Keeping Cool With Frozen Treats

It’s that time of the year – the kids are out of school and the heat of summer is starting to pick up. While the definition of a hot summer day may vary across the country, one thing that everyone can agree on is that there is nothing quite like a sweet, frozen dessert to cool down, especially when that treat is homemade.

Deciding what to whip up for your friends while you learn cooking online can be a challenge there are so many options. Three of the most popular frozen desserts for summer are ice cream, gelato and frozen yogurt. While they may seem like the same thing, there are actually notable differences between them to be aware of when deciding which dessert is best for you and your friends.

Ice cream is one of the most commonly eaten frozen desserts. Whether you prefer your ice cream soft-served or double-scooped in a giant waffle cone, it is definitely a delicious option for satisfying a sweet tooth on a sweltering afternoon. Ice cream tends to be fattier than gelato and is light and airy in comparison.

Gelato is often referred to as Italian ice cream, but as a student at a culinary academy, you should know that there is more to the story. While it is an Italian dessert that is similar to ice cream, it’s preparation has a few slight twists, making it a different dessert. The process for making gelato allows for very little air to get into the mixture, making it considerably denser than ice cream. Despite being denser, gelato is less fattening because it is made with milk rather than heavy cream.

Frozen Yogurt is the most unique of these three desserts. As the name implies, the main ingredient is yogurt rather than cream. “Fro-yo” is a great option for people who are lactose intolerant because the beneficial bacteria that is naturally found in yogurt work to break down the lactose that would normally cause digestive issues for someone with an intolerance.