No-Bake Mini Salted Caramel Ice Cream Brownies

I mentioned on Monday that I am on vacation at the lake for a week, and it is friggin’ hot! The area where I live is somewhat coastal, so it gets warm but not unbearable. The weather here is in the high 90s. I know everyone in inland California, Arizona, Texas and other part of the US are rolling their eyes right now, but seriously, I am not used to this and I don’t know how you deal with it! Thank god I can just jump in the lake at any given time during the day.  So there will be very little baking going on while I am on vacation. Grilling? Sure, all day long, but I am NOT turning on the oven. Therefore, desserts will be of the no-bake variety. I guess it helps that we can hop in the boat and cross the lake for some frozen mud pie!

How about these No-Bake Mini Salted Caramel Ice Cream Brownies? They couldn’t be easier to prepare. I used a container of store-bought brownies, some Haagen-Dazs Sea Salt Caramel Gelato and homemade whipped cream. These mini ice cream brownies are the perfect little snack. I usually feel less guilty when I eat things in smaller portions, until I eat 3 or 4 of them. Oops. Anyway, I am totally head over heels in LOVE with this Sea Salt Caramel Gelato ice cream. I am not usually a salted caramel type of person, but I could eat a pint of this ice cream about as fast as I could down a pint of Ben and Jerrys.

Piña Colada Cupcake Shake

Sometimes you need some booze in your cupcakes and sometimes you need some cupcakes in your milkshake. Nothing’s scream summer like a milkshake or ice cream cone. So last week I had some left over Piña Colada cupcakes and I thought I would make a cupcake shake. What’s awesome about the cupcake shakes is you can really design any flavor of milkshake around the extra cupcakes you have. Is there any less guilt in consuming a cupcake in milkshake form? I mean, if you were walking around with a cupcake shake, no one would know there was a cupcake in there, which means they won’t judge you for drinking a milkshake and consuming a cupcake at the same time. It’s a win in my book.

Tomorrow we are headed to Minnesota for my cousin’s wedding. I haven’t see a majority of my family since 2005 as we are spread out across the country. I am pretty excited to see my cousins, who all have kids now! We will be in Roseville, so if anyone reading this has some bakery recommendations, please let me know!

For the piña colada cupcake shake, you need some cupcakes, some vanilla bean ice cream, shredded coconut and fresh pineapple. You will also need a large blender and some chilled glasses. I like to put my glasses in the freezer when I am making homemade milkshakes because it helps keep them that much colder!

Piña Colada Cupcake Shake
Yields 2 large shakes

2 Piña Colada Cupcakes

6-7 large scoops vanilla bean ice cream

1/4 cup shredded coconut

3/4 C Chopped Pineapple

1/3 C Milk

The instructions for this aren’t too complicated. Combine all of your ingredients in a large blender and beat until well mixed. For a thicker shake, add additional ice cream. For a thinner shake, add more milk.

I am kind of excited for all the cupcake shakes that I could create. Surely there is a chocolate one coming your way.

Don’t forget the Pina Colada Cupcake!