I Scream 2009, Part I

It's been more than a month that I have had to recover from the Great American Ice Cream Event of 2009, aka, I Scream 2009, my annual ice cream party.

This is going to have to be a four part post, as you'll be tired by all my writing in one. Fifteen flavors per post, and the winners in the fourth. Stay tuned!

This year's party brought a great group of guests (which woulda been better if Tina could have made it!), 45 flavors (44 by me, and one from a guest -- yes, I am gaga about ice cream), and tons of great raffle prizes -- after the $15 Kohl's sale on the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, we even bought one of those to raffle off! You can see the raffle table at left -- and above it is the super cool "B" cutout Husband bought just for me! (Photo by Jennifer Wickman.)

Here's part one...as always, I am going to try to get up some good recipes, but if I am taking too long, feel free to bug me if you want a certain recipe.

1. Amanda's Summer Garden Party (Strawberry Basil Sorbet) -- back by special request. You can see the recipe here.
   
2. Arianna's Snap Crackle Pop (Rice Krispie Treat) -- I tried this one twice. Once I made a marshmallow recipe without eggs, and to me it tasted like frozen whipped cream. The next time I made a egg based marshmellow base. Both times I didn't like how the rice krispie treats got soggy. Not a fan, so unless you *really* want it, I am not going to try to remember the recipe and post it. I'll try to figure out how to unsog them and master this recipe.
   
3. Ashu's Tango with the Mango (Mango Pistachio) -- I wasn't thrilled with this one. I altered the recipe from The Kitchn. Maybe if I hadn't altered it, I would have liked it!
   
4. Batter Up (Cake Batter) -- yum! One of my favorites. You can find the recipe here.
   
5. Caffeine Makes You Go Bananas (Caramel Coffee Banana) -- This was a mistake turned right. My first couple of coffee recipes just weren't working. This kind of burned so it was caramely. Whatever...when you make caramel, turn it into ice cream. I added bananas and voila!
   
6. Caramel Coffee with Charlie and Lucy (Caramel Coffee with Two Kinds of Peanuts -- chocolate covered peanuts and circus peanuts) -- Same as above, second try still didn't work. This time I added the circus peanuts and the chocolate covered peanuts I had lying around.
   
7. Crazy Sister Liz (Coffee with Salted Walnuts and Marshmallow and Caramel Swirl) -- Kevin's coworker (and our friend) Melissa suggested this one. Apparently her sister invented this to top ice cream. As Melissa tells it "She may be crazy, but boy can she put an ice cream creation together. My sister worked at White Mountain Creamery when if first opened in the 80's. This was one of her favorite concoctions. Obviously the toppings weren't made into the ice cream, but I think they'd be better that way: coffee ice cream, salted pecans, ribbons of caramel and marshmallow." I can't tell you what I thought, though...I am not a fan of coffee.
   
8. Crowley's Coffee N' Donuts (Coffee N' Donuts) -- Another one of Melissa's brilliant ideas. Wonder why no one thought of this one before...Aptly named for Massachusetts's recent famous cop, Sargeant Crowley.
   
9. Daveed's Bella Nutella (Nutella) -- Used the basic peanut butter ice cream recipe from Bruce Weinstein's The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, replacing the peanut butter, with, what else? Nutella.
   
10. Double Your Pleasure (Fresh Mint with Thin Mints) -- This was actually made with fresh spearmint, which I didn't think of as I was making it. I have a jungle of spearmint in the backyard, which I thought I would use. I think it would have been better with mint mint.
    
11. Ears to You, Betsy! (Corn) -- It wasn't bad...but I won't make it again, probably. Also from Bruce Weinstein's The Ultimate Ice Cream Book.
12. Elvis's Coronary (Peanut Butter Banana) -- Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Macerated bananas mixed in. 'Nuff said.
    
13. Gail's Chipwich (White Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Chip Cookies) -- Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and cookies 'n' cream are all-time favorites these days, but it is rare that you find actual baked chocolate chip cookies in ice cream. Well, thanks to Gail, we did! Awesome Gail suggested this one. Cookies were made from the New York Times recipe, which I accidentally let sit for 72 hours instead of 36. Patience? Nah. I enjoyed cookie dough for three days! Ice cream base was White Chocolate Ice Cream from Bruce Weinstein's The Ultimate Ice Cream Book.
14. Grandma's Black Forest Cake (Chocolate Cherry Cake) -- In honor of my late Grandma Schlegel's black forest cake. This ice cream adaptation is one of my next recipes to post. Promise! Used Amy's Kitchen's awesome Frozen Chocolate Cake. Also keep your eyes peeled for Tina's review of the Orange Cake with chocolate ice cream!
    
15. Heather and Lisa's Big Apple (Apple Butter) -- Had an extra jar of apple butter lying around -- once my husband mentioned he liked apple butter, and I think I over bought it for him...Recipe from...you guessed it: Bruce Weinstein's The Ultimate Ice Cream Book.

Stay tuned for part two of the series!

Hope you enjoy the glowing picture at right of me and Team Wickman! BE sure to note the other awesome present from Husband...the banana split tee! Thanks to Jenn Wickman for this photo as well!

Shoppe Review : Udderly Delicious [Lincoln, NH]

Udderly Delicious was, umm, udderly delicious! It was an extremely hot and muggy summer night as usual in New England so one thing was in store on our little family trip to New Hampshire, ice cream. After a visit to our favorite restaurant, The Woodstock Inn (Apres ski is a must in winter!) I insisted even though it was past bedtime that we hit up the ice cream shoppe I had eyed earlier in the day. All I had to read was "homemade" and I was sold and insistent on getting there before the trip was over. Of course day one we made it. No time to waste!

So with very full bellies from dinner we headed on to Udderly 

Delicious, a homemade ice cream shoppe somewhat hidden between buildings (and on the first floor of rental apartments with guys on the porch above drinking beers..as I said it was hot out!) on Main Street that its easy to pass. It's also overshadowed by a typical outdoor ice cream stand a block away that had a long line but that was for amateurs, this was homemade ice cream we're talking about, big difference. It did have a couple picnic tables outside that we were lucky to score and with it being on Main Street it was a great people watching spot being smack dab in the middle of the little town. So this shoppe with beer drinkers above and neon signs inside may not be the quaintest New England stand but the ice cream is well worth it and it had its own character! 

So as I said it was true New England summer night....insanely hot and muggy so it swayed my choice in flavors a bit. I needed something refreshing so I opted for one of my favorites and not often found, Ginger. And because I always have to get two flavors in case one disappoints, I also chose Black Raspberry. SOOOOO good. The ginger was super creamy with a perfect mix of bits of ginger and perfect flavor, not too overwhelming ginger taste and the Black Raspberry was so smooth and fresh and it complimented the Ginger perfectly. The servings are quite big...see the picture which doesn't do the size justice...that is a small! This was probably one of the best Ginger ice creams I have tasted. It was just so fresh and smooth and just had a wonderful texture. 

I have to say I am glad we made the stop even though we weren't sure about fitting it in after dinner because the ice cream was awesome and on a hot summer night of vacation there was nothing to complain about once there. If you ever find yourself in Lincoln NH definitely try it out.

Happy National Peach Ice Cream Day!

Happy National Peach Ice Cream Day! To celebrate, I tried something a little different and I infused rosemary into the cream as I was warming it, and made a Rosemary Peach Ice Cream.

This was not as sweet as I usually like, but I loved the mixture of flavors -- it has a very rich taste. As with many of my recent fruit ice creams, one churned and put in the freezer, this was a bit icier and froze harder than I would have preferred. However, once I let it sit and soften for for a bit, I liked the creaminess of the concoction

Unfortunately, I don't have time to post the whole recipe today, but I promise I will post it very soon!

In the meantime, you can take your favorite custard-style peach ice cream recipe, and while cooking the milk, add two sprigs of rosemary while it simmers. Continue following the recipe by adding the whisked eggs, cooking it until the sppon is coated and when it comes time to strain this custard mixture, strain out the rosemary as well.

Promise when I return from lack-of-internet-land, I will post the recipe, but until then, have the most wonderful National Peach Ice Cream Day!

[Scoopalicious is celebrating National Ice Cream month with a Post-A-Day throughout the month of July!]

The Entries Are In For the First Annual Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup!

Wow! It's been one month since Stef at the Cupcake Project initiated this fun Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup with us and we are astounded by the yumminess and creativity of all the entries. Check 'em all out and next time you decide to make cupcakes, don't forget the one special ingredient to top them with...ice cream!

Thanks Stef and all the amazing bakers who contributed a yummy ice cream cupcake....this was so fun!

Sooooo, we couldn't figure out how best to do this, so we made a chart and each got a color for a response. Bethany is black raspberry colored, Tina is mint colored!

Note: Neither one of us have actually tried any of these recipes, but we HOPE to soon! We'll be busy in the kitchen, I can tell you that!

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	Caramel Apple Pie a la mode by Of Monkeys and Cupcakes Can't believe this is OMAC's first round-up. She looks like she has it down. Her step-by-step photos are beautiful (I love the cutaway) and her write-up is great! I love her combo of caramel ice cream and caramel apple cupcakes, but I do have to admit, my favorite part, the part I just wanted to lick the screen for, was the cream cheese frosting! Way to go OMAC, and thanks for your entry! Ooh, caramel is my fave and these really sound and look great. I love how you piped in the ice cream...wow that must have took time waiting for it to defrost to the perfect consistency . So impressed by your first roundup!
	Dairy Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes with Kahlua Almond Ice Cream and Caramel/Cream Cheese Sauce or "Frosting" by Flour Arrangements I think FA says it best in the first line of her post: "Wow...that's a long title for cupcakes that took an even longer time to make ;)" That's one thing I did realize. These cupcakes are time consuming! At least mine were. So many steps and so much freezing and working, freezing and working. I am impressed with FA's attempts to go vegan in her cupcake making. Impressive! Also, as much as I loved loved loved the image to the left of the caramel/cream cheese frosted ice cream cupcakes with the cherry and almond on top (beautiful presentation!), I was also impressed by her creativity in using the leftovers to send to work with her husband! Way to go! (I, on the other hand, was left with a freezer full of ice cream cupcakes that were going to get the best of me!) Lucky Jose and and his co-workers! P.S. FA, love your little recipe card application-thing on your blog! Hey did you use Bethany's fake ice cream recipe because these are so picture perfect they almost look fake! The cherry and almond are so thoughtfully placed and the dripping frosting falls just right. I think the watery consistency resulted in a darn nice looking ice cream cupcake!
	Chocolate Orange Guinness Cupcakes by Couture Cupcakes First of all, CC, I don't even know where to begin! Your write-up and photos are fantastic! I LOVED CC's little "package" for each tester -- treat and spoon all bundled up nicely! The cup idea was also fantastic. I had a hard time eating my creations in their wrapper on a plate...ice cream isn't meant for a plate, silly me! The cup seems like the perfect solution -- a place to bake as well as a solid structure to eat out of! I think it is great as well that CC got friends and family to do reviews -- so nice to see a number of responses! OK, and the recipe itself? AWESOME. I am not a huge fan of beer, but I think I might like these, as they are so rich with flavors I DO love together: chocolate, orange, and raspberry...yum! One more tip I like: "Take cupcakes out of freezer 10 minutes before serving." Very good advice! I have been dying to make Guinness ice cream for my husband who is a big fan of the stout so these intrigued me. The fact that you actually made two flavors of ice cream was adventurous in itself never-mind the clever packaging and great photos with scribbles. These are so cute and sound awesome. Love the mix of orange with it. Oranglicious!
	Miss Scarlet by Little Ivy Cakes First of all, creme brulee ice cream?! Um, yum! These are beautiful. I love the mixture of colors and textures. The garnishes work so well, as well -- these are just incredibly beautiful. My mouth is watering just looking at and thinking about that mixture of the richest foods I know: red velvet cake, creme brulee, meringue, strawberries, blood oranges... Wonderful entry, and perfect name as well! I know I have been under a rock but I have never had red velvet cake and these have me even more intrigued after seeing the red batter on the mixer. Each step of this ice cream cupcake sounds awesome and I can't even believe the frosting itself took almost 45 minutes..wow you are a trooper. But it all looks worth it. The color and contrast of layers is fantastic and the creme brulee ice cream sounds to die for.
	S'mores Ice Cream Cupcake by Jesse Jesse's ice cream cupcakes are right in time for the season (by the way, has anyone seen those s'mores kits they sell now? Marshmallows, grahams, chocolate and sticks all included...can't people even find sticks in the woods for s'mores making any more? I mean, c'mon...half the fun is finding the perfect stick to toast the perfect marshmallow on...anyway...). Anyway, these are just beautiful! I want to dive right into the marshmallow meringue topping, just like the graham cracker did. I mean, these looks SO inviting! I am also impressed that it is Jesse's first time making ice cream! Of course it is hard to really see how it came out as it is sandwiched between a cupcake and a mountain of fluffy meringue, but it's not in an unfrozen puddle around the cake, so I have to assume it worked out pretty well! Love the little graham cracker fun fact! Summertime and camping...that's what these are all about! I must try this Cinnamon Graham Crunch ice cream, thanks for posting the recipe, it sounds too good and you're right Philly style is way easier and when you have a project with so many steps its perfect. Love the shot and the placement of the graham is prefect. It's the details that count...great job!
	Rootbeer Float Cupcakes by Coconut and Lime These are just adorable! They are so retro and charming -- the presentation is wonderful! Use of the ice cream glass and the straw is perfect. As much as the look takes me back the fifties -- wait, you have to have lived in the fifties to go back to the fifties, huh? I just barely made the seventies! -- er, um, anyway, you know what I mean -- the flavor combination seems wonderful and classic diner feeling! Yum! P.S. Where EVER did you get those liners, C&L? I want them! Love it...this just looks fun. It's simple and sweet and I can just picture myself sitting at a diner counter enjoying this. Hmm..maybe there is one nearby but I doubt they serve this wonderful creation.
	Choco-Caramel4 Fudge Ice Cream Wafflecakes by I♥Cuppycakes These are so charming! I think the waffle bowl would add an awesome crunch to this recipe -- just like IHC (That's I Heart Cuppycakes -- I don't know how to make that heart!!) said. I will have to try it out! I love how the cone bowl flattened. It's so pretty! In fact, at the point where IHC hadn't added the ice cream yet, there is a shot that looks like a big flower! I love the sundae look of these as well, and for a chocolate lover, these are, um, perfect! BUT, I could also see how wonderful peanut butter ice cream would be too, just like IHC and her husband both suggested after the fact. Let us know how that turns out, will ya, IHC? Wow, what a creative idea to use these cups and had you never mentioned the flattening of them I would have never known. I think they fell perfectly and am amazed at the idea of cooking the brownie in it (can you tell I don't take risks in baking!). The cup and brownie topped with Triple Caramel Chunk (which I must try now..darn only edys in the fridge) sounds scrumptious. This really looks like you stole a photo out of a cookbook..wonderful!
	Chocolate Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream Cupcakes by Cooking In Cleveland These are just beautiful. I could stop right there. I don't want to eat them, I just want to look! OK, but truth be told I LOVE strawberry rhubarb anything. I have never had it with chocolate though, but it sounds amazing. The balsalmic vinegar in this ice cream recipe sounds like it adds a great twist as well. This is definitely one I am going to steal some rhubarb from mom and dad's garden for...! LOVE rhubarb...my favorite summertime pie and ice cream sounds even better. Never had it but its now on my must-have list and thanks for sharing the ice cream recipe. I will defintiely try this one. Love the photo and the shaved chocolate and perfect strawberry really finish these off beautifully!
	Strawberries and Chocolate by Red Kitchenaid These are charming! I am going to have to make them for my star loving sister! RK's presentation is wonderful. I just love the shine of the hot fudge finishing off the personal desserts. Strawberries and chocolate? What could be finer? (OK, the verdict is still out on strawberry rhubarb and chocolate above!) KA had a problem with the strawberries in her ice cream being very icy. As I wrote on her blog: "I keep running into the icy ice cream problem too. I read that if you macerate the fruit in sugar for a while before mixing in, it is supposed to help." Great work, KA! Neat idea putting this all in a mold and topping it with hot fudge is the best part. I've made lots of ice cream now and every batch is different so definitely try again. You may be pleasantly surprised the next time. But these really look great and I bet tasted just as good.
	Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Ice Cream Cupcakes by Tempered Woman The name says it all: chocolate cherry...This is one of those classic combos that you can't go wrong with. Add some liquor, and you can go even less wrong! I love the idea of the marscapone in the frosting. Sounds so yummy! As I was reading TW's description of the ice cream soaking into the cake, all I could think about is that: I. Want. These. NOW. Love the photo too...the image is so inviting. They have such a cheerful, playful, summertime look to them that I keep half expecting my four year old neighbor to come running into the picture with his bathing suit and inflatable arm bands. "Stay away, Oscar, these are for adults only!...and remember, you can't go swimming until a half an hour after eating..." Can I just have a spoon loaded with that frosting. Man that looks good..and with marscapone cheese its gotta be. I just love how the ice cream is sandwiched and how playful the piped frosting is. Although from the sounds of it the outdoor photo was challenging, but it frames them wonderfully. These look incredible!
	Chocolate Fire Ice Cream Cupcakes by My Own Sweet Thyme These look and sound so yummy. I love the richness that chile powder adds to chocolate, and to top that combo off with cinnamon ice cream, and cream cheese frosting sounds like a match made in heaven. MOST even has an image of the cupcake unwrapped, the creamy white ice cream melting into the dark chocolate cupcake that makes me want to climb into my computer and eat it. Ah, if only it were that easy. (I'd be gaining weight by the second as I write this...) My husband isn't such a sweets fan, which I can't understand, but he does like spicy things, so I think I should try making them for me, er, um, I mean him. The name is great -- it's a perfect match for the spicy mixed with cold combo. Wow, these sound super flavorful and fantastic. After all those steps you said you would definitely make again..they must be good! Oh and the weather may not be right there for ice cream yet but start making your own and it becomes a year round obsession!
	Burnt Sugar Lilac Cupcakes by Big Black Dogs These make me want to sit in a lace filled victorian house and drink tea. Absolutely beautiful! Love the lilac and colored sugar garnishing the top. Burnt sugar and lilac sounds like a pretty cool combo to me! I like the lightness of flower flavors in moderation, and I think that the combo of burnt sugar and lilac sounds like a perfect mix. The white chocolate ganache seems to be the perfect topping, and also what I will now use as the topping to my cupcakes, as no one was particularly thrilled with the caramely white chocolate topping on my experiment! (Thanks, BBD!) I wonder, did the ganache harden on the ice cream? These are definitely the prettiest entry by far. It looks like a bouquet and I can smell the flowers from here . I have to say I am not so sure about actually eating lilacs but its so different I think I might have to try it to see what its all about. Oh and topped with ganache...sold!
	Cookie Dough Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes by Beantown Baker Ah, the Beantown Baker...one that (I assume) hails from the great city of Boston...(A little biased, yes, but that is where I met the lovely Tina, without whom we wouldn't have this ab fab blog!) First off BB, I have to say, I am so so sorry about your lactose intolerance. I don't know how I would be able to function on soy/tofu/rice/anything-other-than-rich-heavy-cream ice cream wannabes! (I mean, to each his own, really -- its just not for me!) Love how BB added the ice cream "mush" to her cupcake and reminisced about childhood. Didn't we all mix our cake and ice cream mush together? The chocolate cream cheese frosting seems to be the perfect last ingredient of the chocolate -vanilla cookie dough-chocolate sandwich BB made. Um, BB, maybe you could send Tina and I your address so we could come over and eat the rest of these for you, as um, you are lactose intolerant. ;) My favorite step...send hubby to the store for ice cream! Sounds like my nightly although if its homemade, "send hubby to the kitchen to get me a bowl of ice cream!" Regardless its a great start to a fun process. These look great..cookie dough and chocolate cupcakes topped off with cream cheese frosting sounds like a perfect combination. p.s....since you're in Boston be sure to hit the Scooper Bowl next week on City Hall Plaza (endless ice cream for $8..what's better than that!)
	Kalhua Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Cupcakes by Lick the Spatula I have to admit. I have the taste buds of a five year old. I like sweet sweet sweet, and I always say I don't like anything coffee or alcohol flavored. That being said, I'd still try these...Kalhua is sweeter than most liquors, and sometimes I actually think it gives a nice rich flavor to things, as does the chocolate and coffee combo (once I made my friend a coffee/chocolate cake knowing she would like it and I wouldn't -- it was just past Christmas and I was trying not to eat as many sweets to make up for all the sweets I had eaten -- but I still did and thought it was one of the richest cakes I had ever eaten. Long story short, even with my childish tastes, I think these have the potential to be rich, sweet, and delicious even to me! Beautiful work though, I love LTS's testing of alternative cupcake holders as well as her ability "to think outside of the cupcake liner"! I too am a big chocolate and coffee fan so these sound right up my alley. I usually try to have each daily and now I can have them together. Thanks for entering and thanks to your husband for doing the dishes. Where can I get one of those! Capitol D...Delicious!
	Chocolate Strawberry Bliss Cupcakes by Confessions of a City Eater I love the stripes of color in this cake, made by Tina and my Boston neighbor (Go Celtics!). It is so simple and elegant. I am curious to know the kind of frosting used. It looks delish! OMG, I didn't realize these were white chocolate. I love love love white chocolate. And with strawberry? Even better! And COACE? Since I commented on your posting, you'll be happy to know I found a whatchamacallit to pipe frosting at Marshall's so I picked it up. Now if I can only get the actual skill down... Ooh another Boston girl...Scopper Bowl next week, don't miss out! I absolutely love this photo with the city in the background. Maybe these should have been called Bliss in the City (BITC)...appropriate timing! These look so refreshing and your strawberry ice cream sounds great.
	Oreo Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes by Küchenatein I have heard of cone cupcakes, but it never occured to me to make them and then add ice cream to make a REAL ice cream cone cupcake! Brillant! I just love the idea, and it is basically an all-in-one, good for the environment (no trash) solution! These are adorable! Perfect for a kid's party -- you wouldn't have to deal with ice cream and cake on the spot, as it is all predone! Also pretty cool with the cone removed too! I think oreo ice cream is one of my all time favorites...so these are rigth up my alley. The other day I had, get this, cake batter oreo ice cream at J.P. Licks in Brookline, MA. That might be my new favorite -- two of my all time favs combined!! Hey I have been dying to try the cupcake in the cone idea. I came across this idea when researching recipes for my toddler's birthday and thought it was such a neat and fun idea so I am psyched to see this here. This is a classic and so right for this roundup. I just want to lick them now!

Thanks to everyone who took part -- every single one of the recipes was creative, unique, and so delicious looking...we'll report back again when we actually try some of these!

In the meantime, if our readers try any of these recipes, please send us a full report!

What I loved best?...I loved how the every presentation was completely different than the last. It is amazing to me how people take the same problem and come up with their own solution that is so "out of the cupcake liner," as Lick the Spatula so aptly put it!

My Little Secret: Ice Cream Cookbooks Galore!

I love books. I love ice cream. I love mail and packages. I don't really love soy. I don't love spending money. So, I traded one book for another.

I guess this isn't totally about ice cream making, but it is, kind of. Just the other day I got a couple of new-used ice cream books in the mail. I got a like-new copy of Ice Cream: The Perfect Weekend Treat by Susanna Tee, and better yet, a little out-of-print gem of a book called The Joy of Ice Cream by Matthew Klein.

I just wanted to write a little post about the virtues of searching places other than your internet superstore or megabook store (though those can be good too!) for those books you want to add to your collection...I got one of my favorite books at the library book sale, and another one on Paperback Swap.

I just did a search at Paperback Swap for Ice Cream in the Cookbook category, and I found a number of books here. Don't worry, I didn't take them all! Sometimes, though, my favorite part isn't gettnig them immediately, but putting it on my wishlist until it becomes available, and then "Poof!," all of a sudden, a new ice cream book arrives at my door.

Of course, the popular ones are hard to come by but if you wait enough, you just might be surprised -- and of course, sometimes the unpopular ones are better than expected...

Anyway, this post is a little different from previous posts, but I guess I was a bit excited by my new finds!

Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup with Cupcake Project

A while back the fabulous Stef at Cupcake Project contacted us about co-hosting an Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup. What could be better than cake and ice cream all in one, we thought...not much, except, well, cake and ice cream all in one in a mini version -- a single serving just for you!

So, during the month of May, Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious will be co-hosting an Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup. If cupcakes are the "it" thing, we are hoping ice cream cupcakes will become the summer "it" thing.

We want you to send us your ice cream cupcakes. Post about them and be sure to include directions for others. Tell us what worked and what didn't work. Get creative. Try different flavors of ice cream and cake. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Let's take ice cream cupcakes out of the sidelines and make them a top choice for a summer dessert.

To participate:

Post on your blog about ice cream cupcakes some time in the month of May and link back to this post somewhere in yours to spread the word about the event. Feel free to use the event logo if you'd like!

Send an email to stef at cupcakeproject dot com by May 30th with:

• Your name
• Your blog's name
• The name of your ice cream cupcakes
• A link to your post on ice cream cupcakes
• A photo of your ice cream cupcakes!

Stef will respond to all entries. If you don't hear back from her within a couple of days of sending the email, drop her a note to make sure she got it.

Don't blog? That's ok too! Send us a little note about your ice cream cupcake along with a photo and we'll post a little something for you on our site.

Need some tips to get you started? After the break is Stef's quick and dirty tutorial on how to make ice cream cupcakes.

How to Make Ice Cream Cupcakes

A simple ice cream cupcake is just cake on the bottom, ice cream on the top, and some frosting.

1. Use any cake recipe you like. Just fill your cupcake liners half as full as you normally would. You don't want the cake to come to the top because you want to leave lots of room for ice cream. Bake as normal, although you may need to cut baking times a bit since there is less cake.
2. When the cupcakes are done baking, let them come to room temperature and stick them in the freezer. I froze mine right in the cupcake tins to make it easy.
3. Remove the cupcakes from the freezer and use a spatula to cover the cupcake with ice cream. I worked with ice cream that was out of the freezer for just a couple of minutes. It was still hard but not so hard that I couldn't spread it.
4. Return the cupcakes to the freezer and wait for the ice cream to get hard again.
5. After the ice cream is hard again, you can further smooth the tops by dipping your spatula in hot water and running it over the top of the cupcakes.
6. Frost the cupcakes with your favorite frosting - I think a cream cheese frosting works best. You can also frost the cupcakes with ice cream. The words "Ice" and "Cream" in the photo above were frosted with ice cream. I found this to be REALLY hard. As I tried to pipe the ice cream, it would melt and as soon as it melted it wouldn't hold any shape. If anyone knows a good way to do this, please write about it!

Stef goes into more detail on her blog, so please feel free to visit.

I made mine a little bit differently....

This ice cream cupcake thing was quite an adventure. As ice cream, not cupcakes are my thing, for both my bases I went the mix route and I made a dense cake batter using the following recipes, as I thought a denser cake would hold up better in the little cups:

For vanilla:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

For chocolate:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix the three ingredients with an electric mixer, and then make a one and a half inch ball and flatten it into the foil cupcake cup lined muffin tin. Bake them at 350° for 20 minutes. (Both of these recipes also make great cookies so if you have leftover dough, put similarly one and a half inch balls of it on a greased cookie sheet and bake along with your "cupcakes." I mean, these were so great and so easy that I had to make a dessert for a party and I whipped these up in about three minutes, cooked for twenty, and off to the party...)

(Note: For the chocolate, I would use the butter in place of the oil if I did this again, the cake bottoms were much harder when I used the oil over the butter.)

For the ice cream, I had planned to make a strawberry ice cream to go with the chocolate and a orange ice cream to go with the vanilla bases. However, for some reason my strawberry ice cream came out really dry and hard and it just wasn't worth using. I didn't even keep it. This might be the first time in history I actually trashed an ice cream right after making it...I think it was my fault, not the recipe's.

I did make an Orange Popsicle ice cream using David Lebowitz's The Whole Scoop. I am not sure if I love this ice cream flavor, but it's not bad. One problem was that it was super super soft, and never really hardened, which made it harder to assemble the cupcakes and hard to eat them too. I did alter the recipe a bit, making it non-alcoholic by using orange extract instead of the liquor, but that would surprise me if that was what affected the hardness, because usually alcohol keeps things from freezing.

So, I used a large scoop to scoop the creamsicle ice cream onto the vanilla bases...I ran out of the ice cream though (maybe it was too large a scoop?), so I experimented with a few others...some of the chocolate that I used on the chocolate cakes, and some cinnamon frozen yogurt I had made a while back...I out them back in the freezer to chill...

I then made a white chocolate shell to pour on top. I altered a version of a hardening shell used in Tartufi in Lebowitz's book as well. The problem with this was that I think that the different make up of the white chocolate made a huge difference in the outcome. My "hard shell" was soft and chewy like caramel. (And ok, ok, David, I have learned not to alter your already fabulous recipes!!!) While this would make a YUMMY candy, it made eating the hard base, the soft ice cream, and the chewy topping an almost impossible feat!

So in the end after my strawberry fiasco, I decided to go the completely easy way with the chocolate based cakes. I went out and bought Hood's Light Under the Stars ice cream and used a large scoop to make a dome of ice cream on the top. I topped it with Hershey's Chocolate Shell Topping and some sprinkles. Simple and easy! (And yummy!)

What is great about these cakes is that you can easily make them from a cake mix, store bought ice cream, and a store bought chocolate shell, or you can use ice cream you have made yourself to give it your own personal touch. And everything is completely interchangeable in the recipe...for those picky eaters you can customize ice cream and base...Also a plus!

In the end, would I make these again? I don't know. Reviews were mixed...the chocolate ones were more of a hit, but all agreed they were hard to eat. I think the cookie base was too hard (I had pulled it from another recipe in which I LOVE the base, but you put a pumpkin cheesecake on top and then everything is just gooey). Even though I liked the initial idea of having a more solid base than just regular cake, I think that using a regular cake would work much better.

I think I WILL try making Stef's sometime in the near future though!

That was my adventure. Not a total success, but fun nonetheless! I am interested to see what our lovely readers come up with too!

Shirley Temple Ice Cream, Take 2

Sister Sarah (who runs ReBook, Inc., and yes, I need to update the site!) and I made Shirley Temple Ice Cream last night -- take two. (For take one, visit here.) Sarah wants to call is Sarah Temple Ice Cream or Sarah's Shirley Ice Cream -- Any opinions?

Soooo, without further ado, here is Take 2...

Shirley Temple Ice Cream, Take 2

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
7 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons grenadine (this time I used the syrupy sweet bottled kind)
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup of halved maraschino cherries

Combine the first four ingredients plus 1/4 cup of the grenadine and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice in the top half of your double boiler. Place over simmering water and heat, while beating constantly, until the mixture thickens. This took us about 17 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, and add the milk, and the cream, as well as the remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons of lime juice and 3 tablespoons of grenadine. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or until cool).

Place the chilled mixture in your ice cream maker and freeze according to the ice cream maker manufacturer's directions. Add the cherries during the last few minutes of churning. Enjoy!

The results? Well, like the last recipe, this didn't freeze as hard as other ice creams I have made. In fact, it pretty much had a soft serve consistency, even after having had sat in the freezer overnight.

On first tasting Sarah and I both liked the final result but agreed it still didn't taste like a Shirley Temple. Even with very little lemon juice and no extract this time, it still tasted lemony. But the cherries were a nice addition -- and with the bottled grenadine syrup (which we tried because both Sarah and I used to Shirley Temples with the bottled, no-pomegranate-juice-included grenadine syrup) the color was much more appealing.

I have to say though, when I scooped it into the bowl for photographing, I had to eat the prop, and that time, though still very lemony, the lingering flavor reminded me very much of a Shirley Temple...hmmm...either way, it's closer than the last time.

Next step? Try making this with flat ginger ale or sprite. Ohhh, or maybe we could try a Shirley Temple Sorbet!

Big thanks to Stef over at Cupcake Project for her inspiration and homemade grenadine recipe!

Ten Ice Cream Birthday Clubs -- Complete with Free Treats!

My original post today was going to be about about the chocolate Oreo ice cream I made, but my camera was dying as I was trying to get pictures and I don't have too much to say about it anyways, besides that

1. I found it too rich -- even for me, Miss Sweet-tooth! (vanilla Oreo is so much better)
2. It's not too difficult to make. I made a chocolate base and added a bag of crushed Mini Oreos when it was almost done freezing.


Ice Cream Birthday Clubs
Aside from that though, there wasn't much to tell, so since it is another favorite blogger's birthday coming up next month (yes, my fabulous co-blogger, Tina), I thought I would get her ready by sharing a bunch of ice cream birthday clubs to join! (If you know of others, please please add them!) So, here they are in no particular order...

1. Cold Stone Creamery. National, all ages. Sign up with a Cold Stone account and you can add up to five family members. Within seven days of your birthday, (seven days prior and seven days after) sign into your account and print a coupon for a free Creation^™. Coupon must be used during those fourteen days.
   
   
2. Baskin Robbins. National, all ages. Sign up to receive a free 2.5 oz scoop on your birthday. There are no FAQs about this club, so all I can tell is that you can add additional family members. I am not sure how long you have to use the coupon, because I have yet to celebrate with Baskin Robbins, but I imagine it is similar to that of Cold Stone.
   
   
3. Friendly's. East Coast locations, all ages. This site doesn't have too much information, but says "You'll get the chance to sign up for the Friendly's Birthday Club -- and you'll receive a special e-offer two weeks before your birthday." One thing to note is if you sign up within fourteen days of your birthday, you may not get the offer until your next birthday, so go ahead and sign up today!
   
   
4. Brighams. Massachusetts and New Hampshire, for kids up to 12 only. Kids get a birthday card along with a free kid's meal and kid's sundae.
   
   
5. Glacier Homemade Ice Cream. Colorado and California, all ages. Sign up to receive a free ice cream cone or small gelato.
   
   
6. Carousel's Ice Cream. Maryland, all ages. Carousel's "will send you a special birthday gift for your birthday."
   
   
7. Belfonte Ice Cream. Missouri, all ages. Sign up to be eligible to receive a free half gallon of Belfonte ice cream. (With six proofs of purchase you can also send away for a free ice cream scoop. You can get started on collecting the UPCs with your free ice cream!) Sounds like this ice cream is only found in the Kansas City area.
   
   
8. Marble Slab Creamery. USA, Canada, and Middle Eastern locations, for kids up to 12 only. Free child size ice cream cone with mixin.
   
   
9. Ed and Eddie's Homemade Ice Cream. Tampa, Florida, up to age 15. Good for a single scoop. "Pass" is good for 10 days.
   
   
10. Kirsch's Ice Cream. Massapequa, New York, all ages. Sign up to receive a free gift on your birthday. "If your birthday occurs this month or next month, please mention you are new to the birthday club when you visit us in-store on your birthday."

And, don't forget the pooch!

1. Frostbite Ice Cream. National mail order, all ages. Coupons for a free doggy cone and $3.00 off a doggy ice cream cake. Though the concept is pretty neat, this site was hard to navigate and had a flash site that was slow to load and had annoying noises...My patience wore and so I wasn't exactly sure where to get the ice cream, though I do know they are headquartered in Boston.
   
   
2. Frosty Paws. Found nationally in grocer's freezers, all ages. Birthday card and coupons for doggy treats.

Of course, this is just a sampling of places to get spoiled on your birthday...perhaps in the future I'll have a part two of more local places that have birthday clubs, but in the meantime, with a number of national scoop shops with birthday clubs, you are bound to have plenty of ice cream on your birthday!

Illustration by Bethany Schlegel. © 2008.

On the Goooood Ship Ice Cream...er, um, Lol-li-pop (Shirley Temple Ice Cream)

A couple of weeks ago I found a recipe for Shirley Temple Cupcakes (this was a great recipe, but you have to dig a little further to the Rootbeer Float Recipe to get cooking times/temps...) As a HUGE fan of Shirley Temples (probably the most common of the mocktails) I went and made them right away. What a treat!

When I told Stef at Cupcake Project just how much I loved her drink-made-cupcake recipe, she suggested I try Shirley Temple Ice Cream. Hmmm, I thought, I just might do that. Here is the altered recipe I used to make it:

Shirley Temple Ice Cream, Take 1

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup homemade grenadine (to taste)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine the first five ingredients plus 1/4 cup of grenadine in the top half of your double boiler. Place over simmering water and heat, while beating contantly, until the mixture thickens. This took me about 17 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, and add the lemon extract, the milk, the cream, and the other 1/4 cup of grenadine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Place the chilled mixture in your ice cream maker and freeze according to the ice cream maker manufacturer's directions. Enjoy!

Thoughts? This ice cream was good and creamy, and had a tart taste that was quite refreshing. It reminded me of lemonade pie that my former roommate and I used to make. However, the overwhelming taste was lemon, and no matter how much grenadine I tried to add, it just didn't seem to balance the lemon.

The other thing I noticed is that even after freezing the ice cream overnight, this didn't harden as much as other recipes I made.

My plan for the next batch is to try balancing the flavor a bit more and adding maraschino cherries. It might add some nice texture and a bit more of that Shirley Temple feel.

Big thanks to Stef over at Cupcake Project for her inspiration and homemade grenadine recipe!

Cake Batter Ice Cream

This one is good competition for Coldstone Creamery...and was a hit at the birthday party!

1 cup half & half

3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cake mix (I used confetti with the sprinkles)

Directions

Whisk the half & half and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla and then stir in cake mix (to avoid lumps sift in). Pour mixture into the freezer bowl and churn as directed by your machine. Remove ice cream from freezer bowl and place into a freezer proof container and freeze for 8-10 hours.

(I was pleasantly surprised by the creaminess since it does not contain eggs)

Enjoy!