ICE CREAM UNDER THE INFLUENCE

In this culinary guide, Rasmussen treats readers to the wonders of the made-at-home ice cream cocktail.

What’s better than ice cream? Maybe ice cream with a little booze in it. “When you go to a restaurant and order an ice cream drink,” writes the author in her introduction, “they always look amazing when the server appears with your order. And they taste as good as they look.” Why, then, don’t more people make them at home to serve to guests? An ice cream cocktail requires surprisingly little equipment to make and can be prepared in batches ahead of a gathering (so long as they are given the proper time to thaw). With this book, Rasmussen offers readers a cornucopia of recipes sure to wow guests, both in terms of presentation and taste. Satisfy the chocolate lover in your life with a Frigid Turtle or a Chocolate Scotch-a-Roo. Go for something fruity with a Peaches & Cream Tango or a Liquid Banana Split. Add coffee to the mix for a Frosty Cappuccino or a Jiving Java. The author includes a section for teetotalers as well, including alcohol-free versions of some of her more interesting combinations, like the Cookies ’N’ Cream Grasshopper and the cake-themed Happy Birthday To Me! The recipes are simple and include ingredient amounts for both small and large batches. The instructions are short and concerned mostly with mixing and negotiating the temperatures of the various ingredients. The Grasshopper recipe begins with Rasmussen’s typically succinct prose: “Remove ice cream and Cool Whip™ from freezer ahead of time. Cool Whip™ should be completely thawed before using. Ice cream should be soft enough to mix with an electric hand mixer. In an extra-large mixing bowl, blend ice cream until smooth.” The book includes photographs of some of the drinks, which is useful, as well as clip art, which is less so. The ice cream cocktail may have a limited fanbase, but those within it will have fun working their way through this book.

An unadorned but thorough recipe book of primarily alcoholic ice cream drinks.