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Hope everyone had a great  Karl Oskar Days and Wannigan Days these last few weeks! We’re looking forward to Center City Days and Ki Chi Saga Days— still with plenty of summer fun left!

Here’s some recipes involving ice cream to continue to beat the heat that is hanging around!

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PEACH CRISP WITH PECAN CRUMBLE

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 stick salted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup chopped pecans

2 1/2 lb. peaches (7 to 8), peeled and sliced

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt using a fork. Add the butter and mix and mush it into the flour mixture with the fork. Stir in the pecans.

Combine the peaches and the lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Add the maple syrup and stir well.

Pour the peach mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish and cover evenly with the crumb topping. Bake until crisp and browned on top, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

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STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICE CREAM SANDWICH

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

1 cup freeze-dried strawberries (about 1 ounce), roughly chopped

1 cup white chocolate chips (about 5 ounces)

2 pt. strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Beat together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter into roughly 2-tablespoon-size balls. Roll between your hands until smooth, then arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Transfer half the cookies to a separate baking sheet and flip them upside down. Top each with a scoop of ice cream (about 1/3 cup), pressing down lightly with the back of the scoop to flatten. Place another cookie on top of each, then freeze until solid, about 3 hours. The ice cream sandwiches will keep in the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to one month.

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COPYCAT DRUMSTICK ICE CREAM CONE

6 sugar ice cream cones

2 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bars (60%), chopped and divided

3 Tbsp. coconut oil, divided

1/2 gal. vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds, roughly chopped

Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

To ensure that the ice cream cones stand up in the freezer, tape an empty ice cream cone box closed. Using a paring knife, cut 6 evenly-spaced 1-inch X’s into the front of the box. Stand the 6 cones upright in the holes.

In a microwave-safe glass measuring cup, combine 4 ounces of the chocolate with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil. Microwave on 50% power for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to stir every 15 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. 

Using a spoon, coat the insides of the cones with chocolate, allowing some to pool at the bottom. Place the cones in their holding vessel and freeze for 30 minutes.

Using a spoon, scoop ice cream into each ice cream cone, filling them entirely to the top. Smooth the top until the ice cream is level with the top edge of the cones. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop ice cream into rounds and place them on the leveled out cones. Freeze until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

Place the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Microwave on 50% power for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to stir every 15 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. 

Remove only one cone at a time from the freezer. Quickly dip the ice cream into the chocolate to coat and sprinkle with the almonds and salt. Immediately place the coated cones in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Once completely frozen, store in an airtight container for up to one month.

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ICE CREAM 

ICEBOX CAKE

3 pt. vanilla ice cream, divided and softened

3/4 cup blackberry preserves

1 cup lemon curd, divided

2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 8 oz.)

1 cup fresh blackberries, cut in half and divided, plus more to serve

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure the entire pan is covered and has at least 2 inches of overhang. 

Scoop 2 pints of the vanilla ice cream into a large bowl. Stir until spreadable. Fold in the blackberry preserves until combined. In a medium bowl, scoop the remaining 1 pint of vanilla ice cream and stir until spreadable. Fold in ¼ cup of the lemon curd.

Working quickly, sprinkle the bottom of the prepared loaf pan with ½ cup of the crushed cookies. Dollop 1 cup of the blackberry ice cream mixture over the wafers. Top with ½ cup of the lemon curd ice cream mixture, swirling and spreading to smooth. Gently press ½ cup of the blackberries into the ice cream. Repeat the layers twice, ending with a final layer of the crushed cookies.

Wrap the entire loaf pan with plastic wrap. Freeze until the cake is firm, 6 hours or up to 1 week.

To a large bowl, add the heavy cream, 1/2 cup of the lemon curd, and the vanilla. Using an electric hand mixer, whip at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 hour. 

Remove the icebox cake from the freezer. Using the plastic overhang, remove the cake from the loaf pan and invert it onto a serving platter. Dollop with the lemon whipped cream and top with blackberries.

Slice and serve with dollops of the remaining lemon curd, if desired.

TFD: "Don't let your ice cream melt while you're counting someone else's sprinkles." — Akilah Hughes

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