Ice cream irresistibles … coated cones - recipes

Sunset, May, 1990

Ice cream or sorbet can be quickly dressed up to make a walk-about dessert treat. Coat a scoop of ice cream on a cone with a confection and freeze the cone upright (see top left). When ice cream is hard, dip the cone quickly into melted chocolate, then sprinkle with extras of the first coating. Cones will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, ready to eat. Here we give a choice of flavors; don't hesitate to mix and match.

Double Mint and Chocolate Cones

Use the chocolate wafer candies with firm green (not soft white) mint centers.

1 package (6 oz.) thin chocolate and

mint wafer candy, coarsely

chopped

1 quart mint flavor ice cream with

chocolate bits

8 purchased ice cream sugar cones

Cone stand (directions follow)

1 bag (12 oz., 2 cups) semisweet

chocolate baking chips

1/4 cup solid shortening Set aside 1/2 cup chopped candy. Put remaining candy on a large piece of waxed paper. Lightly press a round scoop (about 1/2 cup) of ice cream onto 1 cone. Holding cone, roll ice cream in candy to coat. At once, set cone upright in cone stand in freezer. Repeat for remaining cones and freeze, uncovered, until ice cream is very firm, at least 1 or up to 6 hours. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a 2-cup glass measure. Set container in about 1 inch of almost boiling water (take extreme care not to get water in chocolate) and let stand until chocolate is softened; stir until smooth. Or, in a microwave oven, heat chips and shortening in a 2-cup glass measure, uncovered, for 1 minute at full power (100 percent); stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir; repeat, heating 5 seconds at a time, until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool for 5 minutes. Working quickly, invert 1 cone and dip into chocolate to coat ice cream. Let excess chocolate drip back into container. At once, sprinkle coating with 1/8 of the reserved candy. Set cone upright in stand in freezer. Repeat for remaining cones. (Save extra chocolate for other uses.) Freeze until ice cream is very firm, about 30 minutes. Serve, or wrap each cone airtight; freeze up to 2 weeks. Makes 8. Per cone: 559 cal.; 6.6 g protein; 35 g fat; 62 g carbo.; 113 mg sodium; 34 mg chol.

Cone stand. Buy a 3-inch-thick 10- by 12-inch piece of rigid plastic foam. With a sharp knife, carve 8 holes about 3 1/2 inches apart, each 1 inch deep and 1/2 inch wide; put stand in freezer.

Milk Chocolate and Toffee Cones

Stir 1/2 cup slivered or coarsely chopped blanched almonds in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium heat until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool, then chop finely. Follow directions for double mint and chocolate cones (recipe precedes), using mixture of browned almonds and 1 package (6 oz.) almond brittle chips instead of mint candy. Use coffee ice cream instead of mint flavor with chocolate bits and milk chocolate baking chips instead of semisweet. Per cone: 542 cal.; 9.5 g protein; 28 g fat; 69 g carbo.; 130 mg sodium; 37 mg chol.

White Chocolate and Coconut Cones

Follow directions for double mint and chocolate cones (recipe precedes), using 1 cup (3 1/2 oz.) lightly packed dry sweetened shredded coconut in place of the mint candy. Use raspberry sorbet instead of mint flavor with chocolate bits ice cream, and white chocolate baking chips instead of semisweet. Per cone: 497 cal.; 4 g protein; 23 g fat; 70 g carbo.; 112 mg sodium; 7.2 mg chol.