The Inside Scoop on Cool Summer Treats

Few foods rival the satisfaction and joy that ice cream brings to our lives. Ice cream is a time-honored summertime tradition that brings back our earliest memories of baseball games, amusement parks and summer vacations. But the simple delights of these simpler times -- hot fudge sundaes and root beer floats -- have given way to a seemingly endless variety of cool summer treats. But what exactly are frozen custard and gelato? What about sherbet and frozen yogurt? Here is the inside scoop on some of our new favorites:

* Ice cream is made from milk or cream, sugar, flavorings and stabilizers. By law, ice cream contains at least 10% milk fat. Eggs are an optional ingredient in ice cream.

* Frozen custard is similar to ice cream but always includes eggs, which provide the required 1.4% egg yolk solids and give it its thick, creamy texture.

* Gelato is an Italian-style ice cream made from milk, sugar and other flavorings. There is usually more sugar in gelato than ice cream (16-24% versus 12-16% for ice cream), but the fat content of gelato may be lower than ice cream. Gelato melts faster than ice cream because of its semi-frozen consistency.

* Sherbet is made from milk, sugar and flavorings and is classified as a "frozen dairy dessert" because it contains less than the 10% milk fat required for ice cream. Sherbet is usually a low-fat product, containing 1 to 2% milk fat, but is higher in sugar than ice cream.

* Frozen yogurt is a mixture of pasteurized milk, flavorings and stabilizers. Because there is no standard definition of frozen yogurt, the recipe will vary. Because the milk used to make frozen yogurt is pasteurized, it does not usually contain the live, active cultures found in unfrozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt can be found in low-fat or non-fat versions.

There many ways to cool off with dairy this summer. Because ice cream and other frozen dairy desserts are made with milk or cream, they contain the nine essential nutrients found in dairy foods, including calcium, potassium and protein. There are plenty of low-fat and lower-calorie options to help you fit these dairy delights into your healthy eating plan. But if you go for the real deal, just remember to balance out the richness by choosing small serving sizes and watching fat and calories throughout the rest of the day. Visit www.stldairycouncil.org to learn more about the benefits of dairy.

Recipes:

Patriotic Ice Cream Cupcakes

These red, white & blue cupcakes are perfect for summer holidays. Substitute different cake and ice cream flavors for celebrations throughout the year.

Makes 36 cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes + freezing

Bake Time: 15 minutes + cooling

Ingredients

1 package red velvet cake mix (regular size)

1 quart blue moon ice cream, softened

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1½ cups marshmallow creme

Red, white and blue sprinkles

Blue colored sugar

Directions

Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions for cupcakes.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 350° for 11-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Working quickly, spread ice cream over cupcakes. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

In a large bowl, combine cream and marshmallow creme; beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe over cupcakes; decorate with sprinkles and colored sugar. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm.

Editor's Note: As a substitute for blue moon ice cream, tint softened vanilla ice cream with blue food coloring.

Nutrition Facts (per cupcake)

Calories: 202

Fat: 13 g

Protein: 3 g

Calcium: 6% Daily Value

Blueberry-Pomegranate Popsicles

These easy popsicles are a light and tasty way to cool off with dairy this summer. Experiment with your favorite fruits and flavored yogurts!

Makes 4 (4-ounce) popsicles

Prep Time: 10 minutes + freezing

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

1 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Nutrition Facts (per 4 ounce popsicle)

Calories: 69

Fat: 0 g

Protein: 3 g

Calcium: 4% Daily Value