[ice cream week] no churn mississippi mud ice cream + a giveaway

what says summer better than ice cream? unfortunately, ice cream can be tricky and time consuming to make. the thought of whipping some up pretty much never crossed my mind.

i discovered no churn ice cream thanks to beth a few weeks ago, and i gotta say, there is no better way to make some ice cream quickly. it's rich, creamy, tastes amazing and is the easiest thing ever! you can customize it any way you want, from simple vanilla, to fruit, to richer flavors like chocolate, peanut butter or caramel. it's a total blank slate. keep the base - whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk - the same, and add any flavor combination you please.

i've got some great memories of having mississippi mud cake at mary ann's in fairhope, sans pecans. it's a super rich, moist chocolate cake with marshmallows galore, and i knew it would transfer to ice cream seamlessly. needless to say, my friends and roommate devoured this stuff.

 

no churn mississippi mud ice cream

1 14 ounce can condensed sweetened milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons hershey's special dark cocoa
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

in a large bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. fold in condensed sweetened milk, cocoa, marshmallows and chopped pecans. once combined, put into freezer safe container. top with additional marshmallows and pecans. freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

i teamed up with 18 other bloggers to share innovative ice cream recipes with you and to bring you a delectable ice cream making giveaway. we're using the hashtag #weekofsundaes on social media this week. check out our blogs to see all of our innovative ice cream recipes throughout the week: ashley at spoonful of flavor // ashley at cookie monster cooking // madison at wetherills say i do // erin at the speckled palate // julia at tag & tibby // leandra at love & flour // molly at hey there sunshine // nick at macheesmo // meredith at meredith noelle // heather at sugar dish me // linda at brunch with joy // katie at twin stripe // erica at crumby cupcake // beth at bethcakes // meghan at cake ‘n knife // dan at the food in my beard // bethany at bethany grow // cate at chez cateylou // susannah at feast + west

one lucky winner will get this big ice cream making prize pack that's worth more than $265! see the rafflecopter below to enter to win this amazing set. the prize pack includes:

• a cuisinart pure indulgence 2-quart automatic frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream maker with double-insulated 2-quart freezer bowl // $165 value
• a chef's choice waffle cone express ice cream cone maker // $70 value
• set of four 6-ounce tovolo mini sweet treats tubs // $13 value
• a zeroll original ice cream scoop // $19.95 value

giveaway rules:

1. enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter widget below. everyone gets a free entry! you can enter multiple times, up to 20 additional entries by following the ice cream week contributors on social media. (if you’ve followed in the past, that counts! just enter the info as prompted.) all entries will be verified. no purchase is necessary to win.
2. the giveaway is open until monday, sept. 7, 2015 at 10 a.m. est. one winner will be chosen at random and emailed within 48 hours. winners must claim prize within 48 hours of initial contact. the retail value of the prize is $265. prizes shown in the graphic are the only ones available.
3. open to u.s. residents with a valid shipping address only. must be 18 years of age as of aug. 17, 2015.

a rafflecopter giveaway

perfect & simple brownies

these are so, so easy and foolproof, but i couldn't not share them. this was my first time using this recipe and i'm not sure why it took me so long! i found it via pinterest.

if you like fudgey brownies with just the right layer of crisp, you will never need another recipe in your entire life. yes, i mean that. i italicized it, after all (salinger & i would get along).

you will need...

• 1 + 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4cup flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip 

in the original recipe, the quality of the chocolate is stressed, and this is so important! because the recipe is so simple, the chocolate itself really shines through. i used ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder and ghirardelli chocolate chips -- so be sure to splurge for some nice chocolate, no hershey's!

preheat your oven to 325 degrees. no need for a mixer -- toss everything into a bowl and stir until just combined. be sure not to mix it too much. add in your chocolate chips, grease your pan 8x12 pan and voila! i baked mine for exactly 30 minutes and then let them cool.

i'm never making brownies from a box again. these literally come together in minutes and are absolutely the best i've ever had! enjoy!

recipe via cook like your grandmother.

mexican hot chocolate

-cough- so, i've been sick. all last week i was struggling to breathe & keep my eyes open. i've finally gotten over the worst and i'm functional now. is it thanksgiving yet? can i just fast forward? something about turkey & family sounds awesome right now.

i was reminded of the lovely combination that is chocolate and chipotle when i recalled a dessert i had at the wonderful el barrio in birmingham. it was a chocolate creme with, you guessed it, a chipotle kick. i fell in love with the flavor. this might even be good if you drank it cold!

• 1 package hot chocolate mix (make it with milk, not water!)
• 2-3 pinches chipotle powder
• 2-3 pinches cinnamon
• 1-2 pinches nutmeg
• whipped cream

recipe adapted from real simple.

ps; do you like my little cheap silver target tree in the background? i sure do.

chocolate cupcakes with raspberry icing

i love raspberries, and i love chocolate. thus, its one of my favorite combinations. you can take the chocolate raspberry love a step further with these cupcakes and fill them with raspberry jam, but i couldn't find my tiny decorating tips and had nothing to pipe the filling with. this cake is moist and the icing is pretty unique. i found 6 cups of sugar in the frosting to be a bit much, but modify it to your tastes!

for the cupcakes:

• 9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 & 1/2 cups flour (or cake flour, which i didn't use)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup strong coffee
• 1/2 cup milk

preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit. line cupcake pan with cupcake liners of your choice. combine the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking and baking powder in a bowl and whisk or sift. in another large bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about five minutes. add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

brew your coffee and combine it with the milk. add half of the dry ingredients to your butter, egg and sugar mixture. next, add the coffee and milk mixture. add the rest of the dry ingredients and turn off the mixture just after all ingredients have combined. divide the batter in the cupcake pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

i chose not to fill my cupcakes, but if you desire to do so: heat up some seedless raspberry jam in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, then put it into a piping bag with a thin, circular tip. simply poke a whole in the top of the cupcake and pipe some filling inside. 

for the frosting:

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar (to taste - i only used about 4 1/2)
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• pink food coloring

combine the butter and raspberry jam and cream them together until smooth. gradually add the powdered sugar, and finally, the pink food coloring as desired. garnish with a raspberry!

recipe adapted from annie's eats.

decadent chocolate lava cake

how in the world do you make chocolate lava cake? i imagined it to be some divine, unreachable feat only achieved by accomplished chefs and bakers. but why? was it really that difficult for me to imagine that lava cake, simply, is under-baked cake? lava cake still rests on a pedestal of divinity in my mind, but for reasons aside from it's supposed difficulty : the taste.

this cake is rich, and that's an understatement. if you're baking for a romantic dinner for two, i'd suggest baking one. i made two and neither my boyfriend or i could finish ours, though we tried. depending on the size of your ramekins, this recipe could make 2, 3 or even 4 cakes.

special thank to chef john of foodwishes for this recipe. i've been watching his videos non stop.

• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3.5 oz. dark chocolate - i used gharidelli 60% cocoa
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 teaspoons cocoa powder - i used nestle
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

1. combine eggs & sugar in a bowl and beat with a whisk or electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. slice butter into chunks for easier melting, and break pieces of chocolate up as well. combine in a bowl and microwave until melted and creamy. combine butter and chocolate mixture with eggs and sugar.
3. add sifted cocoa powder and flour, whisk together.
4. add vanilla, pinch of salt and combine.
5. butter your ramekin dishes sufficiently, or spray with cooking spray. fill your ramekins as desired with lava cake batter. cover with plastic wrap and let chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. after chilling, preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. place your ramekins in a casserole dish spaced apart, then fill the casserole dish with warm water; the water doesn't have to be boiling, i got mine from the sink. i filled the dish until the water was halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
7. put the dish in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. your cooking time will vary depending on your oven. however, the desired result is just a crusted outside with gooey interior, so don't worry about it too much! i baked mine for around 17 minutes.
8. let your lava cakes cool in the casserole dish for 10-15 minutes.
9. once they've cooled, you might need to use a knife around the edges of the cake inside to make sure it slides out easily. put a plate on top of your ramekin, flip, and you're done! sprinkle with powdered sugar as desired. adding a raspberry or caramel sauce on top would also be a great addition.