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A special kind of glee comes with knowing there’s a pint of ice cream waiting in my freezer for after dinner. If it’s an average night, I might enjoy a few scoops while I watch TV or eat it straight from the pint standing at my counter. I love to buy fancy ice creams from local makers, like Bad Habit in New York (think crème brûlée and roasted banana stracciatella) or Chainsaw in LA, whose flavors include Fernet mint chip and roasted pineapple-coconut sorbet. Not to be deterred by distance, I’ll even buy pints online from Ohio-based Graeter’s, the masters of chocolate chunk-laced pints (try the black raspberry). If I’m at the grocery store, it’s Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food, Häagen-Dazs dulce de leche, or any appealing mint chip.
Eating ice cream in the comfort of your home (ideally in sweatpants) is one of life’s great simple pleasures. But it’s also fun to take a few extra steps to dress the ritual up—especially when you have company. We sourced some tips from expert ice cream makers to inspire you.
Microwaving your pint or freezing and refreezing it too many times will cause the taste and texture of the ice cream to suffer. Belinda Wei, founder of Dear Bella Creamery in Los Angeles, says to leave your ice cream out for a few minutes after pulling it from the freezer—“or until the scoop can easily slice into the ice cream.” She suggests running your scoop under hot water and then drying it off for optimal scooping.
Since certain flavors taste even better together, it’s worth thinking outside the pint when choosing what to pair your scoops with.
Abby Rubin, a New York-based pastry chef, recommends pairing ice cream with sorbet. “The creaminess balanced with the refreshing fruitness is incredibly satisfying,” she says. Some of her favorite unusual combinations are peach and sweet corn, goat cheese and Concord grape, and black sesame with strawberry-yuzu.
Wei likes to pour a shallow layer of warm milk into her bowl of cookies and cream ice cream.
And Brian Boulos, a photographer/director who is also a passionate ice cream maker on the side, loves banana with vanilla.
“If you feel like being the party host of the year, make a flaming dessert like bananas foster or cherries jubilee to top off your ice cream,” says Rubin.
Wei favors putting warm cake, brownies, or cookies at the bottom of her bowl and then scooping ice cream on top.
Boulous keeps it simple, both with flavors and toppings. Cacao nibs, nuts, peanut butter, and crushed graham crackers are some of his go-tos. He also likes an affogato. “A little vanilla ice cream in your coffee never hurt anybody,” he says.
Rubin suggests making an ice cream bombe by lining a serving bowl with plastic wrap and filling it with softened ice cream, layering several flavors if you like. Then, flatten the top and put it in the freezer for a few hours before unmolding it onto a plate, peeling the plastic off, and garnishing it. Ta-da!
