Pimp your summer ice cream

Home-dipped cones

There is nothing better than eating your favourite ice cream from a crispy and sweet waffle cone. You may even catch yourself drooling over one of those large cones dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. Well the good news is that it only takes around 5 minutes to make your own awesome home-dipped waffle cones. Simply buy a package of cone shaped waffles and place them in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 min. Meanwhile, melt some chocolate. You can use all types from white to dark or with various flavours. Grab your ice-cold cones and dip them in chocolate – double dipping is allowed. Then sprinkle them with your favourite toppings. I love using freeze-dried berries, roasted and chopped nuts or candied flower pedals. Let the chocolate set completely and then fill your cones with your favourite ice cream.

Ice cream sandwiches

Another great way to serve ice cream is gently tucked between two crispy biscuits. It’s as simple as buying a package of your favourite biscuits – digestive biscuits are a great choice. Now place a scoop out of ice cream on a biscuit and top with another biscuit. Make sure the ice cream has a perfect soft and creamy texture. Serve the sandwiches right away or wrap them in cling wrap, place them in the freezer and grab one whenever you feel like it. You can also dip them in chocolate as well; just let them sit in the freezer for an hour or two before doing so. This extra step is simply delicious and adds an extra twist to any homemade ice cream sandwich.

Popsicles and fruit pops

On very hot days, juicy and hydrating popsicles can be a perfect choice to cool you down. I have always preferred homemade versions because they are so much fun to make and you can use your favourite flavours and fruits. The best way to make ice lollies is to prepare a large portion of fruity smoothie, adding a little extra sweetener, as it loses some sweetness during the freezing process. Pour the smoothie into ice lolly moulds and add a straw or a stick. Freeze the lollies completely before enjoying. An even easier version is to push a stick into half a banana or a slice of kiwi or mango – place in the freezer and enjoy when frozen. Dip them in chocolate for an extra twist.

Freestyle ice cream flavours

Many people have developed a fondness for today’s popular ice cream brands that mixes ice cream with all kind of different toppings, such as cookie dough, chocolate bars, sweets etc. But why sit around waiting for new flavours when you can simply make your own? Take some plain vanilla ice cream, let it sit for 20 min. until it has the perfect temperature and give it a good stir with a fork until it resembles soft-serve ice cream. Now just stir in fresh fruit and berries, compotes, cookie dough, crispy cookies and biscuits, peanut butter, roasted nuts, sugar glazed popcorn, candy, herbs or anything else that tickles your fancy. Enjoy immediately or put it back in the freezer.

Homemade fro-yo

You can’t talk about ice cream without mentioning fro-yo. Here in Scandinavia, frozen yoghurt is the queen of ice cream these days – and of course it’s easy to make a fast, inexpensive version yourself. Simply combine 1 part Greek yoghurt with 1 parts vanilla ice cream using a fork or an electric mixer. Top with fresh fruit and your favourite sprinkle and voilà, you have your own delicious frozen yoghurt.