Here’s the Scoop: It’s Ice Cream Month!
We all scream for it. Julius Caesar sent his servants to the mountains for snow to flavor with fruit juices. Marco Polo brought recipes for “cream ice” from the Far East back to Italy. But it was not until after the American Revolution that we Americans got on board. We began to enjoy the treat we know today as ice cream and it is here to stay. In 1984, as a boost to the dairy industry, President Ronald Reagan declared July as National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. Makes sense to me. Ice cream is, without a doubt, my favorite treat, and summer is surely the best time to eat it.
So here we go, let’s celebrate July with an ice cream social and celebrate that we can be social again. Being together sure will make this gathering extra sweet. Drinks and ice cream will be on the menu. I will be making my own ice cream for this party – without an ice cream maker. It’s a “no-churn” recipe and so easy, but if that’s not in your wheelhouse, no problem. Store-bought or takeout from your favorite local ice cream place will work just fine. Obviously, deciding on what kind of ice cream you will serve and the toppings to make available will be key. I recommend keeping the ice cream flavors basic to help create a nice base for fun toppings, so stick with flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Creativity comes in with the sauces and toppings like salted caramel, strawberries with balsamic syrup, nuts, crushed Oreos, Baileys Irish Cream – be as creative as you like. Of course, it goes without saying, you’ll need sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.
Let’s get set up. First, prepare your table. We’ll be providing everything guests need to create their own sundaes, so we need a long table to accommodate the ice cream and toppings, bowls and utensils for easy self-service. You’ll need a second table or cart for drinks – more on that later. Be prepared for a little mess and have lots of cleanup supplies on hand. Here are some more tips:
How much will I need? To determine how much ice cream to have available, rule of thumb is 10 people, 1 gallon; 16 people, 1½ gallons; 20 people, 2 gallons.
Pre-scoop your ice cream. Scooping ice cream ahead of time will save you the hassle and mess of trying to portion out ice cream during the party. Scoop your ice cream into 2-ounce balls. Place the scoops on trays lined with wax paper or parchment paper and then put them back in the freezer until you are ready to serve. You can stack your scoops on the tray with layers of paper in between if you need to.
Have the proper bowls. The right bowls can make a big difference when it comes to building the perfect sundae. Too small, and your guests won’t be able to fit all their favorite toppings. An 8-ounce bowl will nicely fit two scoops of ice cream and sufficient toppings for even the most adventuresome eater.
Consider the sauce. Offering a couple of good sauces is key. Chocolate sauce is always a guest of honor and, if you want to really do it right, make the chocolate sauce warm. Use a Crockpot to keep it drizzly warm. Don’t stop there, though. Offer a few sauces. Having just finished up picking my garden strawberries, I’ve saved plenty of my homemade strawberry sauce just for my ice cream party. The balsamic vinegar addition to the strawberry sauce is a game-changer. Consider, too, a salted caramel sauce. It’s so easy to prepare, and that salty sweet flavor screams summer.
Toppings. The more the better, and try to mix it up by including fruity, salty and crunchy selections. Suggestions include nuts, pretzels, cereals, cone pieces, coconut, brownie bites, cherries, berries, mango, crushed cookie pieces, graham cracker pieces, M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces – the possibilities are endless.
If you are game for making your own ice cream, it’s easier than you might think. While the consistency is a little different from store-bought or machine churned, it is delicious nonetheless. Best of all, you only need four ingredients: heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, sea salt and vanilla extract. This ice cream is a base for vanilla ice cream, but you can then add flavors to change it up. For chocolate, add cocoa powder. Sweetened condensed milk is the magic ingredient and is what enables us to make this ice cream without an ice cream maker. It has two purposes: It sweetens the ice cream and keeps it soft. Of course, the whipping cream provides the feel of the ice cream, and the sea salt is essential. Don’t skip it. It enhances the sweetness. With the cocoa powder, you’ll make a syrup by adding a little water and heating on the stovetop. All of this will be combined in a blender, then frozen in a metal rectangular pan – metal will freeze it faster than glass – and plan on at least 4 to 6 hours of freezing, just to be safe. This recipe serves about eight people.
Finally, let’s offer a signature ice cream social drink, a Kahlua Fizz. Obviously, Kahlua and Baileys Irish Cream will be included as adult ice cream toppings, but let’s also offer a summery twist on the traditional Kahlua and Cream for our drink. Combine Kahlua Salted Caramel Liqueur with cream soda and some ice. You are going to love me for this. It’s creamy, fizzy and delicious.
Now sit back and enjoy the steamy July evening sipping a Kahlua Fizz with friends and family. Be proud that you’re responsible for this fun summer gathering as we find ourselves well on the way through our reuniting summer of 2021, and celebrate that you didn’t even stand in line!
Summer Kahlua Fizz
Ingredients:
Ice cubes
1 part Kahlua Salted Caramel Liqueur
2 parts cream soda or ginger ale
2 ounces half-and-half
Directions:
Fill a glass with ice.
Add the Kahlua Salted Caramel and half-and- half.
Top off with cream soda or ginger ale.
Blender Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder if making chocolate
Directions:
If you’re using an ice cream maker, freeze the bowl 24 hours in advance.
(If making chocolate) Add the cocoa powder to a small saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Heat over low heat and stir vigorously to dissolve the cocoa powder. Don't allow the mixture to burn. Once the cocoa powder has mostly dissolved, add a small amount (about one-third cup) of the heavy cream and stir well to combine. You should now have a thick chocolate syrup and all of the cocoa powder should be well-incorporated and dissolved. (If making vanilla ice cream, skip this step.)
Add the chocolate mixture to a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend just until combined on low speed. Avoid over-blending.
If using an ice cream maker, set it up and pour the chocolate mixture into the frozen bowl. Churn until thick. You can eat immediately for a soft-serve consistency or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 hours for a traditional ice cream consistency.
If you aren’t using an ice cream maker, transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container and freeze 4 hours or until completely frozen.
Once you’re ready to enjoy the ice cream, simply take it out of the freezer and scoop.
Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into slices
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 pinch sea salt to taste
Directions:
Place sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until sugar begins to melt. Continue stirring until the sugar melts completely, begins to darken and all the chunks are dissolved, about 10 minutes. Stop stirring and continue to cook until the sugar begins to smoke and turns a dark shade of amber, 3 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and wait 30 seconds. Whisk in butter until melted and combined. Slowly pour in a half-cup plus 1 tablespoon of cream, watch to prevent boiling over. Sprinkle in salt and stir to combine. Transfer sauce to a jar and cool completely before refrigerating.
Balsamic Strawberries
Ingredients:
6 large ripe strawberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Directions:
Trim strawberries and cut into wedges. In a small, heavy saucepan, heat vinegar and brown sugar over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and simmer 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and add strawberries, tossing to coat. Serve over ice cream.
