So, I had this idea floating around in my head – making some of those small ice cream bars, you know, like the mini magnum ones you see in stores. Seemed simple enough, so I figured I’d give it a shot the other day.
Getting Things Ready
First thing, I went and got the basics. Didn’t need much, really:
- A tub of plain vanilla ice cream. Nothing fancy.
- Some decent melting chocolate. Went for milk chocolate.
- Those little wooden sticks.
- Parchment paper. Always useful.
Got back home and cleared some space in the freezer. That’s key, you need room and it needs to be really cold.
Making the Ice Cream Bites
Okay, the process. I let the ice cream soften just a tiny bit, makes it easier to handle. Then I grabbed a small scoop, like a cookie dough scoop, and made little oval shapes. Plonked each one onto a tray lined with that parchment paper. Tried to make them roughly the size of those mini bars, maybe like those 55ml ones.
Then came sticking the sticks in. Pushed one into the side of each scoop. You gotta be a bit gentle but firm, otherwise the ice cream just squishes.
Once I had a tray full, maybe about a dozen, I shoved the whole thing straight into the freezer. Left it there for a good few hours. Seriously, they need to be rock solid before you even think about chocolate.
The Chocolate Part
Later on, I tackled the chocolate. Just broke it up into pieces and put it in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stirred it pretty constantly until it was smooth. Took it off the heat right away so it wouldn’t get too hot. Let it cool down a bit, maybe 10 minutes? If it’s too hot, it just melts the ice cream instantly. If it’s too cold, it gets thick and gloopy. Bit of a balancing act.
I poured the melted chocolate into a narrow glass. Makes dipping easier than using a wide bowl.
Dipping and Finishing Up
Alright, action time. Pulled the tray of frozen ice cream pops out of the freezer. Worked quick here. Grabbed one by the stick, dipped it straight down into the chocolate in the glass. Pulled it out, let the extra drip off for a second. The cold ice cream makes the chocolate harden up super fast, which is pretty cool to watch.
Placed the dipped bar onto a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Repeated this for all the little ice cream things. Had to move fast because they start softening the second they’re out the freezer.
Once they were all coated, back into the freezer they went for a final freeze, just to make sure everything was solid again.
The Result
And that was basically it. Pulled one out later to try. Honestly? Pretty good! Tasted like, well, chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream. The size was nice, just a few bites. Not exactly like the store-bought ones, a bit more rustic looking, you know? But making them yourself is kinda satisfying. A bit messy, yeah, especially the dipping, but worth trying if you got an afternoon free.