Ice Cream Bonbons
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
This is a simple way to make gorgeous little mouthfuls of dessert when you want to finish with something simple. The secret is to keep the balls of ice cream as cold as possible and only take a couple out of the freezer at a time when dipping. You will need to start preparing them 1-2 days ahead.
INGREDIENTS
good quality ice cream
dark or white chocolate
toothpicks
assorted toppings (see suggestions below)
(I used dark chocolate and finely chopped praline and white chocolate with freeze-dried raspberries)
Suggested sprinkles:
any of the freeze-dried fruits available, such as raspberries, plums, feijoas and pineapple (I used Fresh As brand, available from good food stores). Crush the fruit between your fingertips when coating the chocolate
finely chopped praline or toffee
finely chopped chocolate coated coffee beans
chopped nuts such as pistachios, roasted almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
METHOD
Use a melon baller to roll small balls of your favourite ice cream.
Stick a toothpick in each one and place in a single layer on a flat tray in the freezer until they are very hard, for at least 24 -48 hours.
Melt dark or white chocolate in a deep rather than shallow bowl. A deeper bowl makes it easier to dip the balls of ice cream.
Holding the toothpick, quickly coat each ball in chocolate, then move it away from the bowl of chocolate and sprinkle with your desired topping. You don’t want topping in your chocolate. Immediately return the ball to the freezer.
The ice cream balls will happily keep in the freezer for a couple of weeks, once dipped and coated. Only remove from the freezer immediately before serving and place in a chilled bowl if possible.
Christmas Menu: Serve with a Miso, Mirin and Spring Onion Baked Salmon and Spiced Orange and Hoisin Glazed Ham to start. Herb-Crusted Fillet of Beef with Cherry Mostada or a Duck and Orange Salad with Smoky Orange Dressing for mains. Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Herb Dressing, Mixed Green Vegetable Salad with Sesame Yoghurt Dressing, Three Cheese and Truffle Stuffed Rolls and Crispy Roasted Potatoes and Fennel with Gremolata and Parmesan on the side. Add a Lemon Meringue Cake to finish.
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