Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies and Chai Frozen Yogurt

A one-pump chai, one-pump gingerbread soy latte makes me a happy camper.  My father-in-law is a Chai fanatic.  He also loves ice cream.  And, since both families are making the trek to come to sunny so-cal this Christmas, I decided I needed to make a good Chai ice cream recipe so he could have it when they got here.  My parents are coming from Colorado and my husband's parents are coming from Idaho.  Both families are leaving snow, fireplaces and skiing to meet sand, 60 degrees, and surfing.  The least we can do is offer them a cold treat and pretend that it's winter.

I was going to go chocolate chip cookies because, well they are classic and I never make them.  But then my friend Julia suggested butterscotch and I was so excited.  Sometimes I forget butterscotch exists, and I am so glad that Julia is smarter than me because they were perfect with the Chai spices.

And the Chai. The only thing you have to think about here is make sure that the Chai you get is not already sweetened. This recipe used unsweetened Chai powder and then sweetened it until it tasted just right.  No joke.  You by-the-book people are going to hate this recipe cause it's also of guessing and doing what tastes the best. But that is what baking is all about, so have fun with this one and think of other teas or drinks that would make a great ice cream.  Mint Hot Coco? Mexican Hot Coco?  Early Gray?  If you can drink it, then why not freeze it and eat it?


Chai Ice Cream

2 cups non-fat yogurt
1 cup milk {I used almond milk}
1/2 cup cream
4 oz organic cream cheese or to taste
4 heaping scoops unsweetened Chai mix
about 1/4 cup brown sugar or to taste

Mix all ingredients in blender or food processor until mixed well and smooth. Your tastebuds will be your best friend in this one.  Taste well.  Add Chai and sugar slowly and easily.  Above is what we lied but maybe you like it a bit spicier, or sweeter.  You choose! Place all ingredients into ice cream maker per manufacturer's instructions.  Freeze immediately or enjoy immediately.


Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

I can't lie to you hear.  I bought the package and followed the recipe as it says on the back.  Oh yeah, I added a cup of quick-cooking Oatmeal.  Here is the recipe as well.

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

"Hi. Dad."

"Oh, hi Bonnie. What are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready for class.  It was so beautiful here today.  In the high 70's I think."

"Oh really?  It was freezing here.  So guess what I have."

"What? Your jacket?"

"No.  I bought two pumpkin pies and whipped cream."

And he ate them both.  That night. After dinner.

Because, you see that is how my dad is.  A food machine.  His metabolism is the speed of light and for as long as I can remember he will eat a full dinner and then a large dessert of some sort.  Pumpkin pies.  A box of cookies.  A pint of ice cream.  And, never has gained an ounce.  He's a runner, like father like daughter, and so it melts right off him.  He is cut up, in fact my husband said once when we were at the beach and he saw my dad with his shirt off, that he looked like batman.

But look, we all dont have the ability to consume two pies and never see it.  But we all do love a good, delicious, fall treat.  So please, do yourself a favor and try this.  It's. so. delicious.  Its made with non-fat yogurt, and yes there is sugar, but if you use organic then you are better off.  My guest Martha who ate this said "this may be the best frozen yogurt I have ever eaten."  Serious.  What a compliment.  I'm blushing.   My husband added some whipped cream to it and declared it wonderful, and of course I followed suit with an additional squirt of chocolate syrup.

Buy an extra can of pumpkin and give this a whirl.


Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt


1 cup milk  {I used Almond Milk}
2 cups plain yogurt {I used non-fat}
1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon {I used whatever I felt like here. I LOVE cinnamon}
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg {Again, whatever looked pretty}
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree {If you have a 15 oz can, this will give you a bit left over. No worries, just mix it with a bit of butter in the food processor, with some spices and sugar to taste and bam you have enough pumpkin butter for a few slices of toast.}


Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Blend, or process, until smooth.  Place all ingredients into ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, and when finished, enjoy.  

Strawberry-Raspberry Peppermint Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

That title cracks me up.  It screams the revealing fact that I wanted to make frozen yogurt but I had random ingredients and just threw them all together.  Maybe a better title would be "Mint Fruit Surprise."  No.  No one likes to be eating a "surprise" because who knows what is in there.  It is better, if you can't in your title, to tell your guests what they are eating.  Then there is no picking around in the food and leaving a small pile of ingredients on the side of the plate.

Anyway, this frozen yogurt turned out great.  My husband ate tons of it, and finished it off last night.  It was a huge hit, and it was so pretty.  I also used all organic ingredients, and substitututed the sugar for Agave Nectar, so it was Jillian Michaels {the world's toughest, and my favorite, trainer} approved. I like to pretend sometimes that she is going to come to my house and check up on me in my workout routines or in my eating habits, and frankly if I was caught eating this one, I think she would not only give me a high five, but would ask for a few scoops herself.

Strawberry-Raspberry Mint Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

3 cups of non-fat organic frozen yogurt

1 cup of strawberry Keifer {You caught me.  I ran out of non-fat yogurt, so I used this Strawberry Keifer.  Sometimes my best decisions come out of my mistakes.  This added texture and TONS of delicious, natural, flavor.}

1/4 cup of Agave Nectar

1/2 cup of milk

Raspberries {However many you have.  Eat some while you make it, cause why not?}

1 package of Newman's Own Organic Dark Chocolate Mint cups

Place the yogurt (and Keifer), Agave Nectar, milk, and raspberries into a blender.  If you want to have raspberry chunks in your yogurt, then wait on the raspberries.  I chose to blend them so that the mint chips were the only thing that stuck out in the yogurt.

Agave Nectar is a sugar substitute that is all natural.  You can get it at any Whole Food, Trader Joes, or any store of the like.  It is 4 times as sweet as regular white sugar, so you only have to use 25% of what you normally would use. 

Pour all the ingredients into your ice cream maker and begin the churching process.  Make sure that you freeze the bowl to the full amount.  I have messed this up, and the ice cream churns, it's just in liquid form.  It will freeze later, and taste the same, but if you are serving it right away then you are at a loss. So make sure you follow the directions.  Chop the Mint cups into small pieces, you be the judge here.  How much do you want in each scoop?  Decide this way, and then proceed.

These are seriously so good.  I got them at Whole Foods, and was surprised to find that they have milk chocolate, and peanut butter too.  My husband is lucky that we had Peppermint in the pantry, otherwise I would have put the peanut butter ones in here.  Don't test me, I would have.  

Again, like the Pecans in the Carrot Cake Ice Cream, I put the Peppermint pieces in last so that they would not get mashed in the churning process.  With any frozen yogurt, the less fat you use, the more icy the yogurt will be.  That's ok.  Just remember to leave the container out for a few minutes before you scoop it, and shape the scoop on the side of the container so you look like the chef you are!  If not, just fake it and cover it in chocolate sauce.

 Enjoy!