The Mixing Bowl: Blue Hawaiian Ice Cream by Lili Chin

Lili Chin is a woman after my own heart. Her website, We All Scream, combines three of my favorite things---illustrations, ice cream, and unique flavor combinations---to create an illustrated recipe site that equally appeals to both my stomach and my eyes! Seriously, with ice creams flavors like Ginger Caramel, Strawberry Bourbon, Mexican Corn, and Sunflower Seed, how could I resist! There’s even an ice cream recipe for dogs! I was in dessert/design heaven. And it doesn’t stop there. In addition to these wonderful recipes, Lili creates individual labels for her ice creams that feature her designs. How cute is that?? When I first laid eyes on her site, I instantly knew that I had to ask her to contribute a recipe to The Mixing Bowl and when she sent over this recipe for Blue Hawaiian ice cream, I couldn’t wait to share it will all of you. I’m a huge fan of tropical flavors (tropical lifesavers were always my favorite pack) and I can’t take my eyes of the ice cream’s lovely blue hue. Who doesn’t love blue-colored food??

Malaysian-born Lili Chin is an artist and animator based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of FWAK! Animation, which produced its first feature-length animated film in 2006, Los Campeones de la Lucha Libre (The Champions of Wrestling). She was also the co-creator, producer and designer on Mucha Lucha, a Warner Bros' hit animated series which ran for 52 episodes on Kids WB and Cartoon Network. When not animating, Lili draws the cutest dog portraits over at Doggie Drawings. I love the retro kitsch look of her dog portraits and, as an animal lover, the idea of a getting a personalized pet painting really appeals to me! If you don’t own a dog, have no fear, she draws other animals as well. In addition, as the proud dog owner of a rescued Boston Terrier named Boogie, Lili donates a percentage of her Doggie Drawing sales to Boston Terrier/Animal rescue (woo hoo!).

To check out Lili's ice cream site, We All Scream, click here. If you’re a fan of this site, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. You can see more of Lili’s work via her Flickr page and on her Doggie Drawings site. Thanks, Lili!

To see a larger version of the recipe, simply click on the image at the top of this post. You can also view additional images from Lili after the jump.

The Mixing Bowl: Lamingtons (aka Passionfruit Curd Cakes) by Polli

You may remember Tess and Maja, the lovely ladies behind the jewelry company Polli, from their previous Mixing Bowl contribution---the gorgeous to look at and wonderful to eat “I Scream Sandwiches.” I was so impressed with their last recipe that when they offered to whip up another delicious treat for Dessert Girl readers, I couldn’t wait to see what they came up with next! I was, of course, thrilled when they sent over this recipe for an Australian lamington by Polli team member Hannah. I’m a big fan of regional desserts, and this one looks sooo yummy. Plus, this lamington has got a bit of a twist to it (traditionally the cakes are square and covered in chocolate), which makes it that much more fun! With all that passion fruit and lemon curd, it really is the perfect summertime treat, although I guess it’s winter in Australia, so I suppose that makes it a perfect winter treat as well! Really, it works all year round! So be sure to try it out this weekend, no matter what part of the world you’re living in. :-)

From Polli: Imagine sponge cake with lemon curd filling coated in passionfruit jelly and rolled in coconut. The jelly is made with fresh passionfruit and agar powder not gelatin so it is vegetarian friendly and not overpowered by sugar. Delicious! Such moist little cakes.

I’m not the type of gal that goes ga-ga for jewelry. I don’t believe in jewelry for the sake of jewelry. I’m not into bling, but I am into Polli. I can’t get enough of their cool, architectural designs. Since we last heard from them, they’ve introduced some pretty awesome wooden necklaces and a jewelry collection designed by fellow Mixing Bowl contributor, artist Emma van Leest. Plus, they’re dedicated to maintaining a low carbon footprint by doing things like using recycled materials, walking and cycling to work, and using energy efficient lighting. They've even been officially named a low-carbon company by the Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI). How cool is that?

To check out more from Polli and to shop online, click here. You can find the complete recipe for the lamingtons and more photos after the jump. Thanks to Tess, Maja, Hannah, and the entire Polli team for another great recipe!

Spaghetti Ice Cream

Am I the only one that didn't know that ice cream shaped like spaghetti is like...a thing...in Germany? Yep, that's right. It's called spaghettieis (spaghetti ice) and it's not really noodles, but ice cream that has been pressed through a spaetzle press. To assemble, simply place the "noodles" over whipped cream, add strawberry sauce instead of tomato sauce and replace the cheese with white chocolate, coconut, or grated almonds and voila, you have spaghettieis. When I first saw it, I thought it was just another fondant-covered novelty dish, but I was wrong! It's actually well-known dessert in Germany and has been around since the 1960s! Want to try making it yourself? Click here for a recipe.

[Photo by Christian Cable]

Mixing Bowl: Zucchini Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting by Oh So Good

Today’s Mixing Bowl recipe comes from graphic designer and Etsy seller Sarah Roberto of Oh So Good. Her delicious recipe for whole wheat zucchini cake with coconut cream cheese frosting would be make a tasty weekend treat and would also be a great way start the fall baking season! Personally, I love zucchini bread, even though zucchini is one of my least favorite veggies. I'll eat the green squash, but it's not my first choice, but zucchini bread . . . yum! The fact that it doesn't have an overwhelming zucchini flavor makes it a great, healthier, dessert option for the kiddies, too. Just don't tell them that there's zucchini in it!


Sarah is a Toronto-based graphic designer who creates environmentally-friendly notebooks, greeting cards, and gift tags using salvaged paper. For example, when you buy one of Sarah's notebooks, the inside will be filled with found pages (grid, lined, colored) and the cover print may have been rescued from a discarded book or a scrap of vintage wallpaper. Such a great idea! I don't often buy stationary products because I inevitably feel guilty about the environmental impact. As a result, I have TONS of unbound paper scraps floating around my house with various notes scribbled on them. Sarah's notebooks are a great way to stay organized, without hurting the environment! The faux wood notebooks have my name written all over them, but there are a lot of other great designs to choose from. You can view Sarah's collection online right here.




Thanks so much to Sarah for sharing her recipe with us! Happy Baking!

You can find the full recipe and more photos after the jump.

Dessert in the Bath

I'm a big fan of anything you use in the shower, especially soap and bubble bath, so I was excited to see that sweets shop Dylan's Candy Bar has extended their product line to bath products. I especially like the look of their shower gel line, which comes in cute retro-inspired soda bottles. All products are free of parabens and synthetic preservatives, among other things, so woo hoo, no potential cancer risk! Well, until some future date when it's discovered that "safe ingredients" kill you as well. Click here to view the complete, paraben-free, collection.

While visiting Dylan's Web site, I also stumbled upon these great candy building blocks. I'm not sure how they taste, but they look like Legos, so I'd have to give 'em a try!

BabyCakes: Vegan, Gluten Free, and Yummy!

I'm a big defender of vegan baking. Even though I'm not actually vegan, I've eaten my fair share of vegan baked goods during my lifetime, and I think they get a bad rap!! People hear vegan and dessert in the same sentence and instantly think yuck! That's why I'm super excited that that successful vegan bakery BabyCakes has a new cookbook out! Not only have they managed to convince dairy lovers to eat vegan cupcakes, but they managed to do it while keeping their bakery wheat free, casein free, refined-sugar free, gluten free, soy free, organic, AND kosher!! These baked goods are virtually guilt free! But, because of all the substitutions necessary to make these particular desserts, you may be a little perplexed once you read the ingredient lists. Garbanzo bean flour, coconut flour, and xanthan gum, among other things, pop up frequently in this cookbook, but fear not, most ingredients are available at your local health food store or at Whole Foods.

So, I know what you're thinking, with all those weird ingredients, how do these desserts taste?? Well, my sister recently made the chocolate chip cookie sandwiches (see pic above), and, let me tell you, they were really good! They definitely had a unique flavor. Not bad, just unique, and the coconut flour did give them a very slight coconut taste, so if you hate coconut, be forewarned. All in all, I'm anxious to try something else from the cookbook. It's like every recipe is a little baking adventure!

A video on how to make the sandwiches, along with the recipe, can be found at Martha Stewart's Web site, right here.

If you live in New York and want to try some vegan yumminess (you know who you are!) head on over to BabyCakes in NYC. A Los Angeles location will be opening soon. If you'd like to order online, click here.

Sweet Testing: Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

Back in April, after much debate, I decided to make these beautiful coconut cupcakes for Easter dessert. Unfortunately, I was not thrilled with how they turned out. Oh, no! My first Baked disappointment! But don't fear Baked lovers, the story has a happy ending. So, where was I? Oh, yes, initially, things did not look good. I thought, oh, well, it had to happen eventually. I can't possibly LOVE every recipe in this cookbook. They weren't horrible cupcakes. I didn't spit them out or anything, but they just weren't that exciting. Usually anything from Baked excites me! Despite my displeasure, I packed up a few leftovers for home, anyway, and gave some away. The next day, after a long day at the office, I cut off a small bite from one of the cupcakes and, low and behold, ended up eating the whole thing! These cupcakes definitely improved with age or maybe I was just too full from Easter dinner to properly enjoy them the first time around. Also, someone told me that it was the best cupcake they ever had, which is the traditional Baked compliment, so they didn't let me down on that front!

To order the Baked cookbook, click here.

More From Baked: Whoopie Pies, Sugar Cookies, Sweet and Salty Cake, Lemon Drop Cake

I'm still working on my photography skills, so I saved my pic for after the jump! You can find the complete recipe there as well.

Coconut Kisses

I am not a fan of the current "fixing what ain't broke" trend among candy makers. You know, how they'll take a classic treat that we all love and try to adjust the flavors to make it new and exciting to consumers, like covering Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in white chocolate, instead of the traditional darker variety. Hel-lo, peanut butter and white chocolate?? Puh-lease. The original is a classic for a reason!! Anyway, even though past experience has taught me that messing with classic candy doesn't generally work well (although I do like nontraditional baked goods), I couldn't resist buying these Coconut Crème Kisses. I know a lot of people don't like coconut, something about the texture, blah, blah, blah, but I LOVE the white stuff, so I just had to try these!! I snatched them up as soon as they went on sale and I was not disappointed! They are sooo good! Of course, now I'm itching to try all the flavored kisses. Any recommendations?

For some reason, Hershey's has only a limited selection of Kisses on their Web site. To check out the flavors that they feel are worthy of their Web Site, click here.

LARABAR: Yummy and good for you!

Larabar, creators of what have to be the world's healthiest fruit and nut bars, have recently introduced two new flavors, both of which are, like their previous snack bars, inspired by classic desserts. The two new additions, Peanut Butter Cookie and Coconut Cream Pie, fit in nicely amongst the older bars like Banana Bread and Cinnamon Roll.

For those of you who don't know, Larabars are made of all natural ingredients. There are only a handful of ingredients on the wrapper and you'll be able to pronounce and recognize each one! That's because there are no added sweeteners or chemicals in Larabars AND, for those of you shun dairy products, they're vegan! I tried the Coconut Cream Pie bar last night and I have to say, it may be my new favorite flavor! It was pretty tasty. Don't get me wrong; It's not a candy bar, if that's what you're craving, but it is a pleasant and healthier alternative. For more information, click here.

Little Circles of Heaven

When I started this Web site, my friend Nancy asked me if I was familiar with her chocolate chocolate chip cookies. When I replied that it wasn't ringing any bells, she said "ask Dean about them." Curious, I asked Dean if he remembered Nancy's cookies, thinking that there was no way he would still remember, considering that it was years ago. Here is his reply:

OMG. How could I ever forget those cookies. They were the absolute BEST!!! They were little circles of heaven.

After that endorsement, I knew that I had to have the recipe!

Here are the specifics. Straight from the source:

1 box Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix (yes, the brand does make a difference!)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

I usually end up eating half the batch as they come out of the oven.

Mix it all together, bake in oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes. The cookies look wrinkly.

Also extremely tasty with peanut butter chips and, separately, teeny tiny marshmallows for smores cookies. I also like them with the standard chocolate chips and loads of shredded coconut.