It looks like the summer heat is finally here. Cool down with easy homemade summer treats.
Fruity Italian Ice
3 cups halved strawberries or chopped pineapple
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Blend the fruit, sugar, honey and lemon juice with 2 cups ice in a food processor or blender until chunky. Add another 1 cup ice and blend until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish and freeze 30 minutes. Scrape the ice with a fork until slushy, then freeze until firm, about 2 more hours. Scoop into paper cups.
Watermelon Granita
4 cups half-inch-cubed seedless watermelon
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
Purée all ingredients in a blender. Pour into a 9- by 13-inch dish and place in the freezer. Stir with a fork every 30 minutes until mixture is slushy (up to 2 1/2 hours).
Sunny Melon Cooler
2 cups cantaloupe, cut into half-inch cubes and frozen
2 cups honeydew melon, cut into half-inch cubes and frozen
2 tablespoons sugar
Puree the melons: Place the frozen cantaloupe pieces, half a cup water and 1 tablespoon sugar into a blender and purée on high speed until fruit is smooth and pourable. Transfer to a bowl and keep chilled. Rinse the blender and repeat using the frozen honeydew, half cup water and remaining sugar.
Assemble the cooler: Alternately layer about one-third cup of the puréed cantaloupe followed by the same amount of the honeydew melon into two large glasses. Repeat until all the purée is used, and serve immediately.
Blackberry Ice Cream
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 cups half-and-half
8 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups fresh or 1 (1-pound) package frozen blackberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Garnishes: fresh mint, fresh blackberries
Combine first three ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Whisk in half-and-half. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat.
Slowly whisk about four cups of hot mixture into beaten egg. Add egg mixture to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 160F. Immediately remove it from heat to prevent curdling. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla; chill 8 hours or overnight.
Combine blackberries and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a separate bowl; stir well. Cover and chill 8 hours, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Stir in lemon juice.
Stir berry mixture into custard mixture. Pour into container of a 4-quart ice-cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions; if recommended, pack freezer with additional ice and rock salt, and let stand one hour before serving. Scoop into serving bowls; garnish, if desired.
Note: To hasten cooling of custard mixture, partially fill sink with ice water to come about halfway up sides of Dutch oven. Let pan remain in ice-water bath, stirring often until room temperature; chill.
Frozen Lime Pie
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 large pasteurized eggs, separated*
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely crushed graham cracker crumbs
Garnish: Lime rind curls
Combine crumbs, coconut and butter in a food processor; pulse three to four times or until blended. Press mixture evenly in bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Beat egg yolks at high speed with an electric mixer eight minutes or until pale. Add milk and next three ingredients; beat until blended. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer five minutes or until stiff peaks form; fold into egg yolk mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle with half a cup graham cracker crumbs. Freeze eight hours or until firm. Garnish with lime rind, if desired.
*Note: Pasteurized eggs are heated to kill any bacteria within or on eggshells. Regular, raw eggs may be substituted.
Orange Banana Smoothie Pops
1 container (7-ounce) Greek yogurt
2/3 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
2 large bananas
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Puree one Greek yogurt, thawed orange juice concentrate, bananas, lime zest and fresh lime juice in a blender. Pour into six 3-ounce molds. (We used mini baking tins with popsicle sticks, but you can also substitute paper cups.) Freeze until smoothie pops are solid, about four hours.
Creamy Fruit Trifle
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 package (10-ounce) prepared angel food cake, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 packages (1 ounce each) fat-free, sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
2 1/2 cups cold fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups thawed sugar-free whipped topping, divided
3 cups each of your favorite fruits mixed (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.), clean and well drained
Mix juice and extract. Drizzle over cake cubes in large bowl; toss to coat.
Beat pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk two minutes. Stir in one cup whipped topping. Reserve a few berries for garnish. Place half the cake cubes in a 2-quart glass bowl. Top with layers of half each of the remaining berries and pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Refrigerate two hours. Top with remaining whipped topping and reserved berries just before serving.
Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.