Easy Cherry Tartufo

Tartufo is an Italian ice cream dessert that usually is made of gelato, and is somewhat like a large ice-cream truffle. You can make this from different flavors of ice cream and fruit - try pecan praline ice cream with peaches, or fudge ripple ice cream with dried blueberries.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups chocolate ice cream
1 cup frozen pitted cherries, thawed and chopped
15 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped peanuts
2 tsp. oil

PREPARATION:
Mix chopped cherries into the ice cream. Scoop ice cream mixture into six balls using an ice cream scoop. Roll in crushed cookies. Place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

In small saucepan, melt semisweet chocolate chips with oil, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in milk chocolate chips, stirring constantly until chips melt and mixture is smooth again. Cool to lukewarm.

Place frozen ice cream balls on a wire rack. Spoon melted chocolate over each ball, coating the top and sides. Sprinkle on chopped peanuts. Freeze again until firm, at least 1 hour. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6

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Cognac and Hazelnut Affogato

The name Affogato means “drowned in coffee” - referring to the ice cream. This elegantly quick recipe simply involves taking a scoop of ice cream and pouring over some espresso; this recipe adds Cognac and Hazelnuts, but Caramel sauce or Chocolate sauce are also popular additions. This is a superb recipe for a very simple yet classy dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

120ml Cognac

1 litre vanilla ice-cream

50 grams (1/3 cup) roastd hazelnuts, peeled and halved.

1 tbsp finely ground coffee beans

6x 50 ml shots of freshly brewed espresso

PREPARATION:

Scoop ice-cream into small bowls or glasses. Pour Cognac over and sprinkle with combined hazelnuts and coffee. Serve immediately with shots of espresso to the side to pour over.

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Nutella Semifreddo

Semifreddo is Italian for "half cold", and can refer to many semi-frozen desserts. This semifreddo straddles several desserts classifications; its mousselike texture is similar to ice cream, but is lighter, airier, and less frozen. I always enjoy ice cream recipes that did not rely on an ice-cream maker, and this one does not. It somehow feels like you've beaten the system, making (a variation of) ice cream without needing "proper" equipment.

This recipe can also work well with a hint of liquer if you want to impart an even more 'adult' feel to the recipe. I found Frangelico goes very well with the nutella; just add a tbsp or 2 to the heavy cream before whipping.

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg

4 egg yolks

2 tbsp caster sugar

100g Nutella, warmed over a double boiler

300ml heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Pistachios to garnish, chopped

PREPARATION:

Line a 22cm x 11cm x 5cm (1 litre) loaf tin with cling wrap. Place the egg, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Drizzle in the Nutella and whisk gently to combine. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Whipped the heavy cream and then gently fold in the egg and nutella mixture. Pour into the prepared loaf tin, and cover with cling wrap before putting it in the freezer for about 4 hours.

When ready to serve, remove from freezer, leave for around 3 minutes for it to thaw, turn out the semifreddo onto a plate, sliced and sprinkle with pistachios.

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Easy Chocolate Ice Cream

This recipe was adapted from Ben & Jerrys Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book, which tells the story of the scrumptious ice creams that are American legends. It also includes 90-plus of their authentic recipes, including this one. Their recipe didn't include the Vodka... its been added to lower the freezing point so it won’t freeze rock hard. This makes one scant quart.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 can (12 fl oz.) evaporated milk (fat-free is fine)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup lightly sweetened whipped cream (whipped from 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 Tbsp sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vodka

PREPARATION:
Put the cocoa and salt in a saucepan and add just enough milk to make a paste. Add the remaining milk and scald over medium heat.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Temper the eggs by gradually adding the hot milk mixture and whisking constantly.

Transfer the mixture back into the pan and cook over moderately low heat until a thermometer registers 170F, or until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Add the vanilla and vodka. Pour custard through a sieve into a metal bowl set in ice and cold water and cool. If necessary, use a hand blender to smooth out the custard. Cover and refrigerate until cold (preferably overnight).

Fold in the whipped cream and pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Unmold the cubes into a food processor and break up with a fork. Pulse until smooth. (If you don’t have a food processor, freeze in a shallow pan for three hours. After every hour, break up the mixture with a fork, whisk or hand blender. If you have an ice cream maker, add the cream to the milk in the first step. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.)

Chocolate Gelato Ice Cream

Gelato is Italian ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavorings. This recipe requires an Ice Cream maker.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 egg yolks, beaten lightly


PREPARATION:
Place the cherries in a bowl and cover with rum. Allow to soak for several hours or overnight.

Heat the light cream and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and bubbles begin to form around edge of the pot. Whisk yolks until creamy. Add 1/2 cup of the warm cream to the egg yolks. Pour the warmed yolks back into the half-and-half and continue to cook, stirring, until the custard mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil the mixture or it will curdle. Stir in the vanilla, allow to cool completely, then chill.

Pour into the ice-cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Drain the cherries. When the mixture begins to thicken as it freezes, add the cherries and freeze until ice cream is the properconsistency.

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Mango Ice Cream

This ice cream is creamy and very mangoey! If you do not like mango, you’ll won't enjoy this ice cream... but if you love mango, you’ll be in heaven. This recipe is perfect if you don’t own an ice cream maker.

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe mangoes

1 1/4 cups of cream

3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted

juice of 2 limes or small lemons

PREPARATION:
Cut the manoges in half lengthways, scrape out the flesh and discard the stones. Place the flesh in an electric blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients and work to a puree. Pour into a rigid freezerproof container, cover, seal and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from freezer, whisk well, then re-freeze until firm.

Transfer to the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to soften.

Scoop into chilled glasses to serve.

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Cranberry Sorbet

Cranberry sorbet is not too sweet and a little on the tart side. It's delicious on its own but also goes well with tropical fruit.

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups fresh cranberries (about 1 1/2 twelve oz. bags)
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
Zest from 1 orange
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup limoncello

PREPARATION:
Rinse cranberries and throw out any debris and shriveled or discolored cranberries. Place cranberries and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes. Cranberries will pop when they cook, so cover slightly to protect from splattering. Pour hot mixture into blender with sugar and, with your hand securely holding the lid on the blender, purée until smooth. Add orange zest and continue to blend. Pour hot mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Place bowl in an ice bath to chill. While sorbet is chilling in ice bath, juice 2 lemons. Pour juice through sieve to remove seeds and pulp and add this to the sorbet. Add limoncello and stir until blended.

Chill base and then freeze in ice cream maker.
Chill mixture in ice bath until less than 45° F. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to your maker's instructions. Once chilled, remove from ice cream maker and place in dedicated (odor-free) container to let ripen in the freezer for several hours. Because of the alcohol, it will always be a tiny bit soft.

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Easy Cookie Ice-Cream

Cookies and Cream ice-cream is a universal favorite. This great recipe shows you how to make it quickly and easily, without needing an ice-cream maker.

INGREDIENTS:
3 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed
2 cups heavy cream, whipped

PREPARATION:
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and stir in the condensed milk and vanilla. Fold in the crushed cookies and whipped cream. Pour mixture into a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan lined with foil. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.
To serve, scoop ice cream from pan or cut into slices.

From The Food Network

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Watermelon Sorbet

This refreshing sorbet recipe has less than a gram of fat per serve, and is wonderfully light and refreshing. It only requires a process of mixing together and freezing fruit, water, sugar, and egg whites.

INGREDIENTS:
500ml (2 cups) water
215g (1 cup) caster sugar
1.2kg seedless watermelon, rind removed, coarsely chopped
2 egg whites

PREPARATION:
1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and stir over low heat for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
2. Blend watermelon until pureed. Strain puree through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have about 600ml of watermelon juice).
3. Add sugar syrup to watermelon juice and stir until well combined. Pour into an airtight container, cover and place in the freezer for 4-5 hours or until almost set.
4. Roughly break up the sorbet with a metal spoon and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process briefly until sorbet is smooth and has a soft, icy texture.
5. Return sorbet to container and place in the freezer for a further 4 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer and repeat step 4. Return sorbet to the container and place in the freezer for a further 5 hours or until firm.
6. Place the sorbet and egg whites in the bowl of a food processor and process until sorbet is pale and smooth. Return to the container and place in the freezer for a further 4 hours or until almost firm. Scoop into serving glasses or bowls and serve immediately.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Dulce de Leche is a fancy, fashionable name for a very simple thing - caramelised condensed milk. You can buy it ready-made, or make your own by boiling an unopened can of condensed milk in a pot of water for an hour and a half. However, you need to take care when boiling it, that the water level remains high. Here's a recipe to make into no-churn ice-cream.

Ingredients:
300mls cream
1 x 395g can of caramelised condensed milk, chilled
sliced peaches or nectarines to serve

Method:
Whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Gently fold this into the caramelised condensed milk in 3 batches, taking care not to lose all the air from the cream. Pour into a container and freeze overnight. (The high level of sugar will slow the freezing process.) Scoop into bowls and serve with sliced peaches or nectarines.

Serves 6-8.