Summer Sorbet

When entertaining during the summertime, try scooping some sorbet into a wine glass, add whipped topping and garnish with berries. It´s great for eating on the porch after an excellent dinner.

Easy Tartufo

3 cups chocolate ice cream
1 cup frozen pitted cherries, thawed and chopped
15 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tsp. oil

Mix chopped cherries into the ice cream. Scoop ice cream mixture into six balls using an ice cream scoop. Roll in crushed cookies. Place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips with oil, stirring until smooth. Cool.

Place coated ice cream balls on wire rack. Spoon melted chocolate over each ball, coating the top and sides. Freeze again until firm, at least 1 hour. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Berry Frozen Yogurt

1 pint strawberries or raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups vanilla yogurt

Mash berries with sugar in large bowl and stir in yogurt. Freeze in 2 quart freezer according to manufacturer´s directions.

Calories per 1/2 cup: 115
Calories from fat: 10
Sodium: 50 mg

Easy Ice Cream Pie

To make an easy frozen dessert, make or purchase a graham cracker or cookie crumb crust. Spread a hot fudge sauce on the bottom in a thin layer (if necessary, soften slightly in microwave). Top with softened ice cream. Drizzle more hot fudge sauceover the ice cream. Freeze until firm. Good ice cream choices are mint chocolate chip, coffee and the various candy bar flavors.

Frozen Fruit Smoothies

Use frozen fruit rather than ice cubes when making smoothies. This allows for a thicker texture without watering down the final product.

Sorbet Fruit Pie

1 quart any flavor fruit sorbet, slightly softened
1 ready to use graham cracker pie crust
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/3 cup cantaloupe balls
1/3 cup honeydew melon balls
1/3 cup cubed kiwi fruit

Spread softened sorbet in pie crust. Cover and freeze for 2 hours. When ready to serve, spread whipped topping over sherbet and top with the fresh fruit.

Summer Treat

Make your own homemade ice cream sandwiches. Take your favorite cookies and use them to sandwich your favorite ice cream. Prepare a platter in advance, hide them in the freezer and surprise the family!

Italian Frosty

You can use other flavors of prepared frosting to vary this sweet frozen dessert recipe. Any type of fresh fruit would make a great topping.

3/4 cup crushed shortbread cookies
1/3 cup ground nuts
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 can prepared chocolate frosting

Combine cookie crumbs, nuts and butter and press in bottom of 9" square pan. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, ricotta cheese and frosting and beat until smooth. Pour over crumb crust and freeze for 3 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before cutting. 12 servings

Peanut Ice Cream Dessert

3/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
4-1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

In large bowl stir together corn syrup and peanut butter. Stir in rice cereal. Press 3/4 on bottom of buttered 13x9" pan and freeze until firm, about 1/2 hour. Spread ice cream on top of crust and sprinkle with remaining cereal mixture. Freeze until firm, about 2-3 hours. Cut into squares to serve. 12 servings

Creamy Banana Frozen Yogurt

3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups vanilla yogurt

Mix together all ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Freeze in 2 quart ice cream freezer according to manufacturer´s instructions.

Marble Pops

Your kids will absolutely love these easy, cold pops, rich with chocolate and banana.

4 cups milk
3-1/2-oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
2 mashed bananas
4-1/2-oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
18 paper cold drink cups
18 wooden sticks

In small bowl add 2 cups of the milk to the vanilla pudding mix and beat well. Stir in bananas. In another small bowl, mix chocolate pudding mix with remaining milk and beat until well blended. Spoon 1/2 of the banana pudding mixture into the drink cups. Layer chocolate mixture over the banana mixture. Repeat with remaining banana mixture and blend with knife to marble. Insert wooden sticks and freeze until solid. To serve, peel away the drink cups. 18 pops

Apricot Ice

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
16-oz. can apricot halves, drained
16-oz. carton vanilla yogurt

In small saucepan, combine gelatin and orange juice and let stand 1 minute to soften. Add sugar, stir over low heat until gelatin and sugar are dissolved.

In blender container or food processor, puree drained apricots. In large bowl, combine apricots, gelatin mixture and yogurt and blend well. Freeze to a slush consistency, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Beat at high speed until smooth and fluffy. Cover and freeze until firm, about 3-4 hours.

Crushing Ice

To crush ice for making ice cream, use a meat mallet or hammer. Put ice cubes in a clean kitchen towel first to keep them from flying all over the kitchen.

Sorbet Definition

Frozen fruit ices fall into two categories - those that are stirred very little during freezing (granitas), and those that are stirred often during freezing (sorbets). Stirring adds air bubbles and lightens and softens the texture of the finished product. Granitas are characteristically grainier, with larger ice particles. Sorbets are smoother and softer, closer to ice cream in texture.

Liqueurs

Adding liqueurs to sorbets will lower the freezing point, resulting in a softer mixture.

Let it thaw

When serving frozen ice cream desserts, let the dessert sit at room temperature about 10 to 20 minutes before serving to soften. The flavors will be more intense if the ice cream is slightly soft.

Bailey´s Banana Colada Smoothie

Bailey´s Banana Colada Smoothie

2 bananas, broken into chunks
6 fluid ounces banana liqueur
6 fluid ounces Irish Cream Liqueur
6 fluid ounces coconut cream
6 cups crushed ice

In a blender, combine the bananas and banana liqueur; blend until smooth. Blend in the Irish cream and coconut cream (Note: Make sure the coconut cream is at room temperature, or you will not be able to pour it.) Finally, add the ice and blend until smooth. Serves 4.

Frozen Strawberry Margarita Dessert

1-1/4 cups finely crushed pretzels
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
10-oz. pkg. frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Combine crushed pretzels, sugar and melted butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of ungreased 10" springform pan and chill.

Combine sweetened condensed milk and juices and beat until smooth. Add strawberries and mix until combined. Fold in whipped cream, then pour over chilled pretzel crust. Cover and freeze until firm. 8-10 servings

Coffee Almond Torte

18 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 quart coffee ice cream, slightly softened
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup hot fudge sauce, warmed

Mix crushed cookies and melted butter and press on bottom and up side of 9" pie plate. Freeze about 15 minutes or until firm.

Spread ice cream gently but evenly in crust. Sprinkle with almonds. Freeze at least 3 hours until firm.

Remove torte from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Serve with warmed hot fudge sauce.

Fruit Smoothie

Need a quick dessert when there's no time to fix anything? Use your blender. A fruit smoothie (using juice, fruit, ice, ice cream, or yogurt) is a delightful choice.