Summer is almost here! While the official start date of summer is June 20th, for me, the first day of summer had always been when I got out of school. And now that I’m not in school anymore, I consider the first day of summer to be June 1st. The weather is warmer, the days are longer, and everyone seems just a little bit happier. I guess that “summer vacation” mindset is hard to shake!
While there are a lot of great things about summer, one of the best is ice cream! Now, I’ll eat ice cream regardless of the weather, but when the temperatures warm up like this, it’s almost a crime not to have it. And the lines outside of the ice cream shops only support this. So, whether you’re looking for something to read in the ice cream line, or ready to try your hand at making your own frozen treats, we have something for everyone!
Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America is the perfect read for the ice cream lover. Author Amy Ettinger decided to take her love of ice cream (perhaps more of an obsession, really) and use it to explore ice cream shops all across the country. Her mission? To find the best artisanal ice cream and reconnect with the special memories of her childhood that ice cream always brings to mind. And in the end, she discovers so much more than she could have imagined, including the fascinating history of ice cream in the United States. This deliciously fun book is a perfect summer read for anyone interested in food history (and especially everyone’s favorite frozen treat). The best part is, this book is 100% guaranteed not to give you an ice cream headache! (Hold the brain freeze, please!)
Why go to the ice cream shop when you can make your own ice cream? Rose’s Ice Cream Bliss just might be the perfect place to start! This book is full of delicious ice cream recipes that you can make at home. The flavor selections range from fairly standard (peanut butter chocolate fudge, mint chocolate chip) to eclectic (brown sugar and black pepper, roasted corn). Find tips and tricks for how best to perfect your recipes (corn syrup as a glucose substitute, milk to reduce ice crystals), as well as fun ways to “spice up” your desserts with mix-ins, toppings, and fun ice cream styles, such as ice cream sandwiches, waffle cones, and more. Expand your horizons with some fun ice cream adventures!
If you’re looking for more than just ice cream, consider Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts. Learn how to make a wide array of mouthwatering temptations, including cookies, cakes, cobblers and fritters. And it doesn’t stop there! Try delicious sundaes, such as Whiskey Caramel and Honey Spiked with Chilies or your own homemade crunchy sundae toppings (Jeni calls them “gravels”). Best of all, you can use store-bought ice cream for any of the recipes included here, but more adventurous eaters can also try their hands at making homemade ice cream using Jeni’s recipes for everything from dairy-free ice cream to soft serve in a variety of flavors. Personally, I’m curious about Extra-Strength Root Beer Ice Cream and the Everything Bagel Gravel (crunchy topping)–but not together on one sundae, that is!
We’re going to end this list with a cozy mystery (think of it as something you can read while you’re in line waiting to get ice cream!). Bronwyn (Win) Crewse has recently returned home to Chagrin Falls in order to resurrect the family’s ice cream shop. Running a business is hard enough, with new staff to train, new flavors to create, and a cute guy who keeps coming in for sweet treats (and some sweet conversation with Win). But, business takes a dark turn when she discovers a dead body down by the falls behind the shop. Soon, suspicions are flying and her father becomes targeted as a top suspect. It doesn’t help that the murder victim has a history with her family and caused a lot of pain to her late grandmother. Bronwyn knows that her father didn’t do it, but she also knows that he’s not telling the police (or her) everything. So, she needs to figure out what really happened and track down the real killer before its too late. A Deadly Inside Scoop is actually the first in a series! The frozen fun continues in A Game of Cones.
