July is Ice Cream Month and I nearly missed it. Ice cream I think is America’s favorite dessert. Who does not love the cold dessert that can be put into a cone or eaten from a dish?

The favorite flavor is vanilla, but chocolate comes in a close second. I love a twist cone that combines the flavors into a swirl. That is my favorite way to eat soft ice cream. If I am opting for the hard variety my favorite flavor is cinnamon. The first time I had cinnamon ice cream it was served with a slice of apple pie.

When I go to the ice cream place in Frewsburg, I always order the cinnamon. You have to be careful because the cones are very large.

At home I always have vanilla ice cream in my freezer. I like to have vanilla because I can use it so many ways. I can make sundaes, sodas, milkshakes or serve it with pie or cake.

I like to make my own ice cream, too. I bought a little freezer unit at a second-hand store. I had no idea how to make it work, but I figured it out. You chill the inside container in the freezer, then put it together. There is dasher to mix it. When the grandchildren were small, we frequently made ice cream for dessert. I let each of them stir it for about ten turns. By then it was ready to remove and add more of the base. They eagerly waited for the ice cream to be ready. We then put it into the freezer to await the after-dinner treat.

When my daughter was the Dairy Princess, she had to turn in a recipe for the Princess Cookbook. She chose my recipe for Lime Sherbet. Of course, the recipe had to have milk in it.

In that capacity she made a lot of milk punch. We served it whenever she went to a function.

Milk Punch

1 qt. vanilla ice cream ¢ gal. milk

1 qt. orange sherbet

1 qt. orange soda

Put into large punch bowl. Usually, I made at least two batches. The ice cream and sherbet just float until they melt. Serve with some cookies for a nutritious treat.

For other variations use lime sherbet and Sprite or raspberry sherbet and red pop. All variations are good.

Lime Sherbet

1 (3oz) pkg. lime gelatin

¢ c. lemon juice

1 c. sugar

1 qt. milk

1 c. boiling water

Dissolve gelatin and sugar in the boiling water. Add lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. When cool, add milk. Pour into freezer container. When it has turned to a slush, remove from freezer and beat until smooth. Repeat this step several times. Store in airtight container. If you have an ice cream maker you can freeze it in that. We used my small freezer and the children loved it.

For those of you who are lactose intolerant, try this next recipe. It is delicious.

Strawberry Sorbet

1 lb. strawberries

1 ¢ tsp. cornstarch

¢ c. sugar

1 ¢ tsp. cold water

Pinch of salt

3 T. lemon juice

Puree strawberries in blender or food processor. Combine puree with sugar and salt. Put into 3 qt. saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Heat to simmering. Whisk cornstarch into cold water then stir into hot mixture. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Cool slightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Freeze in ice cream freezer or freeze in shallow pan. If not using freezer, when the mixture is slushy beat until smooth. Repeat this process several times. Store in airtight container.

Ice cream is an easy dessert. If you need something sweet to finish your meal, it fills the bill. I often served it to the hayers. Of course, I also served cookies with it.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, PA. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.