Greet the heat of summer with a freezerful of cool surprises. We’ve taken the season’s iconic treats—ice cream cones, peach pie, Cracker Jack—and given them fresh, frosty twists. From creamy melon pops to a berry-licious cake, these delights will chill and thrill you.
Slice Into Heaven
Berries-and-Cherries Ice Cream Cake
Frothed up with whipped cream, cloaked in chocolate, and spiked with cherries and berries macerated in vodka, this layered ice cream cake is worlds away from the store-bought kind. And the leftover vodka syrup—used to soak the fruit so it’s not too hard to sink your teeth into—is a great base for a cocktail topped off with dry prosecco, too. Eat your heart out, Cookie Puss.
Whip Up Wonder
Peach Chiffon Pie
This arresting work of art is also a riot of flavors: sweet peach meets spicy ginger meets the herbaceous hit of basil. It’s no fuss and no muss, too: The fruit purée, which contains a touch of gelatin to keep it from melting once it’s out of the freezer, is poured into a bake-free crust of crushed gingersnaps. Before serving, pile fresh peach slices on top and garnish with sparkly basil leaves. The herbs, brushed with an egg-white wash and sprinkled with sugar, are as delicious as they are delicate.
Stick With Classics
Melon Milk Pops
Must we put away childish things? Not when they’re this irresistible. Blend cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon individually with lime juice and condensed milk (or a coconut version, for vegan pops); pour a few spoonfuls of each into molds; and stock the freezer with them. They’ll keep for weeks, but we bet that with their ageless tiedye appeal, they’ll fly out the (back) door.
Spread Some Sunshine
Tropical-Fruit Cones
The secret to these healthy, happy “ice cream” cones is ripeness. When fleshy fruits like bananas, kiwis, and mangoes peak, they take on a creaminess and a color-saturated sweetness all their own. Freeze the purées, then scoop them into old-school sugar cones that have been dipped in white chocolate and coated with natural sprinkles, nuts, or nonpareils—and don’t say a word.
Hit a Home Run
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Semifreddo
Semifreddo, Italian for “half-cold,” is a mousse-like riff on ice cream cake. Ours is translated for the chocolate and peanut-butter lovers among us, with meringue folded into dark chocolate and PB ganaches, layered in a loaf pan, and frozen. To knock it out of the park, serve it with our extra-nutty rendition of Cracker Jack.