Clambakes are the quintessential autumn event. Although the tradition started in New England, it has spread across the country as home chefs and restaurant staff alike prepare menus of seafood boils, roast chicken, steamed clams, grilled steaks, lobster tails and other savory delights.
But no dinner party is complete without a delicious dessert. Here are five ideas for the final course of your fall clambake:
Waffle Bowl Apple “Dumplings”
Apple dumplings are a pleasure to eat, but time-consuming (and messy!) to prepare. Instead of covering your kitchen counter with flour to create and roll yards of crust, try this quick sundae creation instead. Place scoops of Cinnamon Ice Cream in waffle cone bowls (which you’ll find in the baking aisle or near the ice cream section of your grocery store) and top with fresh, cooked apples and cinnamon or warmed apple pie filling. Enjoy!
Lemon Bars à la Mode
Lemon bars are a popular dessert choice for seafood-heavy menus. Serve warm lemon bars straight from the oven with dollops of Classic Vanilla Ice Cream for a refreshingly smooth treat. For an even easier (and dairy-free) alternative, scoop up Lemon Sorbet and top with fresh berries.
Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches
Here’s an easy treat you can prepare in advance with our Cinnamon Ice Cream and store-bought or fresh-baked snickerdoodles. On a cookie sheet or platter, lay out rows of cookies, top sides down. Place scoops of ice cream onto each cookie and top with the bottom side of a second cookie. Place in the freezer until it’s time for dessert.
Of course, if you really love the taste of cinnamon and sugar cookies, dig into a dish of our Nun Better Snickerdoodle Ice Cream.
Blueberry Parfaits
Blueberry cobbler – made with fresh fruit from the harvest and plated à la mode – is a traditional New England clambake dessert. These easy-to-make parfaits capture that classic flavor with only three ingredients: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, store-bought or home-baked shortbread cookies and, of course, blueberries. Place the ingredients in parfait cups or tumblers in alternate layers until you reach the top.
Milkshake Cocktails
Drink your dessert! Add a shot of spiced rum to our Pumpkin Pie Milkshake or Cinnamon Apple Milkshake recipes for a creamy autumn cocktail – the perfect night cap after a lovely clambake meal.
