July is National Ice Cream Month—the perfect time for frozen treats to help us cope with summer’s heat. Why not celebrate by indulging in some ice cream creations in fun and unusual shapes? All these recipes work with your favorite ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, sherbet or gelato.
Photo by Karen Hermann
SORBET BOMBE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
SERVES 6
1 pint pomegranate sorbet
1 pint mango sorbet
1 pint raspberry sorbet
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
12 ounces fresh raspberries, divided
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Place a 7-inch mold (e.g., round-bottom bowl, gelatin mold) in freezer. Remove pomegranate sorbet from freezer; allow to soften 15–20 minutes. Smooth sorbet into bottom of mold; return mold to freezer. Remove mango sorbet from freezer; allow to soften 15–20 minutes. Retrieve mold from freezer, and smooth mango on top of the pomegranate. Return mold to freezer again. Remove raspberry sorbet from freezer; allow to soften 15–20 minutes. Retrieve mold from freezer; smooth raspberry on top of mango. Return mold to freezer to harden completely.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat sugar and 2 tablespoons water until sugar dissolves to create a simple syrup. In a blender, puree 6 ounces of raspberries with the simple syrup. Puree until smooth; then, using the back of a wooden spoon, strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Stir in lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve bombe.
Remove frozen bombe from freezer; dip mold up to the rim in warm water to help release the bombe. Unmold onto a flat serving plate. Keep frozen until ready to serve. To serve, slice bombe in wedges, garnish with raspberries and drizzle with sauce.
NUTTY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
MAKES 8 SANDWICHES
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Pistachio ice cream
Mini chocolate chips for decoration
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture. Mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts. Mixture will be very thick.
Using a medium-large scooper, drop scoops of dough 3 inches apart on cookie sheets (if not using scooper, drop scoops equivalent to 2 tablespoons) to make 16 cookies. Using a spatula, press down on each scoop to flatten slightly. Bake 12–15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on a rack.
Remove ice cream from freezer, and let sit 10–15 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop desired amount onto a cookie, and top with a second cookie. On cookie sheets lined with clean parchment paper, place ice cream sandwiches, and chill in freezer 30 minutes. Remove; decorate sides of sandwiches with mini chocolate chips. Cover tray with plastic wrap; return to freezer until ready to serve.
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Recipe tips
Using scoops
Scoops are the easiest way to get uniform portions of ice cream, cupcake or corn muffin batter, cookie dough, burgers, meatballs, and anything else you want to be relatively even in size. They range from 1 inch to 2.5 inches in diameter. Scoops with a spring-loaded handle are easier to maneuver.
How to portion ice cream scoops ahead of time
Save yourself some last-minute wear and tear when it’s time to serve your ice cream. You can prepare your scoops ahead—even the day before. Line a sheet pan or rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Let ice cream sit at room temperature 10 minutes. Scoop out ice cream, and place each scoop on lined pan. Return pan to freezer until scoops harden. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
WAFFLE ICE CREAM CUPS
Photo by Karen Hermann
MAKES 8–10
Cooking spray
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup milk, more if needed
White chocolate, melted
Colored sprinkles
Cherry vanilla ice cream
Preheat waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions; adjust settings for desired level of brownness. Turn a 12-cup muffin tin upside-down; spray bottom with cooking spray, and set aside.
In a small bowl, melt butter in microwave. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until combined. Add flour mixture, and stir. Add melted butter, vanilla and milk, and stir just until combined. Do not overmix. If more milk is needed, add 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency of a pancake batter.
Spoon ¼ cup batter onto waffle iron. Spread batter extra thin, so you can shape into cups. Using a small spatula, spread batter evenly over surface. Close lid, and cook at least 1 minute before lifting lid to check for doneness. Continue cooking until you reach desired color, 1½ to 2 minutes total time. (It may take a few tries to get this right.)
Quickly remove waffle from waffle iron, and shape it over the bottom of one muffin cup. Repeat until all cups are made. Alternate method: Use two flat-bottom glasses, one slight larger than the other. Shape waffle over bottom of smaller glass, cover with a paper towel and place larger glass over it. Allow cups to cool completely before removing, so they maintain their shape.
Brush or dip the rim of each cup with melted white chocolate, and dip in sprinkles. Fill cooled cups with cherry vanilla ice cream, and serve. Cups will stay fresh 1 week in zippered plastic bag or covered plastic container.
—
Recipe tips
Using scoops
Scoops are the easiest way to get uniform portions of ice cream, cupcake or corn muffin batter, cookie dough, burgers, meatballs, and anything else you want to be relatively even in size. They range from 1 inch to 2.5 inches in diameter. Scoops with a spring-loaded handle are easier to maneuver.
How to portion ice cream scoops ahead of time
Save yourself some last-minute wear and tear when it’s time to serve your ice cream. You can prepare your scoops ahead—even the day before. Line a sheet pan or rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Let ice cream sit at room temperature 10 minutes. Scoop out ice cream, and place each scoop on lined pan. Return pan to freezer until scoops harden. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE BROWNIE STACKS
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
MAKES 8
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Pinch kosher salt
Chocolate ice cream
White chocolate, melted
Chopped pecans for garnish
Heat oven to 325 F. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with cocoa, and stir until smooth. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly; transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, 1 cup chopped pecans and salt. Add to butter-and-cocoa mixture; stir until just combined. Pour into a greased 8-inch-by-8-inch square pan. Bake 30–35 minutes. Do not overbake; brownies should be gooey. Let cool; cut into desired shape and size with round or square biscuit cutter.
Remove ice cream from freezer, and let sit 10–15 minutes to soften slightly. Tear off sides of ice cream container, and turn out ice cream onto clean cutting board. Cut into 1-inch slices. Cut out ice cream shapes with same cutter used to cut brownies. Place slices on parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to freezer until they harden (about 30 minutes). To serve, place brownie on plate, stack ice cream slice on top, drizzle with melted white chocolate, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
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BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”