In Season

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112

January February March April May June July August September October November December

Refrigeration is a modern invention, but frozen desserts have existed since the time of the Persian Empire. As far back as 400 B.C., the Persians enjoyed fruit syrups poured over snow, which they obtained from the tops of tall mountains and kept cool in underground chambers. Thankfully, the farthest you’ll have to travel for ice cream these days is to your kitchen freezer. Perk up those store-bought pints with these recipes for easy, nostalgic treats from some of the nation’s top pastry chefs.

IN SEASON

A Frozen Feast

by KATE BERNOT

Gale Gand, award-winning pastry chef at Tru in Chicago, began to pine for classic American root beer fl oats when she was working in England in the mid-1990s. Being in a root beer-free zone, she had to make the dessert herself. This quest to perfect an at-home root beer fl oat had two results: fi rst, the recipe for her easy but elegant root beer granita-vanilla parfait, and second, the name of her newly adopted terrier, Rootie.

recipe by

GALE GAND

root beer granita -vanilla parfait

(makes 4 servings)

6 cups (1 ½ quarts) root beer 1 quart vanilla ice cream 4 elbow straws

Click to view complete recipe »

Thanks to the recent chicness of small-batch, artisan foods, your grocer’s freezer is probably chock-full of a whole rainbow of gourmet ice cream fl avors.

But even though Ben & Jerry’s has been twisting Americans’ taste buds for more than 30 years, research shows that our favorite fl avors remain good ol’ fashioned chocolate and vanilla. According to a Harris poll, scoops of butter pecan and mint chocolate chip still can’t shake our love affair with the basics. There’s something undeniably nostalgic about ice cream and its rituals, like digging wooden spoons into Dixie cups or running after the ice cream truck’s siren song. It’s that nostalgia that really inspired these pastry chefs’ recipes, which can all be recreated at home without ever having to touch your ice cream maker.

recipe by

CELESTE CAMPISE s’more ice cream sandwiches

( makes 6 servings )

1 1/2 sticks soft butter, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 yolk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp premium pure vanilla extract, 2 cups all purpose fl our, 1/2 cup graham fl our

Click to view complete recipe »

recipe by

JENI BRITTON BAUER

And if you happen to have kids underfoot, invite them into the kitchen with you to whip up a batch of s’more ice cream sandwiches. At Spiaggia in Chicago, pastry chef Celeste Campise bakes composed Italian desserts on a daily basis. But when she’s at home, she says she’s much more likely to whip up something inspired by childhood, like these soft-baked graham cookies fi lled with chocolate gelato and marshmallow fl uff. Just one bite packs a whole summer’s worth of campfi re nights. Jeni Britton Bauer, of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, OH, concocted her “One Night in Bangkok” sundae with all the familiar fl avors of an ooey-gooey candy bar like peanuts, coconut, and pralines. There’s no denying that it’s her comfort food: During her two pregnancies, Bauer admits she ate a few of these sundaes each week.

one night in bangkok sundae

( makes 6 servings )

6 bananas, sliced lengthwise in half Bangkok Peanut Ice Cream (main fl avors are peanut butter, coconut and cayenne), 1 1/2 cups Praline Sauce, warmed, Whipped Cream, About 3/4 cup Spanish peanuts, 6 Fortune Cookies, 1 basil sprig or 6 cilantro sprigs

Click to view complete recipe »

Excerpted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer (Artisan Books). Copyright 2011.

Besides the nostalgia factor, there’s also timing to consider when it comes to frozen desserts. When kids’ soccer teammates unexpectedly drop by after practice, or when guests linger after a barbecue, it’s handy to have an arsenal of no-fuss treats that can be whipped up with minimal time in the kitchen. Malika Ameen, a former Top Chef contestant, owner of ByM Desserts, and busy mother herself, shares her recipe for homemade ginger soda with strawberry ice. It’s simple but sophisticated, requiring just a few minutes in the kitchen but still elegant enough to serve to guests. After all, summer is about enjoying time outside, not slaving over a mixing bowl.

homemade ginger soda with strawberry“ice”

(makes 4 servings)

ginger soda

½ cup water, 2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger, ¾ cup organic cane sugar, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 cups very cold club soda

strawberry “ice”

1 pound organic strawberries, 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar, ½ cup water, ¼ cup sugar, 1 bag chamomile tea, Pinch of salt

Click to view complete recipe »

recipe by

MALIKA AMEEN

Grocers’ freezers are packed with all sorts of frosty cartons. It’s useful to know what distinguishes one variety from another, because when a product contains only a handful of ingredients, each one affects the treat’s texture and flavor. Here’s your crash course.

ice Cream

The classic American ice cream begins with a custard base of milk, cream, and sugar, and usually contains egg yolks. Some varieties may omit the eggs and add cream cheese or half and half, plus various flavorings such as vanilla beans, chocolate, or fruit. The base churns as it is frozen, which adds air to lighten the texture.

gelato

This Italian dessert also begins with a custard base but churns the ingredients much more slowly, meaning less air is folded into the mixture. This produces a denser, richer product. Somewhat deceptively, gelato often contains less milk and eggs, making its fat content lower than that of ice cream.

Move over, cake pops! Ice cream balls are a cool, quick dessert that kids—and adults—will love this summer. Scoop ice cream with a melon baller, roll it in your favorite toppings, and devour.

sorbet

The vegan’s choice, sorbet is dairy- and egg-free. A base of juice or flavored water is churned with simple syrup, so it retains a light texture similar to ice cream. Sherbet is like sorbet, but with the addition of dairy.

granita

Like sorbet, this dessert of Sicilian origins begins with a base of water, sugar, and flavorings. Instead of churning in a machine, the granita base is mixed by hand, then left to sit in a freezer. Periodically, the chunks are broken up, giving a coarser, more snow cone-like texture to the ice.

frozen yogurt

This trendy treat is often considered a “healthier” alternative to ice cream, and sometimes, it can be: Subbing yogurt for cream means less calories and less fat in a typical serving, plus the addition of probiotics. But be careful—some yogurt brands compensate for the lack of cream by adding lots of sugar.