Oreo Garnish Here"s an easy way to make an Oreo sit politely on the rim of your gla.s.s. Carefully twist the cookie apart. Sc.r.a.pe all the cream over to one side. Stick the cookie back together on the rim of your gla.s.s, with the cream holding the two sides together at the top.

Guinness Float

If you"ve never thought of combining stout with ice cream, you don"t know what you"re missing. Rich vanilla ice cream is the perfect companion for creamy, smooth Guinness. If you haven"t had one, you"re in for a treat.

SERVES 1.

1 can of Guinness 3 scoops vanilla ice cream Scoop the vanilla ice cream into a pint gla.s.s.

Pour in the Guinness bit by bit, letting the head subside a little in between pours.

Add a straw and a long spoon to your gla.s.s, and go to town! Cheers!

Woodchuck Apple Cider Slider

This slider is like apple pie in a gla.s.s. It combines cla.s.sic mouthwatering, autumn flavors in one smooth, creamy shake with just a hint of fizz.

SERVES 1.

3 cups vanilla ice cream teaspoon ground cinnamon cup unfiltered apple cider cup Woodchuck hard cider Whipped cream and ground cinnamon, for garnish Put the vanilla ice cream, ground cinnamon, and unfiltered apple cider in your blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a tall gla.s.s.

Stir in the hard cider.

Garnish with whipped cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon.

Frozen Long Island Iced Tea

Watch out: This is a strong one. Long Island Iced Tea is a supercharged combination of five liquors topped with a splash of cola. Try to limit your guests to two each. They"re potent-and really easy to drink, especially on a hot summer day.

SERVES 2.

2 cups ice 1 cups sour mix 1 ounce vodka 1 ounce gin 1 ounce light rum 1 ounce tequila 1 ounce triple sec Cola Fresh orange slices Maraschino cherries Put the ice, sour mix, vodka, gin, light rum, tequila, and triple sec in the blender.

Blend until uniform.

Pour into two tall gla.s.ses.

Top with a splash of cola.

Garnish with a skewer of orange slices and maraschino cherries.

Serve immediately.

Chapter 11.

Toppings and Treats

Last but certainly not least, these embellishments, sauces, and toppings will help you make your frozen treats extraordinary.

Ever had a homemade marshmallow? Mmmmmm! This chapter includes recipes for homemade candies, which are great drink additions-and serve as perfectly delicious treats in their own right.

How about yummy sauces? Most of the major ice cream toppings are included here-b.u.t.terscotch, marshmallow sauce, and hot fudge. You"ll even find homemade maraschino cherries to top things off!

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is a popular Latin American sweet that translates roughly into something like milk jam or milk candy. This caramel spread is made by reducing milk, sugar, and vanilla until the concoction is so thick you can stand a spoon up in it. You can buy perfectly acceptable dulce de leche in stores, but if you have about three hours, it"s well worth the effort to make it at home. Use the best whole milk you can find. It"s absolutely outstanding. Drizzle dulce de leche on top of sundaes, or swirl it into ice cream or brownie batter. Use it anywhere you want a kiss of deep caramel flavor.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP.

1 quart whole milk 1 cups sugar 1 vanilla bean teaspoon baking soda Put the milk and sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Whisk to combine. Slit your vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. With the back of your knife, sc.r.a.pe out the paste. Toss the vanilla paste and pod into the pot with the milk.

Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the baking soda.

Cook until the mixture just starts to bubble at the edges, then knock the heat down to low, so that it barely holds a simmer. Cook like this, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour. (Warning: If your heat is too high, the milk can start to boil rapidly, which means that it can bubble up and possibly over onto your stove. Keep an eye on the pot until you"re sure that the heat is right.) As it cooks, it will start to slowly turn a lovely golden color. After 1 hour, remove the vanilla pod and discard. Continue to cook on low heat for another 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

It"s done when it"s thick, sticky, and nut brown in color. Take the pot off the heat. Strain into a medium-sized bowl. Cool to room temperature on the counter, then pop it into the fridge to chill completely. It will keep for about a month.

Homemade Marshmallows

Once you"ve had a homemade marshmallow, you"ll never go back to store bought. They"re that good. This is a big recipe. Making marshmallows is a fun, sticky project, so I tend to like to make a lot at once. They keep for a few months, and make great gifts. If they last that long, that is.

MAKES ABOUT 1 POUNDS OF MARSHMALLOWS.

5 tablespoons unflavored gelatin 2 cups cold water, divided 3 cups sugar 2 cups light corn syrup teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons vanilla extract Powdered sugar, for dusting Put the gelatin and 1 cup of cold water in the bowl of your mixer. Stir to combine. Let it sit uncovered for about 30 minutes, until solid.

With a strainer, dust a 9 13 gla.s.s baking dish with a thick layer of powdered sugar.

Make the sugar syrup by putting 1 cup of water, the sugar, salt, and corn syrup in a deep, medium-sized pot on the stove over high heat. Whisk until uniform.

As the mixture comes to a boil, wash down the sides of the pot with a brush dipped in cold water. Boil the sugar (keep the heat on high) until it reaches 244F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pot from the heat.

With the mixer running on low, slowly and carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin. At this point, it"s going to smell kind of awful. (Unflavored gelatin is stinky business.) Trust me and don"t worry about it. You"ll fix it with a little vanilla extract at the end.

Beat the mixture on medium-high for about 20 minutes, until the mixture has turned into thick, opaque white marshmallow fluff. Beat in the vanilla extract. Give the mixture a taste. It should taste like heavenly, sweet marshmallow.

Pour the marshmallow fluff slowly into your prepared pans. Dust the tops of the marshmallow with more powdered sugar. Leave the pans uncovered on the counter overnight to set up.

To cut the marshmallows, put a cup or two of powdered sugar in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Dip a thin, sharp knife in a gla.s.s of hot water, then run the knife around the inside edge of each pan until the marshmallow loosens. Lift the entire piece out and set it on a board. Cut into squares, tossing each one in the bag and rolling it in powdered sugar to completely coat. Repeat until you"ve cut all your marshmallows.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

This is arguably the best vanilla vodka that you"ll ever have. Here"s the catch: It takes a while to make. Vanilla extract is basically an infusion, so you have to be patient as your vanilla beans give up all their lovely flavor. Be sure to use good-quality vodka that you wouldn"t mind drinking. Make a few extra bottles and give them to your favorite bakers around the holidays.

23 whole vanilla beans

12 cups good-quality vodka 1 gla.s.s bottle with cap Sterilize your bottle and cap by washing with hot, soapy water. Let it dry thoroughly.

Pop the vanilla beans into the bottle. Fill with vodka. Cap the bottle. Let it sit in your kitchen in a cool, dark place for 68 weeks. Shake occasionally.

Want to speed up the process a little? Use more beans and a bit less vodka.

Never-ending Extract Once you"ve made a bottle of vanilla extract, keep it going. As you use it, replenish it with more vodka and vanilla beans. My homemade vanilla extract lives in an old-fashioned gla.s.s milk bottle. I"ve had it going since 2002. It must have two dozen vanilla beans in it-and it has far and away better flavor than anything I can find in a store.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Homemade hot fudge is really simple to make-and is so much better than anything you can buy in a jar. Use the best cocoa powder you can get your paws on.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS.

cup unsweetened cocoa powder cup whole milk 7 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 2 cups sugar 4 tablespoons light corn syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons creme de cacao Put the cocoa powder, milk, b.u.t.ter, sugar, and corn syrup on the stove in a small pot over medium heat. Stir constantly. It will be lumpy and messy until it heats up and the ingredients melt together into a smooth mixture.

Bring the mixture up to a simmer. As it heats up, wash down the sides of the pot with a brush dipped in cold water. This is important, as it"ll keep rogue sugar crystals from invading your hot fudge and crystallizing in the fridge. Simmer for about 5 minutes.