Kelli Harris
It’s no secret that summer is the perfect time to indulge in ice cream. Its cold and creamy texture can really satisfy on a hot summer day. According to Ecreamery, here are some fun ice cream facts:
- In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month in the United States and National Ice Cream Day is celebrated the third Sunday in July.
- Vanilla is the most popular flavor, followed by chocolate.
- It takes 12 gallons of milk to create 1 gallon of ice cream.
- The major ingredient in ice cream is air!
- About 98% of U.S. families always have ice cream in their freezer. I’m one of them. Are you?
Summertime is a great time to continue learning; cooking projects offer children opportunities to measure (math), mix together colors (science), and mix (fine motor skills). They help to build confidence as children get excited about the foods they can make. For older children, it helps to build organizational skills, as recipes must be completed in the proper steps to be successful. Letting older children read the recipe helps develop their reading and language skills.
How many of you have ever tried to make your own ice cream? There are many easy methods to make your own that do not require an ice cream maker. Here’s a link from our blog to an easy method called Rock and Roll Ice Cream:
Plain ice cream is boring! Here are two recipes: One for Homemade Sprinkles and one for Make Your Own Magic Shell to make with your children on a hot summer day. Enjoy!
Homemade Sprinkles
Ingredients
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 large pasteurized egg white (about 2 tbsp.)
- About 3/4 tsp. pure extract (such as lemon, peppermint, almond, or vanilla)
- Food coloring
Preparation
In a large bowl, stir the sugar and egg white, adding water by the 1/4 teaspoonful until a thick paste forms. (It will thin once the extract and coloring are added.) Divide among 3 bowls. Mix about 1/4 tsp. extract and a few drops of food coloring into each bowl. Spoon the icing into small resealable plastic freezer bags and press the mixture into 1 corner. Cut a small piece off the corner. (The larger the hole, the wider the sprinkles will be.) Pipe long stripes onto a sheet of parchment paper. Let dry for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut into sprinkles.
Make Your Own Chocolate Magic Shell
Ingredients
- 12 oz. white, milk, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut oil
- Ice cream
Preparation
In a small saucepan, add the chocolate and coconut oil. (Use 1/4 cup coconut oil for white and milk chocolate or 1/3 cup coconut oil for bittersweet chocolate.) Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until melted and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Drizzle over ice cream. (Or dip ice cream cones in the mixture.) Let stand until the chocolate hardens, 30 to 60 seconds. Makes about 1 ½ cups.
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray Everyday Magazine, July 2018
