This recipe was created for the #makeitwithMILK contest in conjunction with the Food Wine Conference. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are mine alone.

Mr. L&C love coconut, so this ice cream is right up his alley. I created a delicious and creamy coconut ice cream and swirled in chocolate covered cacao nibs. Cacao nibs aren’t that sweet, but since they are covered in chocolate, it’s just enough, plus they give a bit of a crunch.

Toasted coconut is a great topping for ice cream and I love the color it gives. Isn’t this coconut bowl adorable too? What better way to serve coconut ice cream than in a coconut bowl. I bought mine from the party store, but you can find them online too.

The base of this ice cream is one that I love to add different flavors and mix-ins, so it can be totally customized to your liking. I love all things dairy, so I had a hard time trying to figure out what to make. Ice cream is one of my favorite milk recipes and this one is creamy, crunchy, and oh-so-delicious!

This time next week I will be at the Food Wine Conference here in Orlando, Florida. It’s one of my favorite blog events of the year. One of the conference sponsors, Florida Dairy Farmers is hosting a #makeitwithMILK contest, where bloggers were tasked with creating a recipe using at least 1 cup of real milk and at least 1 cup of one other dairy product.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

This recipe was created for the #makeitwithMILK contest in conjunction with the Food Wine Conference. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are mine alone.

Monster milkshakes, crazy shakes, or whatever you want to call them, are taking the internet by storm, and this one is deliciously crazy. I love Rice Krispies Treats and this milkshake totally tastes like one. Of course, I had to add sprinkles, because let’s be real, everything is better with sprinkles!

Homemade ice cream is THE best ingredient for milkshakes. You can use store bought, but I like to have homemade ice cream at home anyway, so I used it for this recipe. I have wanted to make a monster shake for a while and decided to enter this recipe into a contest for the Food Wine Conference.

A week from today is the Food Wine Conference and I cannot wait! One of the conference sponsors, Florida Dairy Farmers is hosting a #makeitwithMILK contest, where bloggers were tasked with creating a recipe using at least 1 cup of real milk and at least 1 cup of one other dairy product.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Follow Florida Dairy Farmers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube

Frozen yogurt has been a long-time favorite of mine, and it is even better in pop form. We are a huge fan of popsicles here and #ToddlerLnC loved this version. These also made me a happy momma, because it is packed with goodness – Vanilla Greek yogurt, Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter and bananas.

Chocolate hazelnut butter is one of my favorite flavors – I literally eat it with a spoon right out of the jar, in moderation of course. It is one of those flavors that is good on toast, waffles, cookies, ice cream, etc. When I make smoothies or pops, I always try to use yogurt and a fruit. Bananas are such a great addition to these pops and make them extra creamy.

Total time: 5 mins.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

I have an ongoing relationship with Stonyfield as a member of the Clean Plate Club. I receive product, coupons and/or compensation for posts featuring their products. As always, all opinions are my own. Stonyfield partnered with Justin’s Peanut Butter for this month’s recipe. #stonyfieldblogger #sponsored.

Summer is in full swing here in Florida. I know it doesn’t officially start until mid-June, but with the weather in the low 90s, and afternoon thunderstorms most days of the week, you can imagine why I would consider it Summer already. Going to the pool, trips to the beach, slumber parties and ice cream cones that melt faster than you can eat them are usually included in Summer plans.

I love any kind of frozen treat, ice cream, popsicles, milkshakes and frozen yogurt. We love heading to our local frozen yogurt shop and creating our own wonderful combinations. Sometimes, though, getting frozen yogurt on a whim isn’t always the easiest when you have a toddler in tow. I often make my own frozen treats and was beyond thrilled when Stonyfield and OXO sent the new Yogurt Culture book by Cheryl Sternman Rule, along with a Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop and Strawberry Huller.

This book is gorgeous. If you are a yogurt fan, you will love it. If you aren’t a yogurt fan, try a few recipes and you are sure to be a convert. Yogurt Culture has 115 sweet and savory recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert. Cheryl Sternman Rule goes beyond traditional yogurt recipes to create bright and flavorful dishes, beautifully shot by Ellen Silverman. Yogurt Culture is definitely one that should make a home on your bookshelf.

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Ultimate Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
from Yogurt Culture by Cheryl Sternman Rule

Ultimate Strawberry Yogurt Ingredients:
– 1 pound Strawberries, preferably organic
– 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
– 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– 2 & 1/2 cups plain whole-milk Yogurt (not Greek) or 1 & 1/2 cups plain whole-milk Greek Yogurt
– 1 tablespoon Light Corn Syrup
– 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh Rosemary, plus (optional) additional minced Rosemary for garnish

Ultimate Strawberry Yogurt Directions:
1. PREP THE BERRIES. In a food processor, pulse the Strawberries, sugar and Vinegar in five 1-second bursts. Let stand at room temperature (go ahead and keep it in the food processor), covered, for 1 hour.
2. MEANWHILE, PREP THE YOGURT. If using traditional yogurt, spoon it into a fine-mesh sieve set over a deep bowl. Refrigerate to drain off the whey for 1 hour only. Discard the whey or reserve it for another use. Add the yogurt to the food processor with the strawberries. (If using Greek Yogurt, do not strain, but do not add the yogurt to the berries until after they have stood for 1 hour.)
3. PUREE AND CHILL. Ad the corn syrup to the yogurt mixture. Process until nearly smooth. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. FREEZE. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After 20 minutes, add the rosemary. (I did not add any rosemary in my recipe.) Continue churning until the mixture has fully thickened and is nearly scoopable. You may eat it now, soft-serve stle, but I recommend transferring it to a metal loaf pan to further chill and develop deeper flavor. Press a sheet of parchment directly on the surface of the frozen yogurt, then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze for several hours.
5. SERVE. Let the yogurt stand at room temperature at least 20 minutes before scooping with a hot, dry, scoop. Garnish sparingly with rosemary.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with Stonyfield as a member of the Clean Plate Club. I receive product, coupons and/or compensation for posts featuring their products. As always, all opinions are my own. #stonyfieldblogger #sponsored.

It’s the last day of #VanillaWeek. What a wonderful week it has been. I loved making all these delicious vanilla dishes for you. If you haven’t already seen them, I hope you will visit my Vanilla Bean White Hot Chocolate, Vanilla Bean Doughnuts, Vanilla Bean Tiramisu, Vanilla Bean Ladyfingers and Vanilla Bean Macarons. Today is the last day to enter, so don’t forget to head on over to my blog post with all the details for the #VanillaWeek Giveaway! The #VanillaWeek Bloggers have made some amazing dishes this week and I can’t thank the sponsors enough for providing the prizes.

I am celebrating, not only the end of #VanillaWeek, but also Love and Confections’ birthday. Five years ago yesterday I created Love and Confections on a whim. I wanted to share my love of baking and pastry and what I was working on in culinary school. I fell in love with food photography and the blogging world. I still have so much to learn, but am immensely proud of where I am. I have accomplished a lot in these past five years and I can’t wait to see where the next five years takes me. Thank you to everyone who is a part of the Love and Confections family. I love sharing these recipes and hope you love them too.

Now, onto the recipe… I love ice cream, but didn’t want to pull out the ice cream maker this week, so I decided to do a semifreddo – or translated to “partially frozen” dessert. I am probably going to experiment with my own ratios and flavors soon, but for now, I decided to use Bon Appetit’s version. A lot of times bloggers show only their  best work and don’t tell you about the fails in the kitchen, and believe me, there are some pretty big fails.

In all honesty I thought it would be a good recipe – it’s from Bon Appetit for crying out loud – but it wasn’t. The milk seeped to the bottom, carrying a bunch of vanilla seeds with it, and created an icy vanilla layer that I literally cut off so I could get a good picture. Here is the link for Bon Appetit’s Semifreddo. I did not do the Pistachio and Strawberry layers, and instead just made the Vanilla layer as stated in the recipe. Sometimes you can’t win ’em all. The layer that didn’t separate was absolutely delicious, but I wish it had all the vanilla flavor that seeped out into the bottom. That just motivates me more to create a delicious Vanilla Bean Semifreddo that I will hopefully post soon.

Until next time, 
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Here are more #VanillaWeek Blogger recipes:

Bourbon Vanilla Brownies from Take A Bite Out of Boca
Easy Vanilla Syrup & Vanilla Iced Coffee from Taste Cook Sip
Vanilla Bean Semifreddo from Love and Confections


Disclosure: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Bob’s Red Mill, Silpat, Quirk Books and Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar are providing the prizes free of charge. These companies are also providing the bloggers with samples and product to use for #VanillaWeek. All opinions stated are my own.