Yes we know it's not Friday, but the sun is shining, and it might not be come the weekend. So why not make instant banana ice cream or fresh strawberry italian ice for your dessert tonight?

It's been a while since we did a recipe round-up (did you miss them? please let us know...) but the hot weather has everyone here in Echo Towers thinking about ice cream.

So I've dug out a few options. Some of these really require an ice cream maker. One doesn't even need freezing. They're none of them your run of the mill vanilla. If you're going to make your own ice cream, you might as well make it special, yes?

First, Strawberry granita. It's mainly made of strawberry, and all you need is a freezer. No churning required.

Second, instant banana ice cream. You need to pre-freeze your banana chunks, but then all you do is mix them in a food processor with some cream and that's it! no overnight refrigeration required. That, my friends, is a winner.

Third, and this one does require an icecream maker, chocolate sorbet . This recipe is enough to make me go and buy an icecream maker right now.

But if it doesn't float your boat, there are plenty more in this list I've put together - butterscotch icecream, lemon buttermilk sherbert, coconut cherry yoghurt, and tarragon icecream. Yum. Let me know if you try any!