What's Hot: Ciao Bella Key Lime Graham Squares

Just when I thought Key Lime Graham Gelato couldn't get any better Ciao Bella goes and makes it into a cute and tasty gelato square. As you may have read in the past, this is one of my all time favorites (free samples or no free samples) and I was genuinely super excited to try these new squares that were sent our way. Although I still prefer eating the gelato straight up out of the pint these are quite good. And are perfect for on the go or perfect when I only have one hand available...thus life with children. Same tart and refreshing taste but sandwiched between two soft wafer grahams. This has been a very humid and hot New England week so these were the perfect after dinner dessert this week.

Now as you can see a little one in my household can't wait for mommy to take a photo of it for this post. I held him off briefly.

So I could take a couple bites myself to see how awesome these are.

But in the end I lost! Thankfully there are four squares in a box so I have three more for just me.

Nutrional Value: Calories: 280, Fat: 13g, Carbs: 36g, Protein: 4g
Size of square: 3 x 3 x 1.5

RECIPE: Key Lime & Graham Cracker Ice Cream

So refreshing and yummy and inspired by

Ciao Bella's Key Lime & Graham Cracker Gelato.

Squeezing the key limes ain't so fun but SO

worth it for the tart and cool flavor you'll get!

Ingredients

4 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cups milk

grated zest of 12 key limes

1/4 cup key lime juice (probably about 25 key limes...use more or less for preference of taste)

Graham Crackers (broken in small pieces...I used Teddy Grahams as they are harder and easy to just halve)

Directions

Whisk together egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine cream, milk, lime zest, and 1/2 cup sugar and cook over medium heat until just at boiling point. Remove from heat and slowly whisk into egg/sugar mixture. Return this egg/cream mixture to the pan and cook over low/med heat stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Heat until it reaches 175 degrees or the custard lightly coats the spatula.

Strain the custard into a clean bowl to remove lime zest (I kept a little for looks!), add lime juice, and cool over an ice bath. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to enhance flavor then churn in your ice cream maker.

When custard is almost finished mix in your graham cracker pieces and freeze in freezer for at least 8 hours.

Voila...tart and refershing Key Lime and Graham Cracker ice cream that is perfect for summer!

Scoopalicious in Woman's World

Check out our unique ice cream recommendation in this week's Woman's World magazine...so fun!

Woohoo for Woman's World! As we head into summer, all the food pubs are chock full of summer desserts to bring to that next picnic and in Woman's World this week they highlight our own favorite summer treat (well for us, year round!) ice cream in a great article, "You deserve the best...Ice Cream." And excitingly they rang us up at Scoopalicious for our own recommendation of a unique summer flavor and we had lots to say.

As you'll read (run to the newstand now and get your copy, page 35), its a short but sweet and tart write up on one yummy, unique, and refreshing summer flavor we love. It's comes from one of our favorite ultra-premium brands, Ciao Bella, and its one of their unique and intensely refreshing flavors, Key Lime and Graham Cracker Gelato. A must try this summer if you can find it at a local market or if you are lucky enough to have a Ciao Bella shop nearby. Their gelato and sorbets are amazing but not always easy to find as they are a smaller boutique brand but so worth the hunt. I was lucky enough to try it in NYC where you can find a few shops. As I said we had lots to say and also had many other unique flavors to rant about so we'll be sure to fill you in on them all this summer.

Check back next week for my own Key Lime and Graham Cracker Ice Cream recipe that you can make yourself at home. Just churned it tonight and I am dying waiting for it to freeze. You'll love this one as we head into summer.

If you actually ended up here from the write up WELCOME and come back often for lots of interesting ice cream news, recipes, highlights, contests, and pure ice cream fun!

Artisan Gelato in NYC, Ciao Bella

Three days in NYC and no time for ice cream...a pure disgrace. After cruising by so many cool spots in the village to grab a scoop I ended up sniffing out a last resort creamery in Grand Central Station. And for my last chance at a scoop before heading home I sure stumbled upon a good one, the Ciao Bella Gelato Company. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised! I can't say I've tried gelato too many times so this was a sweet treat. It was a hot and humid day in the city and I craved something refreshing so my choice of the day....Key Lime with Graham Cracker Swirl Gelato. This generous scoop was white in color, offered a sensational creamy texture with the perfect key lime tartness and graham cracker swirls throughout. This was SO good and the perfect flavor for a hot summer day. Ahhh, refrshing!

Ciao Bella of course has your typical favorites but it was the truly inventive options that intrigued me...Green Tea & White Chocolate Chunk, Red Bean, Venezualan Milk Chocolate...seriously the list goes on. According to their site they use top-notch ingredients imported from around the world and not only sell their wonderful creations at storefronts and by the pint in retail shops but top NYC restaurants and world renowned chefs call on them to provide truly experimental and decadant flavors. For a boutique creamery it sure sounds like they got a good thing going and if you read below, they sure do. I definitely recommend this italian scoopable sensation that will not disappoint. Move over Ben & Jerry! (those could be fighting words I know!)

Bella was recently named one of the top brands on the verge by BRANDWEEK and is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most watched frozen desserts.

Ciao Bella has been named best gelato and best sorbetto by Real Simple Magazine.

Ciao Bella is the most awarded purveyor of artisanal gelato and sorbetto

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