Departments

Chill out this month with frozen treats and icy delights

August is often one of the steamiest months of the year. With temperatures well into the 80s, 90s and beyond, sometimes the only way to cool off is with an ice cold popsicle, drippy ice cream cone or fruity blended drink. Embrace the heat this summer with six of our favorite frozen treats in the Fox Cities.

LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool Jams)

Fox Pop, Appleton

Brother-sister team Brandon and Andrea Pannier own Fox Pop, an Appleton-based gourmet popsicle cart. The duo did a lot of experimenting to create the ultimate fresh and natural popsicle for their second full season this summer. With many gourmet combinations of fruits and spices, their popsicles are handcrafted in small batches for optimal freshness and flavor. The popsicles have cheeky names that are as creative as the flavors, like Yas Qween (raspberry mint), Beez in the Trap (blackberry lemonade and honey) and The Weekender (salted mango and coconut). One customer favorite is the LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool Jams) which contains cucumber, ginger and lime. It creates an interesting combination with the coolness of the cucumber and the heat of the ginger. Find Fox Pop at the Appleton and Oshkosh farmers markets every Saturday as well as at Mile of Music August 2-5.

Rippled Raspberry Ricotta Gelato Macaron

Knotted Cone Gelato Co., Appleton & Almond and Ivy, De Pere

Knotted Cone Gelato Co. owner Kathy Turek of Appleton teamed up with Karli Franzke, owner of De Pere bakery Almond and Ivy, to create the unicorn of summer treats – gelato macaron sandwiches. The sandwiches are made using large meringue-based macaron cookies with a generous serving of gelato substituted for the traditional ganache or jam filling. Turek and Franzke spent the winter in the lab experimenting to make the perfect flavored sandwiches with the correct temperatures for the best texture. The rippled raspberry ricotta gelato has a smooth, creamy base blended with a handful of fresh raspberries and rich ricotta cheese plus a touch of real Madagascar vanilla bean. The finished gelato is swirled with handcrafted raspberry marbling. The cookie is a naturally gluten free French-style macaron made with a combination of almond flour, egg whites and sugar. They are baked and finished with dusted almonds. Turek describes them as “a burst of flavor with a really dense and smooth texture.” You can find the macaron sandwiches on Wednesdays at the Green Bay Broadway Farmers Market as well at Almond and Ivy on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Piña Tropical

Chicken Grill, Menasha

Chicken Grill waiter Fernando Bautista explains that this show-stopping drink is a spin on a traditional Mexican fruit salad. The refreshing treat is created by first carving out the core of a whole pineapple which serves as the beverage’s drinking vessel. Juicy chunks of mango, pineapple, watermelon, papaya, cantaloupe and grapes are blended to make the base of the drink. Next comes a splash of orange juice and lime juice as well as chamoy, a Mexican sweet and sour sauce made from pickled fruit. Chili powder and Tajín add an unexpected spicy kick to the beverage. Finally, this loaded pineapple is garnished with sour candy Air Heads that ooze over the side. Customers love how alluring this beverage is because of the over-the-top garnishes and fresh fruit ingredients.

Snickers Flurry

Dick’s Drive-in, Kaukauna

This iconic Fox Cities drive-in is the summer go-to for all things ice cream. Supervisor Heather Lambie says the flurries, a blend of soft serve ice cream and candy pieces, are one of the most popular menu items. “You can get blizzards at Dairy Queen, but our soft serve ice cream gives ours more flavor,” Lambie says. Choose from chocolate, vanilla or twist ice cream made with milk from a local dairy and mix-ins like cookie dough, Snickers bars, Reese’s Pieces and Oreo cookies. Customers also love the handmade dip bars – ice cream bars coated with a chocolate, cherry or birthday cake shell. Dick’s Drive-In opened in 1955 and locals love the time-honored tradition almost as much as the ice cream. “A lot of people love the history of the building,” Lambie says. “People tell us they had their first ice cream cone here or they came here with their mom and dad when ice cream was 8 cents. We haven’t changed that much because we don’t want to change what works.”

Fro-Dough

Crazy Sweet, Appleton

This sweet stop has an uncommon ice cream treat that you need to try – an ice cream filled doughnut. Owners of Crazy Sweet since May 2014, Mary Kelley and Dale Ver Voort, have found a new treat that is the perfect blend of hot and cold for the summer months. The pair was inspired by a similar item that a former neighbor photographed in California and sent to them. Kelley and Ver Voort experimented and developed their own rendition. Fro-dough was finally born here in Appleton in January. (They even registered the name “Fro-dough” with the state of Wisconsin, so no funny ideas.) To create this heavenly treat, a vanilla donut from Simple Simon Bakery is cut in half and filled with Cedar Crest ice cream. There are 16 flavors to choose from, but a couple favorites are Pirate’s Bounty (caramel ice cream with M&M’s and chocolate sandwich cookies) and Superman (blue moon, cherry and lemon flavored ice cream). Standard flavors include vanilla, caramel collision, birthday cake, rainbow sherbet, and midnight chocolate. Next, the doughnut is reassembled, put in a grill press for just 10 seconds and finished with a glaze drizzle. “When we started making them, so many people came back that we created a fro-dough card where the sixth one is 20 percent off and 12th one is free,” Kelley says.

Mango Lassi

Sai Ram Indian Cuisine, Appleton

Maybe it’s a bit unexpected, but Sai Ram Indian Cuisine has some delightful desserts including a super tasty mango milkshake that you’ll want to get your hands on. Made with mango, yogurt and a touch of cardamom, this blended beverage is a traditional Indian treat. Sai Ram owner Siva Rajarathinam says, “It’s very good especially in summer and helps to cool the body and feel good.” The ingredients are blended to order and each mango lassi is freshly made. Unlike traditional milkshakes which can be heavy and filling, the mango lassi is light and refreshing. Rajarathinam explains that this is why customers love it in the summer – not to mention, the golden yellow drink is topped with whipped cream and a cherry for a romantic look.