Tropical Fruit Nice Cream

Nothing to feel guilty about here!

1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup frozen honeydew melon
1/2 cup frozen mango cubes
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 serving size mango yogurt cup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup whey powder (optional)

Dump everything in a blender or food processor...

and process until smooth. That's it!

Now get outside!

Makes 2 pretty large servings or 4 small.

Watermelon Ice Cream

Just 3 ingredients and no ice cream churn needed!

6 cups cubed and frozen watermelon
1 can sweetened condensed milk (300 ml or 10 oz)
2 tbsps lemon or lime juice

Makes 7-8 cups

I had this watermelon that was probably a little past it's prime. Taste was there but it was getting a bit soft. No one wanted to eat it, soooo........ I froze it.

I started by defrosting this big slab of frozen watermelon for about 15 minutes until I could break it apart.

Because I don't have a big heavy-duty blender I used my food processor and blended in small batches. First blending some of the watermelon with some of the condensed milk and the juice.

Then blending watermelon alone and mixing it all together with any remaining condensed milk.

If you want a smoother consistency then blend it all together, but I wanted some bits of watermelon in mine.

Pour into a freezer-friendly container with lid and freeze until firm.

Then defrost 15-20 minutes, scoop and serve

Original recipe from: https://macthelm.blogspot.ca/2016/05/no-churn-watermelon-sherbet.html

Individual Balsamic Strawberry Shortcake

If you want to stretch the summer strawberry season, make some of these shortcakes to eat now and freeze a few more so you can enjoy them a little later on.

1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 tbsps sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 - 8" vanilla cake, cut in cubes
3 cups Cool Whip topping

Using either a store bought cake or homemade, cut in 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Slice the strawberries into a saucepan and add sugar and balsamic. Warm on medium heat 2-3 minutes to let the juices release. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water and stir into the berries. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium and cook another couple of minutes until it begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and cool. I stuck the saucepan in the freezer a few minutes.

I used clear plastic 9 oz cups. Start with a layer of cake then a layer of Cool Whip. Add berries, cake, berries and top it off with Cool Whip.

Now if you are planning on using these right away by all means use whipping cream, but I planned on freezing some so Cool Whip was the better alternative.

Don't garnish the ones you are going to freeze.

Simply wrap the cup in plastic wrap and pop in the freezer. To use, thaw in fridge and then garnish with a fresh strawberry when ready.

We've got to stretch summer out any way we can!

Easy Honeydew Sorbet

Summer is in full swing now! Here is a cool and easy treat that you won't need any special equipment to make.

4 cups cubed honeydew
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water

Spread the cubed honeydew out without overlapping on a parchment lined sheet and freeze overnight.

Add the lemon juice, honey and water to the frozen honeydew in a food processor and pulse until you reach a smooth consistency. It might look crumbly at first, just keep going.

You may want to add a little more water or honey depending on your preference for slushiness and sweetness.

Serve immediately or store a couple of weeks in the freezer.
Once frozen just sit it out on the counter a few minutes before scooping.

Now to try cantalope......  : )

Festive Frozen Tiramisu

Looking for a dessert that you can make ahead of time? This is it...put it all together and pop it in the freezer.  Just remember to take it out 20-30 minutes before serving.

2 pkgs lady finger cookies
a tin of hazelnut-filled wafer sticks (like Pirouette)

Crust:
1  1/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

First layer:
3 cups cappuccino frozen yogurt

Second layer:
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
Ladyfingers

Third layer:
8 oz mascarpone
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla (or Galliano or Tia Maria liqueur)

Topping:
Cool Whip (in the fridge)
Chocolate snowflakes 
     1 oz Baker's chocolate squares
     less than 1/8 tsp shortening

Prepare 1 9-inch springform pan, or both a 5 and 6-inch pan by lining with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and mix with the chocolate crumbs. Press into the pan to form the crust. Place in the freezer 5 minutes.

Take the cappuchino frozen yogurt out of the freezer and measure out 3 cups. Or 2 cups and 1 cup if using the two smaller pans like I did here. Stir a few minutes just until it is spreadable, but you don't want it to melt. Put a few dollops of the froyo in the pan and start placing the ladyfingers and wafer sticks around the side using the froyo to hold it in place.

You can use either ladyfingers or wafer sticks but I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted so I used both. Once you have the sides done, fill in the middle and level off. Pop it back in the freezer to set.

Take some ladyfingers and dip them into the strong brewed coffee. Place them in a single layer on top of the froyo.

Drizzle some Galliano over them too. For extra coffee flavour, sprinkle some instant coffee granules too.

For the third layer beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla (or Galliano) and icing sugar and continue to beat just until stiff peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone. Add this next layer and freeze 10 minutes.

Finally dollop the Cool Whip topping over the mascarpone layer and decorate with chocolate snowflakes. Have the chocolate decorations prepared to go onto the cool whip before freezing it. Return to the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Let stand on counter 20-30 minutes before serving.

How to make chocolate snowflakes:
Melt 1 oz Baker's chocolate in microwave 10 seconds at a time until almost melted. Stir in the shortening and mix until there are no more lumps in the chocolate. Don't overheat it.

Print small snowflake images or other shapes you like, lay a sheet of parchment on top and tape the corners to keep sheets in place. Do this on a tray or cookie sheet so you can easily move them away to set. I only remembered this after a couple were done : (
Scoop up the melted chocolate into a small ziplock bag, snip a small corner off and squeeze chocolate over your image. Leave to set well at room temperature then decorate your lovely dessert.