Chef Karen Akunowicz is a James Beard Award-winning chef and author known for Fox & the Knife, a vibrant enoteca and restaurant in the heart of Boston.
Akunowicz recently dropped by "GMA3" to make her oh-so-simple Orange Blossom Dreamsicles and Pizelle Ice Cream Sandwiches -- two perfect frozen sweet treats to help cool down your next dinner party or summer spread.
Check out both recipes below.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the simple syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
For the granita:
3 cups store-bought orange juice, no pulp
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 pint vanilla bean ice cream
Directions
For the simple syrup:
Combine the sugar and water in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat to low.
Cook for 5 minutes, then transfer to a heatproof container and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
For the granita:
Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup of the cooled simple syrup, and the orange blossom water in a medium bowl. Pour into a shallow baking pan and freeze overnight.
The next day, use a fork to scrape the orange blossom granita so that it is flaky like shaved ice.
Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in each of four bowls, scrape an equal amount of the orange blossom granita on top, and serve.
Ingredients
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Powdered sugar for dusting
1/2 gallon of your favorite flavored ice cream
Directions
Beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined.
Next, stir in the flour and baking powder, mixing until smooth.
Add the melted butter, again mixing until smooth. The batter should be thick and soft.
Heat your pizzelle iron and grease it as directed in the manufacturer's instructions. As the iron heats, the batter will stiffen a bit.
Cook the pizzelle according to the manufacturer's instructions. In general, they'll take between 45 seconds and 2 1/2 minutes to brown.
Remove the pizzelle from the iron and let cool on a rack.
Pull your ice cream from the freezer and let sit on the counter while the pizzelle cool.
Dust the completely cooled pizzelle with powdered sugar.
Assemble your ice cream sandwiches by placing 1/2 cup scoop of ice cream on top of a pizzelle and topping it with another pizzelle.
Gently push down on the top pizzelle.
Assemble a few sandwiches at a time and place on a plate in the freezer. Let them harden for about 10 minutes, then serve.
Excerpted from CRAVE: Bold Recipes that Make You Want Seconds by Karen Akunowicz Copyright © 2023. Used with permission of the publisher, Countryman Press. All rights reserved.