When August rolls around, we usually see summertime heat peak before things start to cool off and we welcome fall. So what better way to beat the hot temps and celebrate the last weeks of summer than an ice cream social? Lauren here today, and in dreaming up this month’s edition of Dressed to Entertain, I knew I wanted to channel an ice cream shop, ’50s vibe into a “today” outfit. The result? A slightly retro, almost pin-up girl look updated with sherbet colors, high-waisted shorts, and a tied-up button down.
Sure, you can totally make your own ice cream or frozen yogurt. And more power to you if you do! But I’ll let you in on my little secret, time-saving trick: Pick up a couple pints of your favorite flavors of gelato and crush a few different toppings into very fine crumbles. Scoop each flavor of gelato into balls, and return to the freezer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the gelato scoops refreeze, then roll each ball into the crushed topping, and refreeze them all once again.
These little “gourmet” ice cream sundaes are super fun-and easy-for impromptu summer parties. And you can be creative with your pairings…I matched mango gelato with unsweetened coconut flakes, chocolate gelato with crushed peanuts, and sea salt caramel gelato with chopped chocolate.
Enjoy these last, sweet weeks of summer!
GET THE LOOK: Urban Outfitters shirt and shorts | Zara flats (similar) | Crate & Barrel bowls (similar)
Lauren, thank you for this ‘gourmet’ idea! It’s a hit for the family; my little son can hardly wait to come back from the beach and execute the ‘flakes-ice-cream matching process himself’.
We are in the South of France right now, and near our appartment there are four gelato shops offering a huge variety of (local) flavors (red fruis, figs, melons, and more). Mango and figs are our favorites, so you can imagine the coconut flakes all over our kitchen:-)
Have a great week!!
Definitely a fun one for the family! Those gelato flavors sound divine and will pair so well with the coconut flakes!
Love this look! The pink and mint green are too perfect of a pairing, and those ice cream sundae techniques are brilliant
Thanks, Clara! xo
Lauren, Clara, could you possibly recommend an ice-cream maker that is easy to use, does a desent job, and is not terribly noisy? Thought, you, ladies, might have any experience with this.
I’ve been a bit ignorant on the topic since I live most of the time in a cold and rainy place, but now I think of it as a nice addition to my kitchen at our vacation home which is in a warm and sunny zone:-)
I see all French lifestyle magazines around me advertise a variety of products, but compare them based on price and richness of functionality. So, not much valuable information to distill. My needs are simple, just to be able to do some sorbets and ice-cream using my own organic ingredients.
If you could possibly share some insights, I’d be glad to know.
Thank you so much for any hint from your side!!
Have a great day!!
I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker and have found it to work well: http://bit.ly/150ajKk. There are certainly more expensive versions out there, but this one has met my own homemade ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt needs!
Lauren, thank you! I went on getting the European version of the Cuisinart ice cream maker (the power outlet here has a different ‘format’, therefore it would not work without an adapter, if I order Cuisinart from William Sonoma Canada). But I saw in a shop how it works, so can order it via amazon.fr (price is great!).
Loving that outfit! The pastels look so pretty together—perfect for an ice-cream social. Those ice-cream sundaes look so yummy!
xo http://www.lifeonthesquares.com/
pasted wrong link! sorry honestly, b.
Lauren, now as I’m ‘the proud owner’ of a sorbet/ice cream maker, could you possibly recommend a good recipe book for me? What I know is David Lebovitz’s ice cream book, The Perfect Scoop. I found there an olive oil ice cream recipe that I tried and it turned out extremely well. So, I plan to order the book.
Do I have any other choices?
Anything you could suggest is much appreciated. And so sorry to bother you again on this;, but I do consider this blog a reputable source of information.
Thank you millions! Have a great long weekend!
I would recommend Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. She shares her famous recipes - amazing, creative flavors.
Love everything about this!