Pineapple baked alaska

Most children love the surprise of this dessert — hot meringue with ice-cold ice cream inside. Do use a good firm ice cream, not a soft scoop, to make sure the center doesn’t soften too quickly.

* Serves 6–8

• 1 6 to 8-oz. piece store-bought ginger cake
• 6 slices ripe, peeled pineapple
• 3 cups tutti-frutti gelato, softening
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar
• few pieces of fresh pineapple, to decorate

Iced rhubarb delight

This strange and seasonal fruit has a unique sweet taste and soft pink color that makes a stunning ice cream.

* Makes about 2 1/4 pints

• 3 cups chopped, trimmed rhubarb
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup heavy cream, stiffly whipped
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Tropical fruit sherbet

A mixture of tropical fruits gives a wonderfully exotic taste, but you may use whatever is available at the time you shop. In fact, when you find some of these fruits in the store, this sherbet is a very good way to first try them.

* Makes about 1 1/2 pints

• 2 cups peeled and chopped ripe tropical fruits (guava, pineapple, mango, papaya)
• 1 cup sugar syrup
• 2 limes
• 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk

Banana custard ice cream

Turn this favorite taste combination very quickly into your family’s favorite ice cream.

* Serves 6

• 4 ripe bananas, plus more for serving
• juice of 1 lemon
• 6 tbsp. clear honey
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup homemade or store-bought vanilla custard
• 1 cup heavy cream, softly whipped, plus more for serving
• caramel shards

Apple & plum parfait

In France, a parfait is lighter and softer than a gelato or rich ice cream and especially good with tangy fruits. It is best just softly frozen. In the United States, a parfait is a frozen layered dessert. This parfait is both types.

* Serves 4

• 3 large, ripe sweet plums
• 2 tbsp. demerara sugar
• 4 tbsp. water
• 2 sweet eating apples
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

Orange sherbet

Crisp and refreshingly light, but add more sugar to taste.

* Makes 1 pint

• 1 cup whole or low-fat milk
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• finely grated zest of 2 large oranges
• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 tbsp. marmalade
• juice and grated zest of 1 small orange

Iced apricot soufflés

The perfect end to a special dinner — these individual soufflés are almost frozen but yet soft enough to just spoon into. Serve them with a hot black currant sauce.

* Serves 4

• juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 (1/4-oz.) envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 3 medium eggs, separated, plus 2 more whites
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 4 tbsp. Amaretto liqueur
• 1 cup apricot purée
• 3/4 cup black currants (fresh or frozen)
• 2 to 3 tbsp. superfine sugar

Peach & passion fruit swirl ice cream

This delicious soft peach ice cream has a swirl of passion fruit running through it.

* Makes 1 1/2 pints

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar or to taste
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. water
• 4 large very ripe peaches
• juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 4 ripe passion fruit

Iced blackberry & pear romanoff

A delicious fall family dessert of blackberries, pears, whipped cream, thick yogurt, and crunchy meringues takes on a new light when slightly frozen.

* Makes 2 pints

• 1 cup sweet pear purée
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1 cup thick Greek-style yogurt
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup roughly crumbled small meringues
• 1 cup sweet ripe blackberries

Summer berry semifreddo

Semifreddo, as it sounds, is only partly frozen. Here you have a fabulously creamy and smooth ice-cold dessert richly flavored with fruits and liqueur.

* Serves 4–6

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 to 6 tbsp. brandy or kirsch
• 4 cups mixed small berries
• 3 tbsp. toasted sliced almonds confectioners’ sugar