{"id":1076629,"date":"2007-05-01T08:10:32","date_gmt":"2007-05-01T12:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/origin-www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/softened-ice-cream\/"},"modified":"2023-05-11T08:02:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T13:02:47","slug":"softened-ice-cream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/softened-ice-cream\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Soften Ice Cream: 3 Ways to Enjoy Dessert Sooner"},"content":{"rendered":"We've all been there: You reach into the freezer to get your favorite pint of Jeni's ice cream<\/a>, grab the ice cream scoop<\/a> and then you find it's about as frozen as the tundra. What are you to do when you're craving a sweet treat? You learn how to soften ice cream, of course!\r\n

The Best Ways to Soften Ice Cream<\/h2>\r\nThe key to softening ice cream (or gelato or froyo) is letting it warm up slowly. We've all tossed a quart of chocolate ice cream<\/a> in the microwave for too long and found it to be part soup. So take your time as you let your frozen treat become scoopable. As you wait, you can scope out which ice cream maker is best for you<\/a>.\r\n

How to Soften Ice Cream in the Fridge<\/h3>\r\nWhen you find your ice cream is too hard and you have time before serving up desserts a la mode<\/a>, pop your pint into the fridge. This will allow the ice cream to soften slowly. Allow 20 to 30 minutes before it's scoopable.\r\n

How to Soften Ice Cream at Room Temperature<\/h3>\r\nYou can also leave your ice cream on the countertop to soften. It'll only take about 10 to 15 minutes until it's soft and ready for topping with some salted caramel sauce<\/a>.\r\n\r\nOf course, if it's a spectacularly hot day, keep a close eye on your frozen treat. Set a kitchen timer to remind yourself.\r\n

How to Soften Ice Cream in the Microwave<\/h3>\r\nWhen you're craving ice cream\u00a0now<\/em>, you don't want to wait even 10 minutes for your treat to soften. In that case, you can pop your ice cream in the microwave. Zap the pint (or quart or what have you) in 20-second bursts at 30% power.\r\n\r\nThat reduced power is key here. Too much strength will cause the ice cream to melt too quickly on the outside while the center remains solid.\r\n

How to Use Softened Ice Cream<\/h2>\r\nEasy-to-scoop ice cream is a must for making everything from your after-dinner snack to banana splits<\/a>. But that's not the end of it!\r\n\r\nSoftening ice cream is essential for making all sorts of desserts like ice cream cakes<\/a> and even the ultimate ice cream treat\u2014baked Alaska. You'll want the ice cream to be pliable for stirring in additional flavors, like creme de menthe in this Grasshopper Baked Alaska<\/a>, and for pressing into molds or pans for recipes like Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Cake<\/a>.\r\n

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Try These Homemade Ice Cream Recipes<\/div>\t\t\t\t
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