Ice Cream Desserts for Kids

Sprinkles are a simple way to make ice cream visually appealing to kids.

Before the invention of the hand-crank ice cream freezer, ice cream was a treat only the rich could enjoy. Today, rich or poor, ice cream is a regular part of people's lives. Tonight, instead of giving your kids a bowl of ice cream, make it into an interactive or visually appealing dessert.

Ice Cream Sundaes

Set out sundae ingredients and encourage the kids to make their own sundaes. Place small scoops of mascarpone cheese, vanilla and chocolate ice cream into bowls. Place a bowl of regular maraschino cherries and flavored maraschino cherries such as passion fruit, lemon, wild berry and lime in a bowl. Crushed chocolate cookies and nuts, coconut, strawberry topping, hot fudge, butterscotch topping, pineapple and bananas are simple toppings kids may enjoy on their sundaes. Include helpings of sprinkles and chocolate chips, along with a can of whipping cream.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Give your kids an alternative to store-bought ice cream sandwiches by making your own at home. You can bake chocolate chip cookies, sandwich a scoop of chocolate ice cream between two of the cookies and roll the ice cream poking out from between the cookies in chocolate chips. Or, place a scoop of strawberry or lemon ice cream between two sugar cookies. Press jimmies, also known as sprinkles, into the exposed ice cream between the cookies.

Ice Cream Cake

Most kids love cake and ice cream; make individual-size portions for kids. Bake a strawberry sheet cake and slice it in half. Cut the cake with a shaped cookie cutter. Depending on the child's interests, the cookie cutter could be a teddy bear, heart, star, airplane, car, purse or high heel. Scoop lemon ice cream into a bowl and stir it until it is smooth and pudding-like. Pour the ice cream on a cookie sheet and freeze. Using the same cookie cutter you used to cut the cake, cut out two pieces of ice cream. Layer the cake and ice cream on a plate. Put a piece of cake on a plate, top it with an ice cream cut out, another piece of cake and the final ice cream cut out.

Fried Ice Cream

Usually served at restaurants, fried ice cream is a delicious dessert to serve your kids at home. To make it you must plan ahead. Place scoops of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream on a cookie sheet or plate. Put the ice cream into the freezer to harden. Dip the hardened ice cream in bowl of beaten egg whites, then roll it in crushed graham cracker cereal. Put the cereal covered ice cream back in the freezer to harden for at least two hours. Fry the ice cream in vegetable oil for one minute. Sprinkle the fried ice cream with cinnamon sugar and serve immediately.

References

• Ice Cream! The Whole Scoop; Gail Damerow; 1991
• Perfect Recipes for Having People Over; Pam Anderson; 2005
• The Best of Martha Stewart Living Great Parties; Elaine Louie; 1997
• Jelly Shot Test Kitchen: Rainbow Cherry Jigglers
• Food Network: Fried Ice Cream Recipe-Paula Deen