Summer is quickly fading away here in Maine, but I can’t say I’m sad to see it go.  It was pretty cold and rainy this year and not very conducive to enjoying ice cream outside very often.

Fall is probably one of my favorite seasons, though and I can’t wait for it to be here already.  The Fall Fever really started to hit for me when food establishments start bringing out the pumpkin flavored items.  I’ve already enjoyed a few pumpkin bagels (yummy!) which reminded me of my failed pumpkin pie ice cream experiment last October.  I think this year I might tweak the recipe or just let Kelly at Ice Cream Alchemy test it out for me.  Maybe she’ll also whip up a batch of Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes, too!

Here was our recipe:

32oz heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons anise flavoring

And here is what our ice cream looked like in the end:

First, I just have to say that Blue Bunny ice cream is delicious and versatile.  Their website has so many good recipes with instructional videos on it.  Their recipe for Chicken Curry Salad is no exception.  I wouldn’t have thought to use vanilla ice cream in my chicken salad, but this sounds so good:

“This spicy and sweet chicken salad starts with a creamy base of softened BLUE BUNNY® French Vanilla Ice Cream, mayonnaise and curry powder surrounding tender cubes of chicken breast, raisins and diced apples.”
I’m beginning to have doubts about writing this entry before lunch and without any Blue Bunny ice cream in sight…

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz. BLUE BUNNY® French Vanilla Ice Cream, softened
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp. curry powder
8 oz. cooked chicken breast
2 oz. raisins
2 oz. diced apples

PREPARATION:
Mix the ice cream and mayonnaise with the curry powder. Fold in the chicken, raisins, and apples. Use in a sandwich wrap with sliced tomatoes, lettuce or other toppings as desired, or serve as a salad.

Here’s the video:

Homemade Waffle Cones

(Makes 6-8 cones)
You’ll need a pizzelle or waffle maker and a cone form for these cones. Cone-rolling can be a little tricky at first, but it gets easier with practice. You can also forgo the cone-rolling altogether and make an edible cup instead; just place warm cone on top of an upside-down ramekin.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Wooden cone mold

Directions:
1. Spray pizzelle or waffle maker with nonstick cooking spray and preheat according to manufacturer’s directions.

2. Combine eggs and salt with a whisk. Add sugar and whisk until smooth. Stir in the flour, and then the butter and vanilla. (Mixture will be thick.)

3. Place about 2 tablespoons (or more depending on size of maker) of mixture in center of iron and cook for about one to two minutes or until golden. Gently remove pizzelle or waffle from maker with a fork. Using a kitchen towel to protect your hands, wrap pizzelle or waffle around a wooden cone mold. Gently pinch to seal bottom shut. Hold for a minute or two to set. Cool on a baking sheet, a cone holder or a rectangular baking pan filled with sugar.

4. Repeat steps with remaining batter.

5. Serve filled with ice cream. Or store in an airtight container up to a week.

Note: If the cone’s point isn’t sealed fully, you can place a mini-marshmallow or a small piece of soft candy in the bottom to catch drips before adding ice cream.

Recipe from Everybody Loves Ice Cream: The Whole Scoop on America’s Favorite Treat © 2004 by Shannon Jackson Arnold.

Here are some great pudding pop recipes to try at home:

Vanilla Popsicle Recipes

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups plain yogurt
and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
Mix well, pour into popsicle containers and freeze.

Banana Vanilla Popsicles

1 box instant banana pudding mix
2 cups skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extra
1 banana, cut into pieces

Mix pudding mix, vanilla, and milk together.
Add cut up banana to pudding and blend evenly.

Spoon enough mixture into Popsicle cups
to cover bottom.

Tap the cups to get any air pockets out.
Freeze till set.

If you don’t have Popsicle molds, use Dixie cups.
Place in freezer and when almost firm,
insert sticks into center,
Replace in freezer until totally frozen.

Orange Vanilla Popsicles

Combine 2 cups plain yogurt, 6 ounce can frozen orange juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.  Mix well, pour into popsicle
containers and freeze.

You can make these in dixie cups or in popsicle molds like this one:

Today’s snow is light and fluffy (and falling at about 2″/hr!) which got me thinking about snow ice cream.  Here’s the quick recipe for it:

• 8  cup  snow, or shaved ice
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Place snow or shaved ice into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately in bowls.

Now if eating sugary snow isn’t your thing (given all the pollution emitted these days), you can use it to help freeze your ice cream.  This is a great alternative if you didn’t plan ahead and make enough ice cubes.  Simply mix the snow with rock salt (or sea salt) and put it in your ice cream maker where you’d normally put the ice.  This mixture of snow and salt can get as cold as 14F!

In case you’re still curious as to how the salt and ice/snow mixture actually works to freeze your ice cream, Anne Marie Helmenstine of About.com’s Chemistry Guide has an explanation for you:

That is an example of freezing point depression, which is a colligative property that you learn about in chemistry class. Colligative properties are dependent on the number of particles present in a system. When salt dissolves in water, the sodium and chlorine ions disrupt the water’s ability to form ice crystals. More ions in the water result in more disruption, so salts that dissolve to yield three particles (e.g. CaCl₂) can depress freezing point more than salts that yield two particles (e.g., NaCl). Energy is absorbed from the environment, so a baggie containing salt and ice with a small volume of water will become colder as the salt dissociates and the ice (or snow) melts. This is great for making ice cream, but note that you can’t add salt to very cold ice and expect it to freeze your ice cream or de-ice a snowy sidewalk because water has to be present. This is why NaCl isn’t used to de-ice sidewalks in areas that never warm up to 32°F.

Happy snow-cream making!

PS – Watch out for yellow snow — it’s not lemon!

Naughty Ice Cream Sandwiches

Naughty Ice Cream Sandwiches

Prepare the filling:

½ Gallon of premium vanilla ice cream, softened but not melted
¼ C. Irish Cream liquor (I used Baileys)

1. Line a jellyroll pan with plastic wrap.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the softened ice cream and Irish Cream until well combined.
3. Spread ice cream evenly in the jellyroll pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Prepare the brownies:

1 full-size box of brownie mix
2 eggs
½ C. oil
¼ C. coffee-flavored liquor (I used Kahlua)
2 T. instant espresso
1 t. vanilla
4 oz. dark chocolate, cut into small chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 18”x13” jellyroll pan then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine Kahlua, instant espresso and vanilla; stir until coffee is dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs, oil, and Kahlua mixture; stir together until well combined.
4. Stir in chocolate pieces.
5. Pour mixture into the jellyroll pan and, using a spatula, gently coax the mixture out to the edges of the pan. Once the mixture has been spread as evenly as possible, smooth the top with a spatula.
6. Place pan in a preheated, 350 degree oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
7. When brownies are done to your liking (12 minutes for gooey, 15 for well-done), remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Assemble the sandwiches:

Cut brownies into heart shapes using a cookie cutter. Use a spatula to carefully lift and remove the cut brownies to a separate platter. After all the hearts have been cut, cut the remaining pieces of brownie into bite-size pieces and store in a plastic bag for nibbling later. Wash and dry jelly roll pan then spread the brownie hearts out in a single layer in the pan.

Next, clear a large area on the counter and remove ice cream sheet from freezer. Place the tray of brownies within easy reach. Remove top layer of plastic wrap from ice cream. Working quickly, cut ice cream into shapes using the same cookie cutter you used for the brownies. As soon as you cut a piece of ice cream, quickly remove it by pushing up from the bottom with your fingers. This will get messy. Place the ice cream shape on top of one brownie and cover with another brownie. If desired, repeat this process to create a double decker sandwich. Continue until all brownie pieces have been used up.

Cover pan of sandwiches with plastic wrap and immediately place in the freezer. Scoop remaining bits of ice cream into a plastic container and freeze for later (you can eat it with the extra brownie pieces). After about an hour, the sandwiches can be individually wrapped in plastic if desired.

Ice cream sandwiches can be eaten by hand straight out of the freezer or for a special occasion, mix a little Kahlua with store-bought chocolate syrup, drizzle on a plate and top with the ice cream sandwich. You could even add a dollop of whipped cream!

Here’s another great creation featured on Martha Stewart.  This one combines peanut butter cookies and chocolate ice cream to make peanut butter and chocolate ice cream sandwiches.

The cookie recipe comes from Manhattan’s How Sweet It Is Bakery.

Check out Martha’s site for a great video demonstration on how to make these yummy treats!

Ingredients
Makes 12 ice cream sandwiches

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate ice cream (try the chocolate coconut recipe we found)

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add both sugars and continue to mix until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, add flour mixture in two batches, mixing well after each addition. Continue mixing until a dough forms. Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Press down on each dough ball using the tines of a fork, once vertically and once horizontally, to make a crosshatch pattern on the cookies. Sprinkle with sugar and transfer to oven. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet once during baking. Let cool completely.
4. Place 1 scoop of ice cream on the bottom side of 12 cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. Serve immediately or wrap individually using plastic wrap. Keep frozen up to 1 month.

Chocolate Strawberry Heart-Shaped Ice-Cream Sandwiches
[Makes 24]

What you’ll need…

* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 2 to 2 1/2 pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

How to do it…

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using a variety of heart-shaped cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich. Place hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator; use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Of course, you don’t have to be exactly like Martha.  You can make your own strawberry (or whatever flavor you like) ice cream yourself using any of the great recipes we’ve found and posted on this blog.  You can also make whatever kind of cookie, too.  Check out the Valentine Sugar Cookie Mix we have on sale!

Renowned chef David Lebovitz’s new cookbook – The Perfect Scoop has a marvelous frozen yogurt recipe that some say rival Pinkberry’s.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Recipe

Notes: Be sure to use good quality whole-milk yogurt so that your final creation doesn’t suffer.  You can add or subtract the sugar to taste and of course add any other ingredients you want.

3 cups (720g) strained yogurt (see below) or Greek-style yogurt (like Fage Total Yogurt)
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla (if using). Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

To make 1 cup (240g) of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth. then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups (480g) of plain whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. So, for the above recipe start with and strain 6 cups of yogurt.

Makes about 1 quart.