Homemade Honey Sweetened Whipped Cream {Real Food + Nourishing}

WHIPPED CREAM - it's a love or hate kind of thing.  I love it, but only if it's homemade.  And I mean made with REAL ingredients, not any of that processed junk.  I rarely have it because I can't stand whipped cream in any other form.  Do you know what's in store bought FAKE whipped cream?  Corn Syrup, Refined Sugar, Artificial Flavors, Carrageenan ... YUCK, no thank you.  And then there's the fluffy kind that comes in the round container ... guess what, it's loaded with Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil ... gross!

Homemade Whipped Cream is SO EASY TO MAKE!  When you make it with REAL, healthy, nourishing ingredients, you can't go wrong.  

The next time you're in need of some whipped cream, please make some on your own.  It literally takes minutes to make and the result is so worth it.    

HOMEMADE HONEY SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

Perfectly sweet, simple and delicious ... this Honey Sweetened Whipped Cream is oh so good!

Equipment: Large Mixing Bowl w/ high sides, Hand-Held Mixer or Standing Mixer

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• 2 cups organic whipping cream or raw cream * {See Resources}
• 2-3 tablespoons raw honey {I use raw local creamed clover honey}
• 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract 

1.  In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream, honey and vanilla extract on high until it forms stiff peaks.  [Note: Make sure to use a large mixing bowl with high edges or the liquid will go everywhere when you turn the mixer on.]  

2.  Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.  

Yield: Makes about 4 cups.

Tips: Make sure the cream is very cold; keep it refrigerated until ready to use.  Chill your mixing bowl and whisk/beaters in the freezer for about 15 minutes before using. 

Storage: Cover and store in the refrigerator.  Keeps well for about 2 hours ... we have left it in the refrigerator and still enjoyed it the next day.    

Serving Suggestions: Dollop on a piece of pie or cake, layer into trifles or parfaits, serve with fresh fruit, spoon onto Strawberry shortcakes, puddings, ice cream or milkshakes ... or just eat it by the spoonful.  

* Use dairy from pastured cows if possible and/or try to find a quality organic product like Straus Family Creamery; their cows graze on lush grass in Marshall, CA near Tomales Bay and they do not ultra-pasteurize their products.  For California residents, check out my favorite raw milk/cream from Claravale Farm.  They sell to stores and co-ops all over CA.

RECIPES TO ENJOY WITH YOUR HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM:

• Honey Sweetened Hot Chocolate
• Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream
• Strawberry Milkshake
• Mini Warm Chocolate Cakes 
• Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Amazon 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.

Mexican Hot Chocolate {Vegan Option}

I LOVE Hot Chocolate, especially during this time of year.  When I was a little girl my grandma would make it for me every morning when I stayed with her.  It was such a special treat and created a long time love of the delicious, warming drink.  

My husband grew up drinking Mexican Hot Chocolate with the traditional Ibarra Mexican chocolate.  I was so thrilled when I found TAZA chocolates at our local natural foods co-op.  TAZA is organic, stone ground {like traditional Mexican chocolate} and made with healthier ingredients than the traditional version.  I had been wanting to make Mexican Hot Chocolate for my husband for a long time ... finally, with this Mexican style chocolate I could!  And to my surprise, I ended up loving it.  I thought it would be too spicy for me, but the heat it just perfect and the flavor is divine!  My husband said it was the best hot chocolate he had ever had, better than the authentic version he grew up with.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

  
Mexican Hot Chocolate

Equipment: Cutting Board, Knife or Standing Grater, Medium-Size Sauce Pan

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• 2 cups organic or raw whole milk {See Resources} or full fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 2.7 ounces of TAZA chocolate {I use 1 Cinnamon disc and 1 Guajillo Chili disc}
• 1-2 tablespoons honey {I use raw local creamed clover honey}
• 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest {optional}
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Chop or grate the TAZA chocolate discs. 

2. Add all ingredients to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat {low heat for raw milk} until all chocolate is melted - for about 5-7 minutes or until desired temperature.

3. Serve immediately. 

Yield: 2 servings

Vegan-Option: Use full fat coconut milk {this brand is bpa free, organic and non-gmo} and organic maple syrup grade B.

TAZA Chocolate: Other delicious flavors - Orange, Ginger and Vanilla discs, mix it up by using different chocolate discs.  If the chili heat is too much for you, omit and use just Cinnamon discs or Cinnamon and Orange discs.  Or if you want more spice, use all Guajillo Chili discs and increase the ground cinnamon to 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon.

Looking for another version that has no spice/heat? Check out my 

Honey-Sweetened Hot Chocolate recipe.

Amazon 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 Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and Allergy-Free Wednesdays @ The Tasty Alternative.

Raspberry Vanilla Butter Cookies

This is another example of what my mother calls a "cuppa tea cookie". It's the kind of cookie that goes perfectly with a hot cup of tea or coffee but I have to say I had 2of them with a tall glass of cold milk yesterday and that was totally delicious too. These are soft and almost cakey in texture but oh so buttery and not too sweet. A simple, easy, perfect cookie.

Sift together:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream together until light and fluffy:

1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar

Add and beat well:

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fold in the dry ingredients until crumbly. Press dough into one inch balls (roll in demerara sugar if desired).  Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and press down lightly with the bottom of a water glass. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. When completely cool, sandwich 2 of the cookies together with one teaspoon of raspberry jam.

The Best Black and White Cookies by 14 year old guest blogger Olivia

Hi everyone! I’m Olivia, 14; Rock Recipes founder Barry’s daughter. This is my first official guest blogger story, and today I’m going to share one of my favourite cookies out there, the famous Black and White New York cookie. 

 Many have never even heard of the deli classic, also known as a “half moon” or an “Amerikaner”.  It is basically a light, fluffy, cakey cookie with a hint of lemon, topped with vanilla icing on one side and rich chocolate icing on the other. So simple, but boy are they good!

I had my first Black and White cookie back in 2008 during the family road trip across the eastern coast of Canada and the United States.  We stayed in New York City for three days during 4^th of July weekend, and I was nearly peeing my pants with excitement (that happened to also be my first 7/11 Double Gulp, not fun during an eight hour car ride, yikes!). 

I remember pulling out of the Lincoln Tunnel and seeing Manhattan for the first time. I was absolutely shocked by the amount of people, traffic and places; I myself had never been more than a few hours away from St. John’s NL, quite a different environment than the bustling metropolis Manhattan. My brother Noah and I were unusually quiet those days; partly because we were so excited we had no words to describe it, partly because we were shaking in our skin due to the fact we had never been more terrified in our lives. ;)

We stayed just outside of Times Square in the Milford Plaza. That first day, I was overcome with the amount of food there was! Fast food joints around every corner, diners, crazy street vendors, there was so much variety! As the day came to a close, just as I had finished my very first experience of the bliss of a Nathan’s Hot Dog, dad suggested we go to the deli across the street from the hotel to grab a snack. There, in that deli, I saw it. A fat cookie approximately the size of my head perfectly coated in vanilla and chocolate which met straight down the middle. I took a bite down the center, and knew this was the cookie for me, and trust me- I know a good cookie!

So four years later I remembered the black and white cookies as I was looking through our road trip album, and was determined to make them for Rock Recipes. My first batch was unfortunately a flop, much too dense and not sweet enough, like an overdone pancake. With some alterations I whipped out a second batch, and I found my perfect New York Black and White Cookie! Soft and cakey with a perfect crumb and a slight lemony flavor, enrobed in a smooth buttery vanilla icing and rich chocolate, so uh yeah, they’re amazing.

So without further ado, my take on the Black and White Cookie… and if a fourteen year old can do it, so can you! ;)

Makes 2 dozen large or 3 dozen smaller cookies.

Preheat oven to 375degrees F.

Sift together and set aside:

2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together very well:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter

Add one at a time, beating well after each addition:

4 large eggs

Add:

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp very finely minced lemon zest

Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with:

1 1/2 cups milk

Be sure to begin and end your additions with the dry ingredients. Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 to 3 inches between the cookies. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies or until the center of the cookies spring back when touched. Cool completely on a wire rack. Frost the BOTTOM of the cookies with black and white frosting.

Black and White Frosting

Mix together 

1/2 cup butter

4 cups icing sugar (i.e powdered sugar)

When the butter has broken down into small pieces and the mixture is crumbly add

3- 4 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whip this mixture until it is light and fluffy. You may need a little more milk to bring it to a thick but still spreadable consistency. Reserve half of the frosting and to the other half add

3 squares melted unsweetened chocolate

1 or 2 tbsp milk

Beat until the chocolate is well incorporated and the icing is uniformly smooth.

Use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, pipe a line of vanilla frosting down the center of the cookie and carefully frost one side of the cookies with the vanilla frosting and the other side with the chocolate frosting. Leave the cookies uncovered for a couple of hours for the frosting to set. Do not stack these cookies when storing.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Scones

In the week leading up to Mothers Day we have been featuring plenty of ideas for a great celebratory brunch including over 100 ideas on our Pinterest Brunch Board. Our final suggestion in time for the occasion is another version of our very popular cheesecake scones, this time featuring a favorite combination of raspberry, chocolate and vanilla. Yes, these are just as utterly delicious as they look. How bad can cheesecake chunks baked right into a scrumptious scone be anyway?

To prepare the cheesecake mix together:

One 8 ounce block cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

Pour into a parchment lined loaf pan. (I have some small silicone loaf pans that were perfect for this purpose)

Bake at 300 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is set. Cool completely before placing in the freezer overnight. Remove the parchment paper from the cheesecake and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Return the frozen cubes to the freezer until ready to add to the scone dough.

I start the scone dough in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.

In a food processor, combine:
2 3/4 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar (optional, these actually work as a no sugar added recipe)
5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Cut in:
¾ cup very cold butter, cubed
Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. It is very important that pea sized pieces of butter remain in this mixture.

Mix together:

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a fork only enough to form a dough ball. When the flour is almost incorporated, fold in

the frozen cheesecake cubes

1 ½ cups frozen raspberries

Frozen berries work well because they are less delicate and easier to incorporate into the scone dough It is important that you work this dough as little as possible or the finished scones will be too dense and heavy.

If desired you can brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash of 1 egg beaten together with 1 tbsp water. You can sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired but this is, of course, optional but is shown in the photo.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter. This recipe makes 8 large scones.

To make 16 smaller scones make smaller triangles or use a small biscuit cutter and bake for only about 15 - 20 minutes.

Chocolate Glaze

Melt together

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 tbsp butter

Blend in until smooth:

1/2 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
2 tbsp milk

Drizzle over the warm scones

Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Pudding

Back in February I was honored to exchange guest posts with my friend Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama.  In case you missed the post, here's my Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Pudding recipe.  Please head over and make sure to check out Hybrid Rasta Mama, her site is fabulous, she writes about conscious parenting, real food, natural living,  holistic health and more.  Check out her latest post The Ancient Art of Fermentation ... it's fabulous. 

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Decadent, nourishing, creamy and smooth, this chocolate pudding is so delicious!

Chocolate, raspberry AND avocado?  Really?  Yes!  Avocado is full of healthy fats, protein, vitamin E and makes the pudding so creamy and smooth.  The raw cacao powder adds a bold, chocolaty flavor, it’s full of antioxidants and very high in magnesium and iron.  The raspberries are also an excellent source of antioxidants and are high in vitamin C.

Enjoy this rich pudding as a snack or for dessert.  It makes a wonderful dip too. 

Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Pudding

It’s a perfect snack for kids (or adults), cut up some chunks of fresh fruit and serve it as a cold fondue.  Don’t worry, the “green” flavor of the avocado will be masked by the other ingredients. 

Equipment: Food Processor, Fine Mesh Strainer, Medium-Size Bowl, Spoon

·      1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries

·      1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice – use Meyer lemons if you can

·      1-2 tablespoons filtered water

·      2 ripe avocados, remove skin and pit, quarter

·      ¼ - ½ cup raw honey (I use local raw clover creamed)

·      ¼ cup raw cacao powder (I use Divine Organics)

·      1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)

FOR THE FULL RECIPE visit Hybrid Rasta Mama 

Chocolate Swirl Vanilla Crumble Coffee Cake

 

What a great centerpiece to a weekend brunch this amazing coffee cake would make. Everyone at that table would surely be appreciative of this moist, delicious collision of chocolate and vanilla. I've always considered coffee cake to be a big slice-able muffin and as I'm writing this, I am thinking, "Maybe I should have made this as coffee cake muffins."; perhaps that's an idea for the future.

There is also a great combination of textures in this cake with the addition of a vanilla shortbread crumble topping and a drizzle of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache. This new recipe may well be my new favorite go-to coffee cake for my weekend brunches.

Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or bundt cake pan very well and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare the vanilla crumble by pulsing together in a food processor until well combined.

2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To prepare the cake batter begin by sifting together

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together at high speed until very foamy

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract

 

In a large measuring cup melt
1/2 cup butter, then mix in

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Slowly add this butter and oil mixture to the egg and sugar mixture as it continues to beat.

Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

When alternating wet and dry ingredients, always begin and end with the dry mixture. Here I folded in the flour in three divisions and the milk in two divisions.

Divide the batter in two equal portions and pour half of the batter into the greased and floured pan.

To the remaining half of the batter quickly beat in

1/3 cup cocoa

3 tbsp milk

Spoon the chocolate batter in large spoonfuls all over the surface of the vanilla batter in the pan. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl the chocolate batter through the vanilla batter in a random pattern.

Add the crumble topping by squeezing together handfuls of the crumb mixture and breaking off small pieces which get scattered all over the surface of the batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The toothpick test is definitely the best way to ensure this cake is fully baked. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack covered in a clean tea towel. Remove the pan and then placing another wire rack on top and flipping the cake again so that the crumble is on top. Serve warm or cold. You can drizzle some chocolate ganache over the top if you like.

Chocolate Ganache

In a double boiler melt together

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup whipping cream

Spoon the ganache into a Ziploc bag and snip off a corner with scissors, then squeeze the ganache through the hole all over the surface of the cake.