By Fourth of July prep — the Claycut Drive institution continues, corn and crab bisque. Summer in full bloom, the kind of heat that makes you question everything except the quality of the food on the table and the cold beer in your hand. The kids are in their summer shapes: Colette drawing and painting with the intensity of someone who sees the world as a canvas and refuses to leave any part of it unfinished. Rémy in the kitchen, in the bayou, in the drainage ditch (still no fish there — eighth year of commitment to a fishless ditch, which is either persistence or insanity, and in the Beaumont family, those are the same thing).
The food was summer food — light where it could be, heavy where it wanted to be, and always, always, with the cayenne and the garlic and the holy trinity that makes everything in this kitchen Cajun regardless of origin. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. And both were good. C\'est bon.
When the heat is the kind that sits on your chest and the table’s already groaning with bisque and everything Cajun, the only dessert that makes sense is something frozen, something festive, something you can pull out of the freezer while the kids are still running wild and Rémy is still convinced there’s a fish in that ditch. This Summer Celebration Ice Cream Cake is exactly that — no oven required, red-white-and-blue ready, and cold enough to make you believe in mercy on a Louisiana Fourth of July.
Summer Celebration Ice Cream Cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes (includes freezing) | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 package (14.3 oz) chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
- 1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened
- 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup hot fudge sauce
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Make the crust. Combine crushed cookies and melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
- Layer the vanilla. Spread the softened vanilla ice cream evenly over the cookie crust. Drizzle with hot fudge sauce. Return to the freezer for 30 minutes until firm.
- Layer the strawberry. Spread the softened strawberry ice cream over the vanilla layer. Freeze again for 30 minutes until firm.
- Top and decorate. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the strawberry layer. Arrange sliced strawberries and blueberries on top. Add sprinkles if desired.
- Freeze until set. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 3 hours or until completely firm. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 230mg