Frozen Desserts: Summer Treats to Beat the Heat
To make homemade frozen desserts, you can add almost anything you desire to a dairy or simple syrup base. This collection shows off several recipes that are uniquely Tennessee.
Strawberry Lemon Ice Pops
Summertime in this state means fresh fruits, and strawberries are first to ripen. Combine them with a refreshing mixture of lemonade and fresh herbs, and freeze for a sweet-sour crushed ice mixture or, my preference, Mexican-style ice pops known as paletas. In this simple recipe for Strawberry Lemonade Ice Pops, strawberries can easily be replaced with other seasonal berries such as blueberries, blackberries or raspberries.
See more: Pick-Your-Own Produce Across the State
Peaches-and-Cream Icebox Pie
Our midsummer produce stands and farmers markets would lead one to believe that peaches are a top crop in Tennessee, but we’re limited by our state’s late spring frosts. So in addition to what we can find locally, we rely on our next-door neighbor, Georgia, to share her peach bounty with us.
Peaches are packed with several major nutrients, including vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and potassium. With just 38 calories in a medium-sized peach, they’re an excellent source of fiber, good for blood sugar and naturally fat free. This Peaches-and-Cream Icebox Pie pairs the ripe fruit with almonds to enter the flavor stratosphere. I took it up another notch by adding creamy vanilla and a praline crunch.
However, fresh fruit just scratches the surface of possibilities.
Goo Goo Cluster Pie
Our Goo Goo Cluster Pie features the decadent combination of chocolate, caramel, peanuts and marshmallows found in the Nashville-based Standard Candy Co.’s most famous confection. Moon Pie fans can tweak the dessert to represent the signature flavors of the Chattanooga treat by replacing the chocolate crust with graham crackers and omitting the marshmallow.
See more: Grab a Goo Goo at Fontanel
Sorghum Ice Cream
Sorghum’s uniquely rich flavor also deserves a nod, as Tennessee (along with Kentucky) leads the nation in sorghum production.
When I first made Sorghum Ice Cream, I used cream and eggs. This slightly lighter version uses low-fat milk but remains every bit as rich. The latte hue will keep people guessing, “What is this beautiful stuff?” (Learn more about sorghum and what distinguishes the syrupy end product of this grain crop from molasses.)
No ice cream maker? No problem. While some of us have old-fashioned hand-crank ice cream makers and others have the slick European style, a food processor or blender will do the trick. Simply pour the prepared liquid into a freezer-safe container and forget about it for a few days. Then pull it out of the freezer, puree it and place it back in the cold. It resets nicely and is ready to scoop.
These recipes would not load, just gave an error message, “Page not found”. So disappointed!
Sorry about that! We’ve fixed the links and all should be working correctly now.
Thanks!
Rachel Graf
Associate Editor, TN Home & Farm
Joan Howell is right the recipe link is corrupted! Why put this in your magazine if there is no recipe?
Sorry about that! We’ve fixed the links and all should be working correctly now.
Thanks!
Rachel Graf
Associate Editor, TN Home & Farm
I would just duplicated the other messages. What a bummer.
Sorry about that! We’ve fixed the links and all should be working correctly now.
Thanks!
Rachel Graf
Associate Editor, TN Home & Farm
I figured out if you follow the link on the right side there is a search option, type in the name of the recipe and it comes up. At least it did with the Goo Goo Cluster Ice Cream Pie.