Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

I love chocolate ice cream, but I love it even more when it has something a little bit special going on. Like peppermint. Or peanut butter. Or cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

The spices in this ice cream make it a perfect winter treat; despite its iciness, you will feel oddly warmed after eating it. It's not too spicy, but has a nice, subtle, slow burn from the cayenne, and a sweet tingle from the cinnamon.

The consistency is divine, thanks to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, which has the best homemade ice cream recipes EVER. (Forgive the superlative: it's true.) I alter Jeni's recipes quite a bit, as I outlined in my series on the book here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Basically, I've done by best to make the healthiest and most delicious ice cream imaginable. Yeah, it's that good.

And oh yeah, Valentine's Day. Make this for your sweetheart! It's not pink or heart-shaped, but what better way to say I love you than with homemade ice cream?!

Ingredient notes:

• For information on where to find healthy chocolate & my chocolate eating rules, see this post: Ingredient Spotlight: Chocolate. I used some Lindt Chocolate, which doesn't follow my rules but was certainly delicious!
• I used whole raw milk, and vat-pasteurized, grass-fed cream from a local farm (since I don't want to give up too much of the cream from my weekly raw milk share).
• I used coconut sugar in this recipe, but sucanat would also work well. These are the healthiest options for granulated sweeteners. Feel free to mess around with the sweetness to your liking: I reduced the quantities significantly from the original recipe, but it tastes plenty sweet to us.

Now on to the recipe!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream 

(inspired by Queen City Cayenne Ice Cream, from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home)
Yield: About 1 Quart

Ingredients:

(Chocolate Paste)
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 c. coconut sugar or sucanat
1/3 c. filtered water
1 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (55%-70% cocoa), finely chopped

(Ice Cream)
2 c. whole milk
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. coconut sugar or sucanat
2 T. honey
1 T. + 1 t. arrowroot
3 T. cream cheese, softened
1/8. t. unrefined sea salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (mine is very hot so I used a little less than that)

Directions

1. Make the chocolate paste by combining the cocoa, 1/4 c. sweetener and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, and stir to melt.
2. Measure the cream and milk in a glass measuring cup. Pour into a large saucepan, leaving about 2 T. in the measuring cup.
3. Add the honey and 1/3 c. sweetener to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat to bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Meanwhile, add the arrowroot to the measuring cup with the remaining milk and whisk to combine.
5. In a medium glass mixing bowl, whisk the chocolate paste, cream cheese, and salt until smooth.
6. When the cream mixture is gently boiling, whisk in the arrowroot/milk mixture. Continue to heat, stirring with a heat-proof spatula, until it thickens slightly. If you're not sure if it thickened, taste some with a spoon (blow on it first!). Your tongue will know.
7. Whisk the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture. Add the cinnamon and cayenne and stir well.
8. Put a lid on the bowl, and chill either in a sink full of ice water or in the fridge. (It's okay to leave it in the fridge overnight if you run out of time!)
9. Churn in your ice cream maker. When it is cold and creamy and looks like ice cream, transfer it to a container. (Jeni says it takes about 25 minutes.)
10. Place in the freezer to chill for at least four hours before eating. 

 Part of the following link-ups: Keep It Real Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Tasty Traditions

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My Chocolate Eating Guidelines + a recipe for Orange Coconut Homemade Fudge

Have you heard claims that dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, good for your heart, or can help you lose weight?

Have you heard claims that chocolate should never be eaten because of its caffeine content and other toxic compounds?

In today's post at Modern Alternative Kitchen, I help you sort it all out, and give you Four Guidelines for Eating Chocolate. And don't worry, none of them are "Don't eat it."

I also share a delicious recipe for Homemade Fudge with Toasted Coconut and Orange Zest. It makes a great holiday gift!

Check it out and be sure to tell me what you think in the comments!

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Breakfast Brownies

Oh how I love local restaurants that use local food. One of my faves is The Biscuit, an adorable little breakfast and lunch place a few blocks away from us. Granola pancakes with house-made granola, Chicken Apple Hash with sharp cheddar cheese, Chorizo Omelette with locally made chorizo...and OH the potatoes! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside...and though I usually choose the whole-grain toast, I have to admit that the biscuits are out of this world. Obviously.

But this post is about Breakfast Brownies. Yes! Brownies for breakfast! When I saw these at The Biscuit in the bakery case, I was shocked and amazed and in love with them. Hearty, oatey, fudgey, chock-full of dried cherries and apricots. Just the right amount of sweet.

But we are on a seminary budget, which means we rarely eat out. Which means if I want a Breakfast Brownie more than once a year or so, I have to figure out a way to make it myself.

So that is what I did. I rummaged around the internet looking for a recipe that might slightly resemble these unique treats, and did not find much. So I took what I could get, and modified it heavily. I used whole grain flour that has been soaked overnight with the oats in yogurt - a process that helps break down and make use of the minerals present in the grains. I also used unrefined sugar, pastured butter and eggs, and unrefined sea salt. I still wouldn't recommend eating these for breakfast every day, but if you are looking for a nourishing, rich, hearty, chocolately treat for breakfast or anytime...this is it.

So here's the recipe. Don't forget to start them the day before you want to eat them!

Breakfast Brownies

ingredients:

1-1/4 c. rolled oats

3/4 c. whole wheat flour (amazingly, I've gotten the best results with traditional red whole wheat)

1/2 c. yogurt

1 c. butter, divided

1 c. sucanat (unrefined sugar)

1/4 c. honey

4 eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

3/4 c. cocoa powder

1 t. baking powder (aluminum free)

1 t. unrefined salt (such as Real Salt or celtic sea salt)

1 t. instant coffee or espresso powder

1 c. dark chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts/pecans

1 c. dried fruit - tart cherries, apricots (chopped), cranberries, or something else!

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, combine oats, flour, yogurt, and 1/2 c. butter. Make sure everything is evenly moistened. Let soak overnight, at least 7 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan. Melt 1/2 c. butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add sucanat and honey and stir. Heat until bubbling, then remove from heat and stir. Whisk in the cocoa, baking powder, salt, instant coffee, and vanilla.

3. Add the eggs to the soaked flour & oat mixture and mix thoroughly. Then add the contents of the saucepan. Mix just until thoroughly combined.

4. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruit.

5. Spread into 9x13 pan. Check after 25 minutes, and bake until the center feels firm (Do not over bake or they will be crumbly).

They make a great gift, too!

 

other variations...

I also think they would be great with some dried blueberries mixed in there [update: I tried it with dried blueberries and loved it...but the hubby didn't.]...and it might be fun to try them as muffins! You could also try it in a smaller pan to get a thicker brownie (perhaps a round cake pan cut into wedges?); then it would be more like The Biscuit's version. :) In that case, I'm sure it would take a bit longer to bake. Experiment - have fun!

This is part of "Is Your Flour Wet?" a free eBook put together by many Real Bloggers, full of soaked, sprouted, and sourdough whole grain recipes. Download it here!

What's your favorite treat to have for breakfast?