Just for Fun: Top Five Ice Cream Flavors --and Two Recipes

(This lovely pic came from Microsoft. I have no idea why there are green specks in it. Let's ignore them and pretend it is vanilla cream! Sound good? Good!)

It's summer! And it's time for ice cream! For today's "Friday Fun" I've been thinking about my top five favorite ice cream flavors. With all the exotic ice cream available (I've even seen bacon ice cream!), I was surprised by my list. I don't want to say it is boring...Well, let's just say that there are some ice creams that you eat once or twice and then there are ice creams that you come back to again and again. This list is made up of the latter.

By the way, what are your favorite flavors? I really want to know!

Mint Chocolate Chip

Without a doubt, this is my favorite flavor of ice cream. When in doubt, I'll always order it. I only have one preference when it comes to Mint Chocolate Chip. The chocolate chips need to be chips. I don't like flakes of chocolate in my mint chocolate chip. My favorite brand? Stewart's. It's a local chain with really good ice cream. All ice cream is comfort food but, for me, Stewart's Mint Chocolate Chip is the comforting-est of comfort ice cream. 

Homemade Sambuca Ice Cream
Sounds weird, right? I mean an anise flavored ice cream? Let me tell you, it isn't weird! It's wonderful! I don't really like to drink Sambuca but in ice cream the flavor is elevated somehow.  First you get a hit of the creamy sweetness of the base and then the anise flavor blooms on your tongue. Amazing! And the liquor retains its kick. This flavor is a grown up treat.  Here's my recipe:

Sambuca Ice Cream
(printable recipe)
4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup Sambuca liqueur

1. Place a medium bowl in an ice water bath. (I usually fill my sink with a little water and a lot of ice. Then I set a bowl in the center.) Place a fine strainer into the bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream and half of the sugar. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar. 
4. Slowly (this is important!) whisk the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. If you do this too quickly, the egg yolks can cook and leave bits of cooked egg in your mixture. 
5. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat, whisking continually, until the mixture just begins to thicken. Test it by dipping a spoon into the liquid. If it clings to the back of the spoon, it is thick enough. 
6. Strain the hot mixture through the strainer you have set up. 
7. Allow to cool, string ever few minutes, in the ice water bath.
8. Once cooled, pour mixture into a container, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
9. Right before making your ice cream, stir in the liquor. 
10. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Because of the alcohol, this ice cream will remain soft. Don't over mix or you might get bits of butter in your ice cream! 
11. Remove the ice cream from the maker, place in a container and freeze. 
12. Serve to adults and enjoy! 

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream. 

Orange Custard Chocolate Chip

My absolutely favorite fruit/chocolate combo is orange and chocolate. When I visited Babcock Hall in Madison, Wisconsin and saw Orange Custard  Chocolate Chip on the menu, I *knew* I had to try it. I expected it to be good. What else would the ice cream be from the University of Wisconsin? This is place knows dairy. But it just wasn't good. It was perfect! The ratio of chocolate chips to creamy orange custard was just right. And if you are wondering what frozen custard is, well, let me tell you! Frozen custard has egg yolks and a higher milk fat than ice cream. What this means is that it is super creamy and super delicious. If you are ever in Madison be sure to try this ice cream. Oh, and you can order it on-line, too!

Chocolate Vanilla Soft Serve

Soft serve is one of those treats I forget I love until I eat it again. The reason I stop eating it each year is because the plethora of shops that serve soft serve in my area close each fall Now, if they only soft serve you've ever had has come from a fast food restaurant, then you haven't really had soft serve! Great soft serve should be creamy and soft with no funky chemicals.It should celebrate dairy and only dairy! My favorite flavor, the chocolate vanilla twist, is not only pretty--I mean chocolate twining itself around vanilla is visually enticing--but it allows me to eat both chocolate and vanilla soft serve at the same time. The best place to eat soft serve is at any small ice cream shop, at night on a picnic table with a friend or two. (Lightning bugs being present are optional but do enhance the overall experience.)

Vanilla Ice Cream

I know. I know. Some people think that vanilla ice cream is boring! Well, I think they are wrong. I adore vanilla cream. Adore it. Now, if you are buying it, be sure the ice cream actually includes vanilla. This is not the place for artificial vanilla! (Actually, I don't think there is any place for artificial vanilla ice cream now that I think about it.)  While I like to eat a small dish of vanilla ice cream, I also really like to pair it with things. What kind of things? Well, root beer for root beer floats, hot espresso for affogato, fresh berries. You get the idea. Great vanilla ice cream is just begging to be turned into a fabulous dessert.

Affogato
(printable recipe)

Affogato means drowned. And, baby, what a way to go! Vanilla ice cream and hot espresso? It is not only easy, it is insanely good.

1 shot (about three tablespoons) hot espresso. (I won't tell anyone if you use decaf.)
1 scoop ice cream

1. Pour the hot espresso over the cold ice cream. Serve right away. (If I am serving this to friends after a dinner party, I will pre-scoop my ice cream into glasses and freeze. Then when it is time to serve, I bring out the ice cream bows and let my friends have fun pouring hot espresso over the top.)