Parlor-Perfect Ice Cream Treats

Cool down and enjoy homemade ice cream desserts anytime with these easy and refreshing recipes.

Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie
Photo: Jennifer Davick























Ingredients
2 pt. vanilla ice cream
Vanilla Wafer Crust
1 1/2 cups Homemade Lemon Curd
16 vanilla wafers
Meringue Topping

Vanilla Wafer Crust
2 1/2 cups coarsely crushed vanilla wafers
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together crushed vanilla wafers, powdered sugar, and melted butter; firmly press on bottom, up sides and onto lip of a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Homemade Lemon Curd
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Whisk about one-fourth of hot sugar mixture gradually into eggs; add egg mixture to remaining hot sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats back of a spoon. Remove from heat; cool completely (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Meringue Topping
2 egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour water to depth of 1 1/2 inches into a 3 1/2-qt. saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer. Meanwhile, combine egg whites, next 3 ingredients, and 1/4 cup water in a 2 1/2-qt. glass bowl; beat mixture at high speed with an electric mixer until blended. Place bowl over simmering water, and beat at high speed 5 to 7 minutes or until soft peaks form; remove from heat Beat to spreading consistency (about 2 to 3 minutes). Use immediately.

Pie Preparation
Let ice cream stand at room temperature 5 minutes or just until soft enough to spread. Spoon 1 pt. ice cream into Vanilla Wafer Crust. Top with 3/4 cup lemon curd; repeat with remaining ice cream and lemon curd. Gently swirl ice cream and curd with a knife or small spatula. Insert vanilla wafers around edge of pie. Cover and freeze 8 hours.

Spread Meringue Topping over pie. If desired, brown meringue using a kitchen torch, holding torch 1 to 2 inches from pie and moving torch back and forth. (If you do not have a torch, preheat broiler with oven rack 8 inches from heat; broil 30 to 45 seconds or until golden.) Serve immediately, or cover loosely with plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 week.

Related: 8 No-Cook Ice Cream Recipes

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream CakePhoto: Jennifer Davick
























Ingredients
Parchment paper
Devil's Food Cake Batter
1/2 gal. mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
10 chocolate wafers, coarsely crushed
Chocolate Ganache
Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, thin crème de menthe chocolate mints

Devil's Food Cake Batter
Beat 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add 1 large egg, beating just until blended. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, and 1 tsp. baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with 3/4 cup hot strong brewed coffee, beating until blended. Stir in 1 tsp. white vinegar.

Chocolate Ganache
Microwave 1 (4-oz.) chopped semisweet chocolate baking bar and 4 Tbsp. whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl at high 1 minute or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals. Stir in up to 4 Tbsp. additional cream for desired consistency.

Pie Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Prepare Devil's Food Cake Batter, and spoon into pans.

Bake at 350° for 12 to 14 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, peel off parchment paper, and cool completely (about 1 hour.)

Place 1 cake layer in a 9-inch springform pan. Top with one-third of ice cream (about 2 1/3 cups); sprinkle with half of crushed wafers. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining cake layer and ice cream. Freeze 8 to 12 hours.

Remove cake from springform pan, and place on a cake stand or plate. Prepare Chocolate Ganache, and spread over top of ice-cream cake. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Related: Irresistible Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Strawberry Semifreddo Shortcake
Photo: Jennifer Davick























Ingredients
2 (3-oz.) packages soft ladyfingers
2 pt. strawberry ice cream, softened
1 pt. strawberry sorbet, softened
1 pt. fresh strawberries, hulled
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 (7-oz.) jar marshmallow crème
1 cup heavy cream

Preparation
Arrange ladyfingers around sides and on bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. (Reserve any remaining ladyfingers for another use.) Spread strawberry ice cream over ladyfingers, and freeze 30 minutes.

Spread softened strawberry sorbet over ice cream. Freeze 30 minutes.

Process strawberries and powdered sugar in a food processor 1 minute or until pureed. Reserved 1/4 cup mixture. Whisk remaining strawberry mixture into marshmallow crème until well blended.

Beat cream at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold into marshmallow mixture. Pour over sorbet in pan. Drizzle reserved strawberry mixture over top, and gently swirl with a paring knife. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Let ice-cream cake stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Related: 26 Fresh and Juicy Strawberry Desserts

Easy Mocha Chip Ice-Cream Cake
Photo: Jennifer Davick























Ingredients
1 pt. premium dark chocolate chunk-coffee ice cream, softened
3 sugar cones, crushed
1/3 cup chocolate fudge shell topping
1 (14-oz) container premium chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream, softened
6 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed
Mocha Ganache
Garnish: chocolate-covered coffee beans

Mocha Ganache
Microwave 1 (4-oz.) chopped semisweet chocolate baking bar, 1 tsp. instant espresso, and 3 Tbsp. whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl at high 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in an additional 1 Tbsp. whipping cream until smooth. Use immediately.

Preparation
Line an 8- x 5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing 3 inches to extend over sides. Spread chocolate chunk-coffee ice cream in pan. Sprinkle with cones, and drizzle with shell topping. Freeze 30 minutes.

Spread chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream over topping. Top with crushed cookies, pressing into ice cream. Freeze 4 hours or until firm.

Lift ice-cream loaf from pan, using plastic wrap as handles; invert onto a serving plate. Discard plastic wrap. Prepare Mocha Ganache, and slowly pour over ice-cream loaf, allowing ganache to drip down sides. Freeze 10 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

See 36 more ice cream desserts!

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