Here’s a clever idea for serving store-bought ice cream. The snowballs are especially fun for children. You will need 1 1/2 cups of topping total. Use toffee chips straight from the bag, or crush up your own favorite candies.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　1 1/2 pints vanilla ice cream

　　

Suggested toppings

Toffee chips

　　Sweetened shredded coconut

　　Sliced almonds

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F if using coconut or almonds. Spread the coconut and/or almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, tossing occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and let cool completely before using.

　　

Step 2

Tightly cover a baking dish with plastic wrap, stretching it over the top (this will prevent the snowballs from flattening on the bottom.) With an ice-cream scoop, form vanilla ice cream into 8 balls, dipping the scoop in hot water as you work and dropping the balls onto the prepared dish. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

One at a time, remove the balls from the freezer, roll in the desired topping, and return to the freezer. Freeze until set, at least 10 minutes and up to 2 days, before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2007 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazine's editors.Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.