If you’re of a certain age, you may remember a time when ice cream treats were sold from a truck that travelled around to different neighbourhoods. That ringing bell would set off an avalanche of kids, running from their houses.
My favourite was the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar. I loved how the crunch of the outside coating gave way to the soft fluffy ice cream middle. I recently had a craving for them and bought a box at the supermarket. It was so disappointing. It tasted nothing like my memory. It was too sweet and really artificial tasting. Nostalgia is often like that.
Luckily for us, Stella Parks over at seriouseats has made it her mission to turn our childhood memories into a reality that never disappoints.
In order to get an intense strawberry flavour, start with freeze-dried strawberries instead of fresh ones. Fresh strawberries have too much water, and when you freeze them into an ice cream base, it becomes icy, not creamy and smooth.
This is a no churn ice cream (meaning no ice cream machine needed). Start with egg whites and sugar, heat them to 165°F and then whip them into a, stiiff meringue.
Whip some heavy cream with ground up freeze dried strawberries and then fold it into the meringue. Then pipe this mixture into popsicle molds. After years of buying and losing plastic popsicle molds, I finally invested in these. But any popsicle molds will work.
Pop them into the freezer for at least 24 hours.
For dipping, mix melted white chocolate with a bit of coconut oil. That will give you a thin outer shell for the ice cream. Grind up some more freeze dried strawberries with Rice Krispies and then roll the chocolate coated bars in this. Crunch!!
Take a bite and relive your childhood!
