Food52 Ice Cream and Friends

Restaurant Thai tea is usually brewed from a prepackaged mix of tea leaves, spices, and food coloring. This version, composed of ice instead of simply chilled by it, is more refreshing than sticky-sweet, with a strong tea taste and a list of spices you can customize (add vanilla; leave out the star anise; toss in a cinnamon stick!). For a nod to the original, spoon condensed milk over the top: It will pool in creamy pockets among the crunchy granita.

1 cup (200g) sugar

5 bags Ceylon orange pekoe tea

2 star anise pods

2 green cardamom pods, crushed

2 cloves

2 teaspoons orange blossom water

1 (14-ounce/397g) can sweetened condensed milk

1. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups (1.9L) water to a boil over high heat. When it’s simmering, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Once the water returns to a boil, remove from the heat. Add the tea bags, star anise, cardamom, cloves, and orange blossom water. Let steep for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the tea bags and the aromatics. Refrigerate the tea until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

2. Pour the chilled tea into a wide casserole dish or baking pan. Freeze for 4 to 5 hours, scraping with a fork every hour or so, particularly around the edges, so the granita is broken into icy shards. (The granita will keep in the freezer for a couple weeks.)

3. When you’re ready to serve, spoon some granita into glasses and drizzle 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk over the top of each.

Make an any-tea granita—mix 1 cup (240ml) freshly brewed and cooled tea (English breakfast, Earl Grey, green, herbal, you name it) with 3 tablespoons of superfine sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Pour it into a wide casserole dish or baking pan and freeze as directed. Alice Medrich suggests substituting finely ground French roast coffee beans for the Thai tea leaves and shortening the steeping time to 5 minutes. Top with condensed milk and you’ve got Vietnamese coffee granita.

Compared with traditional American ice cream, gelato is lower in butterfat (4 to 9 percent as opposed to 14 to 25 percent), and when made commercially, it’s churned at a lower speed, introducing less air into the mixture. So what does all of this mean for you? A creamier, denser, and softer dessert, with a silky elasticity that resembles marshmallow frosting. It’s the ideal canvas for delicate red rooibos, a tea that comes from the leaves of a brushy plant native to southern Africa.

Because rooibos tea is sweetly earthy (similar to red bean and sweet potato) as well as floral (without being soapy—closer to honey than lavender), it’s exciting on its own, and perhaps an even better pairing for a piece of fruit pie than classic vanilla.

2 cups (475ml) whole milk

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream

¼ cup (20g) skim milk powder

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (110g) sugar

1½ tablespoons light corn syrup

5 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

⅓ cup (30g) loose-leaf vanilla rooibos tea or the leaves from 15 tea bags

1. In a pot, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, milk powder, ½ cup (100g) of the sugar, and the corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the yolks.

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

4. Stir in the vanilla and the tea leaves. Let the warm base steep for 40 minutes, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Chill the base completely for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

5. If you have a gelato paddle, fit it on your ice cream maker. If you don’t, don’t worry about it! Pour the chilled base into the ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Frozen custard should be thick yet soft—the epitome of luscious —and served right from the ice cream maker so its temperature and consistency resemble gelato. Let this coffee frozen custard (reminiscent of a really creamy frappuccino) firm up in the freezer and it’ll be like the familiar coffee ice cream, but why trot into known territory? We encourage topping with dark chocolate shards, or chocolate-covered pretzels (this page ) or espresso beans.

1¼ cups (300ml) heavy cream

¾ cup (175ml) whole milk

¼ cup (20g) skim milk powder

6 tablespoons (75g) sugar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

6 egg yolks

1½ tablespoons espresso powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a pot, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, milk powder, ¼ cup (50g) of the sugar, and the corn syrup. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat.

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

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

4. Add the espresso powder and the vanilla and let steep for 30 minutes, then pass the base through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Chill the base completely for at least 5 hours but ideally overnight.

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

6. Serve straight from the machine for a true frozen custard experience, or spoon into a container and freeze for up to 2 hours before scooping. (Any longer and it will have more of an ice cream consistency.)

Here’s how to eat ice cream for breakfast. David Lebovitz suggests blending chocolate ice cream with a few shots of espresso for the most delicious mocha. Or do as they do in Australia: Top hot or chilled espresso with lots of ice and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (and maybe a bit of milk). Stir and top with whipped cream.

Elegant and perfumy from loose Earl Grey tea leaves, every bite of this ice cream is citrusy with bergamot—and way more fun than high tea. Generous swirls of blackberry jam guard against primness and cut any of the tea’s bitterness. Because the recipe uses jam instead of fresh berries, it can be made in any season—and easily modified if fig, plum, orange, or sour cherry is more your…jam.

1½ ounces (45g) cream cheese, at room temperature

⅛ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 cups (475ml) 2% milk

1¼ cups (300ml) heavy cream

½ cup (100g) sugar

1½ tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons high-quality loose-leaf Earl Grey tea

1 tablespoon vodka

¼ cup (80g) blackberry jam, plus more as needed

1. In a bowl, mash the cream cheese and salt with a fork. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the milk.

2. In a large pot, bring the remaining milk, the heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes and no more. Off the heat, stir in the cornstarch slurry and return to a boil for another minute, stirring constantly until the mixture slightly thickens. Add the loose-leaf tea and let steep for 5 minutes. Don’t be tempted to put the tea in a cheesecloth—you’ll get a lot more flavor without one.

3. Add ¼ cup (60ml) of the hot milk mixture to the cream cheese, whisking well to break up any lumps. Then, whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture.

4. Chill the base completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

5. Pass the ice cream base through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing on the tea leaves. Stir in the vodka.

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

7. Line a lidded glass container (like a loaf pan or a shallow rectangular pan) with plastic wrap, leaving extra plastic hanging over the edges. Spoon the ice cream into the container and drizzle thin streaks of jam. Spoon in more ice cream, layering it with more streaks of jam. Cover the ice cream with the overhanging plastic, close the container, and freeze.

8. Let the ice cream soften a couple of minutes before scooping. Create swirly scoops by pulling your ice cream scoop through (instead of along) the jam streaks.

There’s Mississippi mud pie: a chocolate wafer crust topped with a layer of chocolate pudding, cake, or both—and whipped cream. And then there’s mud pie mud pie, where the crust is filled with coffee-flavored ice cream and drizzled with fudge. It’s said to have been invented in 1957 by San Francisco restaurateur Joanna Droeger, who was mesmerized by a story that newlyweds Barbra Streisand and Elliott Gould kept a freezer under their bed so they could eat coffee ice cream without leaving their room.

This version has hints of both original desserts, but it’s in a league all its own. The middle layer is made with lambic framboise, a Belgian, slightly sour raspberry beer that makes the ice cream so fluffy, you might think you’re eating a frozen cream pie. And you can still eat the whole tall-and-mighty pie in bed, just like Barbra.

Pie Crust

10 ounces (280g) chocolate cookies (such as Nilla chocolate wafers or shortbread)

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon espresso powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted

3 teaspoons coconut oil, melted

3½ ounces (100g) dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped

Whipped Cream

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream, well chilled

Beer Ice Cream

1 (750ml) bottle Lindemans Framboise beer

1 (14-ounce/397g) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups (475ml) heavy cream, well chilled

2 ounces (55g) dark chocolate (70% cacao) or cocoa nibs, for garnish

1. To make the pie crust, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place a deep-dish, 9-inch (23cm) pie plate nearby.

2. Process the cookies in a food processor until reduced to fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. Add the confectioners’ sugar, flour, espresso powder, and salt and pulse to combine. With the processor running, slowly pour in the melted butter and 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Evenly press the crust into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Bake until the bottom is firm, about 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot with 1½ inches (4cm) of water to a simmer. Set a large, heatproof bowl with the remaining 1 teaspoon coconut oil and the chocolate on top of the simmering water until the chocolate melts. Off the heat, whisk together the coconut oil and chocolate until smooth. When the pie crust is cool, drizzle the melted chocolate all over the bottom and sides. Let cool for at least 1 hour.

4. To make the whipped cream, in a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder and granulated sugar. Whisk in ¼ cup (60ml) of the heavy cream. When the cocoa powder and sugar are dissolved, add the remaining 1¼ cups (295ml) heavy cream. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate while you make the ice cream and up to 1 day.

5. To make the ice cream, bring the beer to a boil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until the beer is reduced to just ½ cup (120ml), about 40 minutes. (The beer syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

6. Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl. Stir in the beer syrup and the cocoa powder.

7. Pour the heavy cream into another large bowl and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes.

8. Mix a few spoonfuls of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Don’t overmix.

9. Spoon the ice cream into the pie crust and smooth the top. Cover the ice cream with plastic wrap and freeze at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.

10. Just before serving, spoon the chocolate whipped cream on top of the frozen beer ice cream. You can use a large spoon and make clouds, or put the whipped cream into a pastry bag and pipe swirls. To garnish, shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler or sprinkle with cocoa nibs. Cut into wedges and serve.

There’s an unavoidable moment you have with every ice cream pie, cake, or bar you make: it’s you and your knife against a veritable ice cube, melting imminent. Lucky for the integrity of your dessert and your stress level, Nicole Rucker, a Los Angeles pastry chef and blue ribbon–winning pie maker, offers a “hot” tip in Lucky Peach : “When you’re ready to serve, soak a kitchen towel in very hot water and then unfold the towel so it lays flat. Place the pie on top of the towel—this prevents it from slipping and also releases the pie from the bottom of the frozen pie plate. Slice the pie with a hot, wet knife.”

Banana splits always have a lot going on—many ice creams, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, maybe some berries, nuts, and a cherry on top. Oh, and banana too! It always gets forgotten. But keep the split’s various components traveling in fewer directions and nothing gets pushed out of the boat. Here, the split is all banana (finally), rum, and cream.

The banana-caramel ice cream, mascarpone, flambéed bananas, and whipped cream all play well in other desserts, too. Top a cake with flambéed bananas, letting the sauce seep into the cake. Dollop any pie (or that banana flambé cake) with mascarpone whipped cream. Eat the ice cream whirred into a milkshake this page .

Banana-Caramel Ice Cream

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (175g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons salted butter

1¾ cups (415ml) heavy cream

1¼ cups (300ml) whole milk

½ cup (35g) skim milk powder

4 egg yolks

1 large, very ripe banana, chopped

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toasted Walnuts

½ cup (50g) walnuts

Whipped Cream

⅔ cup (160ml) heavy cream, well chilled

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

⅓ cup (80ml) mascarpone cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bananas

¼ cup (60g) salted butter

¼ cup (55g) packed light brown sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

6 firm bananas, sliced lengthwise

⅔ cup (160ml) dark rum

1. To make the ice cream, spread ¾ cup (150g) of the sugar in a wide, high-sided saucepan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over the top and set the pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, watching it like a hawk, until it’s light copper in color. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and ¼ cup (60ml) of the heavy cream. (Don’t worry if there are lumps; you’ll pass the base through a fine-mesh sieve.)

2. In a medium pot, whisk together the remaining 1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream, the milk, and milk powder. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat.

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

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

5. Add the caramel, banana, rum, and vanilla. Puree with an immersion blender, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the base steep for 30 minutes, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. 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.

7. Spoon the ice cream into a container and freeze. Makes about 1½ quarts (1.4L) of ice cream.

8. Prep the walnuts: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the walnuts across a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and toasted, about 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool, then coarsely chop. (The nuts can be stored in a zip-top plastic bag for up to 4 days.)

9. To make the whipped cream, in a bowl, beat the cream, sugar, mascarpone, and vanilla until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. (The whipped cream can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

10. To make the bananas, in a wide skillet (do not use a high-sided pan), melt the butter and brown sugar. Add the vanilla bean seeds and pod. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Add the bananas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip them and cook the other side until browned and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes more.

11. Off the heat, add the rum. Using a long match, light the rum on fire. (If you need to put out the flame, cover the pan with the lid.)

12. To serve, let the ice cream soften for 10 to 15 minutes. You can serve it family style, with everything heaped in the skillet with the bananas, or compose individual servings: Add a scoop of ice cream to a bowl, and nestle two banana halves around. Drizzle with rum flambé sauce, dollop with whipped cream, and sprinkle with walnuts.

After drinking your first, or fiftieth, Negroni, you know you want more—more citrus, more bitter, more deep-hued allure. And the answer, sometimes, is not to order another but rather to mix it with blood orange juice and freeze it into an ice pop (shown on page iv). Somehow it’s more of a Negroni than the liquid version, more sultry in color, vivid in flavor, and still boozy. Rumor has it that eating three pops is the sweet—smiley, silly, not-sloppy—spot.

⅓ cup (65g) sugar

2 cups (475ml) blood orange juice (from about 8 oranges)

¼ cup (60ml) gin

¼ cup (60ml) sweet vermouth

¼ cup (60ml) Campari

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1. In a large bowl (preferably with a pour spout), whisk together ¾ cup (175ml) water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the blood orange juice, gin, vermouth, Campari, and orange zest.

2. Divide the mixture evenly into pop molds. Freeze for at least 5 hours before serving.

For a frozen Negroni Sbagliato (meaning “messed up,” because it has sparkling wine instead of gin), serve your pop in a glass of Prosecco. Or dip your pop in a mixture of orange zest and sugar (zest of an orange to ¼ cup/50g sugar is a good place to start). If a granita is more your style and you like your drinks strong, increase the gin, vermouth, and Campari to ½ cup (120ml) each, decrease the blood orange juice to 1¼ cups (300ml), and freeze and scrape the mixture as directed on this page .

This rum raisin redo unbuttons the dark, boozy collar of a classic Manhattan. It’s a dairy-forward base with a gentle lashing of whiskey and cherries soaked in, yes, more whiskey. You won’t need vermouth or bitters—because the garnish is really all you want from a Manhattan, isn’t it? These cherries will serve this ice cream and your future sodas and sundaes well.

Cherries

1 cup (120g) packed dried cherries, chopped

½ cup (120ml) rye whiskey

½ cup (100g) sugar

Whiskey Ice Cream

8 egg yolks

1 cup (200g) sugar

3 cups (710ml) whole milk

1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream

1 tablespoon rye whiskey

1. To make the cherries, simmer the cherries, whiskey, and sugar over medium-low heat until the cherries soften and the liquid reduces to a thin syrup, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour into a bowl, stir, and let cool.

2. To make the ice cream, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined.

3. In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the milk and heavy cream just to a simmer over medium heat. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the yolk mixture. Return the milk-yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the ice cream base thickens, about 15 minutes (don’t allow it to boil!).

4. Stir the whiskey into the base, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Chill the base completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

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

That ice cream canister? It has to be frozen, like in-the-freezer-for-24-hours-in-advance frozen. Your ice cream mixture should also be as cold as possible before churning—chilling overnight is ideal but not essential. A warm mixture will result in a longer churn for a less-smooth ice cream (no matter how cold your canister is). The caramel or jam you want to swirl in shouldn’t be warm, either, or it will freeze up crunchy. Once you churn the ice cream, move it to the freezer quickly. Although, there is enough time to sneak one—only one!—spoonful.

This float takes the ingredients of a Brown Derby cocktail—a 1930s-era shake-up of grapefruit, bourbon, and honey—to a more spritzy, daytime-appropriate place: The grapefruit frozen yogurt inspired by a recipe from Jeni Britton Bauer is creamy enough to mellow the pucker of the bourbon-spiked, honey-kissed grapefruit punch, which isn’t boozy enough to have you wilting in the afternoon heat.

Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt

⅔ cup (160ml) grapefruit juice

1 tablespoon grated grapefruit zest

⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons (160g) sugar

1½ cups (355ml) whole milk

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 ounces (55g) cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup (120ml) heavy cream

¼ cup (60ml) light corn syrup

1¼ cups (300ml) full-fat plain Greek yogurt

Punch

2 cups (475ml) grapefruit juice

½ cup (120ml) bourbon

½ cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

¼ cup (85g) honey

1 teaspoon lemon bitters

3 cups (710ml) grapefruit soda, chilled

1. To make the frozen yogurt, in a small pot, whisk the grapefruit juice with 1½ teaspoons of the grapefruit zest and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Cook over high heat until thick and syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup (60ml) of the milk and the cornstarch to make a smooth slurry. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the cream cheese until smooth.

3. In a saucepan, whisk together the remaining 1¼ cups (300ml) milk, the heavy cream, the remaining ⅔ cup (135g) sugar, the corn syrup, and the remaining 1½ teaspoons grapefruit zest. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for exactly 4 minutes—the timing is critical. Off the heat, slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

4. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese. Stir in the yogurt and the grapefruit syrup. Pass the base through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Chill completely in the refrigerator 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. Spoon into a container and freeze. Makes almost a quart (950ml).

6. To make the punch, in a large bowl or pitcher, whisk together the grapefruit juice, bourbon, lime juice, honey, and lemon bitters.

7. Just before you are ready to serve, gingerly stir in the grapefruit soda. Divide the frozen yogurt, followed by the punch, among 4 to 8 glasses. If it’s not as foamy as you’d like, add more soda. Serve with long spoons.

As the simplest but also the best use for your beer and wine dregs, this granita asks you to dissolve sugar in water and alcohol—red or white wine or flat beer—before freezing the mixture and flaking it with a fork every so often. It will be as robust or delicate as whichever bottle you start with—and a safe space to blend whites or reds or bubblies and not tell anyone. In case you need reminding: red mixed with white makes rosé.

1 cup (240ml) red and/or white wine or flat beer

3 tablespoons sugar

Sweetened whipped cream, for topping (optional)

1. In a bowl, stir together the wine(s) or beer, 6 tablespoons (90ml) water, and sugar until the sugar dissolves.

2. Pour the mixture into a wide casserole dish or baking pan and freeze. When partially frozen, use a fork to scrape into shards and crystals. Freeze again until frozen completely. Scrape once more. (The granita will keep in the freezer for a couple weeks.)

3. Divide the granita equally among stemmed glasses, dolloped with whipped cream, if desired, and serve.

Floral from the rose water, woodsy from the gin, lively from lime, and a little puckery (and pale pink) thanks to rhubarb, all the components in this light-as-air sorbet work in sunshiny harmony to get you one big frog-leap closer to twirling in a springtime meadow. And you needn’t even wait for it to defrost—it’s soft like a pillow straight from the freezer.

Sorbet

1 cup (200g) sugar

1 pound (450g) rhubarb, chopped

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons gin, plus more chilled gin for serving

Rose Cream

½ cup (120ml) heavy cream

2 teaspoons sugar

4 to 8 drops rose water

1. To make the sorbet, dissolve the sugar in ½ cup (120ml) water over medium-high heat. Add the rhubarb and simmer until the rhubarb is very tender and beginning to fall apart, about 10 minutes.

2. Blend until smooth, then add the lime juice and corn syrup and pulse to combine. Chill completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. When the base is cold, stir in the gin.

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

5. To make the rose cream, in a bowl, beat the cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in the sugar, followed by the rose water, one drop at a time, until you like how it tastes.

6. Scoop the sorbet into bowls and top with a few drops of chilled gin and a spoonful of whipped cream.

The ideal home for handmade ice cream is a faraway land where the temperature always remains the same and where it doesn’t come into contact with air. While we can’t give ice cream everything it wants, we can make it comfortable so it doesn’t ice us out. First, pack the ice cream in small, shallow, airtight containers. Even zip-top freezer-safe plastic bags work. If you’re using a container with a lid, for added protection, cover ice cream with a layer of parchment or wax paper so icy formations will stay at bay. Then put your ice cream in the back, lower reaches of your freezer, where the cold fluctuates the least. Now comes the hard part: Try not to open the freezer too much. It’s for a good cause.