It’s THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN….
….iiiiit’s POPSICLE WEEEEK!
I’ve been in Portland for the past week and thought I hadn’t transferred my image files from my external hard drive to my laptop. So for a while there I thought I was gonna have to miss out on my popsicle week post. BUT it turns out I DID have the files so all was ok.
So, as I’m on my holibobs (now in New Mexico visiting my aunt & uncle), I’m just going to leave this post short and sweet.
All you need to know is: coffee ice cream (I made my own but if you buy it in, that’s cool too), freeze it into moulds, dip in crushed caramelised hazelnuts (a.k.a. praline, if we’re bein fancy) and a hefty layer of bittersweet chocolate. Doesn’t get better than that!
Enjoy 🙂
Ingredients
For the coffee ice cream:
- 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream (double cream)
- 2 cups (500ml) milk
- 1/3 cup (80g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
To make the pops:
- 8 small silicone ice cream moulds (see notes)
- 1 batch hazelnut praline (see recipe below)
- 200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat the cream, milk, sugar and instant coffee in a medium pot over a medium heat. Stir until the coffee has all dissolved and the mixture is gently steaming (try to not let it come to a boil).
- In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks and cornflour together. Once the cream mixture is steaming, very gradually pour this into the bowl of egg yolk mixture whilst whisking it in. Pour this back into the pot and place back on the heat on low. Keep stirring until the mixture has thickened slightly.
- Refrigerate the mixture to cool it down - it is best if you leave the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours once cooled (this is called 'ageing') as it helps form a more stable ice cream later on.
- Churn the ice cream in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Place the silicone moulds onto a baking sheet or two. Once churned, take the soft ice cream and use it to fill the silicone ice cream moulds, smoothing the backs with an offset palette knife. Poke the ice cream sticks into the moulds and transfer to the freezer to set - about 2-4 hours.
- Mix the melted dark chocolate and vegetable oil together in a medium bowl.
- Let the moulds sit out for a few minutes before de-moulding the ice cream pops. Pour the praline onto a plate or shallow bowl. Firmly dip and press the ice cream pops into the praline before transferring to a lined baking tray.
- Freeze again for a few minutes to solidify before dipping into the melted chocolate, using a spoon to help you coat the whole pop. Leave to set on a lined baking tray in the freezer. Keep in the freezer until you're ready to eat!
Notes
- for the silicone moulds I use these ones by silikomart which you can buy online by doing a quick google search! (they also come with popsicle sticks included)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (70g) hazelnuts
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180oC (350oF). Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking tray and into the oven to toast for 8-10 minutes until they start to smell nutty.
- Remove from the oven, tip into a clean kitchen towel and rub between the towel to remove the majority of the outer skin. Pick out the hazelnuts and transfer to a small bowl.
- Line the baking tray you were using with a non-stick baking mat (e.g. a silpat mat) or a piece of baking paper.
- Heat the sugar in a silver saucepan (you want a silver one so you can see the colour of the sugar change) over a medium-low heat. Once it starts to melt, DON'T stir, just tilt and swirl the pan over the heat until it turns a light golden colour. Once this happens leave it for a little while longer to darken slightly more then stir in the nuts and quickly pour out onto the lined tray.
- Leave to cool completely before breaking up into rough chunks - you can either pulse it in a food processor or just chop by hand until it has the texture of coarse breadcrumbs.
Oh wow these ice cream pops look so delicious! I love the combination of coffee and praline!
How do I always miss the boat on these delicious holidays?! Thanks for giving me an easy way to celebrate!