Food52 Ice Cream and Friends

This snow cone is sure to elicit as much joy as the one glommed all over your eight-year-old chin—albeit in a more adult, balanced form. It’s still got an icy-crunchiness that relaxes into a cold, sticky drink, but here, there’s muddled fruit and mint. The splash of anise-flavored Pernod makes it almost passable as a very tame cocktail, but the optional-but-not-really cream takes it from drink to dessert.

Feel free to make this with other stone fruit, or even berries, and change up the alcohol accordingly (Liz recommends kirsch; we’re thinking amaro). To serve a crowd, keep pulverized ice in the freezer. It’ll get a little slushy and melty, but remember, that sweet, syrupy pool at the bottom of the cup is the best part anyways.

1. Muddle the cherries, sugar, mint, lemon juice, and Pernod until you have a nice amount of syrup.

2. Finely crush or shave the ice in your trusty blender—or the snow cone machine that’s been sitting in the closet for years. Working quickly, spoon the crushed ice into a bowl, ideally a transparent one so you can see all the dripping cherry goodness in about 30 seconds.

3. Pour the muddled cherry mixture, chunks and all, over the ice. Pour the heavy cream over the top. Add a straw and a spoon and have at it.

The messy, wild way to pit cherries is by smashing them with the side of a chef’s knife (see this page). But with an empty beer bottle and a chopstick, there’s a cleaner, more contained way: Gently hold the cherry atop the (cleaned) beer bottle. Press the chopstick through the cherry to push the pit out the other side. The bottle collects the pits, keeping the whole process nice and neat. Bull’s-eye, you could say.

Pineapple Breakfast Frozen Yogurt

Makes about 1 quart (950ml) | Adapted from Emily Vikre

When summer reaches the blistering point, even breakfast is better off frozen. Here, layers of frozen Greek yogurt cuddle with pineapple chunks, sticky and saucy from a simmer in maple syrup (Emily also does this to raspberries and plums.) The yogurt is rich for yogurt, drunk on honey and thyme, and relaxed from cream to keep it from freezing solid. Make it for breakfast, make it for dinner (you know you would)—or double the recipe and stow it in the freezer for a week of make-ahead morning meals. Granola and sunglasses optional.

1 cup (165g) pineapple chunks, cut into ½-inch (1.3cm) pieces

½ cup (120ml) maple syrup or ½ cup (100g) sugar

½ cup (120ml) heavy cream

⅓ cup (110g) honey

2 sprigs thyme (optional)

2 cups (475ml) full-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, boil the pineapple and maple syrup, then turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the fruit breaks down, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (For a smoother frozen yogurt, puree the mixture and pass it through a fine-mesh sieve.)

2. In a separate saucepan, bring the heavy cream and honey just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the honey, then remove from the heat and add the thyme sprigs. Let steep for 30 minutes, then discard the thyme. If you’re not using the thyme, just warm the cream enough to dissolve the honey.

3. In a bowl, stir together the cream mixture, yogurt, and vanilla. Chill completely in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours but ideally overnight.

4. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Spoon the frozen yogurt into a plastic container, layering it with spoonfuls of pineapple sauce, and freeze.

Shelf Life

One of the main reasons we all make ice cream is because fresh churns are amazingly soft, nearly bouncing out of the maker. After a day or two in the freezer—or a week for leaner ice creams, like sorbet—most homemade ice creams start to harden and lose their supple texture and flavor; they don’t have the stabilizers of store-bought ice cream. It won’t be bad, or go bad, but it won’t be as good as on day one. To improve your ice creams’ shelf life, try not to expose them to air very frequently (air makes ice crystals). When you’re pulling ice cream from the freezer, let it soften for a few minutes before scooping. And if you think your homemade ice cream is beyond repair, just re-churn it (this page)!

Lemony, Coconutty Raspberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

Makes about 24 ice cream sandwiches | From Emily Vikre

Had Food52 community member and contributor Emily Vikre given us this coconut-lemon shortbread—light and crisp, tropical without being sunscreen-y—it would have been enough. Had she given us this raspberry ice cream—good with raspberries either fresh or frozen—it would have been enough. But no, she combined these stand-up desserts into two-bite ice cream sandwiches that are just plain adorable. The cookies are sandwich-perfect because they don’t become stone-hard when frozen. For a shortcut, keep a batch of them in the freezer and turn them into sandwiches with store-bought ice cream (lemon sorbet would be very good).

Raspberry Ice Cream

5 egg yolks

1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream

1½ cups (355ml) half-and-half

1 cup (200g) sugar

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

3 cups (710ml) strained raspberry puree (made from blending and straining about 30 ounces/850g fresh or frozen and defrosted raspberries)

1 tablespoon Chambord or crème de cassis (optional)

Coconut-Lemon Shortbread

1½ cups (340g) good-quality unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (200g) sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2⅔ cups (335g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (80g) toasted unsweetened finely shredded coconut

Grated zest of 2 lemons

1. To make the ice cream, lightly beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla seeds and pod to a simmer over medium-low heat.

2. Add about ¼ cup (60ml) of the cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking furiously to temper the yolks. Add another ½ cup (120ml), continuing to whisk. Then scrape the egg mixture into the pan and simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

3. Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the raspberry puree and Chambord. Cover and chill completely for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

4. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon the ice cream into a container and freeze.

5. To make the shortbread, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in the salt and lemon juice.

6. Beat in half of the flour just until combined. Add the remaining flour, the toasted coconut, and the lemon zest and continue to beat just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and almost forms a single mass, about 2 minutes.

7. Gather the dough together, flatten it into a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for about 1 hour.

8. Heat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it’s about ¼ inch (6mm) thick. Using a 2-inch (5cm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible and place on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps, roll out the dough again, and cut out more cookies, using as little flour as possible all the while. Continue until you’ve used up all of the dough. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown, 16 to 20 minutes. Keep uncooked cookies in the fridge while they wait their turn.

9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. Let the ice cream soften for a few minutes before scooping. Place a scoop of ice cream on the flat side of a cookie. Cover with another cookie, flat side down, and press gently. Continue until all of the cookies are gone (or all of the ice cream, whichever comes first, but the amounts should be fairly well matched). Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer as you go.

11. Either eat right away, or keep in the freezer for just the right moment.

Strawberry, Hazelnut & Maple Waffle Sandwiches

Makes 1 quart (950ml) ice cream—the number of sandwiches depends on waffle size | From Cristina Sciarra

Before you go thinking we just smooshed plain ol’ strawberry ice cream between two toaster waffles, read on—because the strawberry flavor is subtle and mature, the result of fruit roasted with maple syrup. And the waffle is any you love, sweetened by maple and hazelnuts, though you could certainly use ones from your freezer. If you make the sandwiches in advance and freeze them, the waffle will sag just a bit. The other option is reserved for thrill-seekers: Waffle, hot—ice cream, quickly melting.

Strawberry-Hazelnut Ice Cream

1 pound (450g) hulled strawberries

½ cup (120ml) pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon olive oil

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups (475ml) heavy cream

1 cup (240ml) whole milk

½ cup (35g) skim milk powder

¼ cup (50g) sugar

4 egg yolks

⅔ cup (90g) crushed toasted hazelnuts

Your favorite waffle recipe (yeasted taste great here)

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Combine the strawberries, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss until the strawberries are evenly coated. Roast the strawberries until they are shrunken, juicy, and bubbling, about 20 minutes. (Work quickly as you complete the next three steps, so that the “strawberry caramel” doesn’t have time to set. If it does, simply pour some of the warm ice cream base onto the baking sheet and whisk to melt.)

2. Meanwhile, in a pot, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, milk powder, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat.

3. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar for 1 minute. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the yolks.

4. Pour the milk-yolk mix back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the ice cream base thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Scrape every last drop of the strawberries into the bowl. Let the base steep for 30 minutes, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve again; don’t push the whole strawberries—set them aside. Chill the base and the strawberries separately in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

5. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last 2 minutes of churning, add the chilled whole strawberries and about half of the hazelnuts.

6. Spoon the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 3 hours.

7. Make a batch of your favorite waffle recipe. To the batter, add the remaining hazelnuts (if you’re using a yeasted recipe, add them right before you let the batter rest). Just before you’re ready to cook the waffles, pour in ½ cup (120ml) maple syrup. After cooking, let the waffles cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then break apart or cut waffles into sandwich sizes.

8. Soften the ice cream before scooping. Place a large scoop of ice cream at the center of your waffle bottom. Top with a second waffle piece and press gently to smoosh the ice cream. Continue until all the waffles and ice cream are gone.

9. Eat immediately, or place the waffle sandwiches on a wire rack set on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze.

Build a Better Sandwich

Sandwich making is an art, and frozen varieties are no different. The ice cream needs to be semi-firm so it’s scoopable—not right out of the freezer (when it’s too hard) or the machine (when it’s too soft). While you can make a sandwich with any sort of ice cream, creamier ones—as opposed to, say, sorbet—have an easier time of getting to that soft yet not-too-melty sweet spot.

You want the cookies to be ready to bite into straight from the freezer; ones that are like brownies or shortbread (or are brownies or shortbread) work well. Other good ideas include croissants, pound cake, Rice Krispies treats, and meringues. Where crunchy veers problematic is if your cookie is too thin and will break at first bite, so if you must use your favorite crispy cookie, make them a little thicker. You can make sandwiches right when you want to eat them—the ice cream runs down your hands. If you like a sandwich that’s more of a unit, put the sandwiches on a baking sheet, cover with plastic so the ice cream doesn’t dry out, and freeze. Smart cookies plan ahead.

Blueberry Ice Cream

Makes about 1½ quarts (1.4L) | From Merrill Stubbs

The purest way to enjoy wild Maine blueberries is, according to our co-founder, covered with milk and showered lightly with sugar. But when she’s had her fill of blueberry cereal, she turns to her creamy, airy blueberry ice cream. While Maine or any wild blueberries are preferred for maximum blueberry flavor, conventional or even frozen will work, too.

1½ cups (355ml) whole milk

1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream

¾ cup (150g) sugar

4 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (300g) blueberries, washed and picked over

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, and ½ cup (100g) of the sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 175°F (80°C) on a candy thermometer.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup (50g) sugar until pale yellow and thick. Gradually whisk a small amount of the milk mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk the thinned egg yolks back into the saucepan. Add the seeds from the vanilla bean.

3. Cook the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (do not allow it to boil!). Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Chill the custard completely in the fridge, for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

4. Blend the cold custard and the blueberries until the berries are broken down, the mixture is violet in color, but a few small shreds of blueberry are still visible. Chill again for at least 2 hours.

5. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Blueberry Graham Cracker Milkshake

Plop two scoops of softened blueberry ice cream per person into the blender (you could also use vanilla ice cream plus 1 cup/150g fresh or frozen blueberries). Add ½ cup (120ml) whole milk per person, blend, and test the thickness. If it’s too thick, add more milk. If it’s too thin, add more ice cream. Break one graham cracker per person into bite-size chunks and toss them into the blender. Blend and top with whipped cream.

Mango Lassicles

Makes 8 pops | From Nicholas Day

Mango, yogurt, a bare whisper of honey, and even barer whispers of salt and cardamom. That’s all that goes into this recipe. The result is an ice pop that’s pared down and pure—the same way a mango lassi is: cooling, zippy, and sweetly mango.

1 ½ cups (290g) fresh mango pulp (made by whirring ripe mango in the food processor or blender)

1 cup (240ml) full-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch of kosher salt

Pinch of ground cardamom

1. Blend all of the ingredients very well until smooth.

2. Pour the mixture into the pop molds, dividing it evenly. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Then lick.

Genius Tip: Frozen Yogurt, Straight Up

Once you realize, thanks to Max Falkowitz and Ethan Frisch from Serious Eats, that the best frozen yogurt takes only three ingredients to make, will you ever set foot in one of those self-serve shops again? Simply whisk together 4 cups (950ml) of full-fat plain yogurt, 1 cup (200g) of sugar (you read that right—sugar is what keeps the fro-yo soft and scoopable), and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt until the sugar dissolves. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until it’s thoroughly chilled. Pour it into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve it straight from the machine, like soft serve, or spoon it into an airtight container and freeze for 4 hours to scoop it like ice cream. Whether you choose to charge friends by weight is also up to you.

Genius Tip: Peel a Mango Easy-Peasy

Katie Quinn, a video journalist and food writer, found the simplest way to peel a mango—and all you need is a drinking glass. Cut the mango along the pit in the center (as you normally do). Take one piece and find where the skin meets the flesh at the south pole of the fruit. Align that part with the edge of the glass and push the glass along the fruit, keeping the skin outside the glass and the flesh on the inside. Repeat with the other side. Peeled mango!

Grilled Watermelon Cremolada with Honey & Lime

Serves 6 to 8 | From Cristina Sciarra

A cremolada is Peru’s jaunty take on a slushy—and the frosty dessert-drink you always hoped your big-batch piña coladas would become as they sweltered in the sunshine. Here, the melt is intentional and the method is breezy: Blend tropical fruit juice with sugar and water and freeze in ice cube trays; when frozen, blend again with a little more puree into a soft slurry. Because the base lives in the freezer, you can double or triple the recipe ahead of time and then mix together individual drinks for friends throughout your shindig.

We want to try cremoladas with cantaloupe, mango, tamarind, banana, papaya, pomegranate, strawberry, and pineapple. (Start with 3½ pounds/1.5kg of chopped fruit and go from there.) If we want to frill, fresh herbs will make an appearance at the second blend—tequila or gin, too.

5 tablespoons (100g) honey

¾ cup (175ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

1 small seedless watermelon, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch (2.5cm) slices

¼ cup (50g) turbinado sugar

1. In a small bowl, whisk a tablespoon of the honey with ¼ cup (60ml) of the lime juice. Brush both sides of each watermelon slice with the lime mixture.

2. Heat a grill (or grill pan) to medium-high heat. Grill the watermelon slices until grill marks appear, 4 to 5 minutes per side, basting as you go. Let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Cut and discard the rind.

3. Blend the watermelon, remaining ¼ cup (85g) honey, ½ cup (115ml) lime juice, the sugar, and ½ cup (120ml) water until smooth, about a minute. (Process in batches if necessary.) Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. (You should have about 8 cups/1 .9L of watermelon puree.) Refrigerate 2½ cups (590ml) of the puree until cool. Pour the remaining puree into ice cube trays and freeze until solid, at least 5 hours.

4. Blend the watermelon cubes, then pour in the cold puree and blend until thick and slushy, about 2 minutes. Add up to ½ cup (120ml) water to get the right consistency.

5. Divide among 6 to 8 tall glasses. Serve right away with tall spoons and straws.

Roasted Peaches with Lemon Spoom

Serves 6 to 12; makes 1 quart (950ml) spoom | From Cristina Sciarra

Dress sorbet in satin and you’ll have spoom. Its funny name comes from spuma, the Italian word for “foam”—a fitting description for its frothy texture that comes from the meringue that serves as its base.

Here, you flavor that shiny meringue with a roasted-lemon syrup, churn it like you would regular ice cream, then serve it right away (or, if you must, freeze it for 3 to 4 hours). Spoon the spoom—luxe, light, and elegant—over slumped roasted peaches, with a little Prosecco poured over if you feel like it (or you’re on summer vacation, or a European getaway).

6 small to medium peaches, halved and pitted

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter

¼ cup (55g) packed light brown sugar

4 small lemons, halved

1¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar

3 egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Nestle the peaches in a baking dish, cut side up. In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar, whisking occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the peaches, then add the halved lemons, cut sides up. Bake for 50 minutes, until the peaches start to slump. (You can store the peaches and the lemons separately in the refrigerator for up to a day.)

2. In a pot, cook 1 cup (240ml) water and ½ cup (100g) of the granulated sugar over low heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Juice the roasted lemons and stir ½ cup (120ml) of juice into the sugar syrup. Refrigerate the syrup for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

3. Simmer a medium pot with 1½ inches (4cm) of water. In a large heatproof bowl, combine the remaining ¾ cup (150g) of granulated sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar and set the bowl on top of the simmering water. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until shiny and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and continue mixing until the meringue is stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes more. Fold in the salt and vanilla. Fold the lemon syrup into the meringue until fully incorporated.

4. Pour the base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Serve the spoom straight from the machine, like soft serve, or spoon into a container and freeze for 3 to 4 hours.

6. Rewarm the peaches in a small saucepan over low heat. Divide the peaches and their juices among 6 to 12 tall glasses and scoop the spoom on top.

Fig Ice Cream with Chocolate Swirl & Marcona Almonds

Makes about 1 quart (950ml) | From Cristina Sciarra

Instead of a bite of dried fig here or a swirl of jam there, every spoonful of this ice cream is intensely jammy, like biting into the ripe fruit, but cushioned by soft cream. With a ribbon of dark chocolate acting as a foil to the fruity sweetness and silky, salty, creamy Marcona almonds, you’ve made a heavenly ice cream version of a chocolate-dipped, nut-coated fig.

Caramelized Figs

Packed 1 cup (200g) dried or fresh Turkish, California, or Black Mission figs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Ice Cream

2 cups (475ml) heavy cream

1 cup (240ml) whole milk

½ cup (35g) skim milk powder

5 tablespoons (60g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (50g) packed light brown sugar

4 egg yolks

¼ cup (35g) chopped Marcona almonds

Chocolate Swirl

3 ounces (85g) dark chocolate (70% cacao), broken into pieces

1 tablespoon solid coconut oil

1. If you’re using dried figs, let the figs sit in 2 cups (475ml) boiling water until plump, about 20 minutes. Drain, then transfer the figs to a saucepan, along with the butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup (120ml) room-temperature water. Cook over medium heat until the figs are soft and jammy, about 15 minutes. If you’re using fresh figs, trim the ends and cook them with the butter, brown sugar, and room-temperature water until soft and jammy, closer to 10 minutes.

2. To make the ice cream, in a pot, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, milk powder, ¼ cup (50g) of the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat.

3. Whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the yolks.

4. Pour the milk-yolk mixture back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the ice cream base thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

5. Pass the base through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Add the fig compote and blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the warm base steep for 30 minutes. Chill the base completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

6. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the almonds.

7. While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave. Let the chocolate cool, about 10 minutes.

8. Using a spoon, Jackson Pollock one-third of the chocolate swirl into a plastic container, followed by one-third of the ice cream. Repeat two more times, reserving some of the chocolate to drizzle on top. Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Bourbon Prune Velvet

Makes about 7 cups (1.7L) | From Amanda Hesser

A velvet is an old way of making ice cream before ice cream machines were more the norm. The word velvet comes from the beautifully supple texture of the meringue-based ice cream.

When you see the words candy thermometer, please don’t turn the page. If you haven’t yet bought one, this is the moment. And as long as you have a mixer or immersion blender, this six-ingredient recipe is way easier than making cookies.

1 cup (175g) chopped plump prunes

⅓ cup (80ml) bourbon or dark rum

¾ cup (150g) sugar

3 egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of kosher salt

2 cups (475ml) heavy cream

1. Place the prunes and bourbon in a small bowl and let macerate while you work on other components.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and ¼ cup (60ml) water and attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Set over high heat and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the syrup reaches 236°F (113°C), or soft-ball stage.

3. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. When the syrup is ready, keep the mixer going and pour the syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream. Now you have meringue—keep beating it until it forms stiff peaks again. Put the mixer bowl in the fridge and chill the meringue for about 30 minutes.

4. Whip the heavy cream on high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold the prunes and bourbon into the cold meringue, followed by the whipped cream. Spoon the velvet into a container and freeze for up to a week.

Genius Tip: With Olive Oil on Top

To avoid a cloying ice cream and bring out savoriness, drizzle good-quality extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle flaky sea salt over your ice cream. Big Gay Ice Cream in New York City serves vanilla ice cream with fig sauce, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, and sea salt.

Fizzy Orange Sherbet Coolers

Makes about 1 quart (950ml) sherbet and, in turn, many coolers | From Emily Connor

By churning airy whipped cream with freshly squeezed orange juice, you’ll get a silky-smooth sherbet that’s refreshing enough to eat on its own. But not so fast! Blend those scoops with seltzer and more orange juice for a drink that’s velvety like a Creamsicle but with the tart fizz of Orangina.

Orange Sherbet

1 cup (200g) sugar

1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups (475ml) orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed

¼ cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

⅔ cup (160ml) heavy cream

For Each Cooler

½ cup (120ml) orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed, chilled

½ cup (120ml) seltzer, chilled

1 to 2 scoops orange sherbet

1. To make the sherbet, in a food processor, pulse the sugar, orange zest, and salt until the sugar is fragrant, 10 to 15 times. With the processor running, add the orange and lemon juices and process until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.

2. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer until very cold but not frozen, about 45 minutes, or in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

3. In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream on high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour the cold juice mixture into the whipped cream so that the stream hits the side of the bowl.

4. Pour the sherbet base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Spoon the sherbet into a container and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.

6. To assemble a cooler, pour the orange juice and seltzer into a tall glass, leaving enough room for the sherbet. Add the sherbet and let it fizz. Repeat till you get the desired number of coolers. Alternatively, blend the 3 ingredients together for a shake of sorts.

Do the Dairy Flip-Flop

Poke around this book and you’ll see a whole lot of heavy cream and whole milk, but they’re in different quantities. That’s because dairy—as much as fruit or vanilla extract—is a flavor in your ice cream, in addition to making your finished product, you know, creamy. So you can slide the ratios of cream to milk around to suit the ice cream you’re after. If you want an ice cream that’s more fruity, take the fat down—leaner mixtures make other flavors pop. The worst thing that can happen is the ice cream will turn up a different consistency, but as Alice Medrich puts it, “Where is this great fear of iciness? Richer and creamier isn’t always better.”