We were out to dinner with friends a few weeks ago. They very sweetly introduced me to others, mentioning that I was a blogger who did delicious recipes. I know they follow LM pretty consistently, so I knew they were aware the recipes weren’t a frequent as they once were. I immediately called myself out. We laughed about it and enjoyed our dinner together. But it kickstarted the fire that I really do need to share more recipes and luckily I had some from our Scotland trip that I’ve been hoping to test out and share. Apparently, I had a sweet tooth from our travels since I’m following up that easy chocolate tiffin recipe with ice cream toppings, including these tea soaked cherries…
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Spiked Ice Cream
The story behind the tea-soaked fruit (below) is combining here with the discovery of whisky liqueur. My mom, who doesn’t really drink, has a soft spot for liqueurs with vanilla ice cream. So when we discovered this whisky liqueur in Fort William, she immediately started talking about enjoying it with ice cream for dessert this summer. As a fan of good ice cream, whisky, and dessert, I was equally on board. Any liqueurs work well over ice cream. Chocolate, coffee, and fruit-based ones will always be good and you can use any ice cream really – so the world is your digestif-dessert oyster!
How much liqueur should you pour over ice cream?
How much liquor or liqueur to pour over your ice cream is certainly a personal decision. For one scoop of ice cream, you can start with a teaspoon and go up to a full shot, I think. It depends how much you love the liqueur and if you’re looking for a hint of flavor or more!
No matter which of these ice cream toppings you decide to make, you absolutely have to start with good ice cream. Everyone’s tastes are different (did you know each region of the US prefers a different type of vanilla), so do as you like. I like Breyer’s and Tillamook’s vanilla ice cream most. I also recently tried Tillamook’s Oregon Hazelnut chocolate gelato (it was right next to the vanilla, I couldn’t help it). It was fairly epic. And if we’re being completely honest. In my husband’s might quest last year to find the best Rocky Road ice cream, we discovered their “Mudslide” and O.M.G. Even I, a non-chocolate lover, was in love.
Healthy Ice Cream Toppings
I know, healthy and ice cream toppings doesn’t seem a likely pair, but I love adding more subdued flavors to ice cream since it’s already so creamy and sweet. Granola is actually one of my favorite ice cream toppings. Below is a list of healthy ice cream toppings that provide some flavor and consistency variation to your adult sundaes!
cocoa nibs
granola
chia seeds
graham cracker crumbs
dried fruit
fresh fruit
crushed pretzels
sea salt
dried tea leaves
cinnamon or cardamom
Dried Cherries Recipe
Ok. But here’s the one I’m really excited about. On our final few days in Edinburgh, we stayed at the Principal Hotels. On both of their breakfast bars, they had prunes soaked in earl grey tea next to the yogurt toppings. WHAAAT?! Of course I grabbed a few, totally intrigued by the flavor combination. They tasted a bit of earl grey tea and they were so fun – a softer prune and perfect for my yogurt. Interestingly, one property served them with the pits and the other didn’t. I’m not sure it affected the flavor and I’m all for not having to take a pit out of my mouth – there’s no chic way to do it!
So, I originally planned to recreate the prunes in tea recipe to serve over ice cream. But I had dried cherries sitting there and it just sounded so much sexier to make tea soaked cherries (no pits) than prunes (sorry, prunes, I still love you). Honestly, you can use whichever fruit you want (or both)! The tea soaked cherries come together in minutes and can be made ahead of time. The slightly bitter tea marries perfectly with the dried cherries and provides such a great compliment to the sweet, creamy ice cream. I’m kind of addicted!!
I think this would be a great recipe for a potluck and an even better idea for a host/hostess gift if you’re visiting someone else’s home this summer. The best part is that you can make it just before you see them!
ICE CREAM TOPPINGS | SOAKED CHERRIES IN TEA
I've experienced some wonderful breakfast spreads during my travels and there's always something new and fun on every spread when traveling abroad. On a trip to Scotland, I was introduced to prunes in tea served with yogurt. Dreaming of remaking the easy flavors, I switched the yogurt for ice cream and then the prunes for cherries for a delectable homemade sundae topping recipe that takes no time and is perfect any time of year!
Ingredients
- 2 black tea bags I used Earl Grey
- 2 teaspoons sugar optional
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup dried cherries prunes ok too
Instructions
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Add tea bags, sugar, and lemon zest to jar or bowl. Add boiling water. Let steep 10 minutes. Remove tea bags.
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Add dried cherries. Let cool completely before serving over ice cream. 1 hour in the fridge is fine.
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Cherries can be made ahead of time. Note that cherries will continue to absorb the tea, so eating them within 6-8 hours is ideal. You can add more water during steeping it they will sit longer.
Recipe Notes
Make this recipe? I'd love to see how it turned out. Tag me @LMinthekitchen on Instagram and use #LMrecipes, so I can see your creation! xo
Recipe adapted from The Independent.
