"Elvis" Yeasted Banana Bread Beer Doughnuts with Creamy Peanut Butter Glaze, Crumbled Bacon, & a Drizzle of Honey

"Elvis" Yeasted Banana Bread Beer Doughnuts with Creamy Peanut Butter Glaze,
Crumbled Bacon, & a Drizzle of Honey

Happy Easter, y'all! I hope that you got to catch up with friends and family, or even better, do an Easter egg hunt. I especially love Easter because of the food. I mean, I guess that goes without saying for any holiday celebration, they each revolve around a certain cuisine, course, or classic food traditions. In my family, we have always done an Easter brunch after attending our church's morning service. I live for brunch, like literally. Some classic recipes that we usually make are quiches, french toast casseroles, cinnamon rolls, eggs benedict, and a honey baked ham. Well, these doughnuts I'm featuring today should most certainly make that beloved list. Now, you're probably a little hesitant to make these, mainly because of the strange flavor combination, but trust me it works. You know how I know that? Elvis "The King" Presley had a fondness for peanut butter, banana, & bacon sandwiches, so much so that he would binge eat, sandwich after sandwich. That's my kinda man, my friends. If you can't trust me, trust Elvis... he's got culinary street cred. Now onto my recipe, I knew I didn't want to make the classic sandwiched treat. I had to rejuvenate it with a little twist and a whole lot of flavor. Enter the Elvis Doughnut. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to make a light + pillowy yeasted doughnut, no heavy or dense cake variations allowed. I scoured the internet looking for a banana flavored yeasted doughnut recipe, but to no avail. So, I had to play around with my favorite recipe, which proved to be quite the task. I kept thinking about what I could add that would banana flavor, but wouldn't compromise the lovely texture that comes from yeast + proofing. The dough includes three elements of banana... mashed ripe bananas, banana extract, and BANANA BREAD BEER. You heard me right, I found a Banana Bread Beer at my local grocery store and it tastes exactly like banana bread (epic). The only thing that you have to do is measuring out the required amount and let it become flat in the refrigerator overnight (or you can whisk the crap out of it to speed up the process). Doughnuts are already delicious, but then you add a flavored beer, and it becomes untouchable. After you fry them up, you've got to dunk n' double dip them into the Creamy Peanut Butter Glaze, so they are nice + covered.  I personally like to submerge the entire doughnut, let the excess glaze drip off, and then allow the thin coating to harden. The next step is just another dunking, but this time, you want a thick layer on the top of the doughnut. This will help to keep the toppings from falling off, and well, it also tastes so much better! Now y'all know me well enough by now that we are bacon-lovin' people. So, we fried up a whole mess of thick-cut bacon until they became extra crispy, and then we finely chopped them into homemade, rustic bacon bits. And these bacon bits cover a lot of real estate, "doughnut real estate" to be exact. All that's left for you to do is drizzling the honey for the final garnish. Who knew that these flavors could work so harmoniously with each other? Well, apparently Elvis did, and boy was he right!! Enjoy :)

Look at that thick & creamy layer of peanut butter glaze...

There's nothing more satisfying than a big 'ole stack of doughnuts!

Homemade Bacon Bits

For the Yeasted Banana Bread Doughnuts:

2 Very Ripe Bananas, Thoroughly Mashed

1C + 2T Banana Bread Beer, Flat (all of the carbonation has to be removed)

2T Milk Powder

¼C Sugar

2 ½t Active Dry Yeast

2 Whole Large eggs, Beaten

1 Stick + 2T Unsalted Butter, Browned & Cooled

1t Vanilla & Banana Flavored Extract (add the banana if you want a really strong flavor)

4 ½C AP Flour

¼t Salt & Cinnamon

A pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg

1Q Canola, For Frying

For the Peanut Butter Glaze:

1 ½C Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

4T Homemade Peanut Butter

1t Vanilla Extract

4T Whole Milk (or a little more if it is too thick)

Pinch of Salt

For the “Elvis” Doughnuts:

Yeasted Banana Bread Doughnuts, Fried

Prepared Peanut Butter Glaze

Crispy Bacon Pieces, For Topping (we used about 2-3lbs of bacon for 24 doughnuts)

Honey, For Drizzling (optional)

Directions:

1. To Flatten the Beer:Measure out the banana bread bear and leave open overnight, or pour beer into a bowl and whisk vigorously to remove some carbonation.
2. For the Mashed Bananas Component: Place the ripe bananas into a mixing bowl and mash until only little pieces of bananas remain. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the mashed bananas to the pan. While cooking the bananas, use a rubber spatula to keep the mixture moving, so there will not be any burnt spots. This process will help remove extra liquid from the bananas (it should be thicker).  I cooked my mixture for 10 minutes, but it could require another 5-10 minutes if you have bigger or riper bananas. Remove the reduced banana mash to a mixing bowl and let it cool completely.
3. To Make the Dough: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and spices. Once the beer has rested, whisk in 2T of milk powder (since I substituted beer for milk, I added milk powder for a little creaminess). Warm the beer and milk powder is nice and warm, but not overly hot. Add sugar to milk. Stir to dissolve. Add yeast into a small bowl. Pour beer/milk/sugar mixture over yeast. Stir gently, and then let it sit for 10 minutes. Stir the brown butter and beaten eggs into the cooled bananas, along with the vanilla and banana flavored extract (if you are using it). Add the banana mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture. Allow the dough hook to stir this mixture for a couple of minutes, making sure it’s thoroughly combine. With the mixer still going, add ½C increments of the flour mixture until it is all gone. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, and then turn the mixer on the same speed for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the mixer. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds. Turn off the mixer off and let the dough sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Toss the dough to coat, then cover with plastic wrap and place straight in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
4. To Make the Doughnuts: Remove the bowl from the fridge and turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to ¼inch thickness. Using a 3inch cutter, cut as many rounds as you can, then roll out the remaining dough and once again cut as many as you can (repeat until you can’t anymore). Cut holes out of each round using a 1-½inch cutter. Cover with a large tea towel and place in a warm place in your kitchen. Allow the doughnuts to rise undisturbed for at least one hour. They should be visibly puffier and appear to be airy.
5. To Fry the Doughnuts:Heat the canola oil in your deep fryer to 375 degrees. One to two doughnuts at a time gently grab the doughnuts and ease them into the hot oil. Allow them to cook 1 minute on each side; they will brown very quickly. Remove the doughnut from the oil with a slotted spoon, allowing all the oil to drip off. Place the doughnut immediately on paper towels, for about 5 seconds, and then flip it. Allow the doughnuts to cool slightly.
6. For the Peanut Butter Glaze:Add all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Once it is ready, immediately glaze the doughnuts, by dipping each doughnut into the glaze until submerged. Remove from the glaze, and then turn right side up on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (to catch extra glaze). Top the glazed doughnuts with a thick coating of crumbled bacon. Just a tip: we like to double dip our doughnuts, so that they have a thick glaze. So, we doubled the glaze recipe. After the second glazing, we immediately dipped them into the crumbled bacon (the technique you use is up to you). 
7. Right before serving, drizzle the tops of the doughnuts with honey. Enjoy... immediately!!

Recipes Perfect for Easter

Here are some of my favorite recipes that would be perfect for Easter this weekend...

Baked Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole 

Creme Bruleed Buttermilk Pie

Spiced Carrot Cake Doughnuts

Classic Carrot Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting 

Even Better Almond Poundcake with Creamy Almond Glaze

Southern Corn Pudding

Deep Dish Key Lime Meringue Pie

Beer Battered Monte Cristo Sandwiches with Homemade Chipotle-Strawberry Jam

Creamed Collard Greens with Bacon, Crispy Shallots, & Parmesan Cream Sauce

Pickled Deviled Eggs with Country Ham & Sriracha Powder

Slow Roasted Tomato-Corn Pie with Bacon, White Cheddar, & Cracked Black Pepper Biscuit Crust

Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake

"Southern Classics" White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Sausage Gravy, Crispy Pork Belly, & a Fried Egg

Check back tomorrow for a new recipe!!

XOXO, Juliana

Creamed Collard Greens with Bacon, Crispy Shallots, & Parmesan Cream Sauce

Creamed Collard Greens with Bacon, Crispy Shallots, & Parmesan Cream Sauce

Easter is this weekend, and I'm sure some of you have already ordered y'all's Honey Baked Ham or bought a whole bunch of colorful plastic eggs for the traditional Easter egg hunt. Between the cute pastel colors, a fluffy bunny, and dressing up in your Sunday's best, it is obvious that this is a big holiday in the South. And it doesn't hurt that Easter has the best candy, there's no debating that. We never had the same meal for Easter each year, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, it was always rotating between classic comfort food dishes and things we were just craving. However, there was always a glazed ham and a homemade carrot cake. And now, I'll add the Creamed Collard Greens to the list... similar to creamed spinach, just with a Southern twist. I whipped up my recipe for my favorite collard greens that are cooked with smoked ham hocks, aromatics, and some spice. Certainly you could just make those and any family would be happy. But, how can you say no to a side dish that is effortlessly comforting and creamy... then topped with bacon and my ultimate favorite, crispy shallots. Crispy shallots make the world go round, get on board. When in doubt, add shallots, that have been crispified. The whole dish is brought together with delightful cream sauce that is loaded with parmesan cheese. I baked the creamed collards in a dish until they were hot and bubbly, then all you have to do is just throw the shallots on top, and serve it on up. Don't discriminate with these creamy collards either, these would be a hit at the Thanksgiving table. So go on y'all, make this side dish because we know they are wayyyyyy better than boring 'ole creamed spinach!! Enjoy :)

crispy shallots are the key to side dish success.

oh-so-creamy

For the Southern Style Collards:

2lbs Chopped Collard Greens (cut into ½inch strips)

4 Smoked Ham Hocks

Chicken Stock, To Cover (I used about 1-2 Quarts)

Sea Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper, & Sugar, To Taste

1C Sweet Onion, Chopped

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

3T Hot Sauce

2T Pepper Vinegar

1T Soy Sauce + 1T Worcestershire

2T Reserved Bacon Fat

2T Grainy Mustard + Chicken Base

Red Pepper Flakes, Optional

For the Creamed Collards:

Prepared Cooked Collards (with leftover shredded ham from the cooked hocks)

5 Strips of Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons

1 Shallot, Minced

3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

3T Bacon Fat or Melted Butter

3T AP Flour

1t Paprika

½t Cayenne, White Pepper, & Onion Powder

2C Whole Milk + 2C Heavy Cream

1C Parmesan, Freshly Grated 

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Crispy Shallots:

4 Large Shallots, Thinly Sliced

½C Buttermilk + 2T Hot Sauce

AP Flour, For Coating

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

Directions:

1. For the Southern Style Collards: Slash the four ham hocks lightly with a knife. Put in a large stockpot and cover them with chicken stock, plus about an inch. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, onion, garlic, hot sauce, and pepper vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. While the ham hocks are simmering, strip, wash, drain and chop the collards and set aside. Once it has reduced, remove the ham hocks from the liquid onto a large cutting board. Shred the ham meat off of the bones and placing it into a bowl (be careful to make sure you disregard any fat pieces or bone). Next, add the collard greens, bacon fat, soy sauce, Worcestershire, grainy mustard, and chicken base. Cook the greens down, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes if you like them firmer; 1-1/2 to 2 hours, if you like them more cooked down, stirring occasionally. Taste, season with additional salt and pepper as needed; sprinkle with dried pepper flakes, if desired. Now, strain the collards from their cooking liquid and place them into the bowl with the ham pieces. Stir together to combine. Set aside while you make the cream sauce.
2. For the Creamed Collards: Heat a little bit of oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and set it aside. Drain all but 3 tablespoons bacon drippings from pot, adding butter if needed to measure 3 tablespoons Add the minced shallots and bacon, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add flour and paprika; stir constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and cream; bring to a boil, whisking often. Mix in the Parmesan cheese. Stir in greens and ham; reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring often, until greens are tender and sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the crispy bacon lardons. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with crispy shallots (and some extra bacon if you like).
3. For the Crispy Shallots:In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce until combined. Add in the thinly shaved shallots and toss them in the spicy milk mixture until they are thoroughly covered. Let these onions soak for roughly an hour. When you are ready to fry, heat some vegetable oil up to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, drain the shallots from the milk, and then lightly coat them in some AP Flour, shaking well to remove any excess flour. Fry the shallots in the hot oil, in small batches, until they are crispy & golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Once cooked, strain from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with some salt. Repeat with the remaining shallots. After they have all been fried, top the creamed collards with the crispy shallots for an extra crispy topping!

Revamped: Caramel Glazed Pork Belly Banh Mi’s with Asian Pickled Carrots + Daikon, Sriracha Bread n’ Butter Pickles, Fresh Jalapeno + Candied Jalapeno, Fresh Cilantro, and a Homemade Red Rooster Aioli on Crispy, Garlic-Rubbed Bread

Caramel Glazed Pork Belly Banh Mi’s with Asian Pickled Carrots + Daikon, 

Sriracha Bread n’ Butter Pickles, Fresh Jalapeno + Candied Jalapeno, Fresh Cilantro, 

and a Homemade Red Rooster Aioli on Crispy, Garlic-Rubbed Bread

This sandwich is epic. On every single level. I could sit here and tell you about my deep-rooted love for fatty pork belly, but even then, I don't think y'all would understand the magnitude of its' greatness. We had our first pork belly banh mi at one of our favorite little cafe in Atlanta called Star Provisions. I mean, every single one of their sandwiches are top notch, but that banh mi was life-changing. Their bread was perfectly toasted and slathered in a spicy mayo, and then it was stuffed with pickled Asian vegetables, spicy peppers, and glazed pork belly. I had tried once before to recreate this sandwich at home, but it just did not measure up and I knew I would revamp it some day down the road. Well, the other day, I woke up ambitious... today was the day. The task ahead was certainly daunting because I wanted to make every single component from scratch (naturally). Let's start with the caramel glazed pork belly, which is the most important part of the entire recipe. I cut the belly into cubes and braised them in classic Asian ingredients like fish sauce, Sriracha, and garlic. This braising caramel softens and cooks the pork, but also lends a gorgeous mahogany color. Every little glistening piece of glazed pork belly looks like a shiny jewel. What doesn't sound good about that? Next, you gotta focus on the pickled vegetables. All banh mi's must have carrots, daikon, and cucumbers. For the carrots + daikon, I used one of my favorite quick pickle recipes with Asian ingredients. I personally hate cucumbers, so I substituted in some of my homemade Sriracha-Bread n' Butter Pickles. They are spicy, sweet, crunchy, and Asian-inspired, so they were the perfect addition. As for what brings the heat to the sandwich comes from fresh jalapenos, candied jalapenos, and the Homemade Red Rooster Aioli. I know that I have declared my undying love for candied jalapenos, and it's obviously apparent because I include them in almost every recipe I make. Oh and this aioli... this stuff is what dreams are made of. Whipping up mayo might be a process, but I feel that is so worth it. It is studded with a whole mess of minced garlic and Asian chili-garlic sauce. And hey, the aioli is perfectly pink, which I kinda-sorta-really dig. Now, it's time to talk bread. Bread isn't just a vehicle for food delivery anymore, it should be planned carefully. We chose some small baguettes, sliced them in half, brushed them with oil, and toasted them until they were crunchy and golden brown in color. While they are still hot, grab a large clove of garlic and rub the toasted bread for extra flavor and a yummy garlic aroma. Lastly, you have to bring some fresh herbs in to the picture... cilantro is a classic choice, but we have used Thai basil and it was delicious as well. And that's it folks. That's all you have to do to be in sandwich heaven, like us. It might be an intimidating recipe, but the results are worth the hard work. Gluttony at its best, trust me!! Enjoy :)

Lots of Red Rooster Aioli + Jalapenos 

Perfectly Layered.

Isn't the color contrast ridiculous? Do. Not. Leave. Out. The. Cilantro.

Soooo good, y'all. Don't miss out on this. 

For the Caramel Glazed Pork Belly:

2T Vegetable Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

¼C Each of Fish Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sugar, & Honey

¼-½C Sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)

2lbs Pork Belly, Cut into 1inch Cubes

2T Vegetable Oil

2 Large Shallots, Minced

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

2T Fish Sauce

1-2C Water (or enough to just barely cover the pork belly cubes in the pot)

½t Black Peppercorns

3T Sugar

2T Warm Water

For the Asian Pickled Carrots + Daikon:

2C Rice Wine Vinegar

2/3C Brown Sugar

¼C Fresh Lime Juice

1T Salt

½t Red Pepper Flakes

1lb Daikon & Carrots, Peeled & Thinly Sliced into Wheels

Homemade Red Rooster Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

1 Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

½t Salt

¾C Canola Oil

2T Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce or Sriracha

½t Cayenne

½t Homemade Sriracha Cajun Seasoning  

For the Crispy, Garlic-Rubbed Bread:

4 Small Loaves or Rolls, Sliced in Half

Vegetable oil or Sesame Oil, For Brushing

Chinese Five-Spice Powder, For Sprinkling

1 Large Garlic Clove, For Rubbing

For the Caramel Glazed Pork Belly Banh Mi’s:

Prepared Caramel Glazed Pork Belly Cubes, Warm

Homemade Red Rooster Aioli

Asian Pickled Carrots + Daikon

Homemade Sriracha Bread n’ Butter Pickles

Candied Jalapeno Slices

Fresh Jalapeno, Thinly Sliced

Fresh Cilantro Sprigs

Crispy, Garlic-Rubbed Bread (toasted & hot)

Directions:

1. For the Caramel Glazed Pork Belly: In a sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. As the sugar begins to melt, the mixture will start to thicken up into a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes. Once it starts to thicken, whisk in the honey and Sriracha until smooth and thick (don’t let the sauce unattended because it will burn). Set aside to thicken while you prepare the pork belly. In a deep pot, bring the oil to medium heat. Add in the shallots and slowly cook for 1 minute, then add in the garlic. Cook both until soft and fragrant. Add the pork belly cubes and cook for about 10-15 minutes until they have started to brown. Toss in the fish sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add in the water, along with the peppercorns, until it just covers the pork cubes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Gently stir in the previously made caramel that has thickened. Continue to braise the pork on medium-low heat for about an hour, while stirring occasionally. After it has finished braising, pour out the braising liquid, only leaving about 2 inches of it still with the cooked pork. Now, it is time to make a second caramel. In a small pot, whisk together the sugar and warm water over medium heat. The sugar will begin to melt and then turn into a golden brown caramel. Quickly pour the caramel over the pork belly and mix with a wooden spoon until it has all been incorporated. Turn the heat up to medium to reduce and caramelized the pork, about 20-30 minutes. The cubes will be cooked though, but still tender, and will have a dark caramel color with a thick glaze. Remove from the heat and keep it warm until you are ready to serve.

2. For the Asian Pickled Carrots + Daikon: Combine the vinegar, sugar, limejuice, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil until the sugar as dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Combine the Daikon and carrots in clean mason jars. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and let them pickle for at least an hour before serving (preserve the other jars that you don’t use). When you are ready to layer them onto the sandwich, remove them from the pickling liquid and lightly pat them dry (this will help to avoid making your sandwich soggy when eating it).

3. For the Red Rooster Aioli: Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C e oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with Asian chili-garlic sauce, sugar, cayenne, and Sriracha Cajun seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

4. For the Crispy, Garlic-Rubbed Bread: Place the bread on a baking sheet and brush them heavily with some oil. Lightly sprinkle the top with a little of Chinese Five-Spice Powder. Toast in the oven until golden brown and crispy. Immediately rub the crispy bread with a fresh garlic clove. Now, it’s time to assemble the sandwiches.

5. Assembling the Sandwiches: Generously spread the slices of bread with the Homemade Red Rooster Aioli. Layer on the caramel pork belly cubes, daikon, carrots, Sriracha Bread n’ Butter Pickles, fresh jalapeno, candied jalapeno, and sprigs of fresh cilantro. Top the sandwiches with the top piece of bread and enjoy immediately!

source: caramel braised pork belly.

Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserve Swirls + Dark Chocolate Freckles

Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn
Preserve Swirls + Dark Chocolate Freckles

I have probably declared my love for goat cheese too many times on my blog. Some of you probably are indifferent about it and a lot of people absolutely despise it. I, on the other had, use it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and well... even dessert! And this isn't the first time that we've made it into a sweet treat, some of our favorites include: raspberry-goat cheese cheesecake with chocolate ganache and goat cheese brownies. Well, I adored the combination of goat cheese, dark chocolate, + sweet fruit together, so when I had a bunch of my Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves lying around, I just couldn't stand to not use it for a dessert. However, this time, I wanted to make an extra creamy goat cheese ice cream that would pair perfectly with the preserves. We raved about these wonderfully delicate preserves because their flavor has been heightened with tangy balsamic vinegar and the floral notes from crushed pink peppercorns. Once you have made the goat cheese custard base and it is close to being completely churned, melt up some fancy dark chocolate and slowly drizzle it into the ice cream maker. This process quickly freezes and hardens the chocolate into itty bitty freckles that are perfectly + evenly distributed throughout the ice cream. And lemme say, it is utterly delightful. I especially love that it is slam-packed with chocolate, yet doesn't overwhelm the other important components. After you've freckled the heck out of the goat cheese ice cream, spoon it into a container and layer it along with the preserves, making sure to girlishly swirl them throughout for an extra-special effect once it is scooped and served. This frozen treat may sound a little strange, but it all somehow works together to form the perfect springtime dessert. And newsflash, you don't have to eat this just in a bowl or on a cone, it is amazing on top of a gooey brownie that is still hot from the oven. Think of an over-the-top brownie a la mode... or sandwich a scoop of the ice cream between two dark chocolate sable cookies. Don't those sound delish? They are definitely on my to-do list for the leftover ice cream that's sitting in my freezer. But, you could be like me and just stand at the kitchen counter, pajamas on, and devour it all at once. I have finally reasoned with myself that as long as I don't put it into a bowl to eat, then the calories don't count. It's a scientific fact and I should officially become a dietician (obvi). Ha, don't pretend like you don't occasionally do it too!! Enjoy :)

Look at the gorgeous red color from the preserve swirls... 

Goat Cheese. Chocolate Freckles. Fancy Preserves.

I am obsessed with these chocolate freckles, y'all :)

For the Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base:

2 ½C Heavy Cream

½C Whole Milk

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

6 Egg Yolks

1 ¼C Sugar

½t Salt

10oz Goat Cheese, Finely Crumbled

2oz Cream Cheese, Broken into Small Pieces

2t Vanilla

2T Vanilla Bean Infused Rum (or any kind of infused booze that is clear)

For the Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Preserve Swirls & Dark Chocolate Freckles:

Prepared Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base, Chilled

Homemade Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves

8oz Dark Chocolate, Roughly Chopped

Directions:

1. For the Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base: In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Once combined, gradually and slowly into the simmering milk. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Crumble the goat cheese and break up the pieces of cream cheese into the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Place the strainer on top of the goat cheese bowl. Strain the hot custard into a goat cheese filled bowl. Let this mixture sit for a minute or two, and then whisk until both cheeses have completely melted into the base. To ensure that there are no pieces of cheese, I used an immersion blender to briefly blend the base until it was smooth. Stir in the vanilla bean infused rum and vanilla extract. Place this custard filled bowl into an ice bath. Cool the custard base until completely chilled.

2. Assembling the Ice Cream: Once the mixture is chilled, pour the ice cream mixture into the frozen canister of electric ice cream freezer and run according to directions of ice cream maker. While the ice cream is churning, prepare the chocolate by melting it over a double boiler. Transfer the melted chocolate to a container with a spout, such as a liquid measuring cup or a squeeze bottle. When the ice cream is nearly finished churning, add the chocolate, drizzling it in as thinly as possible because you don’t know want large chunks of chocolate, but freckles (or small pieces scattered throughout). As soon as the mixture is done churning, pour or scoop in one-third of the ice cream into a large container, and then spoon some of the strawberry preserves on top of the ice cream. Using the spoon, smooth it out into any even layer and swirl it some for a pretty marbling effect. Repeat this process until all of the ice cream and preserves have been use. Once it has been assembled, store in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.