Cookies, Dessert, Frozen Treats, Sandwiches, Summer, Sweet

chocolate-buttermint ice cream sandwiches

You know what the best kind of sandwich is? An ice cream sandwich. It’s only fitting that I’d end my National Sandwich Month series with one!

I’ve never met someone who would turn down an ice cream sandwich, even those little rectangular storebought ones with the chocolate cookies that stick to your fingers. I’d be really suspicious of a person who’d turn down one of these, made with soft, crumbly chocolate cookies and smushed with Jeni Britton Bauer’s outstanding Savannah Buttermint ice cream!

I don’t know how long I’d been dreaming of having the Jeni’s Ice Cream cookbook. On occasion, when my money was burning a hole in my pocket, I’d pick up a pint of Jeni’s at my local AJ’s store. $12 a pint is not exactly a cheap snack, but ohhh, it was so worth it. But! — Now that I have this book in my possession, I no longer have to shell out tons of money for probably the best ice cream I’ve ever had in my life. I can make it at home now! It’s the perfect ice cream for sandwich-making.

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AmandaAugust 31, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Cookies, Dessert, Frozen Treats, Holidays, Snacks, Sweet

s’mores ice cream sandwiches (you’re killing me, smalls!)

What comes to mind when you think of your childhood summers? Maybe going swimming with your friends, staying up late (cause hey, school’s out!), barbecues, family trips to the beach? I grew up in rural southern Arizona so I didn’t have a lot of options as a kid when it came to fun summer activities. Most often, I think of summers depicted in movies, and no movie better captured that ideal childhood summer than The Sandlot.

How could you have a better summer than these kids? New friends, plenty of baseball, chasing your crush, fireworks on the 4th of July and neighborhood block parties with the smell of grilled hot dogs in the air — summertime perfection. The Sandlot was a favorite of mine as a kid, and I still love it 21 years after it came out. It’s a classic summertime movie!

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AmandaJune 29, 2014September 13, 20153 Comments

Dessert, Drinks, Frozen Treats, Summer, Sweet

sparkling cider floats with caramel sauce

Hello there, lovely readers! I apologize for my absence, life got a little hectic with the start of my new job. You forgive me, right? How about if I make you one of these sparkling cider floats? Psst… homemade caramel is also involved.

It’s about this time of year that I start getting antsy for Fall weather. According to the calendar, we’ve still got almost a week left of Spring, but you wouldn’t know it here. Warm mornings give way to blazing hot days, and uncomfortably gross nights. It’s a paradise, I’ll tell you what. I’ve lived in AZ for my whole life and somehow, the summer heat still takes me by surprise. So I got to thinking — what could I create that would combine the refreshing qualities of summertime with the warm, sweet, crisp flavors of Fall? Sparkling cider floats to the rescue!

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AmandaJune 16, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Cakes, Dessert, Fruit, Spring, Summer, Sweet

almond pavlova + new beginnings

It’s a three day weekend! Hooray for Memorial Day, and the start of summer, and having something to celebrate. Will you have a slice of this yummy pavlova and celebrate with me?

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AmandaMay 24, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Cakes, Dessert, Sweet

german chocolate loaf cake

“Who knows where thoughts come from? They just appear.” – Lucas, Empire Records

I’m not sure what gave me the idea for this cake. The ease of baking a cake in a loaf pan versus two round layers? The fact that I love coconut and chocolate, so why not combine them into one tasty pile of kickass glory? Who knows.

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AmandaMay 17, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Dessert, Drinks, Fruit, Holidays, Main Dish, Salads, Sandwiches, Savory, Snacks, Spring, Sweet

¡cinco de mayo!

If you’re not from Mexico or the US southwest, chances are you don’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo. If you do, it’s a great reason to celebrate and have a party! Now’s the time to roll out your best margarita recipe, and definitely your favorite salsa. Looking for a few more ideas? I’ve got you covered. You gotta have drinks at your Cinco de Mayo parties. … Continue reading ¡cinco de mayo!

AmandaMay 2, 2014May 4, 2014Leave a comment

Candy, Dessert, Holidays, Spring, Sweet

crispy chocolate peanut butter squares

When it comes to Easter candy, what’s your favorite? Are you a jellybean fanatic? Are marshmallow Peeps more your jam? What about those egg-shaped malted milk balls? For me, nothing even compares to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg. Can we just talk about how glorious these things are? It’s like a regular peanut butter cup on steroids. Everyone knows the best part of the peanut butter cup is the peanut butter filling. I don’t know anyone who likes that awful, waxy chocolate. The wonderful part of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg is the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate. You get like three times the amount of peanut butter filling, and hardly any of the chocolate coating. My favorite way to eat them is to put them in the fridge first so they get nice and chilled. I first made these peanut butter squares at Christmas time cause I needed one more item to round out the jars of sweets that I was gifting to family. They came together in no time, and holy crap, were they ever good. They’re far superior to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg, and that’s saying a lot. Continue reading “crispy chocolate peanut butter squares”

AmandaApril 19, 2014September 13, 20154 Comments

Cakes, Dessert, Fruit, Holidays, Spring, Sweet

spring flower cake with meyer lemon curd + strawberry frosting

It’s Easter time again! Time for little bunnies and chocolate candy and the smell of vinegar mixing with dye tablets (we always made way too many colored Easter eggs when I was little!). It’s the perfect time of year for a bright, cheerful cake. After most of you have slogged through a winter packed with snow and ice, don’t you deserve a springtime-y cake filled with meyer lemon curd, covered with fresh strawberry frosting and topped with fresh flowers?

Yes, you most certainly do.

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AmandaApril 12, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Breads, Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Sweet

strawberry scones with cornmeal + black pepper

I can never resist the combo of strawberry and black pepper. I can’t remember where or when I first heard of pairing the two together, but it’s somehow genius! I’ve done it before with these popsicles, and I had always wanted to apply those flavors to a pastry of some kind. These scones seemed like a natural match!

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AmandaMarch 1, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dessert, Holidays, Sweet

dark chocolate mousse with rose whipped cream

Another Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us!

Last year I made these super cute chocolate tuxedo strawberries, which were a big hit for sure! I wanted to create a rich and somewhat fancy dessert for Valentine’s Day this year. I knew I wanted to incorporate chocolate into this dessert, cause what’s Valentine’s Day without chocolate? Chocolate mousse just seemed to be the quintessential romantic dessert, so I had the main part covered. When it came time to think of some sort of garnish or additional element, what’s a more popular romantic combination than chocolate with roses?

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