Frozen Dessert

Creamy, fruity, refreshing, and vegan. The combination of mango and coconut makes this a perfect dessert to follow a Caribbean or Indian meal.

The classic combination of chocolate cake, cherries, and cream found in the traditional Black Forest cake was our inspiration for this cream’wich. In the summertime, fresh cherries can be used in lieu of dried. As is true of all of our ice cream sandwiches, we advise that you make them at least a short while in advance of when you want to serve them. Otherwise, the ice cream tends to squeeze out the sides.

We used pears in this ice cream’wich, but many other fruits would work well, too, such as apples, figs, or peaches. Because the fruit is poached, it won’t harden in the same way that raw fruit does when it is frozen. And not to worry if you do not like rum: you can simply leave it out of the ice cream recipe, yielding a simple and tasty vanilla ice cream.

Here, the brittle adds the excitement to the ice cream sandwich by providing the crunch. But don’t add the brittle too far in advance, as it will begin to dissolve into the ice cream. If pecans are not your favorite, you can substitute a nut that’s more to your liking.

America’s Funniest Pets is, as you know, the greatest reality show on television. And there’s no finer accompaniment to a TV night than this incredibly simple, unimaginably delicious pie. If it’s possible to make an evening spent watching a dog run around with a bucket on its head more awesome, this pie will get you there. When you try this recipe, take any liberty you can think of to personalize it. You could use any of the cookies in this book for the crust and enjoy fantastic results.

Dear Outraged Icebox Cake Purist: I understand you will be frustrated and angry that what follows is in no way an icebox cake, and for that I’m sorry. But those traditional icebox cakes you are so staunchly defending are nothing more than raw eggs, butter, and sugar mixed together and dumped into a pit of sponge cake or stale ladyfingers. Not cool for your stomach, or mine! We can do better—and have with this towering ode to the magical pairing of mint and chocolate. The cake may seem a touch underdone when the baking time is up, but trust me: You will have a beautifully moist cake that won’t dry out in the freezer, one you’ll pick at happily each time you pass the fridge for weeks to come! If you avoid evaporated cane juice, omit the cookies but add some berries or Chocolate Crumb Base (page 116).

The warm richness of pear and the earthiness of cumin combine to create a new flavor that to me is the epitome of fall. This granité isn’t too sweet, so you could also serve it as a middle course of a big dinner, before the meat. You could substitute sparkling apple cider mixed with an equal amount of pear puree for the pear cider.

The caramel notes of this sherry lend themselves well to the fruits available in autumn.

I love sangria in the summertime and always thought about turning it into a slushy. Here, I’ve taken it one step further and made granité. The acid from the raspberries both brightens and enhances the flavors of the wines.

Dessert wines are usually too sweet for me, so I introduce the natural acids of fresh fruit or berries for balance, as in this granité. Serve this over berries or add it to a margarita.

The combination of bitter Campari and sweet tangerine couldn’t be more refreshing.

I love champagne and it’s a natural in desserts. This sorbet captures the airiness and effervescence of the wine, and adding a hint of lemon makes it super-refreshing. Champagnes differ in their sugar contents, which will affect whether or not the sorbet will freeze, so be sure to use Veuve Clicquot yellow label for this recipe.

Tomatoes are technically a fruit, and that’s how I treat them. This sorbet, which should be made at the height of tomato season with the ripest fruits, showcases that characteristic sweet-acid tomato flavor in its coldest form. A scoop of this sorbet can be the start of a not-so-traditional Bloody Mary, and it could also find its way into a bowl of gazpacho. Try pairing it with the Raspberry-Rose Water Soup (page 62), too.

The intriguing lemony/orangey flavor of Meyer lemons is so refreshing; this sorbet captures the fruit’s essence and perfume. The Salt Butter Shortbread (page 202) is great with it, but, really, this sorbet needs no accompaniment.

The jolting flavor of passion fruit really explodes on the palate. Serve this with passion fruit seeds on a hot day. Or combine it with some meringues and strawberries.

Rhubarb is paired with strawberry so often, but I like showcasing the pungent, tangy flavor all on its own. Combining this sorbet with White Chocolate Ice Cream (page 221) softens the edge. If your rhubarb isn’t very ripe and red, you may want to adjust the color with a few drops of pomegranate juice.

The goal when making any sorbet is to capture the purity of ripe fruit while making the smoothest texture possible. This sorbet does that beautifully for ripe summer strawberries.

Serve a scoop of this bright and refreshing sorbet over a bowl of sliced summer peaches. Or add it to your favorite gazpacho.

This may be the epitome of freshness, a perfect balance of sweet and tart, with the crispness of the apple apparent, even in sorbet form. Be prepared: This can take a very long time to freeze in a home ice cream maker.

This sorbet is very smooth and not too sweet. Keep some in the freezer for a quick chocolate fix.