Cookies n' Cream Frozen Pie

 

Frozen treats month continues here at Badger Kitchen and the timing couldn't have been more impeccable as we're wrapping up a little two day heat wave here in Madison.  We've had a generally mild summer weather wise here which has made for some really beautiful days to enjoy the outdoors.  I'm thinking Mother Nature might be trying to make up for what felt like the coldest winter ever by giving us lots of nice weather to enjoy.

For those days when the mercury rises and the humidity comes out to frizz up everyone's hair, this cookies n' cream frozen pie is a very refreshing treat to enjoy.  It's very easy to make as you're creating somewhat of a mock ice cream.  It's more like a frozen pudding actually, kind of like April's chocolate pudding pops.  No ice cream maker or anything fancy like that is required, just a little patience while it hardens in the freezer and a little self control so you don't dip all the extra Oreos in the pie filling while it's still soft.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups crushed Oreos, separated
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups cold half-and-half cream
• 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups crushed Oreos with melted butter.  Press to the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.  Place in fridge.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat half-and-half and pudding on low speed for two minutes.  Let thicken for five more minutes.
3. Fold in whipped topping and crushed cookies.
4. Pour onto crust.  Chill in freezer for at least six hours.  Remove from freezer ten minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Best of Country Pies.

Dark Chocolate Sorbet

Welcome back to frozen treat month! All of July Badger Kitchen will be featuring frozen treats, just in time to help cool off in the summer heat! Although here in Madison it's a bit on the cooler side this week, this chocolate sorbet will be perfect for when the sun comes out this weekend!

I'm not going to lie, I was a bit discouraged with this month's theme. I pouted to my fiancé that I wouldn't be able to pull off a good frozen treat without an ice cream machine. I joked around to him saying that if this recipe didn't work, I was going to buy frozen sorbet from the store and take pictures of it as if it were my own. Luckily, that was not the case. This recipe proved my pessimistic self that even with simple ingredients and simple kitchen tools, I could pull off a pretty darn good frozen treat!

This dark chocolate sorbet is not like normal fruit flavored, refreshing sorbet, but I can tell you it will still be a hit! It has a rich, intense chocolate flavor that pairs nicely with its creamy, cold texture. And as an added bonus, it's dairy free! Anyone lactose intolerant or who chooses to eat dairy-free, this is an excellent alternative to ice cream. Get your spoons ready!

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
1 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. cocoa
pinch of salt
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. vodka

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients, except vodka, into a saucepan over medium heat.
2. While stirring often, bring mixture to a boil allowing the sugar, cocoa and chocolate chips to dissolve.
3. Once everything is dissolved, transfer to an 8x8 dish and freeze for 2 hours.
4. Using a spoon or fork, stir mixture around and bring the frozen crystals to the center of the dish. Return to freezer and stir mixture around every hour or so until sorbet is nearly firm.
5. Add the vodka and mix again. Transfer sorbet to a container and cover. Continue to freeze until it is firm to your liking. I allowed it to freeze overnight.
6. Serve with your favorite fruit or ice cream toppings!

Enjoy,
Brittany

Chocolate Pudding Pops

Frozen treat month continues! These came to be when I gave my boyfriend mono a few months ago. Oppsi. I tried to make it up to him by making him pudding, which failed. I was in a rush and not thinking. The pudding didn't get thick enough. It was pretty sad, until I thought put in the freezer! Soupy pudding was no more.

You could simply make pudding and skip the freezing, but it is summer and I think you probably should. This is super easy to make. It takes about 20 minutes in total and you probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already.

These are very chocolate-y. The addition of a little unsweetened chocolate really amps up the chocolate flavor. If you don't have any on hand, don't worry. They will still taste delicious with only semisweet or bittersweet chocolate.

I've made these with and without the addition of butter. I'm not sure that it makes a huge difference, but I like to add it. I think it gives it a little more texture and body, plus I like to think it helps the popsicles slide out of their molds easier. Who knows though.

These really are the perfect summer popsicles. They don't melt super fast and by melting I mean they turn to pudding. No dripping and sticky hands involved. Its like pudding meets ice cream on a stick, but with less melting.

If you don't have a popsicle mold, it would be totally worth trying to freeze a bowl of this pudding and eating it like ice cream. The ingredients are almost identical to those found in ice cream. The options are deliciously endless. Cool off and make these as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

xo,
April

Makes 6 popsicles
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
6 wooden popsicle sticks

Instructions:

1. Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan, Slowly whisk in the milk, in a thin steam at first so that lumps don’t form, then more quickly once the cornstarch mixture is smoothly incorporated. 
2.  Place over medium-low heat and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 7 to 10 minutes (slower over lower heat is better, to give the cornstarch time to cook), before it starts to simmer, the mixture should begin to thicken, enough that it will coat the back of a spoon. 
3. Add the chocolate, and continue stirring for another 2 to 4 minutes, until chocolate is fully incorporated and mixture is quite thick (like pudding). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
4. Let cool slightly, then pour evenly among popsicle molds (there will be about one cup of pudding leftover. That is okay though because you get pudding right away). Freeze the molds for about 30 minutes and then place popsicle sticks in molds; continue to freeze for another 4 hours before serving.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 Years Ago: Homemade Marshmallows 

Boozy Roasted Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

Summer is in full swing and we thought you could all use some recipes to help cool you off in the heat.

To kick off this months theme, Frozen Treats, I have some boozy roasted strawberry lemonade pops for us. I guess I just could not let go of last month's strawberry theme, but these popsicles really just make sense.

They bring together classic summer drinking. Everyone loves lemonade and why not add strawberries for some color and extra flavor. Then add some vodka and you have real easy summer living happening. Then freeze it all. Its a wonderful thing.


This recipe is actually perfect for this time in Wisconsin;s strawberry season. They won't be around much longer at Wisconsin farmers markets or you have more strawberries in your fridge than you know what to do with.

Like I have mentioned in a previous post, roasting strawberries is great for less than perfectly ripe strawberries (which is common with store bought berries) or too ripe strawberries. You know when they loose some of their firm juicy quality and become less pleasant to eat and will probably go bad within the next day. That is what I'm talking about when I say too ripe.

If you happen to be using local strawberries and they are on the smaller side, I would cut them in halves instead of quarters. When you roast the berries, I strongly recommend using parchment paper. I found that they stuck to tin foil.

While you roast the strawberries, start squeezing your lemons. I think squeezing your own lemons is really worth the effort. I got this amazing lemon squeezer. Amazing. It was so easy. You should get one. You won't regret it.

Heat up some water to add to your freshly squeeze lemon juice, just hot enough to dissolve some honey. Let is cool off before you add the vodka. We wouldn't wanted any of it to evaporate, duh. If you want to make these booze free for youngsters, just replace the vodka with water. No big deal.

You will fill up your popsicle molds, leaving about 1/2-inch at the top. Plop the strawberries on top of the lemonade. Some of them will sink. Some will not. The stawberries will bleed their juices into the lemonade, turning it a pretty red-pink.

Get them in the freezer. Let them chill out for a bit and then get some sticks in them. I opt to use wooden sticks, rather than the plastic things that came with my molds. I think it looks cuter and they are easy to devour.

I hope you give these a try! Maybe for Fourth of July weekend? Probably. I think it also wouldn't hurt to mix up a vodka lemonade and dip you popsicle into it, like a giant flavored ice cube. You know you want to.

Cheers,
April

Makes 6 popsicles
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pints strawberries, quartered
2 teaspoons honey
Zest of one lemon

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
4 1/2 tablespoons vodka

Popsicle mold (I use this one)
6 wooden popsicle sticks

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss strawberries, honey and lemon zest to coat. Spread strawberries evenly on prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
2. While the strawberries roast, combine warm water, lemon juice and honey, whisking to dissolve the honey. Let cool slightly. Transfer the cooled strawberries to a dish and transfer as much of their juices to the water and lemon juice mixture (I used a spatula to pool the juices together on the parchment paper and poured it into the mixture. It wasn't much). Finally, add the vodka (if you choose not to use vodka, replace it with 1/4 cup water). Prepare you popsicle mold.
3. Fill each popsicle mold about 3/4 of the way, with the lemon mixture. Top off each popsicle mold with roasted strawberries. 
4. Place the molds in the freezer for about an hour (or until firm enough to keep a popsicle stick upright) and then place a popsicle stick in each mold. Freeze for 12 hours before enjoying.

2 years ago: Grown Up Pink Lemonade