When it comes to desserts, I have always been an ice cream person, in the way that some people are cake people while others yearn for fresh fruit pie. I became keenly aware of this when I worked at Greens restaurant in San Francisco, where I had the opportunity to assist Debbie Hughes, a brilliant and talented pastry chef with a highly evolved philosophy of ice cream.
Surrounded by beautiful raw ingredients, and hopped-up on caffeine and sugar, I learned at Greens that desserts can feed much more than just a craving for something sweet. They can be whimsical, intellectual, and fun. It goes without saying that a great dessert tastes delicious, but it also satisfies on other levels, whether because it’s beautiful, evokes a memory, or makes you smile in appreciation of its simplicity. And no desserts seem to do that as well as those involving ice cream.
The last several years have seen an amazing increase in both the variety and availability of high-quality store-bought ice cream. Although it’s hard to improve on the simplicity of a bowl of good ice cream, just a few deft additions—a fruit topping, a crumb crust, a chewy gingersnap, or a layer of butter cake—turn purchased ice cream into special and evocative desserts.
The recipes in this book will show you how to use purchased ice cream to make cakes and pies, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, layered parfaits, and drinks that range from homey to elegant, as well as homemade sauces and toppings to embellish them. Use your imagination to come up with your own creations. And if you want to try your hand at making your own ice cream, there are recipes for some classic flavors—dark chocolate, coffee bean, vanilla bean, and strawberry—as well.
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