Recession Proof Desserts: Ice Cream Tricks

1) 

Eating ice cream with your hands is sorely underrated.  Most
people get a popcorn and a coke when they go to the movies.  Me, I get ice cream bonbons.   It’s frozen finger good.   Unfortunately, it’s hard to find them in the freezer aisle.  I decided to experiment and came up with a great, easy recipe.  Take a scoop of your favorite flavor with a rounded tablespoon, or a melon baller, and place it on a plate lined with wax paper. Stick toothpicks in each
one, and freeze until hard.   In the meantime, melt two parts chocolate, one
part butter, and set aside to cool.  When ready to dip, take out the ice
cream balls and quickly plunge into the melted chocolate.  Move
quickly as this stuff will melt fast.  Return it to the freezer and there you have
it – bonbons whenever you feel like it.   You can eat it while you rent a movie, or watch tv, or whenever you
have a craving for something sweet.

 

2)   Miscela is a popular Italian dessert of granita-topped gelato.  New York is packed with Italian restaurants, and yet, I can’t find one with miscela on the menu.  It doesn’t take a pastry chef or ice cream maker to make at home.  
My favorite combination is Ciao Bella’s Chocolate Jalapeno gelato with raspberry granita.  First, prepare the granita.  Take 1 1/2 cups of your favorite fruit (or 4 1/2 cups fruit juice) and puree in a blender with some drops of lemon or lime juice.  In a pan, dissolve 3/4 cup of sugar into 2/3 cup of water over low heat, and pour over the juice/puree.  Stir, cool, and place in a freezer-proof container for an hour or two.  It should set, but not freeze completely.  When it’s at this stage,  either scrape it with a fork or, even better, put it in the blender and give it a whirl.  Then, quickly spoon over ice cream of your choice.  The combination of crunchy/tart and sweet/rich is delicious.

3) Lychees are one of my favorite exotic fruits.  They’re floral, not too sweet, and can even be used as a teeny bowls for pretty much anything.  Try this easy, healthy dessert.  Drain one can of lychees and reserve the syrup (available at any Asian grocery store.)  Place the lychees on a plate and freeze until they’re firm, that way they’ll be easier to fill.  Then, soften your favorite sorbet in the refrigerator.  (I’m partial to coconut.) When it becomes spreadable, spoon the sorbet into a ziplock bag and make a tiny snip in one corner.  Carefully pipe the sorbet into the center of each lychee and refreeze until firm. 

When ready to serve, take the reserved syrup and heat it with a few tablespoons of liqueur or rum and a teaspoon of minced ginger.  Drizzle over the “bonbons” and enjoy.  This recipe works wonderfully with raspberries filled with chocolate or lemon sorbet and drizzled with chambord.