New Delhi: July 1 is also known as Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day, if there's a food that brings more universal joy to the world than ice-cream, I've yet to find it. Frankly, I'm not sure I'd want to.
Whether you eat it in a bowl or a cone, on a hot summer afternoon or by the midnight light of the fridge, ice cream is almost guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. But what about making it yourself? Does the idea of homemade, from scratch ice-cream fill you with radiant happiness? If it doesn't, it should.
History of creative ice cream flavour day
When people think about flavours of ice cream, they mostly think about what they can get off the grocery store shelves or from 31 flavours. When you take a moment to consider that ice cream was first invented in the 5th Century BC by the Ancient Greeks, and from there they travelled around the world and through every culture, you realise that the smattering of flavours you’ve experienced in your life is just the beginning. Somehow this seems like a perfect metaphor about our daily lives as well, don’t you think?
Do you like vanilla ice cream? Chocolate? What about strawberry? Chances are you love all these flavours, but have you ever considered saffron ice cream? What about rose flavoured? These are just some of the flavours that were possible in years past, and don’t even begin to cover the absolute rainbow of flavours that come from fruits!
Of course, most of these probably don’t seem all that unusual or creative, do they? That’s ok! If you’re truly feeling adventurous, you can try crab and oyster flavoured ice cream, or garlic flavoured (kidding)!
How to celebrate Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day
Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day is best celebrated by buying a flavour of ice cream you’ve never tried and giving it a whirl, at least if you’re feeling lazy and not at all adventurous. The truly daring will instead buy a simple ice cream making machine and start coming up with all sorts of gastronomically alchemy within.
The extent of the flavours is really only limited by your own flavour palette and sense of adventure. We suggest trying rosemary ice cream, pickle flavoured (sure to be a favourite amongst pregnant women), or even salmon flavoured! Try anything you can think of, Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day encourages you to give it your all.
It is also a good idea to do a quick search online to see if there are any dessert parlours or restaurants in your area that have embraced Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day. A lot of restaurants will celebrate days like this, coming up with unique ice cream treats for their diners to try on a one-off basis.
You may find that they have a special ice cream or sundae running for this day or week, and so you could book a table for you and some of your friends and try out this new treat. After all, you will find that most of them are limited one-off creations, and so there will be no time to hang around.
We bring you the smoothest and the creamiest concoction that can be made right in your kitchen. No fancy ingredients, but all the rich and creamy flavours. And the best part is that you can make each one of them without an ice cream maker. Phew!
1. Concord Grape Sorbet with Rosemary and Black Pepper
Rosemary, both herbal and floral, elevates the flavour of the Concord grape, while black pepper adds spiciness.
Ingredients
1/2 pounds Concord grapes, stems removed
1/2 cup honey
2 large sprigs rosemary
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
2. Boozy Piña Colada Ice Cream
Store-bought coconut ice cream gets a sunny, boozy kick from a pineapple and rum swirl in this easy ice cream inspired by our favourite beach-side cocktail.
Ingredients
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/4 cup light rum
2 pints coconut-flavoured (not non-dairy) ice cream
Maraschino cherries (for serving; optional)
A 9x5" loaf pan
3. Vegan Banana Ice cream
Watching frozen bananas blend into ice cream seems like magic — no sugar or dairy required. For extra flavour, stir in (cooled) toasted chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chunks for a easy spin on chunky monkey ice cream.
Ingredients
4 large ripe banana or frozen banana
4. Salted Caramel Ice Cream
This is one of the richest, saltiest, most delicious ice creams you'll ever have — and it only requires a few ingredients.
Ingredients
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
1 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split open, seeds scraped out
5. Peanut Butter, Banana, and Jelly Ice Cream
Bananas and peanut butter blending into ice cream seems like magic; pull out this trick at your next dinner party. Adding grape jelly makes it irresistible to kids and adults.
Ingredients
6 large very ripe bananas
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup grape jelly
Mouth watering much? Why to wait to go out in the scorching heat when you can make some amazingly healthy flavoursome ice creams at home?
