Ice Cream, Cold ,Creamy Goodness

 It's July and that means one thing - it's ice cream season.It's time to enjoy this treat a variety of ways There are sundaes and sodas, cakes and cupcakes made with it to savor and refresh. 

What is the best ice cream to use ? That actually depends on you. Some love Blue Bunny. It' is the most flavroful and creamiest. Other's prefer Breyer's which has a less dense texture and lighter taste. What about vegan ice cream. Surprisingly there's just as creamy as the dairy however they do need to thaw out a bit before scooping. Try Oatley and Ben and Jerry;s for the best flavor. You can get everything from plain vanilla and chocolate to chocolate chip mint and fudge brownie. Now onto the syrups, Homemade is the best . The taste is the purest and it even makes for a yummy egg cream.It's just taking unsweetened cocoa powder  and sugar whisked together in a cold saucepan. Just boiled water and  salt are added along with a teaspoon if vanilla extract. Keep whisking th e sauce as the heat is reduced  to a low flame. wait ten minutes before serving. You cna also use Hershey's which is the gold standard of syrups. Smuckers has a good varoety of sauces too, ranging from butterscotch to raspberry. You could also try their Hot Fudge one too. As for the whipped cream topping nothing beats Reddi-Whip. It's light and airy with that milky taste we all love. They also have coconut and almond milk versions too.

What can you make with these? Melissa Clark gave three recipes in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. You can try her banana split, ice cream soda or ice cream sandwich ones. Her hot fudge recipe is for a think gooey one that turns to taffy when it hit the ice cream's coldness. She also includes the recipe for a sundae staple wet walnuts , hers made with honey and maple syrup. You cna also make it like the Dairy Queen classic with strawberries and strawberry sauce. Her ice cream sodas are fruity with homemade fruit syrups made with fresh strawberries or blueberries. Of course nothing beats a chocolate one, with two or three scoops plopped in sletzer and topped with a good shoot of Reddi-Whip. Her ice cream sandwiches are made with a giant chocolate chip cookie layered with vanilla ice cream. Try something different by using vanilla wafers stuffed with a fruity ice cream like peach or strawberry for a kind of macaron. Ice cream cakes and ice cream cup cakes are snaps to make. The only hard part is the cookie layer. Take Nabisco chocolate wafers crush in either a blender or in a plastic baggie with a rolling pin. Mix with melted butter and press half of the cookie layer on the bottom of the mold. Add one layer of ice cream  and one layer of topping. Repeat and frreze for an hour. Serve topped with Reddi-whip. You cna do the same wiith ice cream cup cakes. Use a silicone muffin tin to make a mini version. Decorate with candy confetti or sprinkles.

It's ice cream season. Have fun creating a sweet cold treat. Pick an ice cream and have fun making your favorite recipe.

A Salute To The Choco Taco

 Lovers of frosty treats may be sad this week. The Choco, Taco, the classic summer ice cream is no longer going to be made.fans are desolute about this demise of this mix of chocolate, muts and crunch,

For those who don't know what this is, it's a waffle cone in the shape of a taco , filled with fudge swirl ice cream. The tacos' edges are dipped in chocolate and topped with peanuts.It was invented by Alan Drazen in 1983.It was even sold at - where else - Taco Bell to commerate its' parent company 's Klondike 's centennial.Itn was first sold through ice cream trucks and became a beloved part of Gen X and Millenials' childhoods.Choco Taco was unusual because most ice cream treats are eaten in stages. The coating goes first followed by the ice cream and then the cone. Not so with the Choco Taco. Every bite contained each of those.It garnered a massive number of fans including Reddit founder and Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian who offered to keep the snack still going. You would think the other ice cream giant, Blue Bunny would step in and create their own version of this but Klondike who also produces those yummy ice cream sandwiches and bars may have the patent. This means no copies or variations by rival companies.

Don't despait though! You can easily make Choco Tacos at home. It's just taking waffle cones and heating themfor eighteen seconds in the microwave.  Wrap them up in a damp cloth and then shape into a taco shell when they come out fo the microwave. Allow it to cool and harden. Fill the tacos with fudge ripple ice cream to imitate the orgiinal recipe.Melt chocolate melting discs in microwave for thirty seconds. Stir and repeat until all the discs are smooth. Carefully spoon this over the tacos tops and then sprinkle on chopped peanuts. Return to freezer to harden. I realize that this recipe can have a lot of variations. For starters, why just have the fudge ripple? You can fill the tacos with any kind of ice cream. You can add in chopped berries , or flaked coconut for a fruity twist. Some nuts can also be tossed in for crunch. Skip the chcocolate and peanuts on top. Add a small bit of hot fudge  caramel or strawberry sauce. The tacos can be topped with wet walmuts or a layer of maraschino cherries instead of the peanuts. Of course sprinkles add a whole new level of fun and these would be perfect at any summer party.

There may be a movement to save this classic treat. Choco Tacos are a big part of the American landscape. Enjoy them and all their icy goodness.