It's an emergency. Ice cream makes it all better. Whether its a boo-boo, a date gone bad, or just a darn hot afternoon, this timeless frozen dessert soothes and refreshes. You never know when the unique relief of ice cream will be needed, so it's best to be prepared. With this survival kit of ice-cream-ready bowls; you'll be ready for whatever life serves up: injury, celebration, or just plain ol' craving of your favorite sweet concoction. No wonder so many people love ice cream: it's a feel-good, never-fail salve for the soul!

Each Bowl has it's own survival mantra:

Ice Cream Logic: if it's low-fat, double it up!!

Ice Cream Purist: Sorbet? No way. Pudding? I'll pass. Just plain ICE CREAM!

Ice Cream Social: Me, myself & ice cream. That's a social right?

Ice Cream Scoop: EXTRA! EXTRA! EAT ALL ABOUT IT!

Kit includes: gift tin, 4 stoneware, microwave and dishwasher safe bowls (1 per design)and 4 stainless steel with stoneware handle spoons.

Decorative, polished aluminum Ice Cream containers by Wild Eye Designs. Fits a standard 1 pint ice cream carton. Each container includes an ice cream scoop. 5" x 5" x 5"

When you’re roughing it in the great outdoors, a hearty breakfast is in order. We turn to the classics: pancakes, bacon, and eggs, cooked in a cast iron skillet over an open fire. In an effort to reuse ingredients from meal to meal (and to maximize taste), we’ve added some of the pine nuts and currants from our Hot Campfire Couscous, the side dish from the preceding night’s dinner. It’s a chance to use up leftover beer too!

What to buy: Be sure to pick up a light lager (such as Corona, Budweiser, or Heineken), as it will make airy pancakes without adding the bitterness or imposing flavor of a more substantial beer.

Game plan: Be sure to mix up a big batch of CHOW All-Purpose Baking Mix before leaving home. It’s our version of Bisquick, and can be used both in these pancakes and in our recipe for Strawberry Shortcake on a Stick.

See more camping recipes.

INGREDIENTS 3 1/3 cups CHOW All-Purpose Baking Mix 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 cup currants 2 cups beer (any pale lager such as Corona, Budweiser, or Heineken) 2 large eggs 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for cooking Butter and maple syrup, for serving INSTRUCTIONS Combine baking mix, nuts, and dried fruit in a large bowl, and mix until evenly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beer, eggs, and vegetable oil. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just moistened. (Don’t overmix or the pancakes will be tough. The batter should be lumpy.) Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat on a camping stove or over a campfire fitted with a grilling grate. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it; if the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use; if it evaporates instantly, the pan is too hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, and swirl to coat. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. (You should be able to fit 3 to 4 pancakes at a time.) Cook until pancakes rise slightly and form lots of bubbles on top, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until bottoms are golden brown, about another minute. Repeat with remaining batter, adding 1 tablespoon oil between batches if the pan seems dry. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.

Game plan: For a slacker solution, you can use any good-quality, store-bought caramel or dulce de leche ice cream. You could also use good-quality store-bought chocolate sauce and, in place of the cinnamon-sugar chips, broken-up churros or snickerdoodle cookies.

For a party, set out the ice cream (on ice, of course), chocolate sauce, and chips, then have people help themselves.

This recipe was featured as part of our Super Bowl for a Crowd menu.

INGREDIENTS 2 scoops Caramel Ice Cream 4 or 5 Cinnamon-Sugar Chips 1 tablespoon Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce INSTRUCTIONS Place ice cream in a bowl, then break up chips and scatter over ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve.

The combination of caramel and chocolate is a candy store classic, but add in a cookie crust and you get a candy-lover’s dream. With a shortbread crust, gooey caramel, and premium chocolate, our Halloween version of a Twix™ is irresistible.

Download the Twixt wrapper

Special equipment: We’re assuming that you already have basic tools lying around (like a rubber spatula, bowls, and measuring cups), so here’s the special equipment you’ll need: Kitchen scale Tape measure Deep-frying/candy thermometer Pastry brush Chocolate thermometer, such as CDN’s ... read more The combination of caramel and chocolate is a candy store classic, but add in a cookie crust and you get a candy-lover’s dream. With a shortbread crust, gooey caramel, and premium chocolate, our Halloween version of a Twix™ is irresistible.

Special equipment: We’re assuming that you already have basic tools lying around (like a rubber spatula, bowls, and measuring cups), so here’s the special equipment you’ll need: Kitchen scale Tape measure Deep-frying/candy thermometer Pastry brush Chocolate thermometer, such as CDN’s What to buy: Professional pastry chefs use a type of chocolate known as couverture (it has more cocoa butter than normal chocolate) because it sets up well. The only trick is that you need to temper it. For this recipe, we used El Rey 41 percent milk chocolate Discos; they can be found at specialty grocery stores and online.

Game plan: From experience we can say it’s best to avoid tempering chocolate on a hot day. If you can’t, be sure to work in an air-conditioned space. Chocolate behaves best in a room-temperature environment (mid-60s to low 70s).

Once your chocolate is in temper, it stays there for only a short time, so have everything ready to go and work quickly.

See our other Halloween candy bars: Peanut Butta Cups, Almond Jay, and Snickles.

<< Collapse INGREDIENTS For the cookie base: 1 large egg, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), at room temperature and cut into small pieces For the caramel: Cooking spray, such as Pam 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup light corn syrup 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick) 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract For the chocolate coating: 1 1/2 pounds milk chocolate couverture, such as El Rey 41 percent milk chocolate Discos

INSTRUCTIONS For the cookie base: In a small bowl beat together egg and vanilla extract until yolk is broken up and evenly combined; set aside. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to aerate and break up any lumps. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like sand, about 25 (1-second) pulses. Add egg mixture and pulse just until dough comes together, about 10 (1-second) pulses. Form into a flat, rectangular disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 375°F. Place dough on a 14-inch piece of parchment paper, lightly flour, and roll into a 13-by-8-inch oval, about 1/8 inch thick. (Work quickly, because the dough will become difficult to roll as it warms up.) Transfer parchment paper with dough to a baking sheet, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Trim dough to a 12-by-7-inch square and cut into 3-1/2-by-3/4-inch cookies (you need at least 24). Pierce each cookie four or five times with a chopstick or the base of a thermometer. Place on a baking sheet and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool. Meanwhile, make the caramel. For the caramel: Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then line the pan with a 16-by-13-inch piece of parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side. Set aside. Combine all ingredients except vanilla extract in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat. Stir mixture until sugar completely dissolves, about 2 minutes. Wash down the inside of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Boil mixture, swirling pan occasionally (but not stirring), until syrup is at 248°F, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove the saucepan from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and pour caramel into prepared baking pan. Using an oiled rubber spatula, spread caramel evenly in the pan. Immediately press 24 cookies, pierced side down, into caramel, leaving space between them to cut them apart later. Let cool until caramel is no longer warm to the touch and holds a slight indentation when pressed with your finger, about 40 minutes. Place filling in the refrigerator until caramel is firm and can easily be cut through, about 40 minutes. Remove filling from the baking pan to a cutting board, caramel side down, and, using a sharp knife, cut around each cookie. Peel off parchment paper, place undipped candy bars on a cutting board, caramel side down, and trim away excess caramel. Immediately place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cookie side down, and set in the refrigerator until caramel is hard, at least 10 minutes. (Note: It’s best to work in a cool area for this step.) Meanwhile, temper chocolate. For the chocolate coating: To temper chocolate, fill a large bowl with 2 inches of cold water, add 3 to 4 ice cubes, and set aside. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer over high heat; once simmering, turn off heat. Place 18 ounces of the chocolate in a dry heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan and stir until chocolate is completely melted and reaches 118°F. (Make sure chocolate does not come in contact with water or exceed 120°F. If either happens, start over, as the chocolate is no longer usable.) Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Add remaining 6 ounces chocolate and stir until all chocolate is melted and cools to 80°F. To speed the cooling process, after all chocolate has melted place the bowl over the reserved cold-water bath. Meanwhile, take undipped candy bars out of the refrigerator. Return the bowl to the saucepan and stir until chocolate reaches 86°F; immediately remove from heat. Do not remove the thermometer from the bowl; check the temperature periodically to make sure it stays between 85°F and 87°F. (Chocolate must remain in this temperature range while dipping or it will not set up properly.) Keep the saucepan over low heat and use it to reheat chocolate as necessary. To test if chocolate is properly tempered, spread a thin layer on parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator for 3 minutes to set. If chocolate hardens smooth and without streaks, it is properly tempered. (If it is not properly tempered, you need to repeat the process.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop candy bars one at a time, cookie side down, into tempered chocolate. Cover caramel side with more chocolate, then remove candy bar. To do so, hold two dinner forks in one hand, crossing the ends of the handles to form a V, with the tines pointed outward. As you remove each candy bar, tap the forks several times against the edge of the bowl and scrape the bottom of the forks across the edge to wipe away any excess chocolate. Place Twixt on the baking sheet by tilting the forks so the edge of each candy bar touches the parchment-lined pan, then smoothly pull the forks out. Repeat until all candy bars have been dipped. Let sit at room temperature until completely set, at least 20 minutes. Trim any excess chocolate from edges of candy bars and place Twixt in an airtight container. Twixt will last up to three weeks in the refrigerator or up to two months in the freezer. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Unlike the original, this chocolate cake is rich, not too sweet, and only partially covered in chocolate. If you choose to coat the entire Ding-a-Ling, double the recipe for the ganache.

This recipe was featured in our 2006 Snackie Cakes story.

INGREDIENTS For the Chocolate Cake 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 3 large eggs 1 recipe Vanilla Cream For the Chocolate Ganache 3/4 cup heavy cream 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon butter

INSTRUCTIONS Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 12-well muffin pans. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a small saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the other cake ingredients except for the eggs. Beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cooled chocolate and the eggs. Beat together until it looks like pudding, about 2 minutes. Add this to the other ingredients and beat the mixture until it looks like whipped frosting, about 2 minutes. Fill each well of the prepared muffin pans with 1/4 cup of the mixture (they should be filled about halfway). Bake until the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled, run a knife along the perimeter of the cakes, invert the muffin pans, and remove the cakes. To assemble: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized tip (or use a Ziploc bag and cut one corner off) with Vanilla Cream. With a straw or the end of a spoon, make two or three holes in the underside of each cake. Insert the tip of the pastry bag into the opening and squeeze Vanilla Cream into the cake. When the cream floods out of the opening, it’s full. Turn the cake right side up, and place on a cooling rack fitted over a baking tray. For the ganache: In a small saucepan, heat the cream to a simmer. Put the chocolate into a bowl, and pour the hot cream over it. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the butter, and stir until smooth and liquidy. Spoon ganache on top of each cake, allowing it to pool in the center, and spread it outward with the back of a spoon. The ganache will run over the sides and dry to a smooth finish.

Thin and buttery, these cookies were likened to chocolate chip tuiles by one of our testers. This recipe makes a lot of cookies, but the sand-dollar-size treats disappear quickly, so you might as well make a full batch!

What to buy: We used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, but you can use any chocolate chips you like.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature 1 cup light brown sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 12 ounces)

INSTRUCTIONS Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange the rack in middle. Combine flour, and salt in a small mixing bowl and whisk to break up any lumps. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy and light. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, add egg, and mix until just incorporated; mix in vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in chocolate chips. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons, about 3 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until bottoms of cookies are golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. (Turn baking sheets halfway through if the oven does not heat evenly.) Remove cookies from the oven, let cool completely on the baking sheets (this will make them easier to remove) about 10 minutes.

Yummy idea for breakfast with a different kick!

This frosting is just sweet enough to make a great topping for cupcakes or carrot cake. Our editor in chief likes to use it to top our Zucchini–Pine Nut Muffins.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature INSTRUCTIONS Whisk all ingredients together until they are well combined. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.

With milk chocolate sauce sandwiched between layers of crêpes, this dessert from Chef Stéphane Reynaud’s new book, Terrine, has no faults.

What to buy: Vanilla sugar is granulated sugar that’s been perfumed with vanilla beans and seeds. It can be purchased at specialty food shops, or, to make your own, just bury scraped vanilla beans and their seeds in your sugar and store in an airtight container. A sachet is roughly equal to 2 teaspoons.

This recipe was featured as part of our Terrines Made Easy story.

Photo Credit: Charlotte Lascève

INGREDIENTS For the crêpe batter: 3 eggs 1 sachet vanilla sugar 300 g / 11 oz (2 3/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 400 ml / 14 fl oz (1 3/4 cups) milk 25 g / 1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter, melted 1 tablespoon sunflower oil For the chocolate sauce: 200 g / 7 oz milk chocolate, broken into pieces 100 ml / 3 1/2 fl oz (scant 1/2 cups) double (heavy) cream 20 g / 3/4 oz (1 1/2 tablespoons) butter Pinch of ground cinnamon Pinch of ground ginger

INSTRUCTIONS To make the batter, beat the eggs well, then add the vanilla sugar and flour. Gradually stir in the milk and 200 ml / 7 fl oz (scant 1 cup) water. Finally, stir in the melted butter and the sunflower oil. To make the chocolate sauce, put the chocolate, cream, butter, cinnamon and ginger into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture has blended together. Keep warm. Cook the crêpes in a non-stick pan (skillet), making sure that they are very thin. Set aside in a warm place. When they are all cooked, brush them with the chocolate mixture and stack them on top of each other. Serve warm.