Sisters Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate {Recipes: Peanut Butter Ice Cream and Homemade Magic Shell}

Years ago, one of the best treats my sister and I would go out for was chocolate dipped peanut butter ice cream cones from Swensen's Ice Cream. At that time there were lots of Swensen's around, and the one we used to go to was in San Luis Obispo, CA. Now the only one I know of in CA is the original one in San Francisco. Maybe someday I'll make it to San Francisco and visit Swensen's again, but until then I came up with my own recipe for Peanut Butter Ice Cream and Magic Shell for dipping or serving poured over the ice cream. 

In addition to making Peanut Butter Ice Cream, I made a version with Biscoff Cookie Butter because my daughter is allergic to peanuts. It's a toss up which one is better; they are both delicious! My daughter thinks the Biscoff Cookie Butter Ice Cream is the best I have ever made! If you are a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup fan, which I am, this Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Magic Shell is for you! 

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

This ice cream is adapted from a Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe that came with my Cuisinart Duo Ice Cream Maker that was purchased around 2003.   

1 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky (I use Laura Scudder All Natural Smooth Peanut Butter)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and brown sugar using a hand mixer set on low. Add milk to peanut butter mixture and continue to mix with the hand mixer set on low until sugar is dissolved.  (It's a little difficult to tell if the sugar is dissolved with natural peanut butter because the peanut butter is a little grainy. Mixing for a couple of minutes should be long enough to dissolve the sugar.) Stir in heavy whipping cream and vanilla. 

2. Pour into ice cream maker and process according to your ice cream maker's instructions. 

Makes about 1 quart. 

Variation: for Homemade Biscoff Cookie Butter Ice Cream, substitute Biscoff Cookie Butter for peanut butter and use 1/2 cup granulated sugar instead of 3/4 cup brown sugar. Also, add a pinch of salt. 

Homemade Magic Shell

There are many recipes for this on Pinterest and elsewhere, they are all basically the same. All homemade Magic Shell is chocolate and coconut oil. More coconut oil can be added to make a thinner chocolate shell and less coconut oil will make a thicker one. Semi-sweet chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips would work as well. 



1 11.5 ounce package milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil

Place ingredients into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the chips are completely melted, about 1-2 minutes total time. Let cool to room temperature. Spoon over ice cream, let harden a bit, then enjoy!

Store in an air tight microwave safe container at room temperature or refrigerator. If stored in the refrigerator, it will have to be reheated again in 30 second increments. Stored at room temperature, mixture should remain pourable, if not reheat for few seconds in the microwave until desired consistency is reached. 






Enjoy!

That's Right, We're Basic {Recipe: Potato Salad}

It took a long time for me to come around to liking potato salad. Potatoes swimming in mayo with pickles and celery just does not appeal to me. It doesn't help that when I finally tried it at a family picnic I got food poisoning. It probably wasn't the potato salad, but that is what I blamed it on. Anyway, the Old Fashioned Potato Salad at Trader Joe's caught my attention a few years ago and I decided to try it; my family and I loved it! It is a good basic, no frills s potato salad (although if you go to their website they have recipes to dress it up). This is my homemade version of Trader Joe's potato salad. 

Potato Salad

My family and I like a very basic potato salad that is a little on the dry side. This recipe can easily be adjusted to taste. More mayonnaise can be added, different vinegars can be used, dill relish instead of sweet, and red onions instead of green are just a few ideas to change up this recipe. 

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise 
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon yellow mustard or your favorite mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus a bit more to garnish top of salad

1. Place prepared potatoes in a large stock pot and add enough water to come about 1 inch above the potatoes. Bring potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat, add kosher salt, then reduce heat to medium. Cook potatoes until they are just fork tender, about 8-10 minutes. Be Be careful not too over cook potatoes or they will be mushy. Drain potatoes and return to stock pot; toss with apple cider vinegar and let cool to room temp. 

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, mustard, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. 

4. Place cooled potatoes into a large mixing bowl, add hard boiled eggs and green onions. Gently stir in mayonnaise mixture until well combined. Cover and chill for a couple of hours.  Garnish with chopped green onion just before serving, if desired. Serve chilled.

Makes about 8 servings.

Enjoy!