Fried Ice Cream and Strawberry Margaritas!

Cinco de Mayo is Sunday.  Here in America, it's a great reason to get out, immerse yourself in the culture and enjoy some authentic Mexican cuisine and drink.  If you can't get out, today I'm bringing it to you!

Now, who remembers Chi-Chi's?  If you've never heard of the place, it was a "Mexican" restaurant chain and we had one locally.  My recollection was that the food was terrible, and the restaurant seemed kinda dark and for lack of a better word, gross.  Perhaps just some of the reasons Chi-Chi's are no more.   But that didn't stop my friend Betsy and I from going to munch on free chips and salsa and share a fried ice cream.  We were cheap...we were high schoolers.

Anyway, what matters about this story is that the fried ice cream ROCKED.  I think back then your choices of toppings were chocolate, strawberry, and honey-I'm iffy on the strawberry existence.  Now, normally I'm a chocolate girl, 110%, but there is something about honey on fried ice cream that makes it AMAZING.

I miss good fried ice cream, but I'm here to say that if you miss it too or are just curious to try it, you must make this recipe because it is easy and delicious.  Plus, if you're trying to find an excuse to eat fried ice cream, then it's in celebration of Cinco de Mayo!

Disclaimer!  This is not authentic "fried" ice cream, but an amazing riff on the real thing.  Authentic is a breaded ice cream ball that has been deep fried.  If you can get your hands on some of the real thing, then obviously you must have it.

Fried Ice Cream
adapted from The Imperfect Housewife

*I chose to make this in 8, individual 4 oz. Glad containers for portion control and one 8x8 pan to take to work.  You could do a 9x13 or any size you prefer.  My ratio of crumb is same amount on top as on the bottom.

-1 stick salted butter
-6 c. cornflakes, crushed
-1 c. granulated sugar
-1.75 qt. vanilla bean ice cream
-8 oz. container whipped topping, like Cool Whip, thawed
-2 tsp. ground cinnamon
-honey and whipped cream for topping, as desired

Remove ice cream from freezer.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add crushed cornflakes and sugar.  Stir constantly for 5 minutes.  Sugar will start to melt and flakes will start to brown and caramelize.  Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to stop the cooking process.

Prep containers.  Add 2 Tbsp. of cornflake mix to the bottom of each 4 oz. container and 1 c. to bottom of 8x8 pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add ice cream.  Stir on low until it is smooth.  Add thawed whipped topping and cinnamon.  Mix on low until the ingredients are incorporated and mixture is creamy.

Work quickly to avoid a melty mess!  Add 2 level, 2 oz. scoops of ice cream mix to each 4 oz. container.  Add remaining ice cream mix to 8x8 and level with an offset spatula.  Top small containers with 2 more Tbsp. of cornflake mix, add lid and freeze.  Add remaining cornflakes to 8x8, cover and freeze.

Before serving, drizzle with desired amount of honey.  Whipped cream is optional, but yummy if you have it!

And...

Are you ready for this?!  First boozy beverage on Cookie Crazed Mama!   So how about something for Happy Hour to further celebrate Cinco de Mayo?!  Strawberry Margaritas!

Strawberry Margaritas
adapted from PBS

-16 oz. bag frozen strawberries
-1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
-6 Tbsp. water
-4 oz. tequila
-3 oz. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec
-2 small limes, juiced
-ice
-sugar or salt for rim
-fresh organic strawberries for garnish

In a medium size saucepan add strawberries, sugar, and water.  Bring to a simmer over a low/medium heat.  Continue to simmer for 30 minutes until strawberries break down and liquid appears dark and syrupy.  Remove from heat and blend in a food processor until mixture is smooth.  Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.  Transfer to a container and cover.  Refrigerate or freeze until cool.

In a cocktail shaker, add 1/3 c. strawberry puree, then layer with tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, and a handful of ice.  Shake and divide into two glasses with ice, rimmed with salt or sugar- I prefer sugar!  Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

Now sit back and relax!  You deserve it!

Frosted Soft Lemon Cookies

Oh my.  I'm starting a citrus trend, and I blame the warm/hot weather.  Orange Brownies.  Key Lime Pie.  And now these, Frosted Soft Lemon Cookies.  I'm just here to make sure y'all are getting your daily dose of Vitamin C.  Oh, and sugar.  Always sugar.

After this week I may take a little break from all this fruit, but besides these cookies I have one more fruit dessert to share with you.  A girl can only live on fruit for so long until she breaks down and goes for the chocolate.  And by "girl" I mean "me", and I need chocolate!  I'm daydreaming of Oreos.

Anyway, I had these lemons hanging around, and when I received a last minute request for a dessert I knew exactly where to go.  However there are so many delicious lemony desserts, where to begin?  I shall turn to the mighty Pinterest for inspiration!

And here's what I came up with:

Frosted Soft Lemon Cookies

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

- 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 3/4 c. granulated sugar

- 2 Tbsp. lemon zest (zest of 2 sm. lemons)

- 1 c. unsalted butter, softened

- 1 egg

- 1tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt-set aside.  In another bowl, add sugar and lemon zest.  Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar.  The idea is to infuse the sugar with the lemon flavor.  Lemon-sugar.  Good stuff.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy- a few minutes.  Scrape down sides of the bowl, add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed for several minutes.  Turn mixer on low, and slowly add flour mixture.  Stir until batter is just combined.  Batter will be thick.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough (about golf ball size) onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool cookies on sheet for a couple minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Frosting

* you could probably halve this recipe but I'd rather have enough goodness to spread around, and save the extra for something else like frosting cupcakes or filling whoopie pies-YUM!  :)

- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

- 1/2 c. vegetable shortening

- 5-6 c. powdered sugar (depending on thick/sweet you want)

- pinch of salt

- 4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (use your 2 lemons that you zested)

- 1-2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

- yellow sanding sugar (optional)

In a bowl of stand mixer, beat together butter and shortening.  With mixer on low, add powdered sugar and pinch of salt.  Beat until powdered sugar is incorporated and mixture is thick.  On low, slowly add your lemon juice and food coloring.  Turn mixer on high and beat until whipped and fluffy!

Scoop a heaping mound of frosting onto each cooled cookie and and spread around.  Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired.  Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

"Summer time and the livin's easy"!  (Ahh, Sublime)

I should change that to, "...and the pie is easy".  Not only is this pie ridiculously easy, but just the kind of dessert you want on a hot day.  Light.  Citrusy and Tart.  Cool and Creamy.  Mmm, get me a slice now.

I know there are a variety of ways to make Key Lime Pie, and some of those ways may include green food coloring.  But just because this isn't green, doesn't mean this isn't filled with Key Lime goodness.

I made this pie to accompany the Honey Lime Enchiladas I made from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I zested my limes first to use for the pie, and then used the juice for the enchiladas-no waste!  I love it!

Key Lime Pie
I have no idea where this recipe comes from.  I've been making it for so long and adapted it from different sources.  I only had this recipe hand written on a piece of paper with random changes and notes.  So if you notice the same recipe somewhere else, please let me know!

- 1 pre-made graham cracker crust
- 1 (14 oz.) can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1/2 c. key lime juice- I use Nellie & Joe's 100% Key Lime Juice which I find at local grocers
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp. lime zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake graham cracker pie shell for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven.

In a bowl, whisk together my hand or hand mixer, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, egg yolks, and lime zest.  Pour creamy mixture into partially baked graham cracker shell.  Return to oven and bake 12-15 minutes.  Center should be firm, and only give a very slight jiggle.  Cool on wire rack.

Topping
- 1 c. sour cream-yes, sour cream not heavy
- 1/4 c. powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla powder* or extract
* my vanilla powder looks like vanilla beans, and that is the flecks you see in my topping

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl.  Spread over cooled pie.  Refrigerate and chill completely before cutting and serving.

Wham, Bam, and Thank You, Ma'am!  Easy as...PIE! Enjoy!

Orange Brownies

You read that correctly, Orange Brownies.  Not Chocolate Orange Brownies- which is the perfect combination in my opinion.  But trust me, these brownies are one of the very best things I make.  And how do I know this?  Because people ask me to make them... a lot.

The thing about these brownies is that they're kinda like an old friend to me.  We hung out a lot in the beginning of my baking ventures, and as time passed and I grew more in my baking experiences, we only saw one another here and there.  But I still keep coming back to this recipe because it never fails me.

I don't know if I've ever shared this here, but my baking "re-inspiration" came from watching Paula Deen when she first got started on Food Network.  Her food wasn't complicated, she was relatable, and her dishes always look delicious, and not to mention, comforting.  Her recipes never steered me wrong, and these Orange Brownies were proof.  Everyone adored them, and me for making them, which gave me confidence to keep on baking.  And, here I am today, with many more recipes and techniques under my belt.

Orange Brownies
adapted from Paula Deen

- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 2 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp. orange extract
- 1 tsp. orange zest (zest of small orange)

Glaze:

- 2 c. confectioners sugar

- 1/4 c. orange juice (you can use the oranges you zest, but zest first, than squeeze)

- zest of small orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line and 9x13 pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt.  Add butter, eggs, orange extract and zest.  With a hand mixer, combine until all the ingredients are incorporated together and you have a nice thick batter.

Pour or scoop batter into prepared pan and evenly distribute into the pan using your spatula.  Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and using a fork, poke holes on top of the entire pan of brownies.

Make glaze by whisking all glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour glaze evenly over the top, using a spatula as need to distribute glaze evenly.  Place pan on wire rack and let cool before cutting and serving.

This recipe is truly the best to take to a summer gathering.  These brownies are moist and citrusy, lighter than "normal" brownies, which makes them perfect on a hot summer's day!

Tangerine Tea Cakes

I'm bringing you little bites of citrus.  And when I think of citrus, I think of the sunshine.  And warm weather.

So basically I'm bringing sunny, warm weather to your cold, dreary day (I'm looking at all of you northerners).  Your welcome.

In all seriousness, over the Fall and Winter seasons I tend to eat all those delicious comfort foods.  ALL comfort foods.  But they can feel a bit heavy.  Going for seconds could be a culprit too.  We'll never know.

ANYWAY, these cookies are the perfect anecdote.  Small.  Flaky. Citrusy.  Oh, and buttery.  There will be lots of butter.  I said these cookies were sunny and citrusy, not low calorie.  Never low calorie.

Also, I don't know why they are called "cakes", they are nothing like cake.  This type of cookie reminds me of the traditional Mexican Wedding Cookie - a shortbread-type cookie with nuts and then coated in powdered sugar.  These do, however, go perfectly with a cup of tea.  If that's your thing.  I happen to be a coffee girl through and through.

These cookies will smell beautiful as you pull them out of the oven.  Mmmm, orange and butter.  Oh, and did I mention they will be done in no time?  And, these are a perfect if you have no eggs in the house but really want something delicious to bake up.

Cookie Mama's Notes:
* I'm not a white chocolate fan, but when I buy it, I try to get the "good" stuff.  Cooks Illustrated recommends Ghiradelli, which is what I use.
* You could use any citrus fruit and I'm sure they'd be yummy.
* I used LorAnn Orange Emulsion in place of orange extract, I'd choose almond if you have neither.
* To have perfectly round cookies that are all the same size, here is my secret-cookie scoop/disher.  This is what I use.  I get mine at the Dayton Wasserstrom Restaurant Supply store.
* These cookies aren't supposed to be brown, they may look under-cooked when you remove them from the oven, there should be a little brown color on the bottoms though.
* To coat cookies with powdered sugar easily, place semi-cooled (mostly cooled) cookies in a gallon ziploc bag and add 1/4 c. powdered sugar per 20 cookies.  Shake and toss gently to coat.

Tangerine Tea Cakes
adapted from Savvy Eats

- 2/3 c. almonds, blanched and slivered
- 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
- 1c. unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. orange emulsion (or extract)
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Zest of 1 tangerine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine almonds and white chocolate until you have a fine grain-no large chunks.  Set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar.  Scrape sides of the bowl.  On low speed, add emulsion, flour, and salt until combined.  Mix in almond/chocolate mixture.  Mix until dough forms into a ball and all ingredients are incorporated.

Scoop and roll cookie dough and place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  I go for 12.  Makes 40 cookies.

Coat in powdered sugar once cooled-but still a little warm so sugar sticks, but doesn't melt.

Enjoy!

You can find this recipe on "Sweet as Sugar Cookies" now too!

Fruit Intentions and Blueberry Lemon Bars

Fruit Intentions.  Somewhat like good intentions, but with fruit.  You see, I have a problem.  Okay, maybe it's not like a real problem, but I can't seem to curb my fruit buying issue.  This wouldn't ordinarily seem like a problem, but when I buy fruit it seems like it gets purchased only to meet an untimely demise in my trash can.

I looooove fruit, I just don't looooove the work associated with it.  Yes, work.  I generally opt for bananas.  Simple.  You peel.  No washing, de-stemming, drying.  And right about now you could say I'm a bit lazy, and I probably wouldn't disagree.  I try to overcome this laziness practically every grocery store visit by purchasing grapes, blueberries, or strawberries with the intentions of "doing good" with them.  I'm motivated seeing them in my cart, until it gets home and is tossed in the fridge where it's long forgotten about or to be honest, ignored.  Ignored until it's a moldy, prune-like mess.

Oh the guilt!  Guilt for wasting the money.  Guilt for letting beautiful fruit go un-enjoyed.  But not today!  All I needed was some inspiration to make use of the blueberries sitting in my produce drawer.

If you're like me, and needing some fruit inspiration, this is a beautiful (and tasty) home for your fruit.  You'll pour those berries into a light and creamy batter, that has just a slight touch of lemon.  You could use raspberries or blackberries too, if those happen to be lingering in your fridge.  Or maybe you're nothing like me and perhaps even giving me the side-eye for being so strange.  It happens.

Blueberry Lemon Bars
inspired by Sugar Plum                    

Crust:
-1 package Sugar Cookie Mix
-1 stick unsalted butter, softened
-1 egg
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with foil, leaving edges hanging over.  Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Mix the crust ingredients together until combined and a dough ball forms.  Press dough evenly into the bottom of foil lined pan.  Lightly moisten your hands with water to press dough to prevent sticking.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Filling:
-12 oz. cream cheese, softened
-3/4 c. granulated sugar
-1 tsp. lemon zest
-3 Tbsp. lemon juice, approx. juice of 1 large lemon
-1 tsp. almond extract
-1/8 tsp. cinnamon
-2 large eggs
-1 pint of blueberries

1.  Cream together cream cheese and sugar.  Whip until smooth.  Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract, and cinnamon.  Mix until combined.  Add eggs, and blend into batter.  Gently fold in blueberries.

2.  Pour filling over sugar cookie crust.  Bake 20 minutes.

Topping:
-1 c. brown sugar, packed
-1 c. vanilla wafer, large crumb/chunk
-3/4 c. flour
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-dash nutmeg
-6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1.  Stir together all the dry ingredients.  Add the butter and work it into the dry mix with your fingers, a fork, or a pastry blender.  I used fingers-they work!

2.  Sprinkle topping over cooked filling.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

3.  Let bars cool at room temp until pan is cool enough to handle easily with hands, about 1-2 hours.  Cover with foil and place in the fridge until completely cool, 2-3 hours.  Pull bars out of pan using foil edges and cut as desired.  Store in fridge until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

We keep it simple.  Like my fruit.

In a Jar, In a Car...Orange Tiramisu

Tiramisu.  My husband was convinced that it was my favorite dessert.  It may or may not have something to do with the fact I was ordering it whenever we went out to dinner.  Let me see, the dessert does seem to cover many of my favorite food groups-Coffee, Alcohol, Chocolate.  Those are food groups, right?

I've never made the stuff.  Maybe because it's a dessert that is so easily accessible at restaurants.  Maybe I loved keeping it on a pedestal, like a mystic dessert that could never be touched.  So I guess this means I'm growing as a person, or something like that, because I made it-just not the traditional way.

I found this recipe for Orange Tiramisu, bookmarked it and filed it under "Various Desserts", aka, the file that rarely sees the glow of my computer screen.  I can't really say what brought it to my attention this week, but I bought myself some ladyfingers and bit the bullet.  And because I thought it would be an easier way to share, I put them in jars.  Jars are my new thing since we moved to the "country"-stop me when I begin pickling everything and start storing for the impending apocalypse.

Anyway... Dessert in a jar.  How can you resist?

What you will need:
-One recipe for Orange Tiramisu
( I found mine here, at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy)
-6, 8 oz wide-mouthed Ball jars
-1, 7 oz package of Ladyfingers

1.  Make your Orange-Rum Syrup
-1/2 c. orange juice
-1/4 c. dark rum
-1/4 c. orange liquor such as, Cointreau or Grand Marnier
-1 c. granulated sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until it thickens to a thin syrup consistency.  Remove from heat and cool.

2.  Make your Zabaglione
-6 egg yolks
-3/4 c. granulated sugar
-1/2 c. marsala wine, not the red kind
-1 lb. mascarpone cheese
-1 c. heavy cream
-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring a pot of water to a simmer.  Beat egg yolks in a heat-proof bowl until they are "fluffy" or as fluffy as yolks can get.  Mine became creamy looking and increased in volume.  Beat in sugar and marsala wine.  Place bowl over simmering water.  Whisk until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes; it will start to bubble, but do not let it boil.  Remove bowl from heat and let cool.

To make the whipped cream, if possible, place a metal bowl and your whisk attachment(s) in the freezer.  This helps the cream to thicken faster.  With the cream in your bowl start whisking slowly, add the vanilla, and then slowly increase the speed to high.  Whisk until the cream is thick and forms peaks.

Whisk cooled egg mixture with the mascarpone cheese.  Whisk until smooth; when no lumps are visible.  Fold in the whipped cream until you have a lovely thick and creamy mixture.

3.  Begin assembling your Tiramisu
-Combine 1 c. orange juice with your Orange-Rum Syrup

Pour your syrup in your best cookie-dunking cup.  Take 2 ladyfingers and cut about 1/2 inch off the ends to ensure their fit in the jar.  Give the ladyfingers and the cut off pieces a quick dunk in the syrup and place in the bottom of your jar.  Spoon a generous amount of zabaglione over the ladyfingers and repeat the layer of ladyfingers and zabaglione.  Repeat until you have filled 6 jars.

Dust the tops with cocoa powder, or using a fine plane zester, grate come bittersweet chocolate over the tops.  Garnish with orange peel if desired.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.  Share your desserts with others or keep them all to yourself... I won't tell!

These are "orangey" and not your traditional tasting tiramisu.  If you wanted to add even more orange goodness to them, zest an orange and fold in with the whipped cream of the final step in making your zabaglione.

Finally, you will have leftover zabaglione.  I highly recommend using it as another simple dessert by spooning some over fresh fruit, such as strawberries and/or blueberries.

Spring! Key Lime!

Citrus.  It's bright.  It's cheery.  It is exactly what I'm looking for in a spring day.  If you're familiar with Ohio in any way, you can start the day in a parka and then be cursing you didn't layer with a tank top and shorts underneath.  Eh.  I love four seasons, so I'm not going to complain too much.  The sun has been shining more, but for those "off" days, I have some bright, tart Key Lime Bars to remind me that sunny days will soon be here to stay...for a little while anyway.

Key Lime Bars  
by Me

Crust:
-1/2 c. or 1 stick unsalted butter; melted, browned, and cooled
-1/2 c. powdered sugar
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1 c. all-purpose flour

Filling:
-4 egg yolks
-14 oz or 1 can sweetened condensed milk
-3/4 c. key lime juice ( I use Nellie & Joe's)
-zest of small lime

Topping:
-1 c. sour cream
-3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

In a small pan or pot (preferably not one with a dark bottom) melt the butter over medium heat.  Continue cooking, it will bubble, then start stirring and watch as the butter bits start to turn brown.  It will start to smell nutty, it browns quickly, so once the bits get nice and brown, take it off the heat.  Pour the melted butter in a heat safe dish and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving sides hanging over.  Coat with non-stick cooking spray.  Using a blender, mix cooled browned butter, powdered sugar, salt and flour until combined.  Press evenly into the prepared pan and prick all over with a fork.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice (or regular lime if that's all you have), and zest until creamy and combined.  Pour over warm crust.  Return to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is firm-no jiggling when you move the pan.  Let cool on rack, and then refrigerate for 2 hours to a full day, depending on when you want to serve.

Once ready to serve, whisk together the sour cream and powdered sugar.  Pull up on parchment sides to remove bars from pan.  Spread sweetened sour cream over cooled bars.  Cut into squares, triangles, or whatever shape you desire.

Brighter & Cheerier in person!

These are very tart (and brighter and cheerier than my pics).  Cut back on the zest if you aren't prepared to really pucker.  Change your topping to something sweeter, like whipped cream or a simple dusting of powdered sugar if you aren't wrapping your mind around the sour cream topping-but aren't you curious?