Ice Cream Social: Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream Sandwiches | The Frosted Vegan

I'm kicking off the "social" part of my Ice Cream Social by introducing you to the first blogger who will be contributing to our frosty fête: Abby of The Frosted Vegan!

Abby and I technically "met" through social media. I saw her name pop up on my Instagram from time to time and was intrigued by the fun title of her blog, so I followed her back and got pulled right in to her kitchen adventures. With a tag line like "Plant based desserts, done right", how could you not be curious?! Any girl who whips up things like Caramel Glazed Bananas Foster Donuts and Peanut Butter Dipped Chocolate Sorbet Popsicles should be a friend of mine.

We finally got to meet in person at BlogHer Food Miami in May, and I'm so glad we did! It was while sitting with her and a group of other Midwestern bloggers that I decided that folks from the Midwest are some of the nicest people ever. {Abby is from Wisconsin.}

Anyway, enough of my yappying... I'll let Abby's recipe do the rest of the talking. Make sure you follow Abby and check out all the vegan goodness on her blog!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

And don't forget to enter to win our Ice Cream Social prize pack, with goodies from our friends from Joy Cone & a  copy of the gorgeous cookbook, Ruby Violet's Ice Cream Dreams, from Hardie Grant!

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Hi all! I am so excited to be posting here on Dianna’s blog for The Kitchen Prep Ice Cream Social! Ice

cream has long been a favorite in my house, from licking a cone clean during the summer at my favorite

custard stand (pre-vegan days) to trying my hand at making ice cream at home in the recent months, it

seems like I always have ice cream in the works or on the brain. A year or so I ago I finally splurged on

an ice cream maker, envisioning weekends filled with homemade coconut milk ice cream and adding in

fresh berries as the summer progressed. Unfortunately, I ended up dropping my ice cream maker and

had to send it to the small kitchen appliance graveyard, ack! On the other hand, now I have extra room

for more kitchen gadgets and have to find other ways to satisfy my homemade ice cream cravings.

This brought me to discover blender ice cream! Especially with vegan ice creams, it can be hard to make

sure everything is properly combined and smooth before freezing, particularly when an ice cream maker

isn't in the process. Blending all the ingredients together eliminates the need to heat everything over

a saucepan, let it cool, and all that jazz. I’m all for eliminating unnecessary steps and making recipes as

simple as possible, so blender ice cream was perfect.

The sandwich component of this treat just takes everything to the next level, combining fresh, plump

cherries with fudgy sandwich pieces. I opted for more of a fudgy outside for the sandwiches, over a

more traditional cookie route. I find that the cookie part of ice cream sandwiches can be a little dry and

underwhelming, so the fudgier approach was the way to go for these! If you don’t have cashews on

hand, this would probably work just as well with full fat coconut milk; just reduce down on some of the

extra liquid to ensure that the base doesn't become too watery.

Happy Ice Cream-ing! #TKPIceCreamSocial

Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream Sandwiches 

For the cookie/sandwich:

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup walnuts

1⁄4-1/3 cup almond milk or other non dairy mlk

1⁄4 cup granulated sugar

For the ice cream:

1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours and drained

1⁄2 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk

1 banana, frozen

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup maple syrup

3⁄4 cup pitted cherries (frozen or fresh)

3 ounces bourbon

1 cup additional pitted cherries

Pinch of xantham gum (optional)

1/3 cup cherry juice (optional)

1. Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. To prepare the cookie: In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until loose

dough is formed. If needed, add additional almond milk until mixture comes together. Press the

dough into the parchment lined pan, ensuring the dough it evenly pressed throughout the bottom of

the pan. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm.

3. To prepare the ice cream: In the bowl of a blender, combine all ingredients with the exception of the

additional 1 cup of pitted cherries. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy. If mixture is too thick

or heavy for the blender, add a little almond milk until mixture can be blended. Pour mixture into a

small cake pan or loaf pan. Stir in the extra 1 cup of cherries. Freeze until solid, but still scoopable,

about 2-3 hours.

4. To assemble the sandwiches: Remove the cookie and ice cream from the freezer. Take cookie

mixture out of the lined pan and cut in half, so you are left with 2 equally sized sections. Place the

parchment and one of the pieces of cookie back into the 8x8 pan. Scoop out the cherry ice cream

and press into the cookie that is placed in the pan. If the ice cream is too solid, you may need to let

it sit for a few extra minutes in order for it to become pliable enough to press into the cookie mixture.

When the ice cream has been pressed into the mixture, place the other half of the cookie on top,

pressing the piece firmly into place. You are essentially making one large ice cream sandwich to

cut into smaller sandwiches. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm. Cut large sandwich into smaller

pieces, as big or as small as you would like. Store sealed in the freezer for up to a week.

Yields: 4- 6 sandwiches, depending on size

Cherry-Vanilla Granola

I'm about to tell you a really gross {albeit hilarious} story... somehow, I still haven't come to terms with the fact that the word "poop" has no place on a food blog. But, if you can hang in there, I hope there will be a little lesson that you can take away from my tale.

A couple of weeks ago, I witnessed a pure feat of determination that stuck with me long after it was over. And it all started when I took Farley, my lab, to the dog park to play.

Farley has forged friendships with all kinds of dogs in the dog park: A sweet, brindle Pit Bull mix named Stella; a lean, fast-as-lightning Greyhound named Dash; an amorous Black Lab named Lola. And then there's Tyson, a stocky little Boston Terrier with a jaw like a bear trap.

Tyson LOVES chasing balls. Well... to tell you the truth, the "chasing" is just a means to his true passion, walking around with the ball in his mouth and Never.Letting.Go. I'd say he may even be a tad bit obsessed. {I nearly lost a thumb while attempting to take it from him so we could play.}

In the midst of a rousing game of fetch the ball {which usually ends as quickly as it started because once Tyson gets it, there's no getting it back}, said ball landed right smack in a fresh pile of dog poo. Ew.

Tyson's owner, of course, carefully retrieved the tennis ball and placed it atop the bench and away from Tyson, who was already lamenting the loss of the prized object by growling and barking repeatedly at the soiled toy. But Tyson just couldn't come to terms with the fact that he would not be taking his victory lap around the park with that ball.

He defiantly walked over to the bench where the ball sat and stuck his nose through the slats, retreating violently when he caught a whiff of the offending odor. But guess what? That didn't stop him.

His owner and I watched incredulously as, again, he approached the ball. If dogs could pinch their noses, I swear he would have been doing so -- instead, I'm fairly certain he held his breath so he could get close enough. Tyson nudged the ball to the end of the bench where he could reach it more easily. With a swift and deliberate chomp, he retrieved the ball and pranced toward the other dogs, showing off the fruits of his determination.

Except, he only made it just a few steps before the stench {and I'm assuming taste} forced him to spit it out and re-access the situation. He shook his head. Hard, as if to rid himself of the smell that assaulted his sensitive little nose. But failure was simply not an option.

Again, the stubborn dog picked up the filthy ball and proceeded toward the other side of the dog park, dropping it every so often and "shaking it off", leaving us in fits of side-splitting laughter at his refusal to give up. This went on until he made it to the other side, safe from any potential ball thieves.

Eventually, when he noticed that no other dog wanted the ball and that their owners were laughing at him instead of praising his efforts, he shamefully walked himself to the corner and stood there looking sullen -- not sure of whether he should gloat with pride or hide with disgust at what he had just accomplished. His owner assured him that it was ok. No need for "dog shaming" here...this dog already looked so very ashamed.

Despite the somewhat nauseating scene, I held Tyson in high regard for his tenacity. Because let me tell you, there have been days when it's felt like I'm repeatedly attempting to retrieve a poop-covered tennis ball just to prove to myself that I can.

There are times when I choose to hope against all logic, because I want to believe that in the end, it will be worth it. Times when I've subjected myself to mental anguish because I know that I can get through it if I try hard enough. We've all dealt with things like this before.

Tyson reminded me that sometimes you just have to deal with sh*t {I'm sorry, but there's not a more appropriate time to use this kind of language} no matter how disheartening, embarrassing or frustrating. And when I get overwhelmed with the task at hand, I will simply pause, shake my head, and pick up where I left off because -- no matter how bad it stinks at that moment-- victory smells so much sweeter.

.............................................................

Earlier this week I attempted to make granola bars to take to work as a healthy snack. It didn't work. I didn't want use any sugar, which I think may have contributed to the crumbly results.

Like Tyson, the struggle didn't stop me. I scooped the delicious granola crumbles into a mason jar and I've been enjoying them with a little almond milk or straight up as a snack. Sometimes the things that don't work out quite as you expect turn out to be a happy accident.

This Cherry-Vanilla Granola is what granola-filled dreams are made of. Tart, chewy dried cherries and crunchy slivered almonds are sweetened with a combination of honey and maple syrup infused with fragrant vanilla bean. One of my favorite parts of eating this granola is the vanilla bean-flecked milk that's left over at the end... it's the grown-up version of the thrill you got as a kid when you discovered Cocoa Puffs created its own chocolate milk byproduct. {Not that I wouldn't be just as thrilled if I allowed myself to eat Cocoa Puffs today.}

Whether or not this granola was intentional, it is most definitely a treat.

Cherry-Vanilla Granola

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 a vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped

1. Prepare a sheet pan or 8x8 inch pan {that's what I originally used when I thought I was making bars} with parchment paper or foil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, toss together oats, salt, almonds and cherries. In a small pot over medium heat, stir together coconut oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla bean seeds along with the vanilla pod. Bring to a bubble and allow to simmer on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.

3. Remove the vanilla bean pod and pour the syrup mixture over the oat mixture, stirring until well-coated. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 15 minutes until slightly golden and fragrant.

Cool completely and store in an air-tight container.

Tailgate Thursday: Alabama Edition!

Oh, my. I am so, so, sooo excited that today marks the very first Tailgate Thursday of the series here on TKP!

It is no secret that my husband and I are big college football fans... especially when it comes to our team. I've shared before that we met while we were attending the University of Florida. And that we fully buy into the greatness of Tim Tebow. And that we try to attend at least one game in Gainesville every year to relive the nostalgia of our college years. Yup, we're Gators, alright.

I got to thinking about what makes football season so much fun, especially here in the south. {I use that term loosely here in South Florida, because despite our coordinates on the map, we aren't extremely "southern".} It all came down to three things: The camaraderie. The tradition. And {most importantly} the food and drinks!

And so, the idea for Tailgate Thursday was born! The theme: {drink.dress.devour}. The mission: To spread the football-watching, team-color-wearing, tailgate-snacking love this season, no matter what team you follow!

Each week I'll be featuring one SEC school and sharing a team-themed cocktail, outfit, and recipe that would make for a perfect tailgate party. Hopefully it'll inspire you to get creative with your own game day get togethers. :)

I have been a busy little bee gathering the best tailgate recipes & fashions for this football season. But I can't take full credit for all the great stuff I'm going to be sharing over the next 12 weeks of college football. So, let me introduce you to the fabulous ladies that I've been working with to help me bring it all together!

We've got Liz from Twelve Saturdays sharing her gameday fashion know-how...

And Carla from Haute Cocktail mixing up some tailgate-worthy cocktails...

I am so very glad that I found these two lovely, creative girls to make this project a reality.

Now that all the proper introductions have been made, let's talk tailgate!

I'm kicking off Tailgate Thursday by featuring the  Alabama Crimson Tide, last year's National Championship winners. The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a place oozing with Southern hospitality and plenty of down home cookin'.  One of the games the hubs & I attended a while back was against Alabama and I can tell you without a doubt that they take their football, food and tailgating fashion seriously.

When I planned out the Alabama tailgate menu, I stuck with the theme of Southern charm:

 

{Scroll down for recipes} 1. Crimson Cooler by Haute Cocktail, 2. Shrimp & Grits Bites, 3. Roll Tide Elephant Ears
Dress: Bama Belle from Twelve Saturdays

Admittedly, I had never tried shrimp and grits together before making these little bites, but I've got to say, I can understand why it's a popular combination! The Roll Tide Elephant ears {Alabama's mascot features an elephant... harhar} are an easy little treat sure to satisfy your game day sweet tooth. And that Crimson Cooler? It's a potent concoction that will make it easy to pass the time before kickoff. {Sip responsibly!}

Along with the Bama Belle dress from Twelve Saturdays, this is one game day that's brimming with school spirit. Who says a tailgate can't be fashionable?

I've got TONS of great things coming up for more teams over the course of college football season, so I hope you'll keep an eye out for your school and spread the word to other football-following friends!

Happy Game Day, Y'all! ;)

Crimson Cooler
created by Haute-Cocktail

1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Coconut Rum
1/2 oz. Raspberry Liqueur {such as Chambord}
1/2 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda
1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice

Mix all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake and serve in a martini glass {or mason jar!} If desired, you can double the portions and serve over ice in a beer mug. Enjoy!

Shrimp & Grits Bites

Grits:
1/2 cup quick cooking grits {not instant}
1 cup water
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sharp cheddar {or your favorite} cheese, shredded
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper

Shrimp:
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup white onion, minced
1/2 pound peeled & deveined fresh shrimp, tails on
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay {or your favorite} seasoning


For Grits:

Line baking pan with foil hanging over edges for easy removal. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring water, half & half, and salt to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Stir in grits, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until thick, whisking often.

Mix in cheese until well incorporated. Remove from heat.

Pour into prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer with a silicone spatula or oiled offset spatula. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm.


For Shrimp:

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp, making sure each piece has contact with the skillet. Sprinkle with seasoning.

Cook for about 2-3 minutes on first side, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until opaque and cooked through. {Do not overcook} Remove from heat. {Keep pan for next step.}

Assembly:

Remove grits from pan using foil flaps and cut into desired shapes. {I used a champagne flute to get small rounds, but you can also cut with a pizza cutter or knife to get squares, etc.}
In a small cup or bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Drop each cut out piece of grits into flour and dredge, shaking lightly to remove excess.

Spray pan used to cook shrimp with non-stick cooking spray. Place each dredged piece in pan {I had to do this in 2 batches to avoid crowding.}, and cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from heat.

Take one piece of shrimp and skewer onto a toothpick so that tail is facing upward. Place skewered shrimp atop each grit cake, pushing slightly to skewer into place.

Arrange on a serving platter & serve warm.

Roll Tide Elephant Ears

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup cherry {or raspberry or strawberry} preserves
1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Roll out puff pastry into a 12x14 inch rectangle. Spread melted chocolate in an even layer over puff pastry, leaving a 1/2 inch border all the way around. Repeat with fruit preserves.

With one of the long sides facing you, roll up dough {jelly roll style} to center of rectangle. Repeat with the other side so that both rolls are meeting in the middle.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch slices from roll, and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Brush each piece with egg wash and bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden.

White Chocolate & Fresh Cherry Blondies

We had an interesting weekend. In fact, if it weren't for the picture proof, I would probably deny that the weekend existed because it went by so quickly. {Or it could be the brain cells that were killed by the second hand smoke of the hippies sitting around us at the Dave Matthews concert we attended on Saturday? Gave me a new perspective on the word potpourri.}

Despite the jam packed schedule, I still mananged to do some cooking on Saturday to bring along to the tailgate we were having before the concert. I brought Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Honey-Coriander Oven Baked Chicken Wings, and made a big Dutch oven full of Bourbon Baked Beans that never actually made it out the door with us because they weren't done cooking by the time we had to leave.

My brother-in-law, who bought us the Dave tickets as an anniversary gift and stayed with us for the weekend, shook his head at me when I decided to whip up a quick dessert to bring along to the tailgate. "Who brings dessert to a tailgate??!"

This girl, that's who.

Most boys don't have that nagging desire for a little something sweet at the end of a meal. But that sure doesn't stop them from digging in when it's put in front of them.

Being short on time, I needed a recipe that was quick, easy, and used ingredients I had on hand. I found all three of those requirements in these White Chocolate & Fresh Cherry Blondies.

What I loved most about them was the fact that they're basically a one pot wonder. {Which obviously seems to be the theme of today's post. Love when it all ties in unexpectedly. Haha!} No muss, no fuss. {Except for all the cherry-pitting. But if you have a kitchen helper or have pitted cherries around, they do come together pretty fast.} They make a pretty yummy finished product, if I do say so myself.

If I made these again, I would try them out with a little less flour to try and create chewy texture I like in blondies. These were on the cakey side, which was still delicious, but made them seem more like a breakfast cake than a blondie. {Hmm... brunch item?!}

Awful pics, I know. :/

Now, to attempt getting back into the swing of things for the week. Let's see what these left over brain cells can do. ;)

White Chocolate & Fresh Cherry Blondies
Adapted from Lotta Madness via Tasty Kitchen


1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Approximately 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved


For drizzle:

1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 inch pan with foil {makes removal easier}. Spray lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium pot over medium-low heat, melt butter, sugar, and white chocolate chips stirring often until smooth. {Be careful not to scorch white chocolate.}

Once melted, remove from heat and stir in flour and salt. Mix to combine.

Add eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Incorporate well into batter.

Pour batter into lined pan and smooth out evenly. Top with cherries.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool slightly.

In a small bowl, microwave 1/3 cup white chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, stopping and stirring at 30 second intervals, until smooth. Drizzle over cooled blondies. {Allow chocolate to set before cutting.}

Bittersweet Chocolate-Cherry Sorbet with Fresh Cherry Compote

More often than not, I make healthy food choices. {I know that's hard to believe when you see this, this, and this.}

Luckily, I actually enjoy a lot of the veggies, fruits, and grains that are considered healthy, so it doesn't feel like I'm "being good", it just feels like I'm eating some tasty things that don't make me feel completely horrible afterwards. {Unlike how I feel when I treat myself to one of my weaknesses: French Fries.}

I've mentioned before that I think moderation is a key component to living a healthy life -- even too much of a good thing can turn not-so-good if you overdo it. I also happen to feel that life is too short to completely deprive yourself of things you love, which is why I eat some form of dessert pretty much every day.

Sometimes that means 2 Oreo cookies {Yes, I make myself stop after 2... it's an exercise in will power}. Or a scoop of Talenti Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato {even though I could easily eat the whole pint}. Other times it means a banana with some almond butter. Or Nutella straight off a spoon.

The objective here is to get a little sweetness in my life without completely going overboard and feeling bad about it afterwards. {Or having my health-nut of a husband giving me judgmental sideways glances.}

I am sure I eat more sugar than I technically should, even though I am careful about it. But, like I said, I look forward to a sweet treat and think it's ok to allow a moderate indulgence without going too crazy about it.

Anyway, the reason I'm yammering on about this is because this Bittersweet Chocolate-Cherry Sorbet is a good way to get your daily dessert fix without crossing into deep fried, butter-laden, cream filled territory.

Yes, it's got a bit of sugar. But it's also got a nice richness that you wouldn't expect from something without milk or cream, which is a nice surprise for your well-behaved taste buds.

Topped off with a fruity Fresh Cherry Compote, you will be more than satisfied with just a scoop, and still slip right into your skinny jeans at 1.3 grams of fat and just under 200 calories per serving.

Now that's what I call having your scoop & eating it too. :)

Bittersweet Chocolate-Cherry Sorbet with Fresh Cherry Compote
via Cooking Light 

Sorbet:

3/4 cup red cherry jam {I used Favorit brand}
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa {I used Ghiradelli}*
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups water

Compote:

1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 pound fresh cherries, pitted & halved

Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in water.

Bring to a boil for about a minute, then remove from heat.

Pour into a heat safe bowl to cool {I used a glass baking dish}, and bring to room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. {If you are in a rush, you can put it in the freezer for about 1-2 hours until it is cold.}

Pour mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker, and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe storage container and freeze for an hour to harden slightly.

For Compote:

Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over fresh cherries and toss together gently. Leave mixture to at room temperature for about 1 hour.

To Serve:

Spoon 1/4 cup compote over a scoop of sorbet.

*I only had slightly sweetened cocoa on hand, so I reduced the sugar amount a bit to compensate.