Cool Treats: Books and Ice Cream

Are you feeling the heat? As temperatures soar, thoughts turn to ways to chill. Fans, air-conditioners, swimming pools all help, but nothing hits the spot like ice cream. And you’re in luck, because July is National Ice Cream Month. What better way to celebrate than with some books and ice cream recipes to help you cool off.

Here’s a fun list of books featuring ice cream. And this post wouldn’t be complete without a recipe combining everyone’s favorite cold treats—lemonade and ice cream. You’ll also find some links to other delicious ice cream treats, like this mouth-watering recipe: Disney’s Olaf (Frozen) Sundae.

snickerWith a triple-decker ice cream cone on the cover, A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd makes a perfect start for cooling off. Ice cream is also important to the story as twelve-year-old Felicity tries to break a spell that’s been cast over the town of Midnight Gulch and to heal her mother’s broken heart.”

RansomAnother book with ice cream on the cover is Seeing Blue Sky Pink by Candice Ransom. This sweet treat is about eight-year-old Maddie. Many things make Maddie nervous, including moving to the Virginia countryside and her mom’s new husband, Sam. As Maddie learns to face her fears, she sees things she never believed could be real.

Turn of Tide2nd fiddle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characters in The Turn of the Tide by Rosanne Parry spend an afternoon at the Custard King in Astoria drinking milkshakes for lunch. Parry also has another ice-cream related book, Second Fiddle, in which a group of middle grade musicians meet in a gelato shop in Berlin, where they plot to run away to Paris together. Seeing these two titles led me to suspect the author loves ice cream, and sure enough, when I asked her, she admitted it was her downfall. Her favorite flavors include fresh peaches and blueberries and raspberries, so I bet she’d love this recipe for Ice Cream Sundaes in Grilled Peach Cups.

Stick DogWant a bit of humor with your ice cream? Tom Watson has the perfect recipe –  Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream. Stick Dog and his friends “battle a water-attacking machine, discover rainbow puddles, and chase the strangest, loudest truck they’ve ever seen. But there’s a looming threat to their mission – Stick Dog gets spotted by a human. And the police are on his tail. If he’s captured, Stick Dog may never see his friends again. If he escapes, it’s ice cream for everyone.”

harry'sIf you prefer a more serious novel, try See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles. No one in the family pays attention to twelve-year-old Fern, whose parents run a restaurant and ice cream parlor called Harry’s. Fern’s friend convinces her that “all will be well.” Then tragedy strikes. and Fern blames herself for the accident that wrenches her family apart.

While you’re curled up reading these wonderful books that feature ice cream, why not enjoy this delicious recipe?

Lemonade Ice Cream

3 c. whole milk                                     1 tsp. lemon extract

6 egg yolks                                              zest of 3 lemons

2/3 c. granulated sugar                        2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 c. undiluted frozen lemonade concentrate

Heat milk to a boil in a heavy pan. Cover and remove from heat. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until light and thick. Slow pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Turn the mixture into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow it to come to a boil or it will curdle. Add in lemon extract, zest, and juice. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it, loosely covered with plastic wrap until chilled (at least 3 hours). Freeze in the mixture in an ice cream maker. Once it starts to thicken, add the lemonade concentrate and continue mixing until set up. Place in freezer to set further.

Yield: 1 QT.

And as a final treat, why not read The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies.

Lemonade

When fourth-grader Evan Treski and his sister Jessie open rival lemonade stands, who will win the war?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former teacher and librarian, Laurie J. Edwards is the author of more than 2300 articles and 30 books in print or forthcoming under several pen names. As Erin Johnson, she writes the WANTED series, set in the Wild West. Reviewers called her heroine, Grace, the “Katniss of the Wild West.” Visit Laurie at www.lauriejedwards.com.

Laurie J. Edwards
Laurie J. Edwards planned to run away when she was nine. She didn’t get far before she realized she’d miss her pet parakeet, so she slept on the back patio. That started her on a life of travel that has led to many interesting adventures, including stepping on a lizard in Africa, climbing a Korean mountain in flip-flops, strolling the streets of Venice in a cat costume, and eating deep-fried water beetles (yum!) in China. You can find out more about her and her books at her website.
7 Comments
  1. Yummm. After a very hot week of summer camp, this is a treat to read. Now to grab one of those books I’ve not read and try a recipe to top it off!

  2. A fun round-up! Thanks for sharing.

  3. This is a fun post and perfect for the 107 degree day we are having in California’s central valley. Thanks!

  4. Don’t forget Rocky Road by Rose Kent too!

  5. Who knew there were so many books about ice cream. I didn’t realize it was national ice cream month, but we certainly need to keep cool during the heatwave here in New England. Thanks for sharing title suggestions and the recipe, too!

  6. Oh my gosh! peach ice cream sundaes, yum! Thanks for a tasty post Laurie.

  7. What a tasty post! I love ice cream and I love lemonade. I’ll have to try this recipe as well as look for some of these books this summer. Thanks!