If Christmas Day is hot and muggy, try these cheap and delicious ice-cream dessert recipes.

Actually, they are great anytime and take very little time or preparation. Thanks to our friends at www.simplesavings.com.au for these ideas.

Fruity but fake ice-cream

Sliced four over-ripe bananas, put into a container and freeze. When you are ready to make your ice-cream, put the frozen bananas in the blender.

Slowly add milk to cover the fruit and blend. That’s it!

You might like to use other fruit – frozen chopped mangoes and strawberries are great – but mix them with frozen banana to get that creamy texture. Rice milk can be substituted for cow’s milk for a dairy-free ice-cream, or you can even use coconut milk.

Delicious condensed milk ice-cream

Use 600mls of thickened cream and a tin of condensed milk.

Whip together until thick - then add whatever you fancy. Crushed chocolate biscuits make a great cookies-and-cream flavour. If you add any fruit – make sure it is very well drained.

An adult version might include Tia Maria and chocolate chips, or rum and raisin flavourings. Freeze overnight.

Creamy and smooth evaporated milk ice-cream

This is a really yummy, creamy ice-cream that costs a lot less than the ones that need cream.

You need one 375ml tin of well chilled Carnation milk (use Light & Creamy for a low-fat version). The milk MUST be chilled before starting or the mixture won’t whip, so chill it overnight, or for an hour in the freezer.

Using a large bowl, beat the Carnation milk until firm peaks form (about 8-10 minutes).

Gradually add 3 tablespoons of sugar, beating well after each addition until the sugar has dissolved. (You can substitute a natural sweetening agent like Xylitol or stevia – available from health food stores – to avoid the sugar).

Gradually add 1 teaspoon of gelatine which has been completely dissolved in a little hot water and allowed to cool at little, mixing well into the ice-cream mixture, and 3 drops of vanilla essence.

Pour into a container or slice tray and freeze until set. Shut the freezer door gently, so the air in the mix doesn’t get banged out.

You don't need to re-beat this ice-cream and it takes only a couple of hours to set until ready to use.

At the end of the mixing process, you can gently fold through things like a crushed violet crumble bar, chocolate chips or broken-up biscuits.

Easy fruity ice-cream

1 can of evaporated milk 
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
One large very well mashed banana
Pulp of 2 or 3 passionfruit
¾ cup caster sugar

Chill evaporated milk overnight. Using electric beaters beat until stiff (almost as stiff as egg whites). Add sugar and keep beating. Then add juices, pulp and banana. Pour into plastic container and freeze.

Hawaiian Sherbet

l cup crushed pineapple frozen slushy
1/2 cup light evaporated milk frozen slushy
2 medium frozen banana cup up
whiz all ingredients in blender only until smooth - should be the consistency of soft ice cream.
Serve at once

I cup of mashed frozen strawberries can be substituted for the pineapple.

Powdered milk ice-cream

In a small lidded container combine:
2/3 cup non-fat milk powder (1 cup for creamier)
2 tsp cornflour (proper cornflour, not 'wheaten cornflour')
1 cup of water and stir.
Leave in fridge to chill, or put in freezer for 20mins.

To 3 tbspns boiling water add 1tsp of gelatine, stir until dissolved, and leave to cool a little.

Beat the chilled milk mixture with electric beaters for about 8 minutes - don't stop too soon. It should triple in size.

When 'tall' enough slowly add 3 or 4 tbspns sugar, 1 tsp at a time by sprinkling it on the surface while beating (think pavlova here!).
Add vanilla essence to taste or a small quantity of other liquid flavouring in a thin stream.

Next add the cooled but still liquid gelatine mix, in a thin stream, then beat for another 2 minutes. Make sure that all the gelatine is dissolved before you start adding it - MOST important.

Carefully fold any other goodies in (dried fruit, nuts, coffee powder, well drained fresh fruit) and put in an ice-cream container to freeze. Place carefully in freezer - banging it forces the air out.

This makes about two litres of ice-cream.