Edy’s ice cream

Edy’s Limited Edition Peppermint

The Edy’s Peppermint flavor is made with creamy peppermint ice cream with crushed pieces of peppermint candy that oozes a colorful sweetness. There is a bit of a crunch with the candy, which increases the versatility of the flavor. To use the peppermint ice cream to make a dessert for the holidays, consider serving the following treats for Christmas:

• The Peppermint Pie has a crust of crushed chocolate cookies.
• Upside Down Peppermint Ice Cream Cake requires a box of chocolate cake mix and chocolate frosting to make.
• Peppermint Espresso creates a tasty drink – ideal for entertaining adults during the holiday season. This drink recipe also calls for brewed espresso, and Kahlua or Amaretto that is topped with whipped cream.

This flavor is available until December.

Edy’s Limited Edition Eggnog

Why sip your eggnog when you can enjoy a frozen, melt-in-your-mouth treat with Edy’s Limited Edition Eggnog ice cream? The flavor of this ice cream mimics the popular seasonal beverage. Drop a scoop for a holiday Root Beer Float or consider one of Edy’s recipe suggestions.

Put your jelly roll pan to good use by making Buche de Noel with eggnog-flavored ice cream and a chocolate cake base. The surrounding layer is made with heavy cream and dusted off with cocoa.

This flavor is only offered for the months of November and December.

Edy’s Limited Edition Pumpkin

There’s still time to grab the last of the holiday Pumpkin flavor, which was offered until October. The Pumpkin flavor of ice cream tastes like a slice of pumpkin pie with the distinct taste of cinnamon and nutmeg. The added ginger also offers a welcomed flavor. The flavor is perfect to cap off a delicious Thanksgiving spread – served in dessert bowls topped with whipped cream or used as a sweet side for a slice of pie.

Calendula flowers are ideally picked as soon as they open during the summer. The young and tender leaves are good for salads because they possess a slightly peppery taste. To make calendula tea, steep dried flowers in boiling water for about five minutes. Many will sweeten with honey if there is a bitter taste. The flowers contain beta-carotene, sterols, vitamin A, vitamin C, and complex polysaccharides with immunostimulant properties that are awakened in the water.

Calendula and Desserts

Calendula flower petals have also found a place in making desserts. They add a subtle flavor to cookies, custards, and milk desserts. An example of a sweet treat that uses the flower is Calendula Drop Cookies, which are made with fresh calendula blossoms, sugar, butter, orange juice concentrate, vanilla, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and almond halves. Other sweet treats you can make with calendula includes the Mardi Gras favorite King Cake and Banana Cake, which both use dried or fresh petals.

Health Benefits of Calendula Tea

Calendula tea possesses anti-inflammatory, detoxing, and antibacterial properties. When you settle down to sip on a cup of calendula tea, you can take advantage of many other health benefits, such as relieving a sore throat, calming an irritated mouth, and limiting the damage of gastrointestinal conditions. Drink the tea when you are sick to rejuvenate your immune system. The tea is also used as a topical treatment for conjunctivitis (pink eye), ear infections, skin irritations and inflammations (such as acne) and for the stimulation of collagen production.

Tropical Fruit Sundae

Perfect for fruit lovers, this sundae incorporates the flavors of pineapple, coconut, kiwi, and passion fruit.

Ingredients

• Vanilla ice cream
• Pineapple chunks
• Sliced kiwi
• Passion fruit
• Coconut
• Whipped cream

In a sundae dish, add one scoop of vanilla ice cream. Add pineapple chunks, kiwi slices, pieces of passion fruit, and coconut. Top with whipped cream. Optional toppings include chopped nuts and sprinkles.

Tropical Coconut Sundae

Coconut ice cream might not be the easiest ingredient to find, but you can always invest in making a completely homemade dessert. You may also substitute the coconut ice cream for Perry’s Tropical Neapolitan, which offers mango, pineapple and coconut flavors of ice cream.

Ingredients

• Coconut ice cream
• Mango sauce
• Sliced banana
• Pistachio nuts

Put a scoop of coconut ice cream in a bowl. Add mango sauce and top with slices of banana. For the finishing touch, sprinkle pistachio nuts.

Warm Tropical Banana Ice Cream Topping

When you’re looking for a tropical alternative to hot fudge, consider this island twist on a warm topping.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 6 ripe bananas (sliced)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 3 ½ tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a skillet. Add the banana slices to the skillet. Stir in the vanilla extract, and cook the ingredients until the bananas turn a golden brown color. Add the coconut flakes and stir. Top with confectioners’ sugar and walnuts. Serve quickly over ice cream.

Grilled Pineapple Sundae

If you love pineapple, then this sundae is right up your alley.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh pineapple
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or maple syrup or honey)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Vanilla ice cream
• Maple syrup

Prepare a fresh pineapple for slicing. Cut the fruit and trim off the rind of each ring. Remove the tough core. Place the rings to the side, and preheat your grill to medium-high.

As the grill preheats, mix the butter, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat the ingredients until they are evenly mixed. The sugar should completely dissolve. This will serve as your glaze.

Brush one side of the pineapple rings with the glaze. Place the rings on the grill with the glazed side down. Brush the tops of the rings with the glaze.

Close the cover of the grill and cook for about 3 minutes (or until the pineapple rings show the characteristic grill marks).

Turn over the rings, and brush with the glaze again. Grill for another 3 minutes (or until grill marks appear on the other side). Remove the pineapple from the grill.

Place one or two pineapple rings on a plate. Add one or two scoops of ice cream to the center. Drizzle with maple syrup, and serve immediately.

Banana Pineapple Sundae

This sundae will satisfy the foodie that enjoys the taste of pineapples and bananas together.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons butter
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 small bananas (firm and sliced)
• 1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
• ½ teaspoon rum extract
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream

Add brown sugar, orange juice, butter and cinnamon to a large saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes. Make sure to stir the contents while cooking. Add the bananas and pineapple. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove the ingredients from the heat and stir in the rum extract. Top a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the cooked fruit mixture.

1) Ice Box Cake

It doesn’t take much to make this old-fashioned no-bake cake that puts your refrigerator to good use. Start off with 1 ¾ cups chilled heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar, ¾ teaspoon mint extract, one 9-ounce package chocolate wafers, and 1 cup miniature chocolate chips.

To make an easy ice box cake, use an electric mixer to make mint cream – beating the heavy cream, sugar, and mint extract until stiff peaks form. Place two sheets of wax paper side by side as a liner for a serving platter. To assemble the cake, spread each chocolate wafer with around ½ tablespoon mint cream to form stacks. Lay the stacks horizontally along seam of paper. Press gently to form a log. Use a small spatula or knife to cover the log with remaining mint cream.

Refrigerate the cake for at least four hours or up to two days. When serving, gently remove the wax paper from underneath cake. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Use a serrated knife to diagonally slice the cake.

2) No-Bake Cheesecake

You don’t have to pay a visit to Cheesecake Factory to enjoy the deliciousness of your favorite dessert. There is a simplified, traditional way to enjoy this classic sweet treat with many different variations. A sample list of ingredients for a basic recipe may include two packages of graham crackers, unsalted butter, sugar, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

Place graham crackers in a large resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to crush into very fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in sugar. Add butter and stir until ingredients are well combined. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, making sure to spread it about 2 inches up the side of pan. Press flat and allow the crust to chill in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling, set an electric mixer on medium-high speed, and beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until it becomes smooth. Gradually add and beat in small amounts of the condensed milk – scrape the sides of the bowl when needed. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Transfer the filling into the crust and use a rubber spatula to smooth over the top. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator until firm (about 2 ½ to 3 hours).

3) Banana Pudding

The layered effect of banana pudding is a traditional favorite of families across the United States. Different variations exist, which could use sweet vanilla custard, instant vanilla pudding, instant banana pudding, Vanilla Wafers, freshly sliced bananas, ladyfingers, whipped cream, and meringue. The pudding can be baked, but many choose the refrigerated version to save time and energy. Also, while some people enjoy making banana pudding from scratch, there is also an easier, quicker method that involves a box of instant pudding. A basic recipe uses:

1 box instant Jello vanilla pudding
2 small containers Cool Whip
1 box Vanilla Wafers
3-5 bananas

Prepare the banana pudding according to the directions on the box. Chill the pudding and add in one container of Cool Whip. Layer the wafers, pudding, and thinly sliced bananas. Continue to layer until all of the ingredients are gone. Pudding should make up the last layer. Top with extra Cool Whip. You may also decorate with a drizzle of crushed cookie crumbs, almond slivers or chocolate sauce. Keep chilled in the refrigerator before serving.

1. Flavorful Easter Bunnies – Exotic-flavored chocolate treats emerge during the Easter season for the more mature palate. Consider the solid chocolate creatures from Vosges-Haut Chocolates, which offers the Barcelona Bunny made with hickory-smoked almonds and gray sea salt, and the Toffee Bunny with butter toffee, pink Himalayan salt, and deep milk chocolate.

2. Eco-Friendly Easter Treats – Whether they abide by eco-friendly business practices or offer organic products, eco-conscious loved ones will enjoy the fact that you took the time to locate treats that fit into their lifestyle. For example, the certified organic Easter bunnies (Organic Chocolate Hopp’n Bunny) from Lake Champlain Chocolates are a real winner. Available in milk or dark chocolate, the planet-friendly rabbits are organic and free of preservatives. They come wrapped in a compostable cellophane bag tied with ribbon made from recycled plastic bottles.

3. Easter Bunny with Personality – Talk about personality…Christopher Norman Chocolates makes the Racer Bunny, which is a hand painted hollow rabbit that sits inside of a convertible.

4. Stylish Easter Bunny – Courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue, this stylish Easter bunny is made out of rich milk chocolate with white chocolate accents. Wrapped in clear cellophane tied with a ribbon, the hollow bunny is hand-decorated and weighs 7.7 pounds. The Charbonnel et Walker Giant Chocolate Easter Bunny actually costs $370.

5. Decorative Springtime Chocolate Cups – Pastel colors and spring-related imagery are a common theme for Easter treats. You can use light blue, light purple, yellow, and light green to liven up a basket for loved ones. There are plenty of gourmet chocolate treats to consider. For example, Savorique offers the romantically decorated Spring Dark & White Chocolate Cups – dark chocolate and white chocolate cups made with a layer of salted butter caramel, handmade vanilla marshmallow and dark chocolate ganache. The outside is decorated with vintage flowers.

6. White Chocolate Bunny – Who says all Easter bunnies have to be brown? A white chocolate bunny makes a delightful addition to any Easter basket.

7. Miniature Easter Bunnies – Perfect for family and friends on a diet, choose the Easter treats that come in bite-sized portions. Cute and cuddly, Leonidas Belgian Chocolates creates a set of six hollow mini-bunnies in milk, dark and white chocolate. Each weighs 40 grams and is 3.25 inches tall.

8. Homemade Chocolate Bunny Lollipops – Pay a visit to the local crafts store and purchase an Easter-themed mold to make your own chocolate bunny lollipops.