Homemade Cherry Ice Cream Bon Bons {Dairy-Free Option}

CHOCOLATE + CHERRIES go so perfectly together!  

With this heat wave going on in Northern California, I knew I had to make some homemade ice cream ... I mean why not?  Ice cream is mandatory when summer heat hits!  At least it is in my book.  

One of my family's favorite fruits is cherries.  We all love them + I love ice cream, so I decided to make homemade cherry ice cream for us.  But I didn't stop there, I decided to make something extra special ... 


CHERRY ICE CREAM BON BONS 

I am super excited to be sharing this delicious + sweet recipe over at one of my favorite blogs today ... Live Simply!  

These dainty little bites of cherry ice cream covered in chocolate are out of this world!  

Head over to LIVE SIMPLY to get the full recipe for these Homemade Cherry Ice Cream Bon Bons!

If you haven't visited Kristin's beautiful blog yet, make sure to check out some of my favorite recipes ... Beet Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Mustard Dressing, chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies + Brownies {these are SO delicious ... trust me, you're going to want to make these often}.  She's got wonderful DIY recipes too like her Homemade Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion {without coconut oil} + Homemade Neosporin.  

HAVE YOU EVER MADE BON BONS BEFORE?  SUMMER IS THE PERFECT TIME TO GIVE IT A TRY! 

{{ Check out my Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream Bon Bons recipe too.}}

This post is shared at Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop + Allergy Free Wednesday @ Tessa the Domestic Diva. 

Cherry Mint Lemonade {Honey Sweetened}

Spring is here!!!  This means cherries are in season!  

This gorgeous pink Cherry Mint Lemonade was so much fun to make.  Little Love requested we make homemade lemonade, and I was craving cherries ... so of course we had to make some. 

Organic Cherries + Mint + Raw Local Honey + Organic Lemons = EPIC Lemonade    

I’m super excited to be guest posting today for The Spring Dish {PLANT POWER} blog series at With Food + Love! 

I was so honored when Sherrie at With Food + Love asked me to do a guest post for this awesome series.  Sherrie is a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach "specializing in helping women and families eat clean, cook well and feel good."  Her blog is filled with beautiful photography, delicious recipes and healthy living tips.    

For the entire month of May, With Food + Love is hosting The Spring Dish {PLANT POWER} blog series, featuring delicious, seasonally fresh, healthy, plant-based recipes brought to you by the fabulous women behind With Food + Love, In the Kitchen, Keepin' It Real, Live Nourished, The Clever Carrot, GirlMakesFood, Tasty Yummies, and yours truly.  A special thanks to Sherrie for coming up with this wonderful idea and for hosting this blog series. xo

Please make sure to visit With Food + Love to check out Sherrie's awesome blog.  And while you're there, make sure to check out these fabulous recipes already posted: Spring Onion Farinata, {Chilled} Golden Beet Soup, {Warm} Watermelon Radish Salad, and Strawberry Mache Salad with Tamari Roasted Pepitas. 

So off you go ... ENJOY!  

Get the RECIPE HERE.

Little Love straining the Cherry Mint Simple Syrup

Get the RECIPE HERE.

This post is part of Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simple Sugar and Gluten Free, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Allergy-Free Wednesdays @ Laura's Gluten Free Pantry, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ My Humble Kitchen, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, and Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade.

Cranberry Cherry Apple Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite things to make for the holidays.  I love how it fills the house with its sweet aroma.  

I have been making this cranberry sauce for many years.  It reminds me of the one that my mom would make (with apples and orange juice) when I was growing up.  I love the flavor combination and the addition of the extra fruit.  I’ve tried to mix it up over the years and add different things like fresh ginger, cloves, fresh apple juice, more honey, etc. but I always come back to this recipe, it’s my all time favorite. 

Cranberry Cherry Apple Sauce

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Make this sauce the day before your holiday meal.  It keeps well in the refrigerator and tastes even better the next day. 

Equipment: Medium-Size Saucepan w/ Lid, Cutting Board, Microplane Zester or Standing Grater with Zester, Optional Food Processor

·      1 ½ cups fresh organic cranberries (frozen is fine)

·      1 cup frozen organic sweet cherries

·      1 medium-size organic apple (I use Fuji), peeled and finely diced

·      Zest of organic orange

·      1 organic orange (I use Valencia), halved and juiced

·      2 organic cinnamon sticks (I buy cinnamon sticks here)

·      ½ cup honey (I use local raw clover honey)

1.    Wash cranberries, apple and orange.  Peel and finely dice apple.  Zest orange with microplane zester/standing grater zester.  Cut orange in half to juice. 

2.   Place cranberries, frozen cherries, diced apple, orange zest, cinnamon sticks and honey in saucepan.  Squeeze/juice orange halves over fruit, any pulp that falls into the saucepan is fine. 

3.   Cover saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove lid and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer about 30-35 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  [Note: Sauce will thicken more as cooled/refrigerated.]

4.   If you prefer a chunkier cranberry sauce, remove cinnamon sticks and leave as is.  If you prefer a smoother sauce, remove cinnamon sticks and add contents to a food processor.  Pulse to combine until smooth. 

5.    Transfer to a glass storage dish, cover and refrigerate for later (you can serve immediately if you prefer a warm/hot cranberry sauce).  Store in the refrigerator.    

Yield: Makes about 3 cups.

Note: If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add another ¼ - ½ cup honey.  I use Valencia oranges because they tend to be sweeter than Navel oranges this time of year, they also tend to be juicier – Navel oranges tend to be more tart and have less juice.  I prefer using a sweeter apple, Fuji is usually the least expensive at my local co-op, but any sweet apple would work fine.

Vegan-Option: Coconut palm sugar or organic maple syrup grade B could be substituted instead of honey. 

Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish. 

This post is part of Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Allergy-Free Wednesdays @ Laura's Gluten Free Pantry, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Real Food Holiday Recipe Link Up @ Hybrid Rasta Mama, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health.