Beat the sweltering heat with a treasury of delicious frozen desserts that you can easily create in your own kitchen. A stash of frosty creations can be made in advance with minimal time and effort, kept in the freezer and pulled out on a moment's notice. Most go together in short order by relying on convenience products including store-bought ice cream, cookies, candies, brownies and jarred ice-cream toppings or sauces. Among them is a copycat version of the Brownie a la Mode Ice Cream Dessert launched earlier this year and available at Baskin Robbins stores. 'It's one of the company's new affordable desserts that serves eight to 10 for $9.99,' notes Stan Frankenthaler, executive chef and director of culinary development, Baskin Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts, Canton, Mass. Designed to be easy to 'grab-and-go, it really is not meant to be a special occasion cake, but rather an everyday treat, reasonably priced and fun,' he notes, adding that 'it is a step in a slightly different direction for the world's largest ice cream chain.' This fall, more items are anticipated to join the affordable lineup. The 7-inch diameter creation sports a base of crushed cookie crumbs with a caramel layer, then a two-inch layer of chocolate ice cream with the top embellished with mini chocolate caramel candy cups and crumbled brownie pieces. Most tasters gave the dessert high marks. We took the liberty to make our larger replica version in a 9-inch springform pan. Diced up Rolo candies were substituted for the tiny chocolate caramel candy cups, which aren't readily available to consumers (except online in bulk). Instead you might want to try chopped up peanut butter cups or other candy flavors. Ice cream pies are another easy option for home cooks with an array of varieties possible including classics like Oreo cookies 'n' cream, pralines 'n' cream and turtle -- top sellers at Baskin Robbins. Customize the pies as you like with different crusts, ice cream and toppings. Try a grasshopper pie (with mint chocolate chip ice cream topped with a chocolate lattice design and whipped cream), an M&M candies pie or whatever else strikes your fancy for a refreshing take on the theme. A fabulous Kona Coffee Mud Pie at Damon's Steak House in Glendale is fast and fabulous to duplicate at home. A mile high with a chocolate crumb crust and coffee ice cream, a regal slice is served drizzled with fudge sauce and sprinkled with toffee pieces. Our copycat version is effortless to assemble and the fudge sauce can be made in a microwave in no time flat. The classic favorite always rates raves. Beyond a pie, for something cool, novel and a bit different, you can surprise and impress guests or kids with an ice cream pizza. Our variations feature a from-scratch brownie base baked in a springform, but you could use brownie mix and bake in a thin layer on a pizza pan, if desired. In a bind, you could even bake up a refrigerated cookie dough crust. Whatever route you take, be sure to cool and freeze the crust before stacking with ice cream and toppings of your choice. Without using cake layers, you can also whip up a wonderful ice cream 'cake' in a jiffy with a coconut crust, layers of raspberry chocolate ice cream and a quick raspberry sauce prepared with frozen raspberries. Splurge and enjoy. Keep your cool and beat the summer heat with these frosty desserts. 