What could be better for an afternoon treat than a big bowl of ice cream? A big bowl of ice cream and lots of friends - that's what! Read on for frosty facts and tasty treats.
Did you know:
- Ice cream has come along way since people first mixed snow with sugar. Learn about its history and how it's made today in Gail Gibbons' Ice Cream: The Full Scoop, opens a new window.
- To make 750 gallons of rich, chocolaty ice cream, it takes 400 pounds of dried cocoa?
- The first ice cream cone was made at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904—or was it? Everybody wants credit for ice cream's crunchy companion. Check out its mysterious history in Elaine Greenstein's Ice-Cream Cones For Sale!, opens a new window
- According to tradition, opens a new window, desserts made with ice and fruit juices were enjoyed long ago in Baghdad, China, India, Rome, and Arabia.
- Ice cream made with milk (once called "milky sorbet") is believed to have first been made in Italy in the 17th century.
- Ice cream may have been on the world's menu for a long time, but a carton sure does disappear fast around the house.
Have fun making it yourself by giving these recipes a try:
Quick Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
This is ideal for the kids or anyone wanting something quick and delicious! This one does require an ice cream maker.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons of cocoa
1 can (large) condensed milk
1/2 pint (250ml) milk
Mix together the milk and condensed milk. Dissolve the cocoa in a little hot water. When fully dissolved stir it into the milk/condensed milk mixture. Transfer the whole mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
From ice-cream-recipes.com, opens a new window
Berry Orange Sorbet
Ask for a grown-up's help with the simmering and blending.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed raspberries or blackberries
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the water and all of the sugar. Bring the liquid to a simmer, and continue simmering it for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool.
Put the berries and the remaining 1/4 cup of water into the bowl of a food processor, and puree them for 30 seconds. Strain the puree to remove the seeds.
In a pitcher, stir together the cooked syrup, the orange and lemon juices, and the seedless berry puree. Pour the mixture into two ice-cube trays, and freeze until firm (generally 6 or more hours). A pitcher or a mixing bowl with a spout will make filling the ice-cube trays easier and neater.
When you're ready to serve the sorbet, chill serving dishes in the freezer, and briefly chill your food processor bowl and blade as well. Then transfer the fruit cubes to the food processor and pulse them, in short bursts, to make a smooth sorbet. Spoon the sorbet into the chilled dishes and serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings. From CookPad.com., opens a new window
You can find more ice cream cookbooks from our adult collection here, opens a new window.
Can't get off the couch after all that ice cream? Turn to one of these terrific books or videos - featuring flavors for all ages.
For Young Ones
Chuggington: Wilson and the Ice Cream Fair, opens a new window (DVD)
Chuggington the train helps make the ice cream fair a success.
Dizzy Izzy, opens a new window by Jon Scieszka
Izzy the ice cream truck tries to get himself dizzy.
How Did That Get to My Table? Ice Cream, opens a new window by Pam Rosenberg
Take a trip to the ice cream factory with this non-fiction book, available through our hoopla streaming service., opens a new window
Ice Cream Face, opens a new window by Heidi Woodward Sheffield
A little boy experiences a lot of different emotions as he waits in line for ice cream, his favorite food.
Ice Cream Soup, opens a new window by Ann Ingalls
What happens when you try to make an ice cream cake but add too many delicious toppings? You end up with ice cream soup! (A level 1 beginning reader)
Ice Cream Summer, opens a new window by Peter Sis
Joe writes his grandpa all about his summer, and his summer is filled with ice cream dreams.
Ice Cream Town, opens a new window by Margaret Buckley
Take a tour of the fantastical Ice Cream Town, where everything is made of ice cream! Fancy a ride on the ice cream train, a dip in the ice cream lake, or a visit to the ice cream park? It's all possible in Ice Cream Town, where the sweetest dreams come true. (A level 2 beginning reader)
If I Drove an Ice Cream Truck, opens a new window by Alastair Heim
The Cat in the Hat imagines what it would be like to drive an ice cream truck of his own invention, with Thing One and Thing Two as his crew.
Making Stuff: Ice Cream, opens a new window (Kanopy Kids streaming video)
Old-fashioned ice cream made in small batches gets a big boost from a swirl of tasty orange! Delicious!
Paletero Man, opens a new window by Lucky Diaz
Follow along with our narrator as he passes through his busy neighborhood in search of the Paletero Man. But when he finally catches up with him, our narrator's pockets are empty. Oh no! What happened to his dinero? It will take the help of the entire community to get the tasty treat now.
Saffron Ice Cream, opens a new window by Rashin Kheiriyeh
Rashin is an Iranian immigrant girl living in New York, excited by her first trip to Coney Island, and fascinated by the differences in the beach customs between her native Iran and her new home--but she misses the saffron-flavored ice cream that she used to eat.
Splat The Cat: I Scream for Ice Cream, opens a new window by Rob Scotton
A level one beginning reader that is truly delicious. Can Splat the Cat and his friends save the day at the ice cream factory?
Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream, opens a new window by Tom Watson
A funny story about a dog and his friends who want ice cream on a hot day.
Treats for More Advanced Readers
The Ice Cream Machine, opens a new window by Adam Rubin
Wild stories featuring a robot nanny, an evil ice cream seller, aliens, and a sorceror's apprentice, among others, all centered around the sweetest treat ever.
The Ice Cream Mystery, opens a new window by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Alden children help out at the Greenfield Ice Cream Barn. While learning to make ice cream and create new flavors, can they help solve a mystery before the Barn gets shut down? Available on eAudio through hoopla., opens a new window
A Sundae With Everything on It, opens a new window by Kyle Scheele
Embark on an interdimensional quest for a dessert that is truly out-of-this-world in this deliciously funny family adventure tale.
