"Icecream" Sandwiches

This little treat excites the minds (and fills the tummies) of all toddlers and preschoolers alike. Okay I won't lie- I love them too. These were always a big hit in the preschool I worked at, and lets face it- a lot healthier too! Perfect for snacktime on a warm day.

"Icecream" Sandwiches

graham cracker sheets, broken into squares (any flavor too)

soy or rice yogurt (or soy or rice icecream)

Use 2 graham cracker squares as the top and bottom of your sandwich and fill with yogurt or icecream. Place in a covered container or wrap with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Take out and enjoy!

Tulipes

 These sorbet bowls are heaven! I think I just found my new favorite dessert to impress. Don't they just look fancy? Well they don't just look pretty, they taste divine too. They taste just like a super yummy sugar cookie, and I could have just eaten them all by themselves but instead I served them with raspberry sorbet. My kids might never eat icecream cones again :)

Sidenote: the original recipe calls for "butter, no substitutions" so if you CAN tolerate butter, use butter, but if you can't then use dairy free margarine. I made one batch with butter and then another batch with Smart Balance Light (dairy-free) Spread. The only difference I found was that the centers weren't as crisp (you may want to add cooking time) and they were a little trickier to form so you might need to hold them the way you want them until they cool. I also let the batter sit for about 5 minutes before pouring it onto the cookie sheet.  Feel free to comment if you have great success using a certain type of dairy free margarine.

Tulipes

May Good Housekeeping Magazine

Makes 12

3 large egg whites

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

6 Tbsp butter, melted (or dairy free margarine-see above note)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

icecream or sorbet

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease large cookie sheet.

2. In large bowl, with wire whisk, beat egg whites, confectioner's sugar, and flour until well blended. Beat in melted butter, vanilla, and salt.

3. Make 2 cookies by dropping batter by heaping tablespoons, 4 inches apart, on prepared cookie sheet. With narrow metal spatula, spread batter to form 4 inch rounds. Bake cookies until golden around edges, 5-7 minutes.

4. Place two 2 inch diameter glasses upside down on work surface. With spatula, quickly left 1 hot cookie and gently shape over bottom of glass. Shape second cookie. When cookies are cool, transfer to wire rack. (If cookies become too firm to shape, return them to cookie sheet and place in oven to soften slightly.)

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 with remaining batter (batter will become slightly thicker upon standing). Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature. To serve, place on plates and fill with icecream or sorbet.

Raspberry Sorbet

I am definitely obsessive compulsive cautious when it comes to watching out for potential food allergens. So I guess you can call me stupid and naive for taking my son to an ice cream shop this past Saturday evening for a mother-son date. I found out that they serve dairy free sorbets at Cold Stone, and I had the preparer wash the serving spoon and put the sorbet right from the tub into a bowl so that it wouldn't touch any of the counter tops that had ice cream remains. I was really excited about their willingness to do all of this for us and we sat and enjoyed our ice cream. Well 5 minutes after my son finished he started hacking up a lung, so obviously there was still a tiny trace amount of dairy in the sorbet. Luckily it was just a small trace amount and 4 MLs of benadryl did the trick. Now I know not to do that again!

I've been making sorbets at home ever since my friend Mel let me borrow her ice cream maker almost 2 years ago. Since then I've purchased my own and made lots and lots of sorbet. I usually keep my freezer heavily stocked. Sure the process is a little longer than I would like it to be, but it's all worth it to ensure the safety of a child with food allergies right? Plus I think this sorbet is so much more divine than regular ice cream anyways! Everyone devours it!

Raspberry Sorbet

Recipe from Cuisinart

makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

12 ounce bag frozen raspberries, pureed and strained (about 1 cup)
4 teaspoons lemon juice

*To puree the raspberries you can either thaw them out and puree with the juices, or you might need to add up to 1/4 cup of water if you use frozen. You can use a food processor or blender. (I'm not going to lie, a food processor is much easier)

*Once pureed use a fine metal strainer to strain out the berries. Use a spatula to mash the berries to the metal strainer and then use a butter knife or another spatula to scrape off the bottom into a bowl. Trust me it is worth the effort for smooth sorbet!

*Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sugar dissolves, about 3-4 minutes. Cool completely (either covered overnight in the fridge or by chilling over an ice bath for 30 minutes).
*Once the sugar water is cooled, add raspberries and lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions. Mine takes 30 minutes to thicken (pictured below)

*Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer until firm, about 2 hours. You can store in your freezer just like you would any frozen treat- until it gets eaten up!