Snowballs, But Make Them Summer
Ice cream dressed up with a few simple extras for a delightfully old-fashioned summer dessert.
When I was a kid, a family vacation to San Francisco introduced me to an ice cream treat I’ve never forgotten.
This was one of those old-school family road trips, the kind where the car was packed with military precision: one small suitcase per person, plus a bright red Coleman ice chest in the trunk stocked with cold drinks and sandwiches my mother had made for a rest-stop lunch.
I was excited to visit the zoo and spend the night with my grandmother, who lived in an elegant apartment on Lombard Street in Russian Hill. It was spotlessly clean, with creamy white walls, fresh flowers in vases, high ceilings and French doors that seemed impossibly glamorous to me.
It was the late 1960s, and my father drove us straight through Haight-Ashbury which was absolutely mobbed with hippies crowding the streets, chanting and protesting and shoving flyers through our open car windows while my mother watched in horror. It was, to put it mildly, not her scene.
My brothers and I thought it was fantastic.
I have a memory of my dad inching our boat-sized sedan into a parallel parking spot on one of San Francisco’s famously steep streets, where it seemed the car might slide backward right down the hill as we arrived for dinner at my aunt and uncle’s house.
I don’t remember what we ate that evening, all of us gathered around a long wooden table with a fancy white eyelet tablecloth, the dining room windows framing the glowing pink California sky at dusk.
But I vividly remember dessert.
It was twelve perfect scoops of ice cream from Baskin-Robbins, a place we’d never heard of back in our small hometown, which didn’t even have a pizza parlor, let alone an ice cream shop with dozens of exotic flavors.
Each scoop was different and delicious, some with sprinkles, cookie crumbs or praline candy nuts, all nestled into a special clear container much like takeout cupcake carriers you see today.
I remember carefully studying every scoop before making my final decision. Each of us cousins got to choose whichever scoop we wanted, which felt glorious.
For years, I thought of that dessert as pure magic.
Then recently, while flipping through an old issue of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, I came across a simple recipe that brought the whole memory rushing back.
These aren’t exactly the same as the scoops from my childhood, but they capture the same sense of excitement. Just a few simple ingredients turn plain vanilla ice cream (or any flavor you want) into a charming summer dessert. They’re easy to customize, simple to make, and exactly the kind of thing you want to eat on a hot summer afternoon.
Make them ahead and bring them out on a tray after dinner. Choosing a favorite is still half the fun.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you back here next week with something new.
Ice Cream Snowballs
Makes 6
Ingredients
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Toppings such as sweetened flaked coconut, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, sliced almonds, or sprinkles
Directions
Start by covering a baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap, stretching it smooth across the surface. This helps prevent the ice cream balls from developing a flat spot on the bottom as they freeze.
Using a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, portion the ice cream into 6 balls, about 3 tablespoons each. Keep a cup of hot water nearby and dip the scoop into it between portions to help release the ice cream easily. If needed, use your hands to gently shape the scoops into round balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Remove the ice cream balls from the freezer. Working one at a time (or quickly if your toppings are ready), roll each ball in the topping of your choice, gently pressing so it adheres. Return to the baking sheet and freeze until completely firm, about 15 minutes, or up to 2 days before serving.
Tip: Try using different toppings for each snowball so everyone can choose a favorite. Coconut, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, and colorful sprinkles all work well.