HOMEMADE ICE CREAM SANDWICH.... the first try

What are my two favorite desserts, you ask? Cookies & ice cream. How could you make my life even better? BY COMBINING THEM. That's how I started my quest for the perfect homemade ice cream sandwich. I happen to already know the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe (remember it HERE?). So I thought, "Um, omg. Easy." Disclaimer: it only half worked. Here's what I did:

Seems simple: stuff two oversized cookies with one scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Freeze. & you've got yourself a delicious homemade ice cream sandwich. Right? Kinda........

You've got an ice cream sandwich with cookies so hard you can't bite into it. THE WORST! I eagerly chomped into this treasure yesterday & was left with.. nothing! Not even a bite! Now, I'm biased, but I believe these would have been perfect if I ate them right away without freezing. However, four cookies worth of cookie dough later, I thought I'd be good (smirk emoji) & save this mega treat for later.

So back to the drawing board I go. In my google search bar today: "How to keep frozen cookies soft." Ideas & tips welcome!

3 INGREDIENT PUMPKIN MOUSSE

You guys all know that I love brunch. I love everything it stands for: delicious breakfast foods, delicious breakfast drinks, lazy weekends & of course, favorite family & friends to brunch with. This weekend my sister invited my mom & me over for a little brunch. I brought the turkey & bread for Monte Cristos, she provided the Bloody Mary's & our mom brought the Pumpkin Mousse.  

My mom is super fit. So naturally she had the ingredients for a low-fat pumpkin mousse. I don't know the nutritional facts exactly, but it's gotta be nearly fat free. 

You will need:

• 1 can pumpkin 
• 1 tub lite whipped topping
• 1 package (dry) sugar free vanilla instant pudding

Dump it all together in a mixing bowl.

Mix......

& serve! So easy? I know. It's the perfect thing to bring to a get-together on the go. & so seasonal, to boot! I topped it with a little cinnamon, but that was mostly to make it look beautiful for you guys ;D

P.S. Sorry (but only a tiny bit) for the pumpkin posts overload. Like I've told you before, for some reason my family really loves pumpkin. Like, really. I promise I'll slow down a little now that it's almost Halloween!! Xoxo guys, & thanks for reading!

[SUPER EASY] PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Fall means pumpkin! Everywhere! Pumpkin spice. Pumpkin cheesecake. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Beer! & my personal favorite.... PUMPKIN MUFFINS!!!! Why do we all love pumpkin? (Because its naturally fat free?) (Because its so delicious?) (Because it reminds us of jack-o-lanterns?) I don't know for sure. But we sure do love it. 

My mom has been making these pumpkin muffins since I was in high school. They are soooo super easy. Only three ingredients, actually. Let's get to it.

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees & grease a few muffin tins. (I had enough batter for 24 mini muffins & 12 normal sized.) (& there could've been more.. I didn't try very hard because I wanted to lick the bowl.)

This recipe literally calls for three ingredients. Pictured above: 

• 1 dry package of spice cake mix
• 1 18oz can of PURE pumpkin (not pie filling!)
• 1 cup water (pictured below)
• Optional: Mix ins. You're going to want to add chocolate chips.

By the way, without the mix ins, we found this recipe all those years ago on Weight Watchers (here). BUT.. trust me on adding those chocolate chips. It's really delicious. 

Use a hand mixer to blend three ingredients (1 package spice cake mix, 1 can of pumpkin, 1 c water). Or, if you don't have a hand mixer (I made these stranded away from The Studio with over-the-weekend car malfunctions), you can hand whisk :)

Then, if you're adding "mix ins" you'll want to divide your batter. I always add Ghiardelli Dark Chocolate Chips to mine. My mom used to add frozen blueberries instead. You can see my three batters below.

Spoon your batter into muffin tins.

& bake for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick (fork) comes out clean. Weird side note, my mini muffins took nearly as long to bake as the large!

As you know, I swoon for baked goods (you also need to try this yogurt banana bread & these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies). But I swoon most for the easiest ones. Happy Pumpkin-ing my loves!  Let me know if you try these out & thank you for stopping by Magical Simplicity!

THE OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

The oatmeal chocolate chip cookie is my only claim to fame + I've been hoarding this recipe for years. But because I love you, sweet Magical Simplicity readers, it's time to share the secret to my all-time, go-to, forever-favored, well-known (because I use it for every occassion): oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

It's actually a very classic recipe. I add a little more salt than most people (I've always been a fan of the salty-sweet combo!); I hand mix everything out of habit (when I started making these in college I didn't own a hand mixer); I also use dark chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet (swoon! I'm convinced dark chocolate will somehow play a role in winning my heart). But mostly it's about the love you bake with.

One reason I love this recipe is because I almost always have each of these ingredients in my pantry. All very generic ingredients. Granted, I may always have them because I am always making these cookies.... anywho...

You will need:

• One + One/Half cup brown sugar
• One cup butter
• One egg
• One tsp pure vanilla
• Two cup old fashioned oats
• One + One/Half cup flour
• One tsp baking soda
• One tsp salt
• Two cup (Ghirardelli) dark chocolate chips 

First, heat oven to 350. Stir brown sugar (one+one/half cup) + butter (one cup) until blended.

Stir in vanilla (one tsp) + egg (one) until batter is light + fluffy. 

Stir in oats (two cups) + flour (one + one/half cup) + baking soda (one tsp) + salt (one tsp).

Fold in chocolate chips (two cups).

Bake 9 - 11 minutes.

Let sit several minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Then.. enjoy! These are kind of my secret weapon for social events. So use the power wisely :) Let me know what you think!

10 CINCINNATI ICE CREAM ORIGINALS

Hellllllo, lovelies. We have a few days left of National Ice Cream Month & I want to help you make the most of it.... ice cream connoisseur that I am. (In cleaning my wallet I have found I'm the proud owner of five ice cream cards + four coffee rewards cards.) (Yes, seriously.)

So here's the rundown of an ice-cream-aholics Cincinnati Ice Cream Staples:

1: Aglamesis Bros: (1908) Located in Oakley (though I hear there is a second establishment in Mongtomery) Aglamesis is an old-school ice cream parlor if I ever have seen one. For real! They sit you down & wait on you: everything from a menu, to ice cold water, to adorable  ice cream dishes. It was intimidating at first.. but it kind of makes things special. + their ice cream is top notch... one hundred years in the biz will do that.

2: Graeter's: (1868) Graeter's is one of those Cincinnati staples. & I can't blame the hype. When Louis Graeter moved to Cincinnati in 1868 & started selling ice cream in the street market - our city was forever changed. People ship Graeter's across the world. Their chocolate chips are the size of my fist. The Buckeye Blitz & Salted Caramel grace my dreams. Luckily, I'm not the only one that feels this way -- you can find a Graeter's in just about every neighborhood in Cincy. & their rewards card really adds up. So get that too.

3: Yagoot: You know, I wasn't sure if Yagoot was a Cincinnati original until I wrote this blog post. & technically it's fro-yo, not ice cream. But for my purposes, I shall let it remain. Yagoot: the first one I knew of was located in Rookwood Commons, though I know for a fact they also have one at Kenwood Mall (across from Starbucks) (Sustaining my theory that ice cream + coffee is the world's best combo). It's a little more tart than you might expect, tastes like you literally froze a yogurt. I go original & add peanut butter cups & cheesecake bites. Also, rewards card: yes. It's a good one. I have it.

4: Dojo Gelato: God opened the heavens the day my friend Teddy introduced me to Dojo Gelato. (Literally, it was raining.) We were waltzing around Findlay Market for our lunch hour when he said, "Annie you have to try this." Boom. My heart has never felt so full. Now, Dojo has a traveling truck that pops up at my favorite establishments (Like Eli's, The City Flea, & ya know, everywhere I find myself...) (...I think they follow me). I get Dutch Chocolate + Salted Caramel. Every time. If you tell me its "too rich," I'll snatch the cup right out of your hand.

5: Whippy Dip: For all my Lovelander's out there... The Whippy Dip (or the Creamy Whip as the non-locals call it) is my childhood. It's one of the drive-up or walk-up joints. All outdoor seating. Cash only. But their chocolate dipped ice cream cone in chocolate dipped hardening sauce.. holy smokes. I ask for a cup on the side of mine, & a spoon, because you bet it'll melt pretty fast in the seasonal-only heat. Also, this is a great date place. Yes, I know from experience. I also know, if you're ending a date at the Whippy Dip - you should bring bug spray. & YOU should know, if you're ending a date with me at the Whippy Dip - I'll probably fall in love with you. Crushes + Ice cream = Boyfriend Material.

6: Putzs: I've only been here once. It's somewhere on the West Side. Colerain, maybe? It reminded me of the Whippy Dip & made enough of an impression to find its way on my Cincinnati Gem List.

7: Madisonos: I stumbled upon this in Rempke Market one day & just about died. One taste of Pretzel Chocolate Crunch Gelato (or something to that effect) & my grocery trips doubled in frequency. A little research shows that, though a popular gelato indeed, this Cincinnati Staple has no true home. But here's a list of where you can buy it. (& I highly suggest you do.)

8: Buono Terra Gelato: Welcome to Mt. Lookout! My old stomping grounds! This Gelato place graced Mt. Lookout Square in the Summer of 2013. Though I can't say I loved it (not enough chocolate for my taste), I do like that it's there. A lot.

9: Fillmore's Dairy Hut: FLORENCE. Y'ALL! I guess I'm jumping city lines by including this, but Fillmore's is right by my office. There's something like 27 froyo flavors. I've never had any. Because... there's a magnificent, glorious, stupendous treat called a Cyclone. Chocolate (or vanilla, I guess) Ice Cream with any candy you want mixed in. Obviously I chose Reeces Cups. + they have crinkle fries. So bad... but oh-so-good. Did I mention how dangerously close Fillmore's is to my office?

10: The Cone: Westchester. I've never been!!! Who can fill me in? UPDATE... quoted word for word from my friend Courtney Jo: "The thing about The Cone is that they have a drive-thru but it's also a walk-up & its shaped like a cone & its water fountain is a lion & they have little kid rides." (Annie interjects: The website says its Cincinnati's #1 Soft Serve) "Seriously, its poppin'. There are cars everywhere & people everywhere. Obviously. It's the #1 Soft Serve. That's my story & I'm sticking to it."

BONUS (& edit:) UDF: A Cincinnati original started by the great Cincinnatian, Carl Lindner (who knew?!). I can't write up an ice cream post without mentioning this perfect ice cream shop. I think I get UDF at least once a week. My fave is a chocolate deep freeze with Reeces (are you sensing a trend?)

What am I missing guys? Fill me in. I'm trying to make a comprehensive Cincinnati-List. Ice Cream & I are in a long term relationship, you see, so it's best I know these things. So go ahead!! In the comments below, please! & in the meantime, from me to you (& my boyfriend of the frozen dairy variety) - have one happy heck of a finale to your National Ice Cream Month. 

LIVE EVERY MONTH LIKE NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH

As you all know (or goodness gracious, I sure hope you do!!) July is National Ice Cream Month. &, as you also know, I. Love. Ice Cream. How much? Enough to post about it all year long. Here's a little Throwback Thursday for 'ya documenting my love affair with ice cream this year.

Now, if I were to document EVERY time that Ice Cream & I had a rendezvous this year.. well that would be embarrassing. But needless to say, I wish all of you a HAPPY NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH & encourage you to live this last week of it like there is no tomorrow. 

& to you, ice cream, my one true love: I hope you enjoyed this tribute. I'll see ya tonight. Probably. 

GEO ROCK CANDY NEON ICING

Well, well, well. Wednesday, we meet again! But today is not just any Wednesday, darlings. This is my last Wednesday as a twenty-three-year-old! To celebrate, I bring you cupcakes.

You may remember these back from Magical Simplicity’s Birthday, the geo rock candy neon cupcakes. 

Now, looking back, geo (as in rocks, as in the building blocks of our planet earth) & neon (as modern day as it goes) don’t exactly go together. But life doesn’t exactly go together either. (Read: I stumbled upon neon food coloring in the store & instantly wanted to make everything in my life neon.)

Anywho – this was my first attempt at these super fun cupcakes. I used boxed white cake mix from Betty Crocker & my icing was just your run-of-the-mill cream cheese icing from the cake aisle. 

What makes these babies special is the topping.

Rock Candy. That’s right, rock candy.

Where do you even get rock candy? I asked myself the same question. Though I’m confident Minges  downtown could have helped my cause, I was in a hurry (per usual).  SO, my very original Google search for: “Where can I buy rock candy in Florence, Kentucky” lead me to Cracker Barrel.

Guys, they have really cute stuff. Like, unexpectedly. Six boxes of rock candy & one cute compass coffee mug later, I was en route home.

ROCK GEO NEON TOPPING | YOU WILL NEED

|1| Vodka + Food coloring
|2| Loose Rock Candy
|3| Mini Strainer + Parchment Paper + Cookie Sheet

|1| Pour a shallow layer of vodka in a cereal bowl. I cut it with a little water, just because. Add your preferred food coloring drops. Stir. You can do as many colors as you want! I ended up mixing a bowl for all 4 colors in the neon box.

|2| Divide rock candy amongst bowls to preference. It only needs a few second to hold the color, but the longer you keep it in the darker your candy will be.

|3| Dump bowls individually through a mini strainer (is that the right word? Eh, you know what I’m talking about.. those little tiny-holed ones). Spread out in single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Let dry for one day. Then start topping!

I went a little overboard with the neon (dyed the batter, the icing + the rocks). As my friend CincinNatalie described it, "discovering neon food coloring really makes you wonder why the primary colors exist."

So fun, right! You could also use this topping on sugar cookies, or cake, or donuts (what?!?). Or, I feel like it's just a good recipe to have for life, really. It’s that much fun.

Can’t wait to see what y’all come up with!