Here are some ideas for cool and easy summer desserts.
– Flavor vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt with finely chopped crystallized ginger and finely shredded or minced lime rind. Serve as is or topped with fresh sliced peaches or nectarines or mango.
– Layer crumbled shortbread or gingersnap cookies with sliced and cut fresh fruit and whipped cream in tall stemmed glasses. Chill 20 to 30 minutes for a quick parfait.
– Make ice cream sandwiches out of sliced store-bought pound cake and your favorite ice cream flavor. Freeze solid, individually wrapped in plastic wrap.
– Freeze whole, stemmed grapes or pitted sweet cherries on cookie sheets. When frozen, pack in freezer bags. Eat out of hand as a quick sweet snack or drop into iced tea, lemonade, seltzer or white wine.
– Freeze sliced strawberries sprinkled lightly with sugar in freezer containers. To serve, thaw until slushy and use as an ice cream topping or put into blender with softened frozen yogurt for an easy shake.
The following recipes are easy and quick to prepare.
BANANA ICE CREAM WITH RUM
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Freezing time: Several hours
Yield: 6 servings
This recipe is adapted from ”Cuisine Economique” by Jacques Pepin. This recipe works well with other fruits such as hulled strawberries, peeled peaches and nectarines; adjust the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of the fruit.
5 medium ripe bananas
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum, plus 2 tablespoons for serving, optional
Mint sprigs for garnish
1. Peel bananas and cut them crosswise into 1-inch slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a tray and place the tray in the freezer at least 2 hours, or until the bananas are frozen.
2. Put half of the frozen bananas in the bowl of a food processor with half the sour cream, half the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the rum. Pulse the machine a few times, and then process the mixture until smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a cold bowl. Process the remaining bananas, sour cream, sugar and second tablespoon of rum and add to the bowl. Put the ice cream in the freezer at least 1 hour or until serving time.
3. To serve, scoop the ice cream into six chilled glasses and garnish each with 1 teaspoon rum and a mint sprig.
CREME GANACHE
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: About 4 cups
Ann Amernick, a Washington, D.C., pastry chef, includes this simple ganache (a rich chocolate frosting) in her book ”Special Desserts.” It will keep one week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer. The thick mixture is ideal for jazzing up store-bought cookies, pound cake and shortbread or serving warm over ice cream.
1 quart whipping cream
2 pounds bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, chopped
1. Boil the cream in a 6-quart saucepan. When it boils, immediately remove it from the heat and add the chocolate all at once. Stir with a wire whisk until the chocolate is melted and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and no small lumps of chocolate appear.
2. Pour into a bowl, allow to cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and chill. Scoop out the needed amount with a metal spoon that has been dipped in hot water.
