CALIFORNIA ICE CREAM KEY TO SCREAM-WORTHY DESSERTS FOR NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH AND ALL SUMMER LONG

California Milk Advisory Board Honors Frozen Favorite With Contemporary
Twist on Classic Ice Cream Desserts

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., & MODESTO, Calif. – July 6, 2010 – No matter how you scoop it, blend it or top it – Americans love their ice cream. The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) is celebrating our obsession with this frozen treat by introducing a contemporary take on two classic ice cream desserts – Baked Alaska and Ice Cream Pie – just in time to honor July as National Ice Cream Month.

The average American eats 48 pints of ice cream each year. Chances are it’s made with Real California Milk. California is the number one producer of both ice cream and the milk that gives it the creamy, dreamy flavor that we love. It takes 12 pounds of whole milk to produce one gallon of ice cream and in 2009, the state produced more than 146 million gallons of ice cream. That’s a lot of scoops!

In honor of National Ice Cream Month (declared in 1984 by President and Californian Ronald Reagan), the CMAB created two dessert recipes destined to get a squeal if not a scream of delight from your guests. The Baked California combines the classic elements of the traditional dessert – sponge cake, ice cream and meringue – with the tropical flavor of mango into individual sized portions made for entertaining and impressing guests. The Crispy Crust California Ice Cream Pie combines puffed rice cereal and chocolate to create a decadent crust for a pie filled with Dulce de Leche ice cream and topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and glazed pecans, no baking necessary.

When handling ice cream for eating or in desserts, consumers should keep these tips in mind:

·    Ice cream should be stored in a sealed container in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, which is typically set at 0˚F.

·    Some ice cream cartons are stamped with a “best used by” date, intended to tell how long the product will be at top eating quality.

·    To soften ice cream, transfer it to the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes before serving. A faster option is to use a microwave. Place the ice cream in its cardboard container into a microwave set to High: microwave one pint for 10-15 seconds; one quart for 15-25 seconds; and a half-gallon for 30-40 seconds. (Don’t use microwave if ice cream is in a plastic container.)

·    After serving ice cream, return carton to the freezer immediately to help prevent the formation of ice crystals that often occurs when ice cream is partially thawed and then re-frozen.

Dairy products – including ice cream – made with California milk can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies that the products are made exclusively with milk produced on California dairy farms. California produces more butter, ice cream, yogurt and nonfat dry milk than any other state. The state is the second-largest producer of cheese, which is available nationally under the Real California Cheese seal.

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About the California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s 1,752 dairy families. With headquarters in South San Francisco and Modesto, the CMAB is one of the largest commodity boards in the United States. The CMAB executes advertising, public relations, research and retail and foodservice promotional programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese. For more information on California dairy products, visit www.RealCaliforniaMilk.com.

INDIVIDUAL BAKED CALIFORNIA

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 4 hours freezing time

Cook time: 2-3 minutes

Place dessert shells on parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Form ice cream into 6 half-cup scoops. Place one scoop on top of each dessert shell; freeze 4 hours to overnight or until ice cream is very firm. In blender, purée mango with 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.

Just before serving, heat oven to 500°F. With electric mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. With mixer running, slowly add 1 1/4 cups sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks form. With spatula, cover ice cream completely with egg whites, leaving dessert shell exposed. With spoon, form peaks in egg whites. Place in oven 2-3 minutes or just until tips of egg whites are browned. Spoon 2 tablespoons mango purée onto each of 6 dessert plates; place 1 Baked California on each plate and garnish with strawberries. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 572 calories; 17 g fat; 113 mg cholesterol; 312 mg sodium; 100 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 8 g protein

CRISPY CRUST CALIFORNIA ICE CREAM PIE

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 4 hours freezing time

In microwave or in top of double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Gently stir in cereal until completely coated with chocolate. Press evenly into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Place in freezer about 15 minutes or until set. With spatula, spread ice cream evenly into crust; freeze 4 hours to overnight or until ice cream is very firm.

About 1 hour before serving, with electric mixer, whisk cream, sugar and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Spread on top of ice cream; place in freezer until cream is firm. To serve, cut pie into 8 wedges and place each wedge on a dessert plate. Drizzle with each wedge with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons glazed pecans.

Makes 8 servings

*Or other flavor such as coffee, butter pecan or vanilla

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 801 calories; 49 g fat; 152 mg cholesterol; 178 mg sodium; 84 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 10 g protein