Strawberry-Chocolate Freezer Pie

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Strawberries are full of vitamin C, which does double duty: It helps you burn more fat during exercise and helps build skin-firming collagen, resulting in a slimmer, prettier you!

Ingredients

yield: Makes 8 servings

Strawberries are full of vitamin C, which does double duty: It helps you burn more fat during exercise and helps build skin-firming collagen, resulting in a slimmer, prettier you!

Preparation

Spread ice cream evenly over crust. Dip a large spoon in hot water and run it over ice cream to smooth the top. Place pie in freezer until solid, 2 hours or up to 3 days. Before serving, spray a border of whipped cream (about 1 cup) around edge of pie. Mound strawberries in center.

Pista Kulfi (Pistachio Ice Cream)

Kulfi is a very popular Indian ice cream. Kulfi comes in a variety of different flavors. Traditional kulfi is flavored with cardamom; this recipe is flavored with cardamom and pistachios.
Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 slice of white bread
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar, adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground cardamom (ilachi)
• 10 pistachios sliced

Method

1. Remove the crust from all sides of the bread and cut the bread in small pieces.
2. Blend bread pieces, cornstarch, and a 1/2 cup of milk, making smooth paste and set aside.
3. Boil remaining milk (3.5 cups) in nonstick frying pan on medium high heat.
4. Stir milk as needed to keep milk from burning on the bottom of the frying pan. Stir the sides of the pan to avoid scalding.
5. After milk comes to boil, let the milk boil for another 12 minutes. The goal is to boil the milk from 3 1/2 cups to 2 1/2 cups.
6. Add the bread mixture to the milk in frying the pan and cook for another 4 minutes, reducing the heat to medium. Bread and cornstarch are added to reduce the water crystallizing in kulfi during freezing.
7. Next add sugar and pistachios and cook for 2 more minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder.
9. Cool the milk to room temperature and pour into a bowl,
10. Take cellophane wrap and place it right over the milk covering it completely. Note: It is important that the cellophane wrap touches the milk.
11. Put it in freezer. It will take about 7 hours for the kulfi to be ready to serve.

Variations

1. Replace pistachios with almond or coconut powder.
2. Replace pistachios with finally chopped fruits like mangos or strawberries. Add fruits in the end after turning off the heat.
3. Many people enjoy eating kulfi like a Popsicle.  Before freezing, pour the milk mixture in to a Popsicle mold.  If you don’t have Popsicle mold use small paper cups and place cellophane wrap on top of the milk and place a Popsicle stick in center of cup and freeze.

Quick Vanilla Ice-Cream

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1 cup milk powder
1/2 cup (100 grams) fresh cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients together and whisk well till the sugar dissolves.
2. Pour into a shallow container. Cover and freeze till it is semi-set.
3. Churn in a blender till all the ice crystals break down and transfer into a shallow container. Cover and freeze till it is firm. Scoop and serve. 

Strawberry Ice Cream with Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients

1. 3 egg yolks (L)
2. 100 g sugar
3. 200 ml milk
4. 250 g fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
5. 2 tbsp lemon juice
6. 125 g crème double
7. 75 g heavy cream
8. 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (the best you can afford)

Preparation Method

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.


• Remove from the stove and allow to cool down for about some minutes.


• Whisk together egg yolks and 70 g of the sugar in a bowl until most of the sugar crystals have dissolved and the color becomes light and pale.


• Pour the warm milk over the egg and sugar concoction while constantly stirring (slowly, otherwise you will end up with foam).


• Reheat the custard mix slowly while continuously stirring/scraping the bottom of the pot until it has noticeably thickened and coats the back of a spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, but do not let it boil.


• Remove from heat and let cool down.


• Meanwhile prepare the strawberry puree: Coarsely chop the fruits, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and lemon juice and let rest for a few minutes before you process them with a handheld blender until the puree is smooth.


• Separate about 50 g in an extra, small bowl and chill in the fridge (covered) for later.


• Once the custard is cooled down, add the strawberry puree, the crème double as well as the heavy creme and stir well. Season to taste with a good aged balsamic vinegar (don't overdo it, you only want a pleasant hint) and refrigerate until chilled.


• Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.


• Transfer to a plastic container when done and layer it with tablespoons of the remaining strawberry puree.


• Freeze until firm.

Apricot Custard Ice Cream

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 2½ cups (500 ml.) Full Fat milk
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla flavoured custard powder
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• ½ cup (100 grams) Fresh cream
• 1 cup Dried apricots, soaked for 4 to 6 hours

Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins | Extra time: 4 hours, soaking

1.

Deseed the apricots and bring them to a boil. Cool completely, drain and keep aside. Dissolve the custard powder in ½ cup cold milk and keep aside. In a non-stick pan, combine the milk and sugar and bring it to a boil. Add the custard powder mixture and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes till the custard is thick.

2.

Strain the mixture if it appears lumpy. Cool completely, add the cream and apricots and mix well. Pour into a shallow container and cover and freeze till it is almost set.

3.

Divide it into 2 batches and churn each batch separately in a blender till the ice-crystals break down. Transfer into a shallow container. Cover and freeze till firm.

Tip If you do not have vanilla flavoured custard powder handy. Substitute it with 1 tablespoon of cornflour, ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence and a few drops of yellow food colour.  

Biscoff Toffee Ice Cream Cake

Yield: Serves 8-10

This easy ice cream cake is made with Biscoff cookies, vanilla ice cream, Biscoff Spread, and Heath toffee bits. Make in advance and serve at summer parties.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 2/3 cups crushed Biscoff cookies
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1.5 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup Biscoff spread
1 cup Heath toffee bits (or chopped up Heath candy bar)
For the topping:
Biscoff cookies, chopped
Additional Heath toffee bits (or chopped up Heath candy bar)

Directions:

1. For the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place crushed cookies, sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Stir until combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 10" springform pan. Bake crust for 8-10 minutes or until firm and set. Let cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, stir together ice cream , Biscoff Spread, and Heath toffee bits. Spread the ice cream mixture evenly over the cooled cookie crust. Smooth out the top and sprinkle with chopped Biscoff cookies and Heath toffee bits. Freeze until firm, about 6 hours or overnight.
3. Remove cake from freezer and let sit for 5 minutes. Loosen pan sides and run a knife around the inside of pan. Carefully remove cake from pan and place on a serving platter. Cut cake into pieces, using a sharp knife. Serve immediately.
Note-I use our food processor to crush the cookies for the crust. If the cake is hard to cut, run your knife under hot water and then cut. Look for Biscoff Spread by the peanut butter. You can find the cookies in the cookie aisle. You can also order them from Amazon. If you can't find Biscoff Spread, you can use Trader Joe's Cookie Butter.

Chocolate Covered Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

For the Brownies:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa, plus more for pan
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
pinch of kosher salt

For the Ice Cream Sandwiches:
1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
2 pounds chocolate chips
1 teaspoon oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a quarter sheet pan (a small jelly roll pan), or a 13x9inch pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom, spread with butter, and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. When the mixture is creamy, and all lumps are gone, add in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add in vanilla.

With the mixer on low, add in flour and salt. Mix until just combined. Spread into prepared pan and bake until shiny on the top, 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool completely.

Remove brownie from the pan, and cut in half. Spread ice cream on one half, and top with the other half. Freeze for 2-4 hours, until firm.

Cut the large ice cream sandwich into smaller sandwiches. Insert wooden popsicle sticks, and freeze for another hour.

Melt the chocolate chips with the oil in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until chocolate is smooth. Dip each ice cream sandwich in the chocolate, and let set on a sheet of parchment paper. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze until ready to serve.

Frozen Raspberry Custard

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 1/2 tsp raspberry extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
Red food coloring, about 8 drops (optional)


Directions:
Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan, and bring the mixture just to gentle boil over medium heat.  Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together egg yolks and sugar until very smooth and light in color about 1 minute.  Once cream mixture has reached a low boil reduce heat to medium low.  Measure out 1/2 cup hot cream mixture.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the 1/2 cup hot cream mixture into egg yolk mixture.  Once thoroughly combined, pour egg/cream mixture into saucepan with hot cream/milk mixture and stir to combine.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 -4 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in raspberry jam, raspberry extract, vanilla extract and optional food coloring.  Pour mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.  Cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once completely chilled transfer bowl to freezer and freeze mixture 1 hour.  Pour lightly frozen mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer directions.  Pour custard into an airtight container and freeze 1 -2 hours until slightly firm (the frozen custard I'm used to is similar to soft serve but thicker).

Banana Berry Frozen Yogurt

Yields about 4 servings


Ingredients:
3 (5.3 oz) containers Strawberry Greek Yogurt
3 large overripe bananas, chilled
1 cup fresh blueberries, chilled 
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2-3 drops red food coloring, if desired


Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend mixture until smooth, about 1 - 2 minutes. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufactures directions about 25 - 30 minutes. Serve immediately for soft serve frozen yogurt or freeze for about 3 hours for firm frozen yogurt (also, if you like it soft but don't want to eat it immediately you can freeze it until ready to use, then thaw for about 10 - 20 minutes on the counter top and stir).