Chocolate Ice Cream

3 egg yolks (farm-fresh, local if possible)
3 cups cream (I use 1 pint heavy cream from the store (not ultra-pasteurized) and 1 cup raw)
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla (don't cheat on quality here. Makes a big difference)
1/3 cup cocoa powder processed with alkali (won't taste the same with regular cocoa powder)
3 oz. Pure Maple Syrup

Mix all together and pour into ice cream maker.
Yum!
(the quality of the cream makes a big difference on how creamy it is. You can substitute milk for cream and it will get less thick and creamy. You can buy the most expensive brand of high quality local cream for example "Black Star Dairy" in the Park Rapids area and you get a heavenly rich creamy ice cream)


P.S. For vanilla ice cream you just leave out the cocoa powder.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This must be one of my favorite cookies. They still turned out great when I substituted healthier ingredients. Be warned: this makes a large batch.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar (I used 2 cups rapadura plus about 2-3 Tbsp molasses to make it moister)
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour (I used white whole wheat pastry flour and may have added a little more when it seemed to runny)
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in the pumkin, egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinammon and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in Chocolate chips. Drop by Tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Make sure they are done or they will fall apart. Remove to wire racks to cool.

This is originally from Taste of Home or what used to be Quick Cooking Magazine.

Sorry, I have no photos but thought I would share this.

Best Banana Bread

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or regular flour)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup rapadura
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 large ripe bananas, mashed well
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
6 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Set aside. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients until combined and batter looks thick. Pour into greased pan. Bake for 55 minutes in 350 F oven.

I actually put the peeled, whole bananas in the stand mixer and mashed them in there and added the rest. Then added the flour mixture. I just made sure I only ran in to just combine, as to not overmix it.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

I was looking for a way to use some apples from the freezer and to cut down the sugar in the rhubarb recipes I have. This uses only 1 cup of sweetener (1/2 sugar, 1/2 rapadura) per 9x13 pan. Usually its 1 1/2 to 2 cups. The results were delicious and not overly sweet but just enough.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

4 cups frozen apples
2 cups fresh rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rapadura
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash salt
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup quick oats

Barely thaw apples and spread in 9 x 13 pan greased with coconut oil. Chop up rhubarb and spread over apples. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar.

Combine flour, rapadura, cinnamon, salt and oats. Cut in the butter. Spread over the apple and rhubarb. Bake in 350 oven for 35 minutes.