There’s another frozen and basil-containing treat. But the basil here is not dominant and very pronounced; it’s more of a subtle and intriguing accent. The sherbet is tangy, refreshing and light. And it’s so effortlessly put together. For an appealing presentation the sherbet can be served in the juiced hollowed lemons (reserve the juice for making the sherbet and keep the leftover juice (if any) for other use.

I’m thinking this sherbet would be nice layered with espresso granita in a glass… I’ll try it next time. There’s nothing left to experiment with now.

Just slightly adapted from Alice Medrich’s “Pure Dessert”.

Lemon-Basil Sherbet recipe…

I loved everything about this ice cream – the flavor, texture, and the color. I so wanted it to be green (without addition of any food colorings which I avoid whenever possible) that for a moment I thought if I was too hard on the basil. Turned out I had worried for nothing - the basil flavor was delicate enough and not overwhelming. The ice cream was lovely served on top of the grilled peaches brushed with Muscovado sugar and melted butter mixture before grilling and drizzled with good quality balsamic right after. The pine nut brittle was just the right accompaniment. The only thing I regret I didn’t make a double batch of the ice cream, it disappeared so fast…

I’m submitting this recipe to Ammalu’s Kitchen as an entry for Herb Mania – Basil.

Grilled Peaches with Basil Ice Cream and Pine Nut Crocante recipe…

There’s another, summer-influenced way to consume espresso. Well, yes, the dessert is not made from scratch (if the grinding of the espresso beans doesn’t count), and can be put together within a couple of minutes or so – the time required by the espresso machine to finish its job. But who cares if the dessert is good; and this one is. The ingredients below are just for the reference. You really don’t have to measure the ice cream before transferring it into the glasses. Please, eyeball everything, don’t waste the energy on absolutely unnecessary steps. The dessert will turn out just fine.

Adapted from the latest “Gourmet”

Tiramisu Affogato recipe…

This one belongs to an instant-type dessert category. Homemade vanilla bean ice cream certainly adds some charm to the dish but, honestly speaking, it can be replaced with a good quality store-bought ice cream with a wonderful result. Tuiles cookies are good as a crunchy accompaniment, but again, any crispy cookie will do just fine.

Adapted from “Desserts by the Yard”

This is an entry for the Click: July 2008 (Coffee and Tea) event.

Café Glacé recipe…

I’ve just had two servings of this for breakfast and I feel so happy, not to mention - energized! This is a truly wonderful summer treat for coffeeholics like me. But be aware that each portion contains a serious doze of caffeine. So, if you don’t want to be held responsible for any fatalities, make sure people you are serving it to don’t suffer from elevated blood pressure, or use decaffeinated espresso instead.

Espresso Granita con Panna recipe…

According to Sherry Yard, this is the most popular ice cream among calorie-counting movie stars at “Spago”. No wonder, it’s a guilt-free treat – the ice cream doesn’t contain any egg yolks or cream, it’s basically frozen milk. But, it still tastes good and clean. It’s not lack of ice cream common refreshing purpose. And it crackles so nicely in the mouth because of the generous amount of tiny frozen chocolate specks. There is another benefit to be considered – no need to cook a custard what, during the hot whether, can be a painful experience.

I’m submitting this photo to the You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Frozen Desserts event.

Stracciatella Gelato recipe…