Ice Cream Ideas

Refreshing Ice Cream Ideas

Hot weather calls for refreshment and nothing fits the bill like cold, delicious ice cream. Whether you make your own ice cream or choose from our wide selection of readymade icy treats, let Metro help you beat the heat.

The History of Ice Cream

The roots of making ice cream go back to the second century BC, although there is no specific date for its creation or a known creator.

Early fans of flavoured ice and snow included Alexander the Great, King Solomon and Nero Claudius Caesar, who ruled during the Roman Empire. Marco Polo brought back a recipe for a concoction that resembled sherbet from the Far East. Italian Catherine de Medici introduced the French to frozen desserts in 1553. “Cream ice” was served often at the table of the English monarch Charles I in the 17th century.

In 1660, ice cream was made available to the public when a mixture of milk, cream, butter and eggs was served at Paris’ first café: “Café Procope”.

In North America, the first advertisement for ice cream appeared on May 12, 1777 in the “New York Gazette”. Until 1800, when insulated icehouses were invented, ice cream was rare and only enjoyed by the rich.

Today, Canada ranks in the top 10 in the world in terms of per capita consumption of ice cream.

Meet the Ice Cream Family

Ice Cream is a mixture of cream and/or milk, sugar and occasionally, eggs. It is frozen while being churned, and contains the most milk fat.

Gelato is traditionally made using mostly milk. Its creaminess comes from its density, as it is churned with relatively little added air.

Frozen Yoghurt blends yogurt with an ice cream base of milk, cream and sweetener for a sweet and tangy dessert.

Sherbet is lighter than ice cream, but still has a creamy texture. It contains less dairy, and the lower amount of fat means the often fruity flavours get a real chance to pop.

Sorbet is a dairy-free treat that cleanses the palate. It is usually made from fruit purées, but it can also be created from wine, or even infusions like tea.

Top 5 Ways to Enjoy Ice Cream

Ice cream and summer were made for each other. Enrich all of your everyday and special occasions with its creamy goodness:

1Whip it

Go retro and blend ice cream and ripe summer fruit into creamy milkshakes – the perfect cooling drink to accompany spicy grilled meat

2On the side

Bake mixed berry crumble, apple pie, strawberry waffles, or chocolate cake and add a scoop – or two - while your baked masterpiece is still warm

3In a cocktail

Combine butterscotch vodka, almond milk and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in an old-fashioned glass – pour Irish Cream liqueur over top

4In a cake

Homemade ice cream cake is right on trend – and perfect for summer birthdays

5In a cone

For kids of all ages, this simple tradition is one of summer’s biggest pleasures

Host an Ice Cream Party

Velvety-smooth ice cream is the ideal finish to your backyard barbecue. Here’s how to chill out with style:

Play on the burger barbecue theme by serving our Perfect Ice Cream Burgers. You can include “condiments” such as strawberry sauce, honey and maple syrup.
Have your guests assemble their own ice cream creations – place ice cream in mason jars and put them on ice, and have an array of sauces and toppings served in vintage dishes on hand.
For a lovely, Italian-inspired look, cut the top third off of citrus fruits and remove the fruit from inside. Chill the peel shells, fill them with ice cream or sorbet and place them in an ice-filled serving dish.
Let a large container of ice cream melt a bit and then spoon the ice cream into a metal baking dish. Refreeze. Cut out shapes with your favourite cookies cutters and refreeze, if necessary. Serve the ice cream shapes on or beside baked items or fruit.

Creative Ice Cream Sundae Toppings

Choosing toppings for your sundaes is the fun part! Customize them to your personal tastes:

The Traditional

Whipped cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, and sprinkles

The Crunchy

Caramel corn, toasted almonds, and crushed candy bars

The Natural

Honey or maple syrup and coarse sea salt

The Savoury

Reduced balsamic vinegar and berries cooked down with sugar and fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary or mint

The Decadent

Lemon curd, toasted coconut, and crushed graham crackers or gingersnaps

The Tipsy

Ontario ice wine or Frangelico

Creative Ice Cream Desserts

Ice cream is delicious on its own or as an ingredient in other recipes. Here are some of our favourite dishes that use ice cream as a base.

Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream sandwiches form the layers of this incredible cake, drizzled with hot fudge sauce and chocolate pudding. Whipped cream and Oreo cookies also come to the party to create a dessert that's perfect for summer birthdays.

See the recipe for fudge ice cream cake.

Peanut Butter Banana Sundae Pie

Ice cream is wonderful with and IN pie! A premade graham crust, bananas, peanut butter and vanilla ice cream pair up in this summer refresher. The kids will love it.

See the recipe for peanut butter banana sundae pie.

Piña Colada Ice Cream

This recipe calls for making your own ice cream from cream cheese, coconut milk, yogurt and sour cream and then blending it with rum, coconut and pineapple. Delicious!

See the recipe for piña colada ice cream.