Ice Cream Pairings

Jars that love a cold scoop

In many Ohio homes, ice cream is the dessert that is always on hand. A carton in the freezer and a sturdy spoon can take care of most cravings. Our Ice Cream Pairings collection is built to work with that habit rather than replace it. We cook caramel like sauces, fruit toppings, and preserved slices until they sit nicely over cold ice cream, then jar them on the farm while the texture still looks smooth and the kitchen smells like cooked sugar and fruit. Amish and family partners help guard against sauces that harden too much or run off the sides of the bowl, tasting and checking the way the spoon moves through each batch.

Some of the jars feel like close cousins to the recipes in Fruit Preserves & Jams. Cherry and berry toppings bring color and a bit of tartness to vanilla ice cream or simple frozen yogurt. A spoonful over chocolate makes a small sundae feel more put together than it really was. Because the ingredient lists stay short fruit, sugar in a fair amount, water, lemon, and a few spices the flavor stays clean and easy to recognize.

Other jars pour more like the sauces you will see in Dessert Toppers. These are cooked to a gentle caramel or syrup that drapes over scoops instead of soaking in. A drizzle over brownies, blondies, or cookies gives you a quick plate dessert when company stays for coffee. On nights when you only have time to slice store bought pound cake, a warm fruit or caramel sauce from this shelf can make the plate feel cared for with almost no extra work.

Jarred fruit plays its own part. Peaches and pears from our Jarred Peaches & Pears collection often make their way into these pairings. Warmed gently with a bit of butter or poured straight from the jar, slices rest easily beside or over a rich scoop after supper. They add something soft to chew along with the cold, which many people appreciate on winter evenings when they miss the taste of orchard fruit from the Great Lakes.

These same jars do steady work outside of dessert time. That is why they sit alongside our Yogurt & Oatmeal Toppers and Breakfast & Brunch Spreads. A spoonful of cherry or peach over yogurt or cottage cheese in the morning feels like a lighter version of last night’s sundae. A bit of caramel style sauce on pancakes or waffles takes the place of heavy frosting. Families who love fruit at every meal tend to see these jars as part of the larger Fruit Lovers collection, just leaning a little more toward evening.

During the holidays, ice cream and toppings often show up beside pies and cakes rather than instead of them. Jars from Ice Cream Pairings move easily into the line of dishes on those crowded dessert tables. A berry sauce can sit next to pumpkin or apple pie so people can choose. Warm peaches or pears might land beside spice cake or gingerbread. Whatever does not get used that night goes back into the fridge and is waiting for quieter bowls of ice cream later in the week.

Most of the time though, these jars are doing quiet work. Someone opens the freezer after a long day, scoops a bit of ice cream into a bowl, and remembers there is a topping jar on the shelf. A spoonful of cherry, a few warm peach slices, or a drizzle of caramel is enough. In Great Lakes kitchens where people like small, honest desserts more than showpieces, that is often all anyone needs.