Go beyond a simple ice cream for dessert

Ice cream is the perfect treat for these long, hot days of summer.

But when you want more than a plain dish or cone of ice cream, add a tasty sauce or make an ice cream sandwich or cake. They don’t have to take a lot of time or effort, although you can get as fancy as you like with the presentation.

You can make a simple ice cream cake by crushing chocolate sandwich cookies, combining the crumbs with butter and pressing it into the bottom of a pan for a crust. Top with your favorite flavor of softened ice cream, then add a complementary sauce and freeze until firm. A dollop of whipped cream, topped with jimmies, chocolate chips or a few pieces of fresh fruit will create the perfect garnish.

Instead of one large cake, individual servings can be made in ramekins or small cake pans.

Ice cream sandwiches are delicious, but vary the recipe beyond vanilla ice cream and chocolate wafer cookies.

Make peanut butter and jelly ice cream sandwiches by layering vanilla ice cream and strawberry jam on peanut butter cookies and freezing them. You can make your own cookies, or save time by using store-bought peanut butter cookies.

You can also make a delicious sauce for ice cream by warming fruity jelly or jam or by melting a cup of chocolate chips with 3/4 cup whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

If you’re really ambitious, whip up a batch of homemade ice cream in your favorite flavor. Make more than you expect you’ll need, because it’s likely to disappear quickly.

Following are a few ice cream treat recipes from honestandtruly.com.

 

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1-3/4 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup milk

8 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 fun size candy bars, frozen

Place sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, swirling to get the sugar to melt.

As soon as the mixture turns a light golden color, start pouring in the cream while whisking briskly.

Whisk periodically on medium heat to prevent the bottom from scorching. Heat until it just starts to steam and is scalded but not boiling.

Whisk egg yolks, salt and vanilla in a separate heat-safe bowl. As soon as the milk is scalded, carefully and very slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper them.

Return mixture to the heavy saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk regularly until the temperature reaches 160 degrees, then remove from the heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Cool fully, then refrigerate for an hour.

Strain into an ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to make ice cream.

While processing, remove candy bars from the freezer. Unwrap them and use a sharp knife to cut them into eight pieces each. Once ice cream has set up a bit but before it’s ready to freeze, add chopped candy bar pieces. Once machine has finished its cycle, pour into a storage container and freeze four to six hours before serving.

 

 

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

10 large strawberries, plus more for garnish

1-3/4 cups lemon-lime soda

4 cups vanilla ice cream

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Place glasses in freezer at least 30 minutes before making.

Place 10 strawberries in blender cup with 1/4 cup soda. Blend until pureed. Add ice cream, remaining soda and lemon juice, pulse and then blend just until incorporated.

Remove your frozen glasses from freezer and fill with mixture, stopping about two-thirds of the way to add a sliced strawberry. Serve immediately.

 

 

Java Chip Frappuccino

1 cup coffee

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1 teaspoon chocolate extract or vanilla

Whipped cream, optional

Brew coffee. While still hot, stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour into ice cube tray or Popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

Remove frozen coffee from molds and place into blender cup with milk, chocolate chips and chocolate extract or vanilla. Pulse 10 to 15 seconds to start blending, then turn on high and run until completely blended. Pour into a cup and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

 

 

Banana Nice Cream Sandwiches

4 bananas

4 graham crackers

2 cups fresh blueberries or chopped fresh strawberries

Peel and freeze bananas at least two hours.

Break graham crackers into individual rectangles.

Wash and dry fruit. If using strawberries, hull and slice them.

Slice bananas, place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Place banana custard into a zipper-top bag and seal. Snip off a corner, then pipe onto eight graham cracker rectangles.

Add fruit to custard, then top with remaining graham crackers.

Freeze five minutes, then serve.

Store any extras individually wrapped.

 

 

Frozen Cheesecake Bites

5.3 ounces European-style yogurt

9 graham crackers

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

12 ounces dark chocolate

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Line a colander with cheesecloth and add yogurt. Tie the top, place colander in a bowl and refrigerate at least six hours.  Gently squeeze the cheesecloth to remove as much liquid as possible. Scrape yogurt cheese into a container.

In a food processor, pulverize graham crackers to crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse to combine. Add graham crackers to an eight-inch square pan that’s lined with foil that’s coated with cooking spray. Gently press crackers into pan, then bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add a quarter of the yogurt cheese and beat until incorporated. Add remaining yogurt cheese and mix until incorporated, then increase speed slightly and mix for 30 seconds.

Pour prepared filling onto the crust and smooth to the edges. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Let cheesecake cool, then freeze two  hours or overnight.

Once frozen, remove cheesecake from the pan and foil. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 64 one-inch cubes.

Melt chocolate with coconut oil over low heat in a heavy saucepan, stirring regularly. Using a fork, dip cheesecake bites, one at a time, into the chocolate, coating thoroughly, then shaking to remove excess chocolate. Carefully place dipped cheesecake bites onto a silpat sheet or piece of waxed paper to harden.

Once bites are hardened, place in a container and return to the freezer. They will keep in the freezer for as long as a month.

 

 

Keto Mason Jar Ice Cream

For vanilla ice cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1-1/2 tablespoons powdered monkfruit sweetener

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

For chocolate ice cream:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered monkfruit sweetener

1 tablespoon cacao powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a 16-ounce wide-mouth Mason jar. Secure lid tightly and shake well three to five minutes, until cream thickens and doubles in volume.

Freeze the jar for three to four hours. Serve in bowls or directly from the jar.

 

 

Lemonade Popsicles

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups cold water

1 tablespoon lemon zest, optional

In a large measuring cup or mixing bowl, combine lemon juice and sugar. Use a fork to mix one to two minutes, until the sugar is fully dissolved and forms a syrup.

Pour water into the lemon syrup, then mix well. If using lemon zest, mix that in as well.

Pour mixture into Popsicle molds, then place molds into the freezer for at least four hours.

 

 

Homemade Chai Tea Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/4 teaspoon star anise powder

1/4 teaspoon clove powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

Combine cream and milk in a small pot, then add spices, vanilla extract and salt. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Mix egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl, and continue stirring until mixture turns pale yellow. Slowly add one-third of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking continuously.

Place pot over medium-low heat and whisk remaining egg mixture into the pot with the cream. Continue stirring frequently and cook gently five to seven minutes, until a custard forms and an instant-read thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Strain hot custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.

Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

 

Chocolate Covered Ice Cream Bites

12 Oreo cookies

1 quart ice cream

12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup coconut oil

Toppings such as nuts, crushed cookies, sprinkles and graham cracker crumbs

Scoop ice cream with a one-tablespoon scoop, then scrape off the excess with a bench scraper or a flat knife so the bottom is flat. Place the ice cream on an Oreo.

Freeze the ice cream bites until firm.

Place coconut oil and chopped chocolate in a small bowl and heat in the microwave at 20-second intervals until chocolate is melted.  Stir until the chocolate coating is smooth, then let cool.

Make sure the chocolate coating is in a deep enough bowl to dip the ice cream bites, then dip ice cream bite into the chocolate, making sure to coat both the ice cream ball and the top part of the Oreo.  Let the excess drip back into the bowl.

Immediately sprinkle bite with your choice of toppings. Place ice cream bites back in the freezer and freeze at least one hour, until firm.

Store in a freezer container for as long as three months.

 

 

Blackberry Lime Sorbet

4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

1-2/3 cups water

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 teaspoons lime zest

4 teaspoons lime juice

Place berries and one cup water in a blender and puree on high until smooth. Strain mixture to remove seeds.

In a small saucepan, combine remaining water, sugar, corn syrup, lime juice and lime zest. Heat to just boiling, then cool. Add to the pureed berries and stir to incorporate.

Chill mixture completely in the refrigerator.

Once chilled, pour into ice cream maker and follow instructions. Serve immediately as soft serve or move sorbet into a freezer-safe, conductive pan  such as a metal 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and freeze six to eight hours, until firm.

You may also pour chilled sorbet base into a freezer-safe, conductive pan such as a metal 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, and freeze one hour, then stir the mixture, being careful to break up any chunks and scrape the corners. Return the pan to the freezer.

Repeat at least two more times, freezing and stirring at least three times total. Serve immediately as soft serve or freeze six to eight hours, until firm.