Is there a more beloved Japanese snack than Pocky? Thin, crispy biscuit pretz (check out Pretz, here) dipped in just the right amount of chocolate. You can find them in Japanese markets or online.

Somehow I decided they’d be a perfect fit for an ice cream flavor. (Especially since I always have so much in the pantry.) The best thing is, the pretzels stay crispy and the flavor is totally Pocky-like! Think of it as a Japanese version of chocolate chip…but better.

ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box (2.4 oz) Pocky

Chop the Pocky sticks into small pieces and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and the milk.

Whisk in the sugar until dissolved. Stir in the vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Pour into your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. In the last 5 minutes add in the chopped up Pocky.

Pour into a sealed container and freeze until solid. Scoop and eat!

When I went to the Wilton Tent Sale in Chicago it was all I could do to control myself and not bring home every single pan they had. But to pack heavy cake pans in my suitcase? Hm. I had to really pick and choose. The one I absolutely could not live without was the Wilton Skull Pan. Sure it’s for cakes, but I knew right away it’d be the perfect vehicle for ice cream.

I had an idea in my head: a skull entirely made out of homemade ice cream and when you sliced into it…oh the brain you would find. Sweet, delicious, a mochi brain is the only brain I would ever want to eat.

ingredients:
2 batches vanilla ice cream (recipe here) (2 half gallons if you’re going store bought)
tiny mochi balls

As with all things I mold out of ice cream – I lined the pan well with plastic wrap. It makes for a much easier release.

Once the pan was lined I filled it with vanilla ice cream. Using a spatula I pressed the melty ice cream down deep, hoping to get every crevice of the skull face.

Only in Hawaii can you find the world’s most kawaii and tastiest mochi balls. These things are so tiny and each has their own distinct fruity flavor. If you can’t get to Hawaii for shopping, there are places that sell mochi balls online. (here)

I dug a little well in the back of the head and filled it with the teeny mochi balls. Then I put the skull back into the freezer.

Removal of ice cream molds is always tricky, but wrapping a warm towel around the pan pretty much ensures a quick release, plus the plastic wrap helps if you need to yank it out. This pan gives really nice detail!

This particular skull pan comes in two parts, the back being a base for the front face to sit on. Now in cake form this makes sense, in ice cream form it’s a heck of a lot of extra work to get that to line up. Just sayin’.

Once the skull was put together I was ready to chop into him…

…and just as I had hoped – the lovely fruity mochi brain was revealed! Best lobotomy ever!

I love root beer – as you know. I had already helped myself to her stash and was knee deep into a root beer float. But as I watched the kids pick their syrup flavors and touch the freshly shaved ice, a revelation came to me. I wanted my root beer float COLDER.

ingredients:
vanilla ice cream
root beer
shave ice

The best part of a root beer float to me is the icy, crunchy bits that form when the root beer hits the vanilla ice cream. You have to eat them fast or they’ll disappear. Instead, I wanted that texture ALL THE TIME minus the brain freeze.

So I layered the ice cream, root beer and topped it off with shaved ice. Give it all a quick mix up and you have the coldest, crunchiest, creamiest, flavorful root beer float ever. Ahhhh…summertime.

Then I filled the cookies with a smooth homemade Milk Chocolate ice cream. Such a delicious combo it might even keep Bruce Banner calm as can be.

ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon matcha (green tea powder)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream (recipe here)

Matcha is a fine, concetrated green tea powder. You can find it in asian markets, the asian section of your grocery store, or online.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and matcha. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg and the lemon juice.

Slowly add in the flour until it is incorporated. The dough will form quickly, and when it starts to pull away from the bowl, it’s done!

Split the dough into two and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until you are ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prep baking sheets with silpats.

Start rolling out the dough. I use powdered sugar instead of flour so it doesn’t get that dough-y taste and the sugar adds a slight sweetness. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. The best things about these cutters is they don’t stick!

Use your cutter to cut out the shapes and transfer onto the silpat lined baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack.

When the cookies are cooled, scoop the Milk Chocolate Ice Cream on one side (face down) of the cookie. Then press the other cookie on top to make a sandwich. Keep in the freezer until you are ready to serve!

Guri Guri Ice Cream (recipe, here)
An old skool Hawaiian treat, this couldn’t be easier and more refreshing!
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Inside Out Ice Cream Sandwiches (recipe, here)
I took the beautiful pink, white and brown of the neapolitan ice cream sandwich and put it on the outside!
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Chocolate & Green Tea Ice Cream Cupcakes (recipe, here)
A surprisingly good combo – luscious chocolate and smooth green tea, not only a frozen treat but a cupcake too! Double the pleasure!

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Tiny Rainbow Sherbet Cupcakes (recipe, here)
This won top three in the 2010 Ice Cream Cupcake Contest. Super tiny, one bite of pure frozen bliss.
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Brownie Ice Cream Musubi (recipe, here)
I love using my musubi maker – not only for rice, but frozen treats too!

While I make my Watermelon Ice Cream Bombe on the regular, I wanted to somehow incorporate cake. My family LOVES ice cream cake.

So I made a ‘green’ base by baking a matcha (green tea) cake, and then layering it with a fresh watermelon ice cream, studded with mini chocolate chip ‘seeds’. It came out beautifully and the family loved it!

watermelon ice cream ingredients:
5 cups watermelon, cubed (will become 2 cups watermelon juice)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup mini choco chips

In a blender, blend the cubed watermelon until it becomes fully liquid.

Pour into a cheesecloth and strain out the pulp. Keep 2 cups of pure watermelon liquid.

In a bowl mix together the watermelon liquid, sugar, lemon juice, and heavy whipping cream until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn per the manufacturer’s directions. In the last 5 mins, add in the mini chocolate chips.

Keep in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.

matcha cake ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon matcha powder
Pinch of salt

Matcha is a highly concentrated green tea powder, you can find it in the tea section of most asian markets. It’s…pricey. But nothing can compare. Nothing will give you a full rich taste green tea taste like powdered matcha.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prep a springform pan.

Separate the whites and the yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks until light. Add the sugar and vanilla, and mix well.

In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and matcha powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the egg whites.
Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until done, depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack.

Once the ice cream has set and the cake has cooled, now you can assemble!

Level off the cake and place it back into the springform pan. Warning, the cake may have shrunk.

Spoon the watermelon ice cream on top of the matcha cake, speading evenly.

Gently press the ice cream down to form an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until you are ready to serve.

When the cake is cut you will have sweet, delicious slices of fresh watermelon…in cake and ice cream form! Perfectly refreshing for summer!

“Oh gosh, how delicious it was! It was sweet and refreshing. It tasted of vanilla and cream with just the faintest trace of raspberries on the edge of the flavour. And the bubbles were wonderful. Sophie could actually feel them bouncing and bursting all around her tummy. It was an amazing sensation.”

The Kid BEGGED me to make him some Frobscottle. We talked about what we’d put it into it, ‘popping and fizzing’ meant soda which my kids are NOT allowed to have but seeing as how he’s read 35 books in three weeks – I’d say he’s allowed a treat. And man, is this a treat.

I kept meaning to put a recipe together for him, but as parents do, I got busy. Proving that he is my child, before summer school one morning he left his very own homemade recipe on my desk, just as a reminder:

Interesting. I like the way that Kid thinks. I improved it (in my opinion) and upped the ante by using Lilikoi soda from Hawaii. Truly delish stuff IF you can get ahold of it. Most people can’t, so Ginger Ale will do just fine. Here’s the recipe:

ingredients:
1 scoop vanilla ice cream (recipe, here)
1 scoop raspberry sorbet
Lilikoi soda (or Ginger Ale)
whipped cream
fresh raspberries
Pop Rocks

Put the scoops of ice cream in a glass. Man, you could just stop here and that’d be a great summer treat. But no, I must carry on.

I love this natural Hawaiian soda from Waialua Soda Works. I had it in Hawaii YEARS ago and now it’s finally readily available on the mainland. If you can’t find it, ginger ale works just as well! Add just enough soda to get the bubbles to the top. Add the whipped cream and top with fresh berries.

Sprinkle the top with Pop Rocks. Yes, Pop Rocks. It gives it that extra “whizpopping” kick, as the BFG would say.

For sure this is sugar overload but this was a one time treat, and the Kid was SO HAPPY to see the BFG’s Frobscottle come to life! I love enhancing the Kid’s creativity by incorporating fun into his summer reading. It sure makes life a lot more fun.

Vanilla ice cream for dessert? Please. Let’s kick it up and make it into a cream puff. Take that and and top it off with a dulce de leche sauce. I can’t take it. It’s too much happiness all at once.

ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
pinch of salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs

vanilla ice cream (recipe, here)
dulce de leche

In a pot over high heat, bring the water, milk, butter and salt to a boil.

Carefully add the flour and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides. Cook for another minute or so to cook the flour out a bit. Let cool for a minute, then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer.

On low speed beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Using a mini ice cream scoop place about a Tablespoon of the dough onto a silpat lined baking sheet. Approx 12 per sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, lower the oven temp to 350 bake for another 10 mins. Turn off the oven and let the puffs dry in the warm oven for yet another ten minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Now you can make dulce de leche or buy it, totally up to you. I like to warm mine up and thin it down a bit so it looks a little more caramel-y rather than thick, but it’s all a matter of taste.

Slice the puffs in half and fill with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Top that off with a drizzle of sweet dulce de leche, and eat!

While most peeps are celebrating red, white and blue – our family tradition is on the greener side…

…yep, our annual Watermelon Ice Cream Bombe (recipe, here). It wouldn’t be the Fourth without it! Have a great holiday!

My brother’s favorite ice cream is Italian Spumoni. Spumoni is an Italian ice cream made up of three flavors of ice cream: Chocolate, Pistachio and Cherry. It’s available during the holidays or at your local Italian deli. I make this dessert during the holidays, but a roll cake filled with ice cream is good anytime of the year!

ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Spumoni Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Separate the whites and the yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks until light. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla, and mix well.

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the egg whites into the egg mixture.

Prep a jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet – by lining it with parchment paper, and greasing it with butter. This will make it easy to remove.

Pour the batter right onto the lined pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until a golden brown.

While the cake is baking, put a clean towel down and dust it with powdered sugar. You will invert the cake onto this to start the rolling process.

When the cake comes out, turn it onto the towel and peel off the parchment.

Begin with the narrow side and roll the cake and towel up together. Cool cake on rack, seam side down, for 10 to 15 minutes. You’re trying to get the cake to maintain it’s ‘roll’ shape.

Once cake has cooled, gently unroll and spread cake with the softened Spumoni and re-roll. Place back in the freezer until you are ready to slice and serve!