This month, we’re celebrating alive’s 50th anniversary with frozen treats, including ice cream!
Did you know that the August 1975 issue of alive also contained recipes for homemade ice cream? Back then, our editors were concerned about the lack of labelling in commercial products that allowed many additives to slip unnoticed into everyone’s favourite treat. Today, thankfully, our labelling standards have changed. In Canada, to be called ice cream, it must be made from milk products like milk or cream and ingredients must be listed.
Like the authors of 1975, we know that making our own ice cream is a wonderful way to have fun, but it’s also an effective way to control what goes into our favourite frozen treats. For example, some type of sugar is essential to ice cream production, because it interrupts the formation of ice crystals―that’s why you get a smooth texture instead of a hard block. But, as in 1975, we’re using honey to sweeten; with honey we can use a little less and still get a smooth texture.
Today, we’re focusing on seasonal eating and capturing the bounty of summer’s fresh fruit when it’s at its ripest. We’ve also embraced frozen treats without milk, and with ingredients you might find in your back yard.
We’re also venturing beyond traditional ice cream with different frozen formats that are equally delicious and satisfying. Slices of semifreddo, scoops of sorbet, and dishes of icy granita help you mix it up―and they’re all easy to make at home from your favourite flavours.
Speaking of flavours, we’re looking at some you might not find in the grocery store, like lavender or rose petals. Think about the unconventional: why not make a spicy sorbet? Or a floral-flavoured frozen yogurt?
Read on to discover six recipes for everybody’s favourite summer treat.
This collection was originally published in the August 2025 issue of alive magazine.
What a perfect tribute to summer when bees flit between lavender bushes, collecting nectar and pollen to bring back to their hives, and pollinating other plants along the way. You could say that bees helped make this ice cream. After milk and cream are first infused with lavender, imparting delicate floral flavour, the mixture is gently churned in an ice cream maker. The finishing touch, bee pollen, gently studs the ice cream with its flavour and nutritional benefits. Enjoy this delicious ice cream on its own or make a luscious affogato by pouring a shot of espresso over a single scoop.
This icy-cold soda is a refreshing way to cool down on hot days—and a quick, no-churn alternative to a classic summer treat. Honey and fennel come together in a subtly sweet, lightly licorice-flavoured sip that’s as elegant as it is easy. It’s delicious any time of the day. Serve it as a midday refresher, a dinner party mocktail, or even a palate cleanser between scoops.
Blueberry and basil make a delicious summer pairing in this semi-frozen treat served in slices then topped with blueberry purée. The recipe features a light and airy Italian meringue made by drizzling hot honey into whipped egg whites, which is then combined with vanilla and yogurt before being streaked with blueberry basil purée. Perfect for a summer party, or any old time, it looks impressive turned out on the plate and is convenient to prepare in advance and simple to serve.
