Tips for Working with Ice Cream

Ice cream can make some of the best and easiest summer desserts. But there are ways to work with it to get the best results.

• Let ice cream or sorbet stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before using it.
• Never let ice cream melt completely and then refreeze. The air that is whipped into the ice cream when it is made will escape and you'll be left with a frozen, solid chunk of ice crystals.
• Dip the spoon or ice cream scoop in warm water and dry it off before each scoop.
• There are now ice cream scoops that have antifreeze in the bowl to make scooping easier. Others have non-stick coatings. And you can always rely on the old-fashioned manual scoopers with a metal sweep to release the ice cream.
• The ice cream should be just soft enough to scoop easily.
• If the ice cream melts, the original texture will be lost, so keep an eye on it. If it's getting too soft or liquid as you're working with it, put it back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
• Super premium ice cream, which contains a lower percentage of air, can be easier to work with because there is less air to escape as the mixture melts and softens.
• Let the dessert stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving or slicing it to make that task easier. The flavors will also be more pronounced if the dessert isn't frozen solid when it's eaten.