You don’t need a fancy ice cream machine (although it helps) to make some cool treats for summer. There are plenty of hacks around to help you.

Silicone tubes filled with juice, flavoured water or milky drinks can easily be whizzed up. 

You can make a basic ice-cream mixture (eggs, milks, cream, sweetener of choice) part freeze it in a tray and “churn” it (break it up with a fork) midway through to make your own ice-cream. 

If you like it more watery, try granita –  icy, icy goodness.

There’s plenty of options. 

Here’s one to tempt you 

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Let the freezer do the work: first, freeze watermelon overnight, then turn it into a creamy two-ingredient ice-cream on a biscuit base. Refreeze it and it's ready to go.

Ingredients

1kg watermelon flesh (seedless), chopped

300g sweetened condensed milk

For the base

250g sweet biscuits (I used Chocolate Ripple)

150g butter, melted

Method

1. Arrange the chopped watermelon on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and freeze overnight.

2. To make the biscuit base, whiz the biscuits in a food processor, then add the melted butter and whiz until fine-crumbed. Press into the base of a straight-sided lamington tin lined with baking paper, and place in the freezer to firm up.

3. Remove the watermelon from the freezer, soften at room temperature for five minutes, then whiz in a food processor with the sweetened condensed milk for two minutes until smooth.

4. Pour the watermelon mixture over the biscuit base and freeze overnight. Remove from the tin, cut into slices or squares and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion: serve with a small, chilled wedge of watermelon or a spoonful of berries.

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Want more recipes? See our Seven simple, and tasty, ways to deal with a hot snap

Or, if you’re looking for something uniquely Australian, try our, er, Vegemite Icy Poles

And if making it sounds like too much trouble, how about an ice-cream “pub crawl” – from ice cream place, to cold drinks to dinner outside (preferably with a fan blowing).

The air conditioner’s blaring and you can’t be bothered cooking. But you’ve promised yourselve you’ll eat better ahead of Christmas (step away from the take aways). What’s the answer? Well having a barbecue outside to keep the house cool is one. 

The other is try some of our light, luscious recipes to keep you on track as the mercury rises

Grilled salmon kebabs, vegetables with lime mayonnaise

Jiao zi dumplings

Roasted carrot, medjool date and feta salad

Seared chermoula yellow tail kingfish with Moroccan salad

Middle Eastern beef mince bowl

Spaghetti with crab, lemon and chilli

Stir-fried blue swimmer crab with tamarind coconut

Chilli chestnut asian greens tofu stir fry

And finish it off with our Ultimate Summer Fruit Platter or one of our icy creation suggestions above. 

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