by Carol Berg Sloan RD
My son David was home from college for the 4th of July weekend and I of course went crazy making all his favorite dishes. I found the ice cream maker that my son’s best friend’s Chris’s mom, Cheryl Redgate, had given David for a high school graduation present and thought, “Why not? It’s 90 degrees and humid. Let’s make some ice cream!”
I chose the cookies-and-cream recipe on the box that called for 3 cups of half-and-half along with 3 cups heavy whipping cream, 3 cups sugar and 24 Oreos! Yikes! Heart attack in a bowl! And, while we certainly enjoyed that high-fat mouth feel, I knew I had to find a healthier recipe.
If you have an ice cream maker and want to go all out, make:
Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 3/4 cup cups heavy whipping cream
24 cream-filled sandwich cookies, crushed
• Combine half-and-half, sugar and baking cocoa together, mix until sugar starts to dissolve. Gradually stir whipping cream and vanilla into mixture, Pour mixture into the freezer canister. Freeze as directed. During the last 5 minutes of the freezing process, add the crushed cookies. Serve a small portion of this high-fat treat. YUM!
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, here is an easy and quick frozen delight that is nutritious and cool…especially now with these hot summer days (and nights).
Fruity Frozen Fudge Pops from the Canned Food Alliance (www.mealtime.org)
Frozen pops don’t have to be a forbidden treat when you have these healthy delights waiting in your freezer. They are low in sugar and full of flavor and nutrition. If you don’t have Popsicle molds, they also work great in small paper cups. Kids can peel away the paper and lick the pops right out of the container.
Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces) pear halves, in extra-light syrup, not drained
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 (3 1/2 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding
• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on medium-high for one minute. Pour into 3-ounce Popsicle molds or 3-ounce paper cups with Popsicle sticks inserted. Cover and freeze until solid, at least three hours. Freeze for up to one week.
Makes 10 servings.
