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NYT Syndicate
What better time to up your game when it comes to summer delights. Here's how to make ice cream sandwiches even more delectable (yes, that's possible!), Grill your dessert and make picnic-ready peach-pie bars. Expect these treats to fly off the plate.
COLD FUSION
It was a stroke of genius when a 19th-century street peddler sandwiched sweet vanilla ice cream between two graham wafers. Now there's proof that lightning can strike twice: Here's how to brighten the flavours, spice up the cookies and improve the form (they're sliceable!), making them a cinch to serve. These cakey cookies partner well with citrus and other fruit flavours, but also with coffee, green tea or nearly any ice cream you like.
LEMON-SPICE ICE CREAM
SANDWICHES
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes: 12
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
3u8260?4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1u8260?4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1u8260?4 teaspoon ground ginger
1u8260?2 teaspoon coarse salt
3u8260?4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice
2 large eggs
2 pints ice cream, softened
Method
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment; butter parchment. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In another bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, molasses, lemon zest and juice, and eggs. Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients until smooth. Spread batter evenly in prepared sheet.
2. Bake until cake is dry to the touch and edges begin to pull away from sheet, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife; flip out of sheet. Remove parchment; flip top-side up onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
3. Transfer cake to a work surface; cut in half crosswise. Place one half top-side down on a piece of plastic wrap. Beat ice cream until malleable, then spread over cake in a 1-inch-thick layer. Top with second half of cake, top-side up. Wrap in plastic and freeze at least 8 hours and up to 1 week. Use a serrated knife to trim edges and cut into 1 1u8260?4-by-3-inch pieces. Serve immediately, or wrap in plastic and freeze for up to 1 week.
GRATE EXPECTATIONS
There are lots of sweet finales that benefit from a bit of fire. A few minutes on the grill gives fruit a caramelised flavour. Consider putting these flame-kissed plums and peaches atop grill-marked pound cake.
Brush half-inch-thick slices of pound cake with melted unsalted butter. Grill over medium heat, turning once, until toasted. Brush halved and pitted peaches and plums with more melted butter; sprinkle with sugar. Grill, cut-sides down, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes; flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove and dice, then sprinkle with more sugar, lime zest and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve cake with fruit and yogurt whipped cream.
CLASSIC POUND CAKE
Light on effort, heavy on flavour, pound cake has earned its centuries-long popularity.
Yield: Makes 2 cakes
Ingredients
1 pound (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon coarse salt
4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 large, room-temperature eggs
Method
1. Heat oven to 325 F. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.
3. Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.
4. Bake until a tester inserted into centre of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.
ALL SQUARED AWAY
This recipe keeps on giving: You can replace the peaches with other fruits in season, including nectarines, apricots and, come fall, apples. With a press-in shortbread crust that doubles as a topping, the classic summer-fruit dessert becomes fuss-free (and fork-free, to boot). Pack the travel-ready treats into a picnic basket and you're good to go. Store the bars in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container, for up to three days.
PEACH-PIE CRUMBLE BARS
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Makes: 16 bars
Ingredients
Crust
1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
2 cups allu8209?purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Filling
1 1/4 pounds peaches, pitted and cut into a 1/2u8209?inch dice (3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons allu8209?purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Method
1. Heat oven to 375 F. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch cake pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment.
2. Crust: Beat butter with sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add flour and salt; beat until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 2 1/2 cups flour mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan.
3. Filling: Stir together peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Pour into crust. Crumble remaining flour mixture evenly over top, squeezing to create clumps. Bake until bubbling in centre and crust is golden, about 1 hour, 10 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent top with foil). Let cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares.
