Ice cream tacos and life in June

June is always a busy month around here, with my son's birthday, Father's Day, and the buzz and activities surrounding the end of the school year falling on this special month.  This year, my son turned 14...

...and he graduated from middle school!

These last 3 years have flown by!  You realize time will go fast going in but it still surprises you.  And it's incredible how much change and growth has taken place during that time.  The kids have worked hard and my husband and I are so particularly proud of our kiddo, who is rapidly growing up before our eyes!

So we've been pretty busy celebrating around here!  We don't want to stop but exhaustion is starting to seep in and we'll take the summer break as a time to chill and relax before gearing up for High School!  There's plenty of excitement (and hopefully, celebrations) on the horizon.

And speaking of celebrations, I sit here typing on the first day of summer.  Rain is coming down (yet again) but sunshine is expected this afternoon and the entire weekend.  It makes me think of upcoming July 4th and what kind of treats we might want to have then.  When it's summertime, I always think ice cream so I'm recommending a batch of ice cream tacos! 

I recently made these for Memorial Day weekend and they went down a treat.  The homemade shells (which are like ice cream cones in the shape of taco shells) can be filled with any flavor ice cream you like; I went with vanilla chocolate chip as well as pistachio ice cream.  Topped with some homemade chocolate magic shell and sprinkled with sprinkles or nuts, they are fun to look at and delicious to eat.  The ice cream tacos are festive and celebratory, and I'm all for celebrating as much as possible (particularly, with ice cream)!

This ice cream taco recipe and inspiration comes from Molly Yeh; I watched her make them on her cooking show and the rest is history.

I made half the recipe, for 4 ice cream tacos.  Getting the shells made is where most of the work is since the rest is a breeze.  The batter itself is very simply whisked together and ladled onto a small skillet.  It takes a little getting used to but was easy enough to make.  

You're aiming for about a 4 inch circle and you want to cook it long enough that it sets firmly but be careful not to burn it.

I thought it was so clever to use the spine of books to shape these!  I pressed them down onto the spine of the book for a minute, then let them cool and set.  I was very happy they held their shape.  The end result is a shell that's softer and chewier than your typical crunchy ice cream cone.

With the shells made and ready to be filled, let the fun begin! 

This is the fun part where you can customize the ice cream flavor(s) you want to fill your taco shells with.  Is your family a fan of classic flavors or do you want to go with something hard to find anywhere else?  I choose vanilla chocolate chip and pistachio ice creams.  Soften your ice cream ahead so it's easier to fill into the shells.  

Make a quick magic shell by combining some dark chocolate with a little coconut oil.  Yes, I finally bought coconut oil for the sake of making chocolate magic shell!  Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the ice cream, then have fun topping them with some sprinkles or nuts, or whatever you like!  

Another neat trick Molly mentioned was setting the ice cream tacos into an egg carton.  It worked perfectly; I set the tacos in the carton, then placed it into the freezer to firm up before wrapping them individually in plastic wrap.  That way, they can stay in the freezer until whenever you want to take them out and start eating...and celebrating!

It was a fun project and I was happy I made them.  Anyone having one of these ice cream tacos with you will be happy, too!

Recipe:

Ice Cream Tacos

Adapted from Molly Yeh

- Makes 4 ice cream tacos - 

For taco shells:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for pan

2 tablespoons milk

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg white

For chocolate topping, filling:

3 ounces dark chocolate chips

Scant tablespoon coconut oil

About 2 cups ice cream, flavor of your choice

Other toppings such as sprinkles or chopped nuts

Gather 2 to 4 one-inch thick hardcover books (number of books you need depends on size or how many taco shells you can fit over each).  Set them spine side up and lay a piece of parchment paper over each.

Make taco shell batter: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.  In another bowl, whisk butter, milk, and the almond and vanilla extracts together.  Then whisk in the egg white.  Add wet ingredients into the dry, whisking into a smooth batter.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Lightly grease the pan with butter, then spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter into the pan.  Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the batter into about a 4-inch circle.  Cook until slightly brown on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes.  Flip, cook for another 1-2 more minutes (you want to cook them thoroughly so the shells will firm up).  Carefully remove from the skillet and gently fold over the spine of a book to create the taco shell shape.  Let cool on the book.  Repeat with remaining batter. 

For the filling and toppings: Make the chocolate topping by placing chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted.  Let chocolate cool slightly.  

Let ice cream soften a bit.  Then, fill each taco shill with ice cream, drizzle chocolate topping over, and top with sprinkles or nuts, as desired.  You can set the finished ice cream tacos inside an empty egg carton.  Place the carton with the ice cream tacos into the freezer to firm up.  Once set, wrap each ice cream taco in plastic wrap, store in the freezer until ready to enjoy.