Sunday, September 19, 2010

Cool Lime Pie

In this frosty version of Key lime pie, we swirled vanilla ice cream into the condensed-milk mixture. You'll need lots of fresh lime juice (zap limes for about ten seconds in microwave so they're easier to squeeze) and a store-bought graham-cracker crust.


Prep time: 20 minutes plus freezing
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients:
  • 4 to 5 limes
  • 1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
  • 1 ready-to-use graham-cracker piecrust (6 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
  • Lime-peel slivers for garnish
How to make:
  1. From limes, finely grate 4 teaspoons peel and squeeze 2/3 cup juice. In large bowl, with wire whisk, stir undiluted condensed milk, lime peel, and lime juice until blended.
  2. Whisk ice cream into condensed-milk mixture until evenly blended (mixture will be the consistency of sour cream).
  3. Pour ice-cream mixture into piecrust. Freeze at least 6 hours or until firm. If not serving pie sameday, wrap and freeze up to 1 week.
  4. To serve, uncover pie and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften slightly for easier slicing. Meanwhile, in small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Top each serving of pie with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with lime-peel slivers.
Each serving: About 300 calories, 5 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 12 g total fat (6 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 33 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium.

Rocky Road Ice Cream Cake

This ooey-gooey treat is like a big sundae in a springform pan. It's made with chocolate ice cream, our secret homemade Fudge Sauce (also delicious served hot over a bowl of plain ice cream), cookies, peanuts, and baby marshmallows. If you don't have time to make the sauce, a jar from the store will do just fine.


Prep time: 30 minutes plus chilling and freezing
Cook time: about 8 minutes
Makes: 14 servings

Ingredients:

-Fudge Sauce:
  • 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-Rocky Road Cake:
  • 2 pints chocolate ice cream, softened
  • 14 chocolate sandwich cookies
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 1 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
How to make:
  1. Prepare Fudge Sauce: In heavy 2 -quart saucepan, heat cream, sugar, chocolate, and corn syrup over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring occasionally. Cook 4 minutes longer or until sauce thickens slightly (mixture should be gently bubbling), stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until sauce is smooth and glossy. Cover surface of sauce with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or until cool. Makes about 1 2/3 cups.
  2. When sauce is cool, assemble Rocky Road Cake: Wrap bottom and side of 9" by 3" springform pan with foil. Spoon 1 pint chocolate ice cream into pan. Place plastic wrap on ice cream and press down to speard evenly and eliminate air pockets; remove plastic wrap. Insert cookies, standing upright, into ice cream to form a ring around side of pan, making sure to push cookie to pan bottom. Sprinkle 1 cup marshmallows and 1/2 cup peanuts over ice cream; press in gently with hand.
  3. Spoon remaining ice cream over marshmallows and peanuts. Place plastic wrap on ice cream and spread evenly; remove plastic wrap. Spread 2/3 cup Fudge Sauce over ice cream (if sauce is too firm, microwave briefly to soften but not heat); reserve remaining sauce to serve later. Sprinkle remaining marshmallows and peanuts over sauce; press in gently with hand. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
  4. To serve, uncover and remove foil from pan. Wrap towels dampened with warm water around side of pan for about 20 seconds to slightly soften ice cream, Remove side of pan and place cake on cake stand or plate. Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes for easier slicing. Meanwhile, place remaining Fudge Sauce in microwave-safe bowl. Heat sauce in microwave oven, uncovered, on High 30 to 40 seconds or until hot, stirring once. Serve hot sauce to spoon over cake if you like.
Each serving: About 365 calories, 7 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 23 g total fat (11 g saturated), 2 g fiber, 77 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium.
Each tablespoon sauce: About 85 calories, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 7 g total fat (4 g saturated), 0 g fiber, 15 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium.

Raspberry-Peach Dome

It looks really impressive, but all you need is store-bought pound cake, ice cream, jam, and gelato to make this dome cake, which is layered in a deep bowl, frozen overnight, and unmolded.

Prep time: 30 minutes plus freezing
Makes: 16 servings

What you need:
Cake Dome:
  • 1 frozen pound cake loaf (10 3/4 to 12 ounces), thawed
  • 2 tablespoons seedless red raspberry jam

Dome Filling:
  • 2 pints raspberry gelato, softened
  • 1 quart peach ice cream, softened
Fresh Raspberry for garnish.

How to make:
  1. Prepare Cake Dome: With serrated knife, cut top crust from pound cake. Place cake on 1 long side; cut lengthwise into 3 equal slices. With small spatula, spread 1 tablespoon jam on cut side of 1 cake slice. Top with another cake slice and spread with remaining 1 tablespoon jam. Top with remaining cake slice. With knife, trim off remaining crusts along sides of cake. Slice jam-layered cake crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick slices.
  2. Line deep 2 1/2-quart bowl with plastic wrap, leaving about a 2-inch overhang. Arrange cake rectangles along the bottom and up the side of bowl (slices will extend slightly above rim of bowl) to make a decorative design. If necessary, cut some rectangles into triangles to fill in any open areas, gently pushing cake pieces together to get a tight fit. With knife or kitchen shears, trim off overhanging ends of cake to create an even rim around bowl. (if you like, save trimmings to use as ice cream topping another day.) Place in freezer to firm cake dome slightly, about 20 minutes.
  3. Prepare Dome filling: With back of spoon, working quickly, gently spread gelato over cake layer to an even thickness. Place bowl in freezer 20 minutes to firm gelato slightly.
  4. Spoon peach ice cream into center of bowl; spread evenly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and freeze overnight to ensure dome is frozen throughout. If not serving same day, wrap and freeze up to 2 weeks.
  5. To serve, uncover bowl and invert onto platter. Wrap towel dampened with warm water around entire bowl for about 20 seconds to slightly soften dome. Remove bowl and plastic wrap. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes to soften for easier slicing. Garnish dome with raspberries.
Each serving: About 265 calories, 4 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 11 g total fat (6 g saturated), 0 g fiber, 75 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium.

Tropical Sorbet Loaf

A slice of this look like a summer sunset or pretty sand art made on a seaside boardwalk. The best part is, it's really easy; just scoop and freeze. Your kids can help.



Prep time: 20 minutes plus freezing
Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients:
  • 1 pint raspberry or strawberry sorbet, softened
  • 1 pint mango or passion fruit sorbet, softened
  • 1 pint coconut sorbet, softened 
  • Shaved coconut, fresh raspberries, and fresh mint leaves for garnish
How to make:
  1. Spray 9" by 5" loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap.
  2. Using 2-inch (1/4 cup) ice cream scoop, arrange 8 alternating scoops of sorbet (2 scoops of each sorbet) in layer in pan. Place plastic wrap on sorbet scoops and press mixture down to flatten and eliminate air pockets; remove plastic wrap. Repeat to make 2 more layers, alternating sorbets within each layer and from layer to layer, and making sure to press mixture down each time. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
  3. To serve, uncover pan and invert onto platter. Wrap towels dampened with warm water on bottom and sides of pan for about 20 seconds to slightly soften sorbet. Remove pan and plastic wrap. Garnish loaf with coconut, raspberries, and mint.
Each serving: About 125 calories, 0 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g total fat (1 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium.