Think Independence Day is the only holiday in July? Think again. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month (yes, it’s really a thing). In fact, the third Sunday of the month is recognized as National Ice Cream Day. To celebrate, we thought we’d share some delicious photos, recipes, and interesting ways to serve our favorite frosty treat.

How amazing do these look?

Now that I have your attention, it’s time to get cookin’! I love a ripe peach, and July is the peak of peach season. You can use those peaches to make a light, refreshing ice cream. This is one of my favorites because it’s so simple and delicious. Hint: A simple way to peel peaches is to place them into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, and then transfer them to a bowl with ice.

Buttermilk Peach Ice Cream in a Brownie Bowl

• 2 cups cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 6 whole peaches, peeled and sliced, or 2 cups frozen or canned
• ¾ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Ice cream maker
• 1 package of your favorite brownie mix, or homemade recipe
• 2 muffin tins

To make the ice cream:

1. Toss peaches with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, the longer the better.
2. Puree 1 ½ cups of the peaches, then mix the puree with cream, buttermilk and vanilla.
3. Freeze according to your ice-cream maker’s instructions.
4. Chop and mix in your reserved peaches.

Courtesy of www.yummly.com

To make the brownie bowl:

1. Follow the directions to make your brownie batter.
2. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and fill each cup until they are about ⅔ full.
3. Bake according to your mix's guidelines.
4. In the meantime, spray the bottom of your second muffin tin. When your brownies come out, immediately press the second tin into the brownies to create the bowl. Leave them pressed together until the brownies cool.
5. Once cool, remove the top tin. Add a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!

 Courtesy of www.dreyers.com

Blueberry Cheesecake No-Machine Ice Cream in a Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowl

No ice cream machine? No problem! This recipe doesn’t need one.

• 14.5 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 8 oz. Cool Whip
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, divided in half and softened
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 15 Golden Oreos
• 21 oz. can blueberry pie filling (or any flavor of pie filling you'd like)
• 1 package of your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough, or homemade recipe
• 1 muffin tin

To make the ice cream:

1. Beat together the condensed milk, cool whip, cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Process the Oreos and remaining ¼ cup butter together in a food processor until crumbly.
3. Spread the crumbs on top of the ice cream batter, do not stir.
4. Pour the pie filling over the crumbs. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the filling and crumbs into the batter, 2 to 3 times. The goal is to have swirls of ingredients, be careful not to over-mix.
5. Pour mixture into a loaf pan and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Courtesy of www.somethingswanky.com

To make the cookie bowl:

1. Buy or make some of your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough. Split the batch into two equal portions
2. Roll out the first portion and cut 12 circles that are slightly larger than the bottom of your muffin tin.
3. Roll out the second half and divide into 12 small balls.
4. Turn your muffin tin upside down and place 1 ball on each of the 12 cups. Place the 12 circles around each ball and mold into a bowl shape halfway down the cup. The cookies will spread during baking, so we recommend not molding the dough down too far.
5. Bake according to your recipe. Let cool before serving.

Courtesy of www.dreyers.com