Ice Cream Mix-Ins

I’ve heard much controversy about Coldstone Creamery’s ice cream. Some say it’s good, just overpriced. Some say the ice cream itself is not up to quality standards. Still others claim that the purpose of going to Coldstone (or Maggie Moo’s if you prefer) is for the presentation of seeing your ice cream creation mixed in front of you.

If you’ve looked at O’Donovan’s fine ice cream, the presentation may not impress you, but I personally have been quite taken aback by the flavor and satisfaction delivered by such quality products. Now you can create your very own mix-in ice cream dish and not have to worry about the price of Coldstone.

Ingredients:
Ice cream of choice (I prefer more traditional flavors for this recipe, such as Cookies n’ Cream, Mint, etc.)
Toppings including:
-cookie crumbs
-sprinkles
-waffle bowl, crumbled if desired
-Reeses’ Pieces, etc.
Hot Fudge
Cookie(s)

Utensils: Bowl (chilled), Two Spoons

First of all, the primary difficulty with this creation is the phenomenon whereby the freshly cleaned bowls are too warm, and therefore melt the ice cream while you return to your table and mix. Though there has been discussion of filling the bowl with ice for a short period to chill it, or even using a chilled plate as a mixing surface, we believe that the simplest solution is to get yourself a bowl several minutes in advance, for example, at the beginning of your meal, and allowing it to cool off. This also keeps you from being subject to the all too common disappointment of wanting dessert at a popular time and not being able to find a bowl.

The actual ice cream creation is left largely up to your own preferences. I prefer to use “heavier” ice cream flavors as opposed to fruity ones because I feel that they blend better with the available topping options. As for the toppings, don’t be too cautious: there is a lot of volume within that scoop of ice cream that is just begging to be paired with a single sprinkle or piece of chocolate chip cookie.

A simple creation uses Cookies n’ Cream or Mint Ice cream as a base. Top with chocolate sprinkles and a generous serving of hot fudge and 1 - 1 ½ cookies- chocolate chip is classic but anything other than oatmeal raisin seems acceptable. (It’s better if you use the cookies downstairs as they are heated and therefore softer.) When you get back to your table, go to work with the spoons, cutting into the ice cream and folding in the toppings until they are well distributed. Beyond the blending of flavors, this recipe serves to provide a change in texture from boringly smooth ice cream.

The waffle addition has yet to be fully tested, but could prove interesting. Whether you like to eat your creation out of a waffle bowl, or crumble up the bowl itself and mix it into the ice cream, the results could be fantastic.