green tea ice cream + white chocolate fudge sundae

 

the warm weather means it is time to start enjoying ice cream again! i can't stress enough how easy making ice cream from scratch really is. the only investment it require is an ice cream maker. i use the kitchen aid ice cream maker attachment. i have had it for a few years now & it works perfectly everytime. plus it is way easier to store then owning a separate machine! once you make the investment, you will be creating all sorts of delicious ice cream flavours at home. the key is to place the bowl in the freezer before bed & make the ice cream base before bed too. that way when you wake up, everything is ready to go & all you have to do is churn the mixture into ice cream! the base takes literally 10 minutes to make, so you can do it right before you go to sleep.

for the first ice cream recipe of the year, i am kickin things off with a green tea ice cream, topped with a homemade white chocolate fudge sauce. this sauce is so good, you'll be eating it with a spoon. it is like liquid white chocolate gold. this month also marks aiya's 130th anniversary! since 1888, aiya matcha has been producing premium japanese matcha green tea. the company has been owned by the same family since the beginning & i am so excited they asked me to be part of the celebration! i think a fun, matcha inspired ice cream sundae is the perfect way to celebrate this huge milestone. read all about the history of the company & it's may celebrations here. celebrate by making your own green tea ice cream sundae with the recipe below!

xo

ingredients

green tea ice cream sundae

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons aiya's matcha powder (i use the cooking grade blend)
  • 1 ½ cups whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • white chocolate fudge sauce (see recipe below), for serving
  • whipped cream, for serving
  • sprinkles, for serving
  • cherries, for serving

white chocolate fudge sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla

directions

green tea ice cream

  • chill the ice cream bowl in the freezer overnight if required.
  • in a saucepan over medium heat add the milk & matcha powder. bring to a simmer & remove from heat (do NOT boil). whisk until the matcha is evenly distributed.
  • in a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and white sugar until combined.
  • temper in a cup of the matcha milk, whisking vigorously to ensure the eggs do not cook.
  • pour mixture back into the saucepan & cook on low heat until it thickens slightly.
  • strain base into a mixing bowl and stir in whipping cream. let the ice cream base cool overnight in the refrigerator tightly covered with cling wrap. do not skip this step, ice cream will be too soft if the mixture isn't chilled properly.
  • transfer mixture to desired ice cream bowl and churn for 20 minutes.
  • transfer mixture to a freezer safe container and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
  • when ready to serve, scoop mixture into serving bowl & drizzle with white chocolate fudge. top with whipped cream, sprinkles & a cherry if desired!

white chocolate fudge sauce

  • in a saucepan over low heat add the sugar, cream, corn syrup & butter. cook until the sugar fully dissolves, do not let mixture come to a boil.
  • remove from heat & stir in the white chocolate chips, salt & vanilla.
  • strain into a glass jar & refrigerate until ready to use. sauce can be served both hot and cold!

chai tea shortbread

 

so the weather this past long weekend felt very (dare i say it).. FALL. it made me SO happy, sorry summer lovers! i know we aren't even halfway into august yet but i can't help but be excited for my favourite season to arrive next month. because this weekend gave me a little touch of fall outdoors (i even wore a knit sweater), i decided to bring fall indoors too! these cookies taste and smell like everything you love about fall. to get a very strong chai tea flavour i used lorann oils amazing new chai tea flavouring! a little goes a long way as it is VERY concentrated. it has a blend of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & vanilla. a.k.a the cozy flavours that make up fall! these will warm you from the inside out. while i thought cookies would be the perfect place to start with the chai tea flavouring, i think frosting will have to be next! chai tea latte buttercream anyone?!

ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon lorann oils chai tea flavouring
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons water (optional)
  • 1/2 cup quality white chocolate, melted

directions

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat butter & brown sugar until combined.
  • add in chai tea flavouring & vanilla extract.
  • sift in the flour & sea salt. beat until dough comes together.
  • if dough is crumbly, add the water one tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
  • turn dough onto a floured surface & shape into a disk. wrap in cling wrap & refrigerate for one hour.
  • once dough has chilled, roll out on a heavily floured surface to ¼ inch thick. use desired cookie cutter to create the cookie shape.
  • bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the edges JUST begin to brown. let cool to room temperature.
  • drizzle with melted white chocolate & pop in the freezer for 60 seconds so the chocolate fully hardens.
  • serve with a freshly brewed cup of chai tea!

this post was created in partnership with lorann oils! i am seriously *obsessed* with the new chai tea flavouring. fall is going to get even more cozier now!

green tea + blueberry granola bars

 

for the longest time i have been wanting to make my own granola bars! i don't know why it has taken me THIS long. i have made my own granola countless times (like this honey berry granola or this almond, coconut & white chocolate), so why not make them into a bar? you can save a fortune by making your own because those pre-packaged ones come with only half a dozen to a box & they are filled with ingredients that probably shouldn't be in a granola bar. now this is technically my second time making them because i tested out a batch of simple granola bars first with no fun flavours or ingredients. for the blog, i knew i wanted to make not your average granola bar recipe & because you know how much i love mixing matcha with white chocolate it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put those flavour combinations together once again! here i used the only matcha i will ever use, which is aiya's cooking grade matcha powder. it is specially blended for food & beverages to help provide a vibrant colour, nutrition & a lasting aroma when combined with other ingredients. this recipe is wholesome & healthy for all those getting back to clean eating this month. okay, i know i put white chocolate but you can subtitute that for a healthier dark chocolate or leave it out all together! i just figured all the good cancels out the touch of bad:)

p.s. these bars taste amazing crumbled over some vanilla yogurt!

ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (can substitute canola oil, melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon aiya's matcha powder (i use the cooking grade matcha powder blend)
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 pinch of cinnamon
  • 3/4 cups almonds (roughly chopped or slivered)
  • 1/2 cup organic white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (can substitue 1/2 cup dried blueberries)

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl toss oats with honey, oil, vanilla, matcha powder, salt & cinnamon until well coated.
  • stir in almonds, white chocolate & fresh blueberries.
  • line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper & press oat mixture firmly into dish.
  • bake for 30-40 minutes, until the oats have turned a slight golden brown.
  • let cool completely before slicing into bars.