Ice Cream...Cupcakes!

Oh gosh, how cute are these? Here is another summer dessert idea that is fun for the kids. We love cupcakes because they are "just enough" and so easy to serve at the kids' parties. But for the summer, this is a "cool" idea and gives you your cake and ice cream in a cupcake liner. And, you can experiment with ice cream flavors and toppings. Some of the things that came to mind were:

Coffee ice cream and Heath Bar toffee bits
Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and mini chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Ice Cream and chopped peanuts
Maple Walnut Ice Cream and chopped toasted walnuts
Raspberry Swirl ice cream or Sorbet with chopped bittersweet chocolate
Strawberry ice cream with chopped milk chocolate
Vanilla ice cream with toasted coconut
Vanilla ice cream with chopped chocolate covered almonds
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream with chopped Milky Way bars

OK, had enough? I told you that all you need is your imagination and a favorite flavor! And ask the kids! They can always come up with some great combinations.

Ice Cream Cupcakes

1 Sara Lee frozen pound cake

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 pints ice cream, flavor of your choice, slightly softened

1 cup toppings that you want to use for mixing in

Arrange 12 paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Cut pound cake unto 1/2-inch thick slices. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut 12 circles from slices, reserving scraps for another use (like trifle, perhaps!) Place circles in bottoms of cupcake liners.

Combine heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a bowl and whip with an electric mixer until cream holds stiff peaks. Scoop ice cream into a large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup toppings; add remaining toppings to bowl with ice cream. Combine by mashing ice cream and toppings with back of a large spoon. (If ice cream gets too soft, place bowl in freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.)

Top each pound cake circle with a scoop of ice cream and cover with whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining toppings. Lightly drape cupcakes with plastic wrap and place in freezer until form, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.