Virginia Drader

My all time favourite kind of ice cream is maple walnut. However, since we got back from Italy I have been on a gelato kick. I even purchased a cookbook called, The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbet by F.W. Pearce and Danilo Zecchin. I find it hard to get good gelato in Calgary so I figured I would start making my own. While looking through the cookbook I came across a recipe for maple walnut gelato; so of course I had to try it out! The gelato turned out delicious. I sometimes find that maple walnut ice cream can be a little too rich for me but this gelato was just right.

Another thing I love about gelato is that it is lower in fat and calories than traditional ice cream; so you don’t have to worry about having two scoops! This gelato is great served on its own; but would be amazing with homemade apple pie.

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There is nothing I enjoy more in the morning than a Chai Tea Latte. It is truly what gets me out of bed. I love everything about chai tea, from the spicy warm aroma to the wonderful rich flavour. I have been planning on making Chai Tea Ice Cream for a while. I adapted David Lebovitz’s Vanilla Ice Cream recipe and instead of infusing the ice cream with 2 vanilla beans I added loose chai tea and only 1 vanilla bean pod. In the future I would like to work on this recipe and sweeten it with honey instead of sugar but that will be for another post. I also thought of a great way to serve this at Christmas time; you could replace the whole milk with Eggnog. If you have never tried an Eggnog Chai Tea Latte you have never lived, it is seriously delicious. I bet that the addition of Eggnog to the recipe would make this ice cream taste just like my favorite holiday drink.

I served my Chai Ice Cream with a warm Cherry and Plum Crisp flavoured with lots of cinnamon, but it would be just as good on its own. If you have been looking for a unique ice cream flavour then you should give this recipe a try, you will not be disappointed!

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My family and I are planning a trip to Rome for this summer. Even though I am super excited about the site seeing I have also been thinking about all the delicious gelato I am going to be eating while there. I have never made gelato before but I thought I would give it a try today. It turned out to be a lot easier than I thought and was well worth the effort. This gelato is flavoured with one of my favorite things, Nutella! I love this stuff so much that I don’t usually keep it in the house; I have been known to eat it by the spoonful directly from the jar. When I read this recipe I had to break down and buy a jar and boy am I glad I did. This chocolate hazelnut gelato turned out creamy and rich with just the right amount of Nutella flavour. One other bonus of gelato is that it is lower in fat than regular ice cream so you can have two scoops instead of just one! (more…)

I wanted to make a weekday dessert but I didn’t want it to be too heavy. I decided on peach frozen yogurt and biscotti. The peach frozen yogurt is creamy and delicious, and you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it, and the biscotti is a great compliment. There is no oil or butter in the biscotti so it is the perfect treat if you are trying to eat healthier and lighter. (more…)