Cook's Exchange: Try these homemade ice cream recipes to beat the heat
Nothing says summer like homemade ice cream. The sweet concoction is a nice way to cool down or just to treat the family or guests.
An old-fashioned ice cream party in which guests bring their own freezers of ice cream is a cool way to beat the heat. Few have the churn-type freezers, opting for the easier ice cream makers in which the tubs are frozen in the fridge. I have the latter type of freezer, but the old-churn one that Allen and I some 20 years ago seemed to produce a firmer ice cream.
July is the perfect month since it is National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday in July -- July 19 -- is National Ice Cream Day. President Ronald Reagan designated this special day in 1984 because nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population enjoys ice cream.
The average American consumes almost 22 pounds of ice cream per year, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. U.S. ice cream companies made more than 872 million gallons of ice cream in 2014.
During the summer, fast food chains bring out ice cream sodas, shakes in a variety of flavors and even frozen lemonade made with soft-serve ice cream.
Today, let's cool off with some freezer ice cream recipes, ice cream drinks and frozen fruit drinks.
When I was a child, a drive-in restaurant served purple cows and other fruit juice or ice cream drinks with strange names. Mom treating me to a purple cow was so cool to this kid, and I like to do the same for my grandchild.
Purple cows can be made with milk or vanilla ice cream.
PURPLE COW
1 (6-ounce) can frozen grape juice concentrate (purple)
1 cup milk or vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
America's love of ice cream goes way back. Philadelphia ice cream, which does not have a cooked custard, was introduced to the social circles of you America's
seat of government before the capitol was moved to Washington, according to "Home For the Holidays and Other Special Occasions."
PHILADELPHIA ICE CREAM
1 quart whipping cream or 2 cups whipping cream and 2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix ingredients together and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Freeze in electric ice cream freezer. Makes 1 1/2 quarts or 12 half-cup servings.
-- From "Home for the Holidays" by Mescal Johnston
LOW-SUGAR CUSTARD ICE CREAM
2 cups milk
Sugar substitute equal1/4 to 3/8 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1- 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half
Mix sugar substitute and salt with milk. Remove about1/4 cup milk and mix with cornstarch. Set aside. Heat milk to simmering temperature and stir in cornstarch mixture. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes, stirring as needed, until mixture coats a spoon.
Remove from heat. Beat a little of the hot mixture into eggs, then more, then beat the egg mixture into the hot mixture. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring as needed for smoothness. Cool and refrigerate. When ready to freeze, add vanilla and evaporated milk or half and half.
Sugar substitutes make an acceptable custard. I prefer to use Splenda, but use whichever one you prefer.
-- From "Home for the Holidays"
FRESH LEMON SORBET
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Juice of about 6 lemons
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (see note)
Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sugar dissolves, about 3-4 minutes. Cool completely. When cool, add lemon juice and zest, stir to combine. Pour into freezer bowl, turn the machine on and mix mixture until it thickens, about 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, transfer sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours.
Note: Zest is the colored part of the lemon rind. Do not use the white pith. For best results, remove zest from the lemon with a vegetable peeler or zester.
LOW-FAT PEACH FROZEN YOGURT
1 medium-size can peaches, packed in juice
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
Drain peaches, reserving 1/2 cup of juice.
Puree peaches in a blender. Add yogurt, reserved peach juice and sugar; blend until combined. Pour into a freezer bowl, turn the machine on and let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.
If desired place frozen yogurt in an air-tight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours. Makes 8 half-cup servings at 111 calories per half cup.
In 1994-95, Temple Christian Academy's junior varsity cheerleaders compiled a cookbook of families' and friends' recipes in "Tasty Temptations." These ice cream drinks certainly are tempting.
RICH VANILLA MILKSHAKE
3 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 pasteurized egg, optional
Combine all ingredients in blender container; blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Variations:
Chocolate milkshake: Substitute chocolate ice cream for vanilla ice cream or add1/4 cup chocolate syrup to ingredients in blender.
Peach milkshake: Add 1 (16-ounce) can sliced peaches, drained, to ingredients in blender.
Banana milkshake: Add 1 large banana, sliced to ingredients in blender.
-- From "Tasty Temptations"
ROOT BEER FLOAT
3/4 cup root beer or other cola, divided
2 scoops vanilla ice cream (about 3/4 cup)
Pour 1/2 cup root beer into a 16-ounce soda glass and spoon ice cream into glass. Top with remaining root beer. - From "Tasty Temptations"
OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY SODAS
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
2 (12-ounce) cans crème soda, divided
3 cups strawberry ice cream, divided
4 whole strawberries
Whip cream, for topping
Mash thawed strawberries with a fork until strawberries are well blended with syrup. Add 1 cup ice cream and 1/2 cup crème soda; stir well. Spoon an equal amount of strawberry mixture into 4 (14-ounce) soda glasses; top with remaining ice cream, and fill glasses with remaining soda. Garnish each serving with whipped cream and a strawberry.
Figs, anyone?
Lucy Sutherlin wants to know where she can purchase figs. Readers, if you know someone selling figs please let me know. I think it is still early for figs, maybe another week or so.
Need a recipe?
If you have lost a favorite recipe email or mail me your request. Readers and I will do our best to find the answer.
Andrea Yeager, can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net and takes requests at Cook's Exchange, P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567.
This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Cook's Exchange: Try these homemade ice cream recipes to beat the heat."