With the weather heating up, my thoughts keep turning to ice cream and other frozen treats. So when it came time to bake something, I didn't know where to begin. Luckily in his new book, The Perfect Scoop, the amazing David Lebovitz included a recipe for homemade ice cream cones. He recommends purchasing specialty cone molds, but said it was completely do-able without them. If I can make something without having to buy special equipment, then I'm all for it. They turned out a little rough around the edges, however they were relatively simple and had a nice delicate vanilla flavor - and bonus you can tell your friends you made them yourself! If you fancy giving your own ice cream cones a try (and I suggest you do), then get the recipe now, read more

Ice Cream Cones
Reprinted with permission from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz. Copyright 2007. Published by Ten Speed Press.

1/4 cup (60ml) egg whites (about 2 large egg whites)
7 tbsp (85 g) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup (90g) flour
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the salt and half of the flour, then mix in the melted butter. Beat in the rest of the flour until smooth.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread 2 level tbsp of the batter into a circle 6 inches (15cm) across. Try to get the circles as even and smooth as possible (you're likely to get 2 rounds on one standard baking sheet).
4. Put the baking sheet in the oven and begin checking the cones after about 10 minutes. Depending on your oven, they'll take between 10 and 15 minutes to bake. The circles should be a deep golden brown throughout (some lighter and darker spots are inevitable so don't worry). Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use a thin metal spatula to loosen the edge of one disk. Slide the spatula under the disk, quickly flip it over, and immediately roll it around the cone-rolling form [Note: If you don't have a cone-rolling form, you can try to roll by hand, they will probably not be as tightly formed. Also, you may wish to wear clean rubber gloves, as the cookies will be quite warm to the touch.], pressing the seam firmly on the counter to close the cone and pinching the point at the bottom securely closed. Let the cone cool slightly on the mold until it feels firm, then slide it off and stand it upright in a tall glass to cool. Roll the other cone the same way. (If it's too firm, return the baking sheet to the oven for a minute or so until it's pliable again.)
5. Repeat, using the remaining batter. You'll find it easier to spread the batter if you slide the reusable parchment paper off the baking sheet; any heat from the baking sheet will make the batter fussy to spread.

Storage: The batter can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Let the batter come to room temperature before using. Once baked and cooled, store the cones in an airtight container until ready to serve. They're best eaten the same day they're baked.

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