanted to know. Anyway, cranberries shouldn’t just be relegated to side dish status. They are tart, a little bitter, and have the prettiest jewel-toned hue.

I’m a big fan of semifreddo, it’s a lot like ice cream–but it isn’t. It’s a little less fussy, since you don’t have to bust out a machine to churn it, but still manages to maintain a light-yet-rich character.  The deep fuchsia cranberry puree turns the best shade of pink when folded into the semifreddo base–no dyes up in here. A little vanilla and some bourbon bring warmth to the bittersweet tang of the cranberry, while whipped cream and egg yolks bring creamy lushness. Even though it’s a pretty easy recipe, this dessert certainly feels fancy and would be a perfect make-a-head treat to round out a fall or holiday gathering.

Cranberry Semifreddo Cups

Adapted from this recipe. 

You could use another fruit puree if you aren’t feeling, or can’t find, cranberries. Any tart, red fruit would be a nice substitute. You can also serve this semifreddo in scoops or smooth it into a loaf pan before freezing and slice once frozen (like this). I garnished these cups with lightly sweetened whipped cream and some chocolate vermicelli sprinkles. I happen to like tart cranberry with chocolate, but if you aren’t a fan, these are lovely unadorned as well. The recipe below produces more cranberry puree than needed–use it to serve these semifreddo cups or save for another use. 

12 ounces cranberries

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tablespoons mild honey

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons bourbon (optional)

In a medium saucepan combine cranberries, 2/3 cup sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat until cranberries burst and release their juices and the mixture starts to thicken. Press the cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discard skins and seeds. You will have around 2 cups of cranberry puree. Set aside to cool.

Create an ice bath and set aside.

Fashion a double boiler out of a bowl and a pot with a bit of simmering water in it–place a dampened paper towel on the underside of the bowl, making sure it is just larger than the pot below, to avoid slipping while whisking. This way you are able to whisk without steadying the bowl with your other hand.

Place the honey, remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and egg yolks in the bowl. Whisk over the simmering pan of water until the yolk mixture gains some volume, becomes pale in color, and the whisk is just beginning to leave tracks in the mixture. Slowly drizzle in the vanilla and bourbon–whisking the whole time. Continue to whisk the yolk mixture over the simmering water until thickened and the whisk leaves clear, visible tracks in the yolk mixture. Remove the bowl from over the pot of water and whisk over an ice bath until cooled. Gently fold about 1-1 1/3 cups of the cranberry puree into the yolk mixture.

In a clean bowl, whip the cream until it holds medium peaks. Fold in 1/3 of the cream mixture into the cooled yolk and cranberry mixture. Once combined, repeat with the remaining whipped cream. Spoon the semifreddo mix into cups, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours until very firm. Serve cold with desired garnishes.

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Sour Cherry & Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Pops

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Oh, hey! It’s another ice pop! These pops are the creamy, frozen yogurt variety, blended with tart sour cherries and bit of vanilla. The cherry-vanilla situation reminds me of the cherry push-pops of my youth…but more tart, more vanilla-y, and more better.

Yeah, they’re totes more better.

Since moving to Michigan I have become obsessed with sour cherries. They are mouth-puckering on their own, but a little sugar makes them sweet-tart and I find that they have an almost cinnamon-spice background flavor that just makes me crazy for them–dried, frozen, or jarred. The thing with sour cherries is that they can be tough to find. They’re the red gems you find in a classic cherry pie–sans pie goop. Even here in Michigan–a major sour cherry producer–I have never seen a fresh one. I get by just fine with whole, frozen sour cherries. The complex flavor of the cherries is perfectly matched with smooth vanilla, making this frozen treat a sure winner.

Sour Cherry & Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Pops

Makes 10 ice pops

I used non-fat greek yogurt here because it’s basically the only yogurt I buy. I also used homemade vanilla sugar–I keep a jar around or simply rub the guts of a vanilla bean into the sugar–if you don’t have a vanilla bean, stir 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract into the yogurt mixture. If you can only find dark, sweet cherries feel free to use those and add a tablespoon or so of lemon juice to the puree to brighten the sweetness…though, I urge you to find the sour ones if you can. They really are something special. 

2 cups plain greek yogurt

3/4 cups vanilla sugar, divided

8 ounces frozen sour cherries, defrosted, plus more cherries (20-30) for garnish

In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt with 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar, stir to dissolve the sugar. Divide the mixture in hal between two bowls, set aside.

Puree the cherries with 1/4 cup of the sugar and any collected juices from defrosting. Press the cherry puree through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much as possible, discard solids left behind. Stir the cherry puree into one of the bowl of yogurt–leaving the other plain.

Fill the pop molds 1/3 full with the cherry-yogurt mixture, freeze for 30-60 minutes until the layer begins to set before adding the vanilla layer. In the vanilla layer, drop in 2-3 whole cherries reserved for garnish. Freeze the vanilla layer 30 minutes (this layer is more stable since it doesn’t have any puree and won’t need to set up long). Fill the pop molds with the final cherry-yogurt layer, add sticks, and freeze until solid–8 or more hours.

 

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Vanilla-Almond Iced Coffee

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Well, it’s beginning to get too warm for hot beverages…which means it’s iced coffee season!

I am a big fan of iced coffee and a big fan of coffee dates…but, when I want an iced coffee every-single-day that the weather threatens to be warmer than 80*F, it can get a little pricey…and really, sometimes I don’t want to change from my grungy house wear (yoga pants and t-shirts with paint/mod podge splatters, holla!) to real-deal clothes.

Luckily, cold-brewed coffee saves the day.

I like my iced coffee all kinds of ways–black, creamy, creamy AND sweet, and sometimes flavored. I don’t really discriminate, the flavor of the day just depends on what I’m feeling. Lately, I’ve been mixing up this concoction with a hint of vanilla and almond. It’s the perfect treat for an afternoon pick-me-up when all I want to do is nap the afternoon away, but I can’t because I got schtuff to do.

Vanilla-Almond Iced Coffee

You can mix-up the creamer in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a week. Feel free to change the flavors and ratios to customize it to your tastes. I love the sweetened condensed milk in the creamer, it lends that flavor that is reminiscent of Vietnamese Iced Coffee, one of my favorites. 

Vanilla-Almond Creamer

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup Half and Half

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Stir together all ingredients in a measuring cup. Pour the mixture into a container to store.

Cold-Brewed Coffee

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

A lot of recipes instruct you to leave the coffee mixture out on the counter. I’ve done it this way before, but I like to just keep it in the refrigerator so it’s already chilled when I strain it. I also like to make this in a 1 litre carafe, so I have plenty of cold coffee on hand for spontaneous caffeine fixes.

1 cup ground coffee (I like to use italian, french, or espresso roast)

4 1/2 cups water

In a large container (a beverage carafe works nicely), stir together coffee and water. Cover and store in the refrigerator or on the countertop for at least 12 hours (I usually go a bit longer). Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, line the strainer with a coffee filter. Strain the mixture, you may have to do this in 2 batches. Alternatively, you can filter the coffee using a french press (I have to do this in batches for this amount of coffee). I personally prefer the coffee filter method so a lot of the coffee-ground-silt is filtered through.

To prepare: Fill a large glass with ice cubes, pour over coffee and as much creamer as you’d like. Add a straw for fun and sip-a-bility.

 

 

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Recipe: Roasted Strawberry Stracciatella Ice Cream

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I have a confession to make.

I used to be totally weirded-out by strawberry ice cream. Though, admittedly, I can’t resist a ripe and perfectly red, fresh berry, I have carried this strong aversion to all things strawberry-flavored for most of my life. From ice cream to jam, I just couldn’t deal.

I’m getting over it now and with dreams of spring and summer evenings on the horizon, I’ve been picking up less-than-perfect berries from the store. Mostly I’ve been blending them into smoothies, but last weekend I roasted a pint with a split vanilla bean and the smell was just perfect. Sweet, vanilla-scented, strawberry heaven.

This ice cream starts with syrupy, heady, roasted berries which get stirred into a creamy, custard base, there’s a long chill where everything mingles, followed by a churning in an ice cream maker, and finally, near the end of churning I drizzled a bit of homemade “magic shell” in for a stracciatella effect. The chocolate/coconut oil combo vs. straight-up melted chocolate makes for extra-crisp little bits of chocolate in every spoonful of ice cream. It really is like ice cream magic.

Roasted Strawberry Stracciatella

For the berries:

1 pint strawberries

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2-4 Tablespoons sugar, depending on the sweetness of your berries

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Pick through the berries, rinse, drain, and hull. Toss berries in a baking dish with vanilla bean and sugar. Roast for 30-40 minutes until berries are dark pink, and the juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For Ice Cream:

2 cups half and half

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

3 egg yolks

Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan heat half and half over medium-low heat to scald.

Meanwhile, whisk sugar, salt, and yolks in a heatproof bowl until pale and thick. Slowly add the hot half and half to the yolk mixture and scrape back into the saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the bowl and stir the mixture over an ice bath until cool.

Mash the roasted berries coarsely with a fork and stir into custard base. Cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

For the Stracciatella:

4 1/2 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1/2 ounce coconut oil

Right before you are ready to churn, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water until smooth and combined. Process in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. At the very end of churning, drizzle in the melted chocolate/coconut oil to form crackling ribbons of chocolate throughout the ice cream. Scrape the ice cream from the ice cream maker into a airtight container and freeze.

 

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Recipe: Rainbow Doughnuts!

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I am sort of obsessed with the trio of pink, purple, and teal together–though admittedly it’s not exactly a rainbow of color, it’s close enough for me. I always call it the Care Bear/Rainbow Pony color scheme. It’s the girliest and while I love, love it there aren’t a lot of applications of it in my life these days…as I am no longer 8-years-old and prone to hoarding my cache of Lisa Frank stickers. Those days are, sadly, long gone.

I originally purchased myself a heart shaped doughnut pan with plans for Valentine’s treats that never really happened, so when I was toying with the idea of something rainbow inspired for St. Patrick’s day I just knew it was time to make some heart-shaped, candy-colored doughnuts happen.

These doughnuts are the baked cake variety, all vanilla with a bit of pure maple syrup in the glaze for fun. They are tender, light, and unabashedly bright. I made them on a gloomy, rainy day…which we all know is just the sort of day that makes the best rainbows.

I made the little flags out of washi tape and toothpicks–I thought they came out super cute and they were really simple too. *Also, the plates, bunting, and cups were c/o Susty Party and were part of a fun, compostable party kit. You can find this kit, among other supplies on their website. The cups hold hot and cold liquids like a charm and the plates are SUPER strong. They also carry those paper straws we all know and love!

Baked Vanilla Cake Doughnuts

Adapted from Doughnuts by Lara Ferroni

I used vanilla sugar and vanilla extract in these, you can certainly omit the vanilla sugar for regular sugar if you do not have any on hand. This recipe make about 12 doughnuts. 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup vanilla sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup warm milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg, beaten

Gel food coloring, optional

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray.

If coloring, place a small drop of food color in 3 separate bowls and set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry mixture, as if you were making a pastry crust, until evenly distributed. Add the milk, yogurt, vanilla, and egg, stir until just combined, OR if using gel color leave slightly under-mixed, divide evenly among 3 bowls and fold to combine with the color.

Using a piping bag or spoon, fill each donut well 3/4 full, making sure the center post is free of batter. Bake until doughnuts spring back to the touch–6-10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the pan. Glaze as desired.

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2-2 teaspoons milk–depending on desired consistency

In a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients except milk. Add milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time to reach your desired consistency for the glaze. Dip donuts, rounded side down, in glaze and add sprinkles as desired.

** For the sake of full disclosure, I have to note that these items were given to me by Susty Party, however I was not paid for my review and all opinions are my own. 

 

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Recipe: Vanilla Malt Pudding

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I have to be real for a moment.

Sometimes, I get into a major baking/cooking slump. Lately, there have been a lot of recipe fails..which, inevitably, leads to frustration. I find that stepping back and letting other tasks distract me is just the thing that helps. I’ve been letting myself get lost in the task of making our rental house feel more like our own space. There have been paint samples, scheming up organizational solutions, and much online shopping.

My time spent in the kitchen has been limited to essential meals. Yesterday, however, I felt like getting back into it. Nothing fancy, serious, or time consuming. Enter pudding. There are few things so comforting and simple as pudding. Some milk, a few egg yolks, a little sugar and cornstarch, plus flavorings–in this case vanilla bean and malt. Add a bit of gentle heat, some attention to stirring, and done. Simple, comforting, non-failure…the perfect thing to climb out of that slump.

Vanilla Malt Pudding

adapted from Martha Stewart

3 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

3 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1/4  cup cornstarch

6 Tablespoons Malted Milk Powder (I used Carnation brand)

pinch of salt

3 Tablespoons butter, unsalted

In a medium sauce pan heat milk with vanilla seeds and pod until hot, but not boiling, remove from heat. Cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks to break up well. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch, malt, and salt.

Remove vanilla pod from milk and discard. Whisk in a small amount of the milk into the sugar/cornstarch mixture and whisk that mixture back into the pot of milk to dissolve the cornstarch, making sure there are no lumps. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated well. Heat over medium-low, whisking constantly until mixture becomes thick and a bubble or two breaks the surface, continue to cook–whisking still–for another minute. Remove from heat and add butter, either whisking to combine or buzzing with an immersion blender. Divide pudding among cups, serve warm or cover and chill.

 

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Recipe: Blood Orange Sorbet + Yogurt Granita

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There isn’t much I can say about blood oranges that you don’t already know.

They have the prettiest flesh that makes the most gorgeous jewel-toned juice. Opening one up, especially one without the tell-tale blush on the rind, is like the best citrus surprise–all garnets and rubies.

Whenever winter citrus rolls out, I am most excited and eager to get my mitts on blood oranges. I love to just juice or eat them, plain and simple. When I do make something with them, my main goal is to keep that color–bright and unadulterated.

It didn’t take much thinking for me to land on sorbet, but the idea for the granita came to me after I saw this post on Not Without Salt (one of the prettiest blogs there is) while I was lying in bed battling a serious case of insomnia. Sometimes, ideas just swarm my brain when I can’t sleep–which is good for the blog, but bad for the sleeping. It’s a fine line, but sometimes delicious things happen when you toe it. The combination of the silky, soft sorbet with the creamy–yet crunchy/icy–granita is textural bliss. I’m already thinking of more sorbet/ice cream and granita combos…which may lead to more sleepless night, but ones that will totally be worth it.

Blood Orange Sorbet

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

I used my juicer to extract the juice, but you can certainly just squeeze or use a citrus reemer to obtain the liquid. You can also use a combination of citrus (cara cara (pink) oranges would be nice) if you don’t have enough blood oranges for 3 cups of juice. 

3 cups fresh blood orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vodka (optional, this keeps the sorbet from freezing solid)

Mix some of the blood orange juice (1/4-1/2 cup) with the sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves and stir the syrup into the rest of the juice, stir in the vodka. Chill the mixture well (at least 4 hours, if not overnight) and churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Scrape the mixture into a container, cover well, and freeze for a few hours until firm. Serve alone, with granita, or in glasses with some bubbly.

Yogurt Granita

adapted from Not Without Salt

2 cups plain yogurt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeded–pod saved for another use

In a medium bowl rub vanilla seeds into the sugar until fragrant and combined well. Stir in yogurt and mix until sugar is pretty much dissolved. Scrape the mixture into a shallow dish (an 8X8 baking pan is perfect for this) and freeze, scraping the mixture with a fork ever 30-60 minutes to break up the ice crystals. The larger the pan, the faster the granita will freeze and be ready.