Brain Freeze Ice Cream & Desserts: How to Give Store Bought Ice Cream a Gourmet Makeover

You have a big tub of vanilla ice cream lying in your fridge and you just don’t know what to do with it. If you are hosting a party, then you can serve it as is, but that’s pretty boring. So, why not give it a makeover? A sundae is a good way to start, but it’s still a predictable route to take. There are many other ways to upgrade a regular old tub of ice cream - make an ice cream cake, some fried ice cream or baked Alaska, maybe some chocolate sandwiches, or a thick and creamy milkshake. You can also create a quick fruity sauce or a fruit compote and drizzle it over the ice cream. Quickly grab that tub in your fridge and turn it into a completely new dish.

Here are some recipes that can help you do this:

Coconut Lemon Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

• 318 gm shortbread biscuits
• 49 gm toasted coconut flakes
• 30 gm coarsely chopped almonds
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 425 gm coconut cream
• 120 ml lemon juice
• 1.42 liter vanilla ice cream (softened)
• 226 gm whipped cream

Instructions:

• Set about 10 biscuits from the total amount and use them as decoration. Then crush the rest in a food processor.
• Add coconut flakes, chopped almonds, and lemon zest to the crumbs.
• Whisk coconut cream and lemon juice in a large bowl until well combined. Then add the softener ice cream along with about a cup’s worth of whipped cream into this.
• Add a cup of the biscuit crumbs to the base of a cake tin.
• Top with half of the ice cream mix on it. Then add another layer of the biscuit mix, followed by the ice cream.
• Then place the whole biscuits around the sides of the pan and then add the rest of the whipped cream in the middle.
• Sprinkle any leftover biscuit crumbs on top.
• Freeze overnight so that the ice cream is set again.

Chocolate Biscuit Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 255 gm round chocolate biscuits
• 940 ml store bought ice cream (softened)
• 340 gm chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Spread the softened ice cream on the back of one chocolate biscuit. Then sandwich it with another biscuit.
• Rinse and repeat until you run out of all cookies. If there is any leftover ice cream, use more cookies.
• Roll each cookie in chocolate chips, place them on a lined baking tray and then freeze for about 3 to 5 hours.

Fried Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 940 ml ice cream
• 140 gm crushed cornflakes
• 80 gm shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp powdered cinnamon
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 2 eggs

Instructions:

• Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then use an ice cream scooper to generously scoop balls of ice cream onto it.
• Freeze the ice cream until it’s super hard.
• Combine crushed cornflakes, coconut flakes, and powdered cinnamon in a bowl.
• Roll every hardened ice cream ball in this mixture, ensuring that most of the surface is covered.
• Then place all of the coated balls into the baking tray and re-freeze for half an hour.
• Whisk together eggs, milk, and sugar in a shallow bowl.
• Dip the cornflakes covered ice cream balls in this and roll it in the dry mix again.
• Put them back on the baking sheet and freeze again for 2 hours.
• After this, heat the oil, and then fry these balls one by one until golden brown.
• Serve them with some chocolate or caramel sauce along with whipped cream.

Cherries Jubilee for Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 435 gm cherries
• ½ orange
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

• Melt the butter, then add the sugar and make sure it’s fully dissolved.
• Add the cherries to the pan along with orange juice, and a pinch of salt. Cook them down until the cherries are tender and release their juices.
• Let the cherries slightly thicken, and then add brandy.
• Give this a good mix and take the pan off heat.
• Have this warm with lots of vanilla ice cream.