Jeni Britton Bauer's Farmers Market Sundae Recipe

This ambrosial sundae is eagerly anticipated each summer.

By
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Carrie Vasios Mullins is the former national editor at Serious Eats, with a focus on all things sweet.
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Updated March 28, 2025
Overhead view of a farmer's market sundae.

Serious Eats / Stacy Newgent

Summertime is berry time and rather than throw them all in the freezer, I like to use as many as possible to make Farmers' Market Sundaes. We serve them all summer in our shops and I make variations of them at home and in our office lunchroom kitchen.

The Farmers' Market Sundae is a seasonal delight. It's layer upon layer of the freshest tastes of summer: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, halved strawberries, and/or halved pitted cherries; lemon syrup; Lemon Frozen Yogurt (or a good vanilla ice cream--say, Ugandan Vanilla Bean); made-from-scratch Port Wine Berry Compote; fresh-whipped cream; and a sprig of mint, basil, or lemon balm.

Every ingredient shares center stage, but if there's a breakout star it's the Port Wine Berry Compote. You can use almost any wine or spirit, but I love port with it. The sweet fortified wine tastes a little like raisins and helps the berries release their juices. It just deepens the overall flavor of the sundae.

I used to make this for hundreds of people at the annual Food & Ohio Wine Festival at Columbus' North Market (where I opened my first shop in 2002). It was always a huge hit.

Excerpted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer. (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2011.

July 2012

Recipe Details

Jeni Britton Bauer's Farmers Market Sundae Recipe

Prep 50 mins
Cook 15 mins
Churning/Freezing Time 11 hrs 15 mins
Total 12 hrs 20 mins
Serves 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Lemon Frozen Yogurt:

  • 1 quart plain low fat yogurt

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup

  • Zest from 1 lemon (reserved from below)

For the Lemon Syrup:

  • 2 to 3 lemons

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

For the Whipped Cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Sundae:

  • 3 cups blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, halved strawberries, and/or halved pitted cherries

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 2 tablespoons tawny port, ice wine, Champagne, or Lambrusco or 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

  • 6 fresh herb sprigs, such as mint, basil, or lemon balm

Directions

  1. Advance prep for the frozen yogurt base: Fit a sieve over a bowl and line it with two layers of cheesecloth. Pour the yogurt into the sieve, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours to drain. Discard the liquid, and measure out 1 1/4 cups of the drained yogurt; set aside.

  2. For the lemon syrup: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest in large strips from 1 lemon; reserve for the frozen yogurt (leave the lemon zest in large strips so it’s easier to strain out later). Juice enough of the lemons to make 1/2 cup. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool.

  3. For the frozen yogurt base: Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

  4. Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, corn syrup, and lemon zest in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

  5. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the reserved 1 1/4 cups yogurt and the lemon syrup and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

  6. Remove the zest from the frozen yogurt base. Pour into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy. Pack the frozen yogurt into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

  7. Make whipped cream: Chill a large metal or glass bowl in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes; it should be cold to the touch. Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla to the chilled bowl and whip by hand mixer. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

  8. Make sundaes: Toss the berries with the sugar, honey, and wine in a bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours, to macerate. The berries will create their own lovely syrup.

  9. Divide the macerated fruit among 6 plates (or assemble the sundaes in wide-mouthed Mason jars). Place 2 small scoops of frozen yogurt on top of the fruit, then garnish each sundae with a large dollop of whipped cream and an herb sprig.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
868Calories
43gFat
116gCarbs
14gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories868
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 43g56%
Saturated Fat 27g135%
Cholesterol 135mg45%
Sodium 190mg8%
Total Carbohydrate 116g42%
Dietary Fiber 7g26%
Total Sugars 100g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 107mg535%
Calcium 408mg31%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 835mg18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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