July is almost over, then August lies ahead and before we know it, Labor Day will be here. I bring this up because I indulge in ice cream during the summer months, then stop my addiction cold turkey when Labor Day arrives.
Before you say it, yes, I know that residents of Mississippi still eat ice cream after summer’s over. But let’s face it, ice cream — whether it’s homemade using slighter healthier ingredients, or purchased in the supermarket — is not very figure-friendly. In short, it’s filled with fat and calories, requiring a cut-off point in my summer indulgence.
At the beginning of the summer, I happily pulled out my ice cream and sorbet maker, anticipating a delightfully-cool treat for dessert. I loaded it with ice cream ingredients, only to hear a sad little whimper when I plugged it in. That may explain its presence on the clearance aisle.
Not to be deterred, I searched in vain for a replacement. I combined the ingredients in my mixer and froze the entire thing. The final product was chunky and somewhat rough in texture, but still delicious.
Instead of seeking a replacement for my derelict ice cream maker, I decided there was only one sensible thing to do — go to the source … the king … the standard-setter for store-bought ice cream. In case you haven’t guessed by now, yes, I’m referring to Blue Bell. I don’t know how they do it, but their ice cream is quite simply the best I’ve ever tasted. I’ve tried almost every flavor and can report that each one of them lived up to my high ice cream standards.
If your ice cream maker is still running and a trip to the supermarket isn’t on the horizon, here are three of my favorite ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt recipes. And remember, if things don’t work out, Blue Bell will be waiting.
FROZEN STRAWBERRY YOGURT
Ingredients
1 bag (20 ounces) frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 8-ounce container vanilla or strawberry low fat yogurt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
■ Allow strawberries to defrost 10 minutes (they need to be soft frozen). Place berries in food processor and pulse until real fine. Add yogurt while processor is running. Add sugar and lemon juice. Serve right out of the processor or place in a container and freeze to serve later.
ORANGE SHERBET
Ingredients
1 liter orange carbonated drink
8-1/2 ounce can crushed pineapple (undrained)
7-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Directions
■ Combine all ingredients and pour in ice cream freezer. After churning for about an hour, pour into a bread pan, cover and place in the freezer for several hours.
PEACH ICE CREAM
Ingredients
3 pints half and half cream
1 pint whipping cream
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
3-4 cups fresh peaches, chopped, or 2 10-ounce packages frozen peaches
1-1/2 cups sugar
Directions
■ Mix ingredients and pour in ice cream freezer to process. Makes 1 gallon.
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.
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