But I'm not here to go on and on about my birthday. Although it is related to this peanut butter ice cream. My awesome friends Paige & Ashley surprised me last week with an early birthday gift: an ice cream maker! I was surprised, and touched, and (most of all) PUMPED! They know me well enough to know that I dig all desserts, but ice cream holds a special place in my heart. Less than twenty-four hours later, I'd already started working on my first batch of ice cream: peanut butter.

If you're a fan of peanut butter, you will LOVE this ice cream. It would be awesome with additional mix-ins (think: chocolate chips, Reese's pieces, chopped up peanut butter cups), but it's just as delicious plain. To see what I did with my first batch of homemade ice cream, you'll have to wait until Monday!

Paige & Ash, thank you SO much. You two are the best and although I avoid getting sappy (for Paige's sake of course), I really do love you guys and am thankful for our friendship! Here's to many, many more girl's dinners (and many more batches of homemade ice cream!).


Peanut Butter Ice Cream
from Annie's Eats


Ingredients:
-3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
-3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
-2 2/3 cups half & half
-pinch of coarse salt
-dash of vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
2. Place mixture in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
3. Remove from freezer and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.
**Note: Make sure your ice cream maker is COMPLETELY frozen and that your ice cream mixture is VERY chilled or else you'll end up with ice cream soup! Thanks Amanda for talking me through my first batch of ice cream ;)