Strawberry Goat Cheese Ice Cream

Sometimes food seems too pretty to eat. This would be one of those times. The sculpted scoops of pink perfection are just so... cute! Of course, not eating it would be a mistake of epic proportions. Think strawberry cheesecake in ice cream form. Oh, you want a spoon now?

Mango Lime Jalapeno Sorbet

This is the first recipe I ever made with my ice cream maker. In fact, it was one of the reasons I bought an ice cream maker in the first place. Dolcezza, a fantastic gelato shop here in DC, was selling it at the farmers market. I fell in love with the combination of sweet, tart, and spicy, but not the price (sorry, Dolcezza!). If only I could make it myself, I thought...

Little did I know at the time that it could be so easy. 

Chocolate Banana Baileys Ice Cream

It's sticky hot outside. The sun scorches your shoulders, and sweat clings to you in places you didn't even think you could sweat. Every step becomes slower, and every stretch of shade feels like a distant mirage. Finally, home. You pop open an ice cream container. A boozy sweet scent and cool air waft to your nostrils. Your spoon sinks in like a finger in a peanut butter jar. First, the sharpness of dark chocolate hits your tongue, followed by a bite of Baileys and rum. Finally, the banana—mellow and sweet. The kicker: It's actually kind of healthy.

That's right, this recipe has no sugar or heavy cream. Just milk, chocolate, banana, Baileys, and rum.

Watermelon Mint Sorbet

When I was very little, my parents told me that if you swallowed watermelon seeds then a watermelon would grow inside your stomach. As it turns out, that is not true. It's a good thing because (1) that would be very painful, and (2) watermelon is delicious and without it you could not make this lovely, heat-beating sorbet.

Mint makes everything more refreshing. 

Mango Frozen Yogurt Push Up Pops

Remember push-up pops? My brother and I used to eat the Flintstone Push-Ups at the pool every summer. This has to be the most brilliant way to eat ice cream, because there are no spoons or bowls required. Just push it up. Now imagine if you could enjoy mango frozen yogurt in push-up pop form. Genius, right?

I found these reusable plastic push up pops at Bed, Bath & Beyond...

Green Tea Ice Cream

I am going to let you all in on a little secret. I am going to tell you my all-time favorite ice cream flavor: green tea. My favorite place to eat it has always been Takashimaya, a Japanese department store with a basement restaurant on 5th Avenue in New York. When I'm in the city, I almost always try to make a stop for this perfect bowl of ice cream. It's creamy and calm, not too strong, but not too subtle. Unfortunately, I just learned that Takashimaya will be closing its doors forever tomorrow (June 5). Fortunately, I now have a recipe that rivals theirs.

There's a great little Japanese grocery in DC called Hana Market (2005 17th St., NW, on the corner of 17th and U). It's the only place in the city where I have been able to sushi grade fish and other Japanese specialty products. On a recent trip, I asked the owner, a very friendly old Japanese man, if he had any green tea powder that I could use to make ice cream. He found only one tiny jar that was very expensive on the shelf. Instead, he went in the back, poured a few spoonfuls (enough for several batches) of his own green tea powder into a little baggy and gave it to me. I love this man. 

Coffee Rocky Road Ice Cream

So, apparently it's National Rocky Road Day—or at least that's what the blogosphere claims. I'm not sure who comes up with these holidays and if there's any legitimacy to them, but apparently there's also a National Maple Syrup Day and National Escargot Day (for which I promise not to make an ice cream). Either way, the timing is pure luck because I just so happened to create this twist on the classic rocky road. It tastes like one of those ridiculous $8 Frappuccinos from Starbucks, except it's actually good. It's also a huge crowd pleaser. I brought it to a party over the weekend, and it was polished off within 15 minutes.