Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts. Whenever we go to Chili's, I try to talk Corey into getting this (it's not too hard to convince him, he loves it too). Since I know that I'll probably be full after eating my dinner, we get it as an appetizer instead. It's a whole lot easier to bring home the rest of my meal as leftovers than it is to bring this home! I adapted this recipe from one I found online and it is absolutely divine. I can't get enough of it!

Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

Crust:
4 Tb. Butter, melted
2 Tb. sugar
1 cup cinnamon graham crackers, finely crushed (or 1 cup regular graham crackers, crushed plus 1/2 tsp. cinnamon)
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cookie:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For serving:
vanilla ice cream
chocolate syrup
caramel syrup
chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Prepare crust by mixing 4 Tb. melted butter and 2 Tb. sugar. Add graham crackers and press into baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
2. Prepare cookie layer by creaming 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add flour, soda, powder, and salt and mix until blended. Stir in coconut. Press cookie mixture over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle with 1/2 cups walnuts and press into cookie layer.
3. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, chocolate, caramel, and additional chopped walnuts.

Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream

Nothing says summer like cold, creamy, homemade vanilla ice cream. This is a super-simple ice cream recipe with no eggs in it, but it still manages to be extra creamy. I've already made this twice in the last week--first on top of warm peach cobbler, then on top of warm cookie bars, then on top of my mom's homemade chocolate sheet cake (recipe to come soon), and finally just by itself as a just-before-bed snack. It is perfectly delicious any way you eat it. Hurry and enjoy this as you soak up these last few weeks of summer!

Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream
adapted from Alton Brown

1 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup + 2 Tb. granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 tsp. vanilla extract
dash salt

In large pot, scrape vanilla bean into sugar. Rub until well combined. Stir in whipping cream milk, vanilla, and salt. Add vanilla bean pod. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool completely in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions. Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato

For my birthday earlier in the month I got a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I searched for several days for the perfect recipe to break in my ice cream maker. When I found this recipe on Proceed With Caution, I knew that I had found my recipe. It was amazing. Rich and creamy, chocolate, hazelnut goodness. Even if I never used my ice cream maker again (and don't worry, I have. Several times.) it would have been worth the $80 just to eat this gelato. It really is that good.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato
Adapted From: Giada De Laurentiis
Yield: 1 Quart

2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella
2 Tb. hot fudge topping or chocolate syrup
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts and/or mini chocolate chips (optional), for garnish

1. In large saucepan mix milk, cream and sugar over medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes).
2. In bowl of stand mixer, using a whisk attachment, whip egg yolks until thick and pale, 3-4 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix for 1 minute.
3. With mixer on low speed, pour about 1/2 cup of the warm milk and egg mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly pour the tempered eggs into the saucepan with the cream mixture. Stir constantly over very low heat until mixture thickens to a thin custard (it should coat the back of a spoon when it is dipped into the mixture), about 7 - 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and press through a strainer. Stir in the vanilla and nutella and stir until completely melted. Cool completely (about 1 hour in the fridge or 30 minutes over an ice bath). Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
5. Serve, topped with hazelnuts and/or chocolate chips if desired.