Warm Ice Cream Cake for Chilly Days

I've had a happy past few days. It has been unseasonably cold here in Florida, which at least for me, it's a good thing. 

I get to wear scarves, boots and hats. Clothing, that growing up in sunny Puerto Rico, I never got to wear. Florida may be usually warm, but I look forward to the cold days of winter. Times when the air conditioning is off and the windows are open.  

Chocolate anything goes very well with cold weather. Something about the bitter taste of raw chocolate warms you up. Just the thought of warm cake makes me want to come home, curl under comfy blankets, and watch movies all day eating a plate of this.  

I was looking for some recipes online for ice cream using coconut milk that could be prepared without churning, since I don't have an ice cream maker. This one was easy and simple, using only three ingredients. 

This cake, I could make with my eyes closed. I've made it so many times, it never fails.  

Pancakes with Banana-Maple Topping

I got a great surprise this week. My photo and recipe for Crepes was featured on The Huffington Post! It is a huge deal for me, because I read that publication every night before going to sleep. I've been doing that for a long time, and suddenly I'm in it!

The first person I called was of course my Aunt, who made the Crepes. I have to give all the credit to her because she made the crepes and it is her recipe. All I did was take the picture. 

Thank you, Titi!   

After looking at all the beautiful pictures featured on the article, I got a craving for something fluffier and heartier: Pancakes! 

Inspired by one of the recipes, decided to top them with bananas and maple glaze. Measurements are not exact, since I used whatever I had in the fridge, but everything ended up tasting amazing. 

These pancakes are fluffy and soft, with crisp edges, just how I like them. 

Apples can easily be used instead of bananas, which I will try tomorrow morning. But you have to use real maple syrup, it's what gives the recipe that particular taste. The addition of spices to the batter makes it more flavorful, not just a regular bland pancake. Use spices liberally!

I'm back... with a Mango Lassi

It's definitely not like riding an old bike again... 

I thought that after five months of being away from this blog I would jump right back to it. Was I wrong! Circumstances and equipment have changed. I do still have the same camera and lens, but went back to using my old MacBook. The real set back is using iPhoto to edit pictures. I was so used to Lightroom. This computer is too old to be able to withstand large software, so I'll have to use what's available. 

Even under the less than perfect circumstances, I'm glad to be back. I've missed it...

Please, bear with me while I get used to blogging and taking good pictures again. For now, I'll do what I can.

I was trying to make a mango smoothie but it didn't come out as thick. So I decided to add a dash of Cardamom to make it spicier and call it a Mango Lassi. It's delicious and definitely kills the cravings for something sweet. 

Makes two servings 

2/3 cup of plain yogurt

1 cup of milk

about a cup of mango chunks (I used frozen)

dash of ground cardamom 

sugar to taste 

Process everything together in a blender and serve.