Ready to move beyond basic vanilla or chocolate this ice cream season?
Much as we love those classics, with so many crazy — and crazy delicious — flavor combinations flooding the freezer aisle of the supermarket, it’s hard to resist making some big, boldly flavored frozen concoctions of our own. We started with a bee sting parfait, inspired by the honey, almond and coconut-studded pastry of the same name.
For a cool and so-very-adult frappe, we combine strawberry ice cream with elderflower liqueur. And to cool off a crowd, we layer on the flavor with a salted caramel malted mocha ice cream cake.
BEE STING PARFAIT
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Makes 2 servings
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons grated coconut, large flakes if available
2 tablespoons honey
1 banana, diced
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Nutrition information per serving: 460 calories; 200 calories from fat (43 percent of total calories); 22 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 65 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 53 g sugar; 7 g protein; 110 mg sodium.
STRAWBERRY ELDERFLOWER FRAPPE
Start to finish: 5 minutes
Makes 2 servings
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup strawberry ice cream
2 ounces elderflower liqueur
Zest of 1/2 orange
(The elderflower liqueur makes this a grown-up frappe. For a kid-friendly version, substitute an equal amount of juice or milk.)
Nutrition information per serving: 260 calories; 50 calories from fat (19 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (3.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 27 g sugar; 3 g protein; 45 mg sodium.
SALTED CARAMEL MALTED MOCHA ICE CREAM CAKE
Start to finish: 2 hours (30 minutes active)
Makes 8 servings
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1/2 cup Ovaltine Classic Malt mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon cider or white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 pint coffee ice cream
1/2 cup caramel sauce
Coarse or flake sea salt
Fresh berries
Nutrition information per serving: 590 calories; 170 calories from fat (29 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 102 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 66 g sugar; 8 g protein; 540 mg sodium
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