Best Flavored Ice Recipes

LEMON-FLAVORED ITALIAN ICE

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in light corn syrup and lemon juice.
• Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Divide cooled mixture amongst 3 plastic containers and freeze for 1 hour. Scrape ice crystals with a fork and return to freezer until ice is semi-frozen, 1 to 2 hours, scraping ice crystals every 30 minutes.
• Scoop Italian ice into small serving cups or cones and serve.

DOUGHNUT-FLAVORED PLASTIC BAG ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.
• In a quart resealable plastic bag, put the doughnut pieces in the milk mixture. Be sure the bag is tightly sealed, but leave a little air in there so the ice cream has room to expand.
• Put half (about 1 1/2 pounds) of the ice cubes, or enough to fill your bag halfway, and half of the rock salt in the bottom of a gallon resealable plastic bag.
• Place the quart bag inside the gallon bag and then add in the rest of the ice cubes and rock salt. (Make sure the quart bag has ice all around it and if you can fit a little more ice, go for it--but make sure the bag can close easily.)
• Play catch with your friend for about 7 minutes with the bag. You can also put a towel on your counter and roll the bag around on top of it. Once it starts to firm up, stick it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Abracadabra! Ice cream for you and your friend! Garnish with toppings if desired.

STRAWBERRIES IN SPICED WINE WITH OLIVE OIL-FLAVORED ICE CREAM

Steps:

• The day before serving, candy the olives. Cut them into quarters and blanch them in a small pan of boiling water, repeating the process 2 or 3 times to de-salt them; drain. In the same pan, make a syrup of the powdered sugar and water. Add the olives, bring to a boil, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let olives soak 24 hours.
• Several hours before serving, make the ice cream. Heat the milk with the cream and split vanilla pod.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together to obtain a frothy consistency. To yolks, gradually add the hot milk and cream, beating constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook over very low heat, continuing to stir until the mixture coats the spoon. Stir in the olive oil and let cool. Place in the freezer until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
• At least 1 hour before serving, prepare the strawberries and the syrup. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, red wine, orange zest, the halved vanilla pod, the cinnamon stick, and saffron. Bring to a boil, then pour the strawberries into the mixture.
• Bring mixture to a second boil and allow to boil briskly for 5 minutes, then let the mixture cool briefly. With a slotted spoon, remove the strawberries to a bowl. Continue boiling syrup over medium heat until it is thickened and reduced. Add the strawberries to this syrup and let cool 1 hour or more, to room temperature.
• Presentation: Into 4 well-chilled soup plates, serve the strawberry mixture in its syrup. On the side put 1 or 2 dollops of olive oil-flavored ice cream. Garnish by poking into each serving a fresh mint leaf (or a tiny sprig of olive leaves if available), a small section of vanilla bean pod, and a small piece of cinnamon stick. Sprinkle candied olives on top and serve.

FLAVORED ICE

Steps:

• Spice up a drink with one of these tasty, colorful cubes.
• Tomato
• Cool down a Bloody Mary with tomato juice ice cubes. Add horseradish for extra kick.
• Herbs
• Preserve fresh herbs in ice. Plop mint cubes into a mojito or parsley into lemonade.
• Lemon-Honey
• Add lemon juice and honey to water before freezing, then serve in iced tea.
• Cola
• Chill a dark spirit like rum or bourbon with a cube of frozen cola.
• Cranberry
• Give a tart twist to sparkling water or fruit juice with frozen cranberry juice.
• Coffee
• Freeze strong coffee to keep iced coffee cool without watering it down.
• Olive
• Drop a cube of frozen olive brine into a dry martini to make it "dirty."

FLAVORED ICE CUBES

Steps:

• Place the mint, basil, thyme, edible flowers, orange wheels, and lemon zest intermittently in the compartments of ice trays. Fill compartments with watermelon puree, strawberry puree, fresh lemonade, and iced coffee in any arrangement you like. Garnish the beverage of your liking and enjoy.

CRYSTAL LIGHT FLAVORED ICE

Steps:

• Place drink mix in large nonmetal freezer-proof bowl. Add juice and water; stir until drink mix is dissolved.
• Freeze 2 hours or until partially frozen.
• Spoon into blender container; blend until smooth. Return to bowl. Freeze 2 hours or until frozen.
• Let stand at room temperature 15 min. to soften slightly before serving.

VANILLA ICE CREAM FLAVORED FROSTING

Steps:

• Begin whipping the egg whites with an electric stand mixer on high.
• While egg whites are whipping, mix sugar and water in a thick-bottomed pot and heat to 220F (104.4C) or the "Soft Ball" state.
• The boiling mixture should have large glassy bubbles.
• When egg whites are fluffy and close to stiff, slowly drizzle the sugar mixture into the mixer while the mixer is still on high.
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium or low and allow it to cool off.
• The sugar/egg white mixture must be cool before the next step! If need be, refrigerate until room temp or lower.
• Break the butter into approximately one half to one inch cubes.
• Turn mixer on high and add the vanilla and optional color. Then add the butter pieces one by one.
• If the mixture collapses, it means the mixture was too warm and you have to start over.
• Once all of the butter has been incorporated, you are done. Taste it, and it will remind you of vanilla ice cream.