Butterfinger Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce

This recipe is so simple—stir crushed candy bars into softened ice cream—but it’s a real crowd pleaser. Dress it up with homemade chocolate sauce and wafer-thin chocolate cookies.

• 1 pint vanilla bean ice cream • 3 original-size Butterfinger candy bars, crushed (reserve one bar for garnish) • 1 Cadbury caramel-milk chocolate candy bar • 1/2 cup whipping cream • 1/2 teaspoon salt • Chocolate cookie wafers • Fresh mint leaves

Let vanilla bean ice cream soften in refrigerator. Transfer ice cream to bowl. Mix in two crushed Butterfinger bars. Transfer ice cream mixture to freezer-safe container; freeze.

For sauce, heat caramel-milk chocolate bar and whipping cream together in double boiler, stirring until candy bar melts. Remove from heat. Stir in salt. Let cool; store in refrigerator. To warm sauce, microwave for 30 seconds.

To serve, spoon sauce into bottom of bowls. Top with ice cream mixture. Garnish each serving with remaining crushed Butterfinger bar, chocolate cookie wafer, and mint leaf. Makes 6 servings.

Read full story here in Traditional Home

Ice Cream Sliders

A new take on the Ice Cream Sandwich. I found this recipe on the Tasting Table, a wonderful food blog that I'm a total fan of. I thought this recipe was so creative; such a fun interpretation of a classic dessert. The perfect summer treat...that is, if you can eat it before it melts!

Yield: 6 ice cream sliders (with leftover wet nuts)

Cook Time: 8 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Wet Nuts

• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Pinch sea salt
• ¾ cup roughly chopped mixed nuts (such as walnuts, pecans, almonds and macadamia nuts)
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Sliders

• 1 pint container vanilla ice cream
• 1 pint container chocolate ice cream
• 6 mini brioche buns, sliced in half crosswise

DIRECTIONS1. Make the wet nuts: In a medium saucepan, combine the corn syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cooking until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the nuts and cook until they are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the almond extract, cool, then transfer to a container. Store in the fridge until ready to use.2. To make the sliders, use a serrated bread knife to slice each pint of ice cream crosswise into six ½-inch-wide discs. Place a disc flat on a cutting board and use a 2½-inch round cookie cutter to stamp a circle out of the center (save the trimmings for milkshakes; if your kitchen is very hot and the rounds soften or start to melt, quickly transfer them to a plate and freeze to harden the ice cream). Quickly place a vanilla round on a bun bottom, top with a chocolate round, cover with a spoonful of wet nuts and place the other bun half on top. Repeat five more times. Serve immediately.

Apricot Sparkling Wine Floats

A grown up interpretation of Fine Cooking's recipe. Elegant, yet playful, and a great way to take advantage of stone fruit season.

Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
• 1 lb ripe apricots, pitted and cut into pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
•  750 ml bottle of Cristalino or off-dry sparkling wine chilled

In a 3-quart saucepan, add apricots, sugar, lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tbs water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and sal. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are very tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large metal bowl with a few inches of ice and water. Have ready a second metal bowl that will fit into the ice bath.

Transfer the apricot mixture to the second bowl and put the bowl in the ice bath. Stir occasionally until cool, about 5 minutes. Puree the apricot mixture in a food processor.

Put two small scoops of the ice cream in each of 6 tall, narrow glasses. Top each with about 2 TBS of the apricot sauce. Repeat with another layer of ice cream and sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of sparkling wine to each glass. Serve immediately with straws and spoons.

July- National Ice Cream Month

Thanks to President Ronald Reagan, we now have an excuse to consume even more ice cream in this month than any other months in the year. In 1984, President Reagan deemed July the National Ice Cream Month and hey, I'm not complaining! In celebration of this steamy month, I'm whipping up my Ice Cream Cake Flower Pots. They're easy with a touch of whimsy. And most of all they'll keep you cool on these hot summer days. • 4-6 3” or 4” terracotta flower pots • 1 Devils Food cake mix, baked and crumbled into pieces • Your favorite ice cream • 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips • 1 cup heavy cream • 1 cup water • Mix-ins: mini oreos, crushed oreos, heath bars, M&M’s, Reese’s pieces, any chocolate or caramel candies.

Put chips, cream and water in heavy small saucepan. Cook on low stirring until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Place cake at bottom of pot, layer some ice cream then chocolate sauce. Continue layering with cake, ice cream and chocolate. The number of layers will depend on how big your pots are. Mix-ins can go in anytime or on top. Have fun with it and share your own creations with me via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LuluPowersFoodtoFlowers  TIP: Run a short straw through the middle of the pot and feed a flower threw it. Voile! Your edible flower pot is complete. Just be sure to eat it before it melts!

Lulu's Scrumptious Ice Cream Sandwich

1 cup light brown¾ cup granulated sugar 2 sticks softened butter 2 whole eggs 1 egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups flour 2 cups small Pretzels 1 cup “chunked” reese’s peanut butter cups 1 cup hershey kisses

Optional: Malton salt for sprinkling Pre heat oven:350 degrees

Cream together sugars and butter. Gradually add eggs. Next vanilla,salt, baking soda and flour. When everything is mixed together slowly add the pretzels and chocolates. As soon as they are incorporated stop your machine. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. bake: 7-10 minutes depending on oven.

Assembly:

Place one scoop vanilla ice cream on top of cookie. Mash down with spoon. Chunk up whatever candy or topping you like, my personal favorite is Ghiradelli milk chocolate and caramel squares. Optional: Sprinkle malton salt on top. I LOVE the chocolate, caramel and salt combo!!! Top with cookie. Enjoy!

Tip:

Make these ahead of time and freeze. This way you will be ready for last minute summer bbq's or unexpected guests.