5 CREATIVE DESSERTS IDEA FOR SUMMER THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST ICE CREAM

1. Mochi Ice Cream

With deliciously refreshing, multi flavors ice cream on the inside and the perfectly soft glutinous rice flour skin on the outside, ice cream mochi brings you that chewy texture with a breezing touch that scooping ice cream directly from carton box simply can not, it’s no wonder that this popular summer dessert from Japan is being globally recognized when summer gets around. 

Image credit: Dr.Oetker 

Ingredients: 

• 1 ½ cups ice cream (flavor of choice) 

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup water

• Cornstarch for dusting

Method: 

• Scoop 12 tiny scoops of ice cream onto a parchment paper-lined pan and place it in the freezer.

• In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the sweet rice flour, sugar, and water and cover with plastic wrap. 1 minute in the microwave

• Remove any lumps from the rice flour mixture with a whisk, then cover with plastic wrap and microwave for another minute.

• Microwave the mixture one last time for 30 seconds, then toss in the food dye (Optional).

• Cover your counter with a large piece of parchment paper and a thick coating of cornstarch.

• With a wet spatula, scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the cornstarch; dust with extra cornstarch.

• Once the dough is rolled out into a rectangle, place it on a cookie sheet and place it in the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes. 

• After the dough has set, cut into 3 ¾ inch (9½ cm) circles. 

• Pick up one circle and quickly take one scoop of ice cream from the freezer and place it in the center of the circle. Press the dough’s edges around the scoop of ice cream, forming a ball, and squeeze to seal. 

• Wrap the mochi ice cream ball in cling wrap and place them seam upside down, put them back in the freezer to set for a minimum of 2 hours. 

  
  2. Fruit Yogurt Barks 

Try mixing nonfat yogurt and fresh fruit together and you will end up with this refreshing frozen fruit yogurt barks treat that is packed with probiotics and nutrients. This healthy summer snack is just 3 steps and 3 ingredients away from you! 

Image credit: Stephanie Kay Nutrition 

Ingredients: 

• 500ml Greek yogurt

• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• Vanilla extract (Optional) 

• Fruit of choices 

Method: 

• Combine the yogurt, maple syrup, and cinnamon or vanilla seeds in a medium mixing bowl. Add your personal choice of fruit and mix well.

• Line a shallow baking tray with nonstick baking parchment and pour in the ingredients, spread it out evenly.

• Freeze for 2 hours or until solid, covered with cling film. Serve immediately, cut into finger shapes or long triangles.

3.  Fruit Sorbet 

Ices (or sorbets), which are essentially a blend of smooth ice, sugar, flavoring, and other refreshing components like fruit purees, were one of the first frozen sweets to be invented. A sorbet is a frozen dessert that is created without dairy and is more acidic than ice cream, which means it will have more tart flavors and fewer calories and also fat.

Image credit: Goya Foods 

Ingredients: 

• 8 oz of fruits (Recommend: berries, pineapple, peach, mango, watermelon, cantaloupe) 

• 3 – 4 tbsp sugar syrup, maple syrup or orange juice for a less sweet and healthier option.

Method: 

• To make blending easier, cut whole fruits into 1/2 inch cubes.

• Arrange the fruits in a single layer on baking trays lined with parchment paper.

• Completely freeze the fruits and keep them in freezer or ziploc bags.

• Roughly weigh 8oz of frozen fruit and place them in a small food processor or ice crushing blender. 

• Pulse to break the fruit into small pieces, then blend in the simple syrup eventually until you have a creamy sorbet-like paste.

• Put in lemon juice and blend for a few more seconds to combine.

• Serve right away or keep in the freezer for later.

4. Panna Cotta 

Panna cotta is a classic but also lovely, simple, and easy to make Italian dish, the translation of the name is basically cooked (cotta) cream (panna). The classic Italian panna cotta requires only a few common ingredients such as cream, sugar, gelatin to make, and is flavored with vanilla  served with fresh summer fruits or fruit sauce. Although simple as it sounds, it still tastes heavenly during a hot, steamy day.

Image credit: My Food Story 

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin 

• 2 tablespoons cold water

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 cup half and half

• ⅓ cup sugar

• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Method: 

• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and set aside for 1 minute to soften. Heat the gelatin mixture over low heat until it dissolves, then remove from the heat.

• Bring cream, half-and-half, and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring constantly. 

• Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the gelatin and vanilla extract. Divide the cream mixture into small bowls and let it cool down to room temperature. After cooling, cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight after cooling.

• Dip the bowl in boiling water for 3 seconds before removing with a knife, serve cold with berry sauce.

5. Snow Fungus Soup 

When encounter the hot summer, Chinese pear and snow fungus soup that contains cooling ingredients, such as the sugared fritillaria, fresh pear, tangerines, honey date and sweetened with rock sugar is considered to be the perfect dessert to nourish and refresh your body, it also scientifically proven to help   with dry cough, respiratory problems, and inflammatory.

Image credit: The Meatmen Channel 

Ingredients: 

• 1 dried snow fungus 

• 1 fresh Chinese pear 

• 1.4 liters water

• 2 sugared flattened tangerines 

• 1 honey date 

• Dried tangerine peel 

• 1 tbsp Chinese apricot kernels

• 1 tbsp fritillaria

• 3 red dates

• Rock sugar (optional)

Method: 

• Soak the snow fungus for at least 20-30 minutes or overnight to make it softer after cooking, remove the hard stem ends using a pair of scissors.

• Rinse the snow fungus and drain any extra water in a strainer.

• Peel the pear, remove the seeds, and cut it into eight halves.

• Place the Chinese pear in another pot of water. Add the sugared flattened tangerines, honey date, dried tangerine peel, Chinese apricot kernels and fritillaria.

• Add the red dates and snow fungus.

• Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 90 mins.

• If you want your soup to be sweeter, add rock sugar while it's still simmering. 

Credit: 

Tanks (The Singapore Women’s Weekly)

The Spruce Eats 

Bigger Bolder Baking 

Plays Well With Butter 

Tesco Real Food 

The Flavor Bender 

Epicurious 

Courtney Sweets

Healthy Food  

Baskin Robbins