Cannoli Ice Cream

Hey, everyone! I can hardly believe it, but this is my 200th post on this blog! It’s been just over a year and a half since I started, and you’ve all been a great audience. Thanks for all the support! So, without further ado, my 200th post! (hope it lives up to your expectations)

 

Mmmm, cannolis… there’s nothing quite like a fresh cannoli when you’re in the mood for something rich, creamy, and decadent. Unless, of course, it’s cannoli ice cream. What’s that, you say? Cannoli ice cream? Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? It totally is. Rich, creamy ricotta ice cream, flecked with orange zest and studded with chocolate chips and pistachios. It really is delicious, and when served in a sugar cone or with a pizzelle cookie, really does taste like a frozen cannoli. I will note, however, that it freezes pretty hard– harder than many homemade ice creams– so you may want to remove the container from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving to make it more scoopable. Totally worth the wait. (the scoop pictured above is a bit small because people ate it all before I got my camera out, not because it was hard to scoop!)

Ready to make some?

Frozen Key Lime Tartlets with Secret Ingredient!

I am indebted to my dad for this recipe, as he’s always been one for making simple desserts that nevertheless end up tasting fantastic. (I still remember him blending up instant chocolate jello pudding with a peppermint Altoid and pouring it into a chocolate crumb crust– easiest chocolate pie ever!)  Anyway, he made me try this recipe the last time I visited home and I’ve been making it ever since.

The filling, which you can pour into a graham cracker crust to make a pie, into dishes to make pudding, or into mini muffin tins to make tartlets, is amazingly simple– you just blend together your basic ingredients and you’re set! I admit to making things a bit more complicated with a homemade graham cracker base, but the basic recipe is fantastic just as it is– creamy, tangy, perfect for summer. Plus, unlike other key lime recipes I’ve seen, it’s got (secret ingredient!) low-fat cottage cheese in it rather than cream cheese, sour cream, or egg yolks, making it a healthy (okay, slightly healthier) alternative to the standard dessert!

Ispahan Granita

Having missed a home run with my first try at the Ispahan flavor palette (though I’d say it was a respectable double, at least), I thought I’d give it another shot with the Ispahan Granita. This one doesn’t try to replicate the distinctive richness, creaminess, or lightness of the original dessert, but focuses solely on the fruity and floral aspects.