Perfect for a snack or dessert, frozen desserts are so refreshing. Here I discuss them in detail, from the different types of frozen desserts to recipes. They run the gamut from ice cream, sorbet, granita and yogurt to frozen soufflés, mousses and smoothies. In fact, ice cream and related frozen desserts are consumed by more than 90% of households in the United States. Frozen desserts can be found for any type of healthy eating plan being followed, such as low-fat, low-cholesterol, lactose-free, and sugar-free, just to name a few. Source: ACNielsen  

The best part about frozen desserts are the myriad of flavors they come in such as herb, lavender, green tea, rose, cheesecake, peanut butter, watermelon and whatever your heart desires. Despite all of the different ice cream flavors available today, based on 2001 supermarket sales, the top five flavors in terms of share of segment in the United States are: vanilla (28%), chocolate (8%), neapolitan (7%), butter pecan (4.5%), and chocolate chip (3.5%). Source: Information Resources Inc. (IRI, 2001)     In fact, my family and I enjoy trying all of the popular and different flavors available today. Happy Baking and Enjoy, Sarah.

Ice cream: Ice cream is the most popular frozen dessert. According to 2001 supermarket volume sales, regular ice cream accounts for the largest share of the frozen dessert market, with 80%. Reduced-fat, light, lowfat and nonfat ice cream account for 11% of the market, followed by sherbet (4.5%), frozen yogurt (4%), and sorbet (0.5%). Source: Information Resources Inc. (IRI, 2001)  

Ice Cream mixtures can be as simple as pureed fruit, sugar and cream, known as Philadelphia-style, or based on more complicated cooked custards, French-style. Both are delicious, through French versions are slightly richer. 

To qualify as "ice cream" it usually consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients such as milk and nonfat milk, and ingredients for sweetening and flavoring, such as fruits, nuts and chocolate chips. Functional ingredients, such as stabilizers and emulsifiers, are often included in the product to promote proper texture and enhance the eating experience. By federal law, ice cream from the supermarket must contain at least 10% milkfat, before the addition of bulky ingredients.

Freezies/Smoothies/Whips: Generally speaking, these are made from whole frozen fruit (frozen bananas, strawberries, peaches, etc.) which are then whipped in a blender or food processor till smooth.

Frozen Custard or French Ice Cream: This is something of a misnomer, since many ice cream recipes are virtually custards anyway, although I have had a frozen crème caramel, which surely qualifies as a distinctly different dessert. Supermarket brands must also contain a minimum of 10% milkfat, as well as at least 1.4 % egg yolk solids.

Frozen Soufflé: This airy mixture of fruit pure egg yolk sauce and stiffly-beaten egg whites is less fragile when frozen (compared to baked soufflé, which is very delicate).

Frozen Yogurt: Supermarket brands contain 10 to 20 percent real cultured yogurt. Yogurt can replace the ice cream, giving a smooth and creamy-although not as rich-result. As with the ice creams, you can add myriad chunked flavorings to frozen yogurts, including chopped fruits, or nuts, or healthy sprinkling of wheat germ. It has become very popular and competes head-to-head in some markets with ice cream. The health benefits of yogurt have long been touted. It is certainly a good source of B vitamins, protein and calcium and is much more digestible than fresh milk. It's also said to keep the intestinal system populated with good bacteria and therefore in healthy condition. These benefits, however, are thought to be lost when yogurt is frozen, which destroys most of the beneficial bacteria. 

Fruit Ice: Similar to granita, this is usually made from fruit juices, frozen and then chopped in a blender to form coarse granules.

Gelato/Gelati: Also known in the singular as "gelato", this Italian version of ice cream contains less air than its North American counterpart and therefore has a denser texture. It is also characterized by an intense flavor and is served in a semi-frozen state. Gelato contains sweeteners, milk, cream, egg yolks and flavoring.

Granita (also Granité) or Ice: Something like a sorbet, this dessert-cum-beverage is usually more granular in nature and often made from whole fruits rather than just the juices.

Ice Cream Roulade (Rolls)

Ice milk: Can mean low-fat, light or both. Ice milk is made in much the same way as ice cream, except for the fact that it contains less milk fat and milk solids. This is a frozen dessert with less than 10 per cent butterfat, if a supermarket brand. The result, other than a lowered calorie count, is a lighter, less creamy texture. The more butterfat, generally, the smaller the ice crystals formed, and the smoother the taste, so ice milk must be beaten more than ice cream for smoothness.

Italian Ice

Mousse: Frozen mousse is usually fortified with gelatin to make it stand up well to the strenuous beating required to give it its characteristic frothiness. It's a rich, airy dessert usually containing fruit puruee or syrup, plus some egg.

Novelties: are separately packaged single servings of a frozen dessert -- such as ice cream sandwiches, fudge sticks and juice bars -- that may or may not contain dairy ingredients.

Parfait: Real French parfait is a frozen custard with egg yolks, sugar, whipped cream and flavoring such as fruit puree. In the U.S. a parfait has come to be known as ice cream layered with fruit or flavored syrup and whipped cream -- not the same thing at all! Ben & Jerry have a new sundae flavor that stacks layers - if you miss that old-fashioned soda fountain idea. 

Popsickle: have been around for nearly a hundred years. Ever since a cold night in 1905, when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda pop with a stirring stick in it outside, Popsicles have been a cool and flavorful treat for young and old alike. While the trademarked Popsickle brand is the most popular, the industry sells more than a billion of the various flavored ice on a stick treats every year.  

Sherbet: (Its "SHUR-bet" never pronounced "sherBERT") are ices based on sweetened fruit juice or puree. Similar to Sorbets (sometimes the words are used interchangeable) but sherbets usually have more ingredients, such as milk, egg whites or gelatin. Supermarket brands must have a milkfat content of between 1% and 2%, and a slightly higher sweetener content than ice cream. Sherbet weighs a minimum of 6 pounds to the gallon and is flavored either with fruit or other characterizing ingredients. Recipes can be varied in infinite ways by changing the fruits used. Sorbets can be turned into sherbets if you add a beaten egg white to the mixture after it is partially frozen.

Sorbet: Light dessert, generally made of puréed fruits, water and sugar; frozen before servingSimilar to sherbets, sorbets contain contain no dairy ingredients. Sorbets freeze quicker than ice cream, and melt quicker. They need to have a balance of sugar and /or alcohol as these two items lower the freezing point of the sorbet, making it hard to set and affect the frozen texture. A squeeze of lemon juice is good in sorbets to give balance to sweet fruit.

Sorbet's consistency is also often softer than sherbet. It is usually made from a fruit purees liquor or wine, and is often served as a "palate cleanser" between courses in a big meal. Champagne sorbet is a classic form; margarita sorbet a 21st Century innovation.

Tofulati: This is a frozen tofu confection's name registered to Mario's Gelati, a Vancouver-based company, making ice cream and sorbet treats the old-fashioned, old world way.

Tofuti: Originally invented in New York just a few years ago, this is a frozen dessert made with tofu substituted for cream or milk.

Tofutti: Tofutti is dairy-free ice cream made from tofu (soybean curd).

Quiescently Frozen Confection: is a frozen novelty such as a water ice novelty on a stick.