Summer and ice cream - what a perfect mix! One great way to enjoy ice cream is in a ice cream soda, in fact it’s so tasty there is a National Ice Cream Soda Day.
To make the perfect ice cream soda, there are a few ‘guidelines’ that need to be followed:
1. Make sure the club soda is very cold. An easy way to do achieve this is by keeping the soda in the freezer for awhile before using. Don’t worry if it freezes a little: the iced parts will only make it colder.
2. Add the chilled club soda water to about 2 inches beneath its rim of the glass. Next add a big scoop of ice cream: carefully resting it on the edge of the glass.
The placement of the ice cream makes a difference in the amount of foam ~ if it drops too deep into the club soda, the foam will overflow over the glass. And if it's positioned too high on the glass rim there won't be enough foam to qualify as a true ice cream soda. Using a tall sundae/soda glass helps a bit as it has a nice wide rim, making it easier to place the ice cream correctly.
3. Ice cream soda’s are served with both a drinking a straw for sipping and a long handled spoon . Many people like to alternate sipping the soda mixture and a spoonful of ice cream.
4. Most ice cream soda’s are garnished with whip cream and a maraschino cherry. Whipping cream in a can is the easiest way to get an fun spiral topping for an authentic soda fountain look. Chocolate curls or colored sprinkles can be added before placing the cherry on top.
Any type (or brand) of ice cream can be used including low fat, non-fat, and frozen yogurts.Or try Seattle own Molly Moon's vegan sorbet and ice cream made with local ingredients.
Or for a truly unique Ice Cream soda, make some homemade ice cream in your own ice cream machine. If you don’t own one, consider the Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker which great because it makes delicious ice cream without needing any rock salt. Try one of these recipes for your next ice cream soda:
Basic Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients:
2- 4 teaspoons flavored syrup - chocolate and strawberry are most popular
Ice cold club soda
Ice Cream
Garnish ~
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherry
Instructions ~
1. Pour syrup mixture into a tall glass, drizzling down around the sides of the glass.
3. Add chilled club soda to about 2 inches under the glass rim.
4. Add a large scoop of ice cream (as explained in number 2 above)
5. Garnish with whip cream and a cherry
Experiment with flavors of both the syrup flavors and ice creams to come up with fun and tasty new combinations.
Strawberry Ice Cream Soda
Ingredients ~
1/4 cup frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
1 cup strawberry ice cream
Bottle of cold club soda
Garnish ~
Whipped cream
Finely chopped strawberries, or colored sprinkles and a small whole (or large half) strawberry
Instructions ~
1. Smash strawberries into syrup until well blended.
2. Pour mixture into two tall glasses, drizzling down around the sides of the glass.
3. Add chilled club soda to about 2 inches under the glass rim.
4. Add a large scoop of strawberry ice cream (as explained in number 2 above)
5. Garnish with whip cream and sprinkle with finely chopped strawberries (or colored sprinkles) and a strawberry half (or a small whole one) in place of the cherry.
Lower calorie Strawberry Ice Cream Soda
Ingredients ~
1 ½ cups hulled strawberries
Non-fat strawberry yogurt
Non-fat strawberry frozen ice cream or yougurt
Bottle of cold club soda
Garnish ~
Non fat whipped cream
Finely chopped strawberries, or colored sprinkles and a small whole strawberry
Instructions ~
1. Blend strawberries and yogurt Smash strawberries into syrup until well blended.
2. Pour mixture into two tall glasses, drizzling down around the sides of the glass.
3. Add chilled club soda to about 2 inches under the glass rim.
4. Add a large scoop of strawberry ice cream (as explained in number 2 above)
5. Garnish with whip cream and sprinkle with finely chopped strawberries (or colored sprinkles) and a strawberry half (or a small whole one) in place of the cherry
Soda Fountain Classics: Ice Cream, Sundaes, Milkshakes, and More
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