Summer Ice Cream Recipes

Making your own ice cream this summer is easier than you think! No need for cumbersome and expensive ice cream makers - you can use what you have on hand. Get the kids involved and make it a family affair.

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream

This rich and decadent ice cream goes perfectly with chocolate brownies to make a simple and elegant summer dessert.

Makes: 8 servings

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup dark chocolate squares

1/3 cup cherries, pitted and halved (or canned cherries, drained)

1. Melt chocolate in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water on the stove.

2. Combine cream, milk and sugar in a large, wide, freezer-safe container. Add chocolate and beat with a hand mixer until chocolate and sugar are combined into mixture.

3. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours. Beat again with mixer - this is a great job for kids!

4. Freeze for 30 minutes, covered. Remove from freezer and beat again.

5. Freeze for an additional 30 minutes, then beat again. Fold in cherries and mix throughout the ice cream. Freeze for at least another hour and ice cream is ready.

Nutritional info per serving: 243 calories, 15.1 grams fat, 27.4 grams carbohydrates, 1.9 grams protein, 23.6 mg. sodium.

Peach and Lemon Granita

This Italian frozen ice dessert makes a light ending to any meal (think grown-up snow cones). Once you have the basic process down, experiment with different flavors to make a unique signature granita.

Makes: 8 servings

7 ripe peaches (peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks)

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Add peaches and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

3. Add peaches (with water) and lemon juice to blender and blend until smooth.

4. Pour into a large, shallow, freezer-proof pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

5. Remove from freezer and stir with a fork, breaking up large frozen crystals and scraping frozen chunks from sides. Return to freezer.

6. Continue freezing for 30 minute intervals, then stirring until mixture is frozen solid.

7. To serve, scrape granita with a fork and serve in chilled glasses.

Nutritional info per serving: 89 calories, 0.1 grams fat, 23.3 grams carbohydrates, 0.7 grams protein, 0.2 mg. sodium, 21.1 percent of daily allowance of vitamin C.

Mango and Mint Sorbet

Sorbet is a light, flavorful alternative to ice cream - a great ending to a barbecued meal in the backyard.

Makes: 8 servings

4 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks

1/4 cup lemon juice

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1/3 cup chopped mint

1. Boil water in a tea kettle and pour 1 cup over sugar and mint in a heat-proof bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved and allow to steep until mixture is at room temperature.

2. Strain out mint with a sieve and add sugar mixture to blender with mangoes and lemon juice. Blend until mixture is smooth.

3. Pour into a shallow pan and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and beat with a hand mixer until frozen crystals are evenly distributed. Return to freezer.

4. Continue freezing for 30 minutes, and beating for two more cycles. Freeze until mixture is solid.

Nutritional info per serving: 134 calories, 0.3 grams fat, 35 grams carbohydrates, 0.6 grams protein, 2.1 mg. sodium, 54 percent of daily allowance of vitamin C.