With the dog days of summer banging on my door and exhausting my A/C, I’ve taken to pinning cool summer-treat ideas to help ward off the humidity blues.
The first on my list is this awesome Ginger Watermelon Italian Ice from Oh My Veggies. This refreshing treat is not too heavy and has a great flavor. I love that this recipe is so versatile that you can substitute ginger with other flavors, like mint or basil. When I made it I also substituted the sugar for some agave to opt for a healthier option.
Next up is to try something unexpected, like Basil Ice Cream. This recipe caught my eye last summer because I really have a thing for basil. I have an ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid and have had mixed results with it. When I tried making the basil ice cream recipe, I couldn’t get it to be “ice creamy” enough, but then I realized I didn’t actually follow the recipe to the ‘T’ and had used 2% milk versus whole milk. My advice on ANY ice cream recipe is follow it precisely if you want a guaranteed result. If you aren’t having a dinner party the next day featuring your ice cream, then go ahead and experiment—you never know what combinations could be delicious!
The stand-out “cool” dish from a recent BBQ I attended had to be the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches from Brown Eyed Baker. The most commonly used is chocolate chip cookies, but our hostess threw some peanut butter cup pieces in her cookies, and oh my they were the perfect treat for a scorching day!
A great treat to make with the kiddos … Frozen Bananas! I’m sure the chocolate and sprinkles outweigh any health benefits of the actual banana but, hey, at least there is some fruit in there! You can also get creative and try mixing in frozen berries.
Last but definitely not least is Hibiscus Mango Sorbet from Love and Olive Oil … le sigh! How refreshing does that sound?? I had no idea where to find dried hibiscus flowers (also called Jamaica flowers), but I went searching and found that Maria de Jesus Mexican Grocery in West Chester carries them.
Enjoy the treats and stay cool!
- Ginger Watermelon Italian Ice photography: Oh My Veggies
- Hibiscus Mango Sorbet photography: love & olive oil
- Frozen Bananas photography: Sugar Hero
- Basil Ice Cream photography: Pixels + Crumbs
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches photography: Brown Eyed Baker
