MCT NEWS — It’s funny to think that maraschino cherries, whipped cream cans and chocolate syrup in a squeeze bottle coexist in the same dessert galaxy with basil sorbets and pink peppercorn-tinged ice cream. Whether it’s avant-garde fare or traditional, the sundae is a universal summer treat.

These recipes will take you six ways to sundae, with fresh lemon-blueberry syrup, vanilla butterscotch, extra-bittersweet fudge and even bacon peanut brittle. And if there’s a cherry on top, it better be a Bing.



Elvis the Fat Years Sundae

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, sliced

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Bacon Peanut Brittle, chopped (see recipe)

Directions:

In large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan, combine bananas, brown sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bananas are completely mushy, about 10 minutes. Don’t let mixture burn. Puree mixture in a blender. Fill large bowl with ice and water; set bowl in ice bath. Get sieve ready.

Using same saucepan, combine cream, milk and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile, whisk together banana puree, egg yolks and granulated sugar until well blended. Slowly pour in half hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer back to saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and being sure to scrape bottom, until liquid begins to steam and you can feel spatula scrape against the bottom, 2-3 minutes.

Remove custard from heat, and immediately pour it through a sieve into the clean bowl you set up for the ice bath. Let cool. Transfer to an ice cream maker and spin according to manufacturer’s instructions. Fold in brittle, then transfer to an airtight container, cover and freeze up to 1 week. Or, serve ice cream over banana slices, and top it with shards of brittle for Elvis sundaes.



Lemon Frozen Yogurt

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

1 quart plain, low-fat yogurt

1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

Zest from 1 lemon

Lemon syrup:

2 to 3 lemons

3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Fit sieve over bowl and line it with 2 layers cheesecloth. Pour yogurt into sieve, cover with plastic wrap and chill 6-8 hours. Discard liquid and measure out 1 1/4 cups drained yogurt. Set aside.

For lemon syrup, remove zest from 1 lemon in large strips; reserve. Juice lemons to make 1/2 cup; combine with 3 tablespoons sugar in saucepan and bring to boil, stirring to dissolve. Let cool.

For frozen yogurt base, mix 2 tablespoons milk and cornstarch into slurry. Whisk cream cheese until smooth. Fill large bowl with ice and water. Combine remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup and zest strips in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat; gradually whisk in slurry.

Bring mixture back to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into cream cheese. Whisk in reserved 1 1/4 cups yogurt and lemon syrup until smooth. Pour mixture into a gallon zip-top freezer bag, seal and submerge it in the ice bath. Let stand, adding ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Remove zest from yogurt base. Pour mixture into ice cream maker; spin until thick and creamy. Pack frozen yogurt into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

— Jeni Britton Bauer, “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home” (Artisan Books, $23.95, 218 pages)



Farmers Market Sundae

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 cups blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, halved strawberries or halved, pitted cherries

5 to 6 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons tawny port or Champagne, or 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon frozen yogurt

6 sprigs fresh mint, basil or lemon balm

Directions:

Toss berries with 4 tablespoons sugar, honey and wine, and let sit for 30 minutes to 6 hours to macerate; berries will create their own syrup. Chill a large metal bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Add cream, 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla, and whip to soft peaks. Divide macerated fruit among 6 plates or wide-mouthed Mason jars. Top with 2 small scoops frozen yogurt. Garnish with whipped cream and an herb sprig.

— Jeni Britton Bauer, “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home” (Artisan Books, $23.95, 218 pages)



Bacon Peanut Brittle

Makes about 5 cups

Note: Collect everything before you start, because things move quickly.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups roasted peanuts

2 slices bacon, cooked until very crisp, drained and finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

In medium, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan, bring sugar, corn syrup and butter to a boil over high heat, stirring often, until mixture turns golden brown, 10-15 minutes (300 F on candy thermometer). Immediately take pan off heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanuts and bacon. Sprinkle with baking soda, and stir foaming mixture until evenly combined. Spread mixture evenly on a baking sheet. Cool completely before chopping or breaking into pieces. Brittle keeps up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate it.

— Jake Godby, Sean Vahey, Paolo Lucchesi, “Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book” (Chronicle Books, $19.95, 144 pages)



Blueberry-Lemon Sauce

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients:

1 lemon

1 pint blueberries, divided

1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Finely grate lemon zest into small, nonreactive saucepan. Juice lemon into bowl and set aside. Add 1 1/2 cups blueberries and sugar to pan; place over medium-high heat. Cook until most berries have popped and juice has thickened slightly, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining berries and lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week; best the same day it’s made.

— Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker and Dabney Gough (Ten Speed Press, $24.99, 224 pages)



Vanilla Butterscotch Sauce

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cream, at room temperature

1/2 vanilla bean

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in 1/4-inch slices

Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Set cream by stove. Split vanilla bean. Scrape seeds into medium saucepan and add pod, along with water and cream of tartar. Pour sugar in center of pan; do not stir. Place pan over medium-high heat; watch carefully. Once caramelization begins, mixture can burn in seconds. Cook without stirring until sugar begins to brown in spots, 8 to 11 minutes. Gently swirl once to evenly distribute. When it turns light amber, about 5 minutes, turn off heat. Immediately, but slowly, pour in cream. Wear oven mitts and be careful. When bubbling subsides, gently stir to blend cream into caramel, scraping vanilla seeds from pan sides and back into sauce. If you have lumps of hardened caramel, stir over low heat until melted. With fork, carefully remove hot vanilla bean pod. Gently stir in butter and salt. Let cool until just warm. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm before using.

Variation: Add a couple of tablespoons of scotch or bourbon along with butter to make Boozerscotch.

— Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker and Dabney Gough (Ten Speed Press, $24.99, 224 pages)



Extra-bitter hot fudge sauce

Makes 2 1/3 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:

Combine water, sugar and corn syrup in saucepan; bring to boil, stirring to dissolve. Off heat, add cocoa, whisking well to combine. Add vanilla; whisk until very smooth. Add chocolates; let sit 3 minutes. Stir sauce until chocolate is completely melted and is smooth and glossy. Serve warm, or let cool and refrigerate up to 2 months. To serve: Reheat, stirring, until warm and fluid.

— Jeni Britton Bauer, “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home” (Artisan Books, $23.95, 218 pages)