Recipes for 4 homemade ice cream classics, reimagined.
(Photography by Fred+Elliott)
Ice Cream Sandwich: A Tale of Two Macarons
What’s better than an ice cream sandwich with plain old cookies? A macaron ice cream sandwich, of course. But these flourless almond-meal cookies require some next-level baking skills. If there’s a local bakery that sells macarons, check to see if they’ll sell you empty shells, and then fill them with whatever your heart desires. While macaron shells usually host cream or ganache filling, we loaded our basil shells up with a hand-churned fresh strawberry ice cream, letting these two summer flavors strike up a happy handheld balance.
Or, try this:
- Ask your local baker to whip up some macaron shells with a balsamic flavor, a classic pairing with strawberries.
- No macs? No problem. Try shortbread cookies instead.
Ice Cream Float: A Land of Tea and Honey
We do love root beer, but for a new take on the fizzy ice cream soda, add Earl Grey tea to club soda and pour over honey ice cream. Garnish with a slab of honeycomb and fresh mint.
Or, try this:
- Make it a milkshake instead of a float.
- Use any tea you like (jasmine would be lovely) as a substitute for Earl Grey.
Ice Cream Cone: The Anatomy of a Classic
When it comes to niche kitchen tools, perhaps none brings more joy than the ice cream cone maker. Sure, you might only bring it out a couple of times a year, but when you do, you know good things are imminent.
These homemade waffle cones are studded with chopped pistachios, and the final product is ready for it’s crown—an ample scoop of dark coffee ice cream, with cardamom and cinnamon.
Or, try this:
- Go fruity and floral, flavoring homemade raspberry ice cream or sorbet with a hint of rosewater.
- If you can’t make your own cone, give a pre-made cone a dip in tempered chocolate and freshly toasted pistachios.
Ice Cream Sundae: Double-Dipped Delight
Sure, chocolate and peanut butter have been a thing forever, but chocolate and sesame are equally well-suited to each other. Halva, a sliceable, fudgy-textured loaf of sesame goodness, gets thrown into a tahini and vanilla ice cream base and topped with rich chocolate ganache, fresh blackberries, and a crunchy sesame brittle. It combines the essential elements of a perfect sundae—ice cream, chocolate, fruit and nuts—but with a new, sophisticated twist.
Or, try this:
- Cherries (try Rainier cherries during their short season), macerated with sugar, lemon and a splash of kirsch.
- Add black sesame seeds to your brittle for more visual intrigue, or try walnut brittle for something completely different.
Strawberry ice cream sandwiched between basil macarons.
Photos by Fred + Elliott
Earl Grey tea and honey ice cream float.
Dark coffee ice cream in a pistachio-studded waffle cone.
Want more? Click here to get the scoop on some of our favorite homemade ice cream makers around the state.
