Homemade Ice Cream Bars
Servings: 4 x 90ml
Tools you'll need:
- 1 ice cream mould
These irresistible soft, smooth, creamy, homemade ice cream bars are perfect for a hot summers day. Easy to make, no-churning required and use just six ingredients.
INGREDIENTS LIST
Ice cream base
- 120 g whipping or double cream
- 60 g sweetened condensed milk
- 60 g evaporated milk
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla paste (avoid extracts - see notes)
Chocolate coating
- 400 g dark or milk chocolate (dark, milk or white)
Fruit coulis
- 120 g fresh or frozen fruit of choice (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Salted caramel
- 100 g caster sugar
- 50 g butter
- 100 g double cream or heavy cream
- 2 pinches fine sea salt
Other filling options
- 4 piece passion fruit (1 per ice cream)
- 100 g Nutella (25g per ice cream)
- 100 g biscoff spread
- 100 g peanut butter
Preparation
- Place the ice cream mould on a tray that fits into your freezer. If you are going to use a coulis or caramel to flavour your ice cream then start to prepare these following the instructions further down. If you're going to use Nutella, Biscoff spread, peanut butter or passion fruit add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the bottom of each mould and then place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Fruit coulis: To a small saucepan, add the fruit and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. The mixture will begin to boil, turn it down to medium heat. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring the mixture often. Once the fruit has broken down and softened, turn off the heat - this will take a few minutes longer if using frozen fruits. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse until it reaches a smooth sauce consistency. You can also use a stick blender. Strain the mixture through a strainer into a pouring jug and add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the bottom of each mould and then place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Salted caramel sauce: Place the sugar into a medium large saucepan. Place the pan on over a low heat. Allow the sugar to melt, this will take around 5 minutes. When all of the sugar has melted and is a golden amber colour, add the butter and stir to combine. Then add the cream, being careful as it will steam and bubble. Stir the mixture until smooth and then remove from the heat to cool.Once cooled, add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the bottom of each mould and then place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Ice cream: In a measuring jug or mixing bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Then add the condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla paste. Blitz until smooth and creamy. You may want to scrape down the sides of the jug with a spatula throughout the process to make sure everything gets blended evenly.
- Remove the mould from the freezer and insert the wooden lolly sticks. Fill the moulds with the ice cream mix and transfer to the freezer for 3-4 hours, until completely set.
- Coating: Once frozen, carefully remove the ice-creams from their moulds and place them back into the freezer on a tray lined with parchment paper until ready to coat.Melt the chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl over a small pan of simmering water (double boiler). Pour the melted chocolate in to a tall glass and dip each ice cream in it. At this stage they can be decorated with chopped nuts, crushed biscuits or drizzled with melted chocolate.*It is likely that there will be additional chocolate left over at the end. Use it in another recipe or place it on a lined baking sheet and decorate with nuts and seeds to make a chocolate bark.
- Put the ice creams back on the tray to set in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving or store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Notes & Tips
Why we use vanilla paste and not extracts - because we want to minimise the water content.
