By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream, or Gelato, Frozen Custard or Sherbet. Summer is prime time for all of it, but in July, we can observe National Ice Cream Month. President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. During July and August, the amount of ice cream eaten is at its pinnacle.

The following recipes offer a variety of flavors to try. After your ice cream is complete, you can eat it right away, or you may want to ripen it, which allows for a more intense flavor and firmer consistency. To do this, you can either leave it in the canister or place in an airtight container and place it in the coldest part of your freezer for three hours. With homemade ice cream, it tends to freeze to a harder consistency. If it’s too hard to scoop, just let it sit out for about ten minutes before serving.

Gelato from Italy has gained popularity here over the past few years and it’s no wonder. The intense flavor and silky, creamy consistency is primo. The difference between American ice cream and gelato is the amount of butterfat, at least 10 percent for ice cream and 5 to 7 percent for gelato. Gelato is also churned at a slower speed, which reduces the amount of air in the mixture, making it more dense. Although your homemade gelato won’t be exactly like that you might find in a gelateria, it’s still good. Here’s a variety of not only gelato, but all other frozen goodies:

VANILLA GELATO
1-1/2 C. heavy cream
1-1/2 C. whole milk
1 C. sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, and sugar. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, add the bean, and let sit for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean bowl discarding the vanilla bean. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

CHOCOLATE GELATO
1/2 C. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 C. whole milk, divided
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 T. instant coffee crystals or powder
1/2 C. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, coffee and salt. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, whisking to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in remaining milk. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and allow to sit for 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Mix in the cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

LEMON GELATO
1 C. whole milk
1 C. sugar
5 egg yolks
2 T. grated lemon zest
2 C. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 C. lemon juice
Combine the milk, sugar, and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover the saucepan and allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg and cream mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until cold, 4-5 hours. Stir the lemon juice into the gelato mixture and mix well. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

PEACH GELATO
3 C. sliced peeled peaches
2 T. water
2 C. Whole milk
1 to 1-1/2 C. sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches)
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 C. heavy whipping cream
Place peaches and water in a large skillet; cook, uncovered, over medium heat until tender. Place in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat milk to 175°. Stir in sugar and mix until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Stir over low heat until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and immediately place in a pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and peaches until well combined. Press waxed paper onto surface of custard and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Fill ice cream maker and follow instructions.

FROZEN CUSTARD
6 eggs
2 C. milk
3/4 C. sugar
3 T. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
2 C. whipping cream
1 T. vanilla extract
In medium saucepan, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, honey and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat metal spoon and reaches at least 160 degrees. Cool quickly by setting pan in ice or cold water and stirring for few minutes.
Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour. When ready to freeze, combine chilled custard, whipping cream and vanilla. Fill ice cream maker and follow instructions.
Transfer to freezer containers and freeze until firm.

CLASSIC VANILLA ICE CREAM
1 vanilla bean, split
2 C. whole milk
8 egg yolks
3/4 C. sugar
2 C. whipping cream
2 to 3 T. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
In a medium saucepan, heat milk and vanilla bean until just below simmering point. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 20 minutes. In medium mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then return milk mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula until custard thickens enough to coat back of spatula.
Strain custard through fine-mesh sieve into large heat-proof bowl placed in larger bowl of ice water. Stir custard until cooled. Return vanilla bean to custard. Stir in whipping cream, vanilla extract, and the 1 teaspoon salt. Taste for flavor balance, adding additional salt or vanilla as desired. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled or up to 48 hours before freezing. Remove vanilla bean. Transfer custard to ice cream canister. Freeze according to manufacturer instructions.

CARAMEL COFFEE ICE CREAM
3 C. half-and-half
1-3/4 C. sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 C. heavy cream
3/4 C. strongly brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 16-oz jar caramel sauce
In a medium saucepan, heat light cream over medium heat until just before it boils. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Place eggs in the top half of a double boiler over simmering water. Add 1/4 cup cream mixture, stirring well to incorporate. Gradually add rest of cream mixture, mixing well after each addition. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 6 to 7 minutes, or until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Add heavy cream, coffee, and salt to chilled mixture. Pour into a gel-type countertop ice-cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. When ice cream is almost frozen, add vanilla, cinnamon, and caramel. Continue to freeze.

LIME SHERBET
3/4 C. sugar
2 C. water
The zest of a half a lime
The juice of three limes
Bring the sugar, water and zest to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Let the mixture cool, stir in the juice. Follow instructions on ice cream maker to make sherbet. (Variations: you can also make lemon sherbet, substituting lemons for limes, or orange sherbet, using the juice of three oranges and one lemon.)