With summer on the horizon, we’re all about eating ice-cream at virtually any given moment. But, while the traditional gelato cone might be up there, it’s crumbed, fried ice-cream that’s really got us drooling. I mean, what could be better than a ball of cream encased in a hot, crispy, sweet outer shell?
Here’s how to DIY our favourite panko crumb fried ice-cream dessert.
#1: The Essential Ingredients
When it comes to choosing your ice-cream for this incredibly delicious task, it’s really up to you—just try to go for one that doesn’t melt into a puddle the second you take it out of the freezer.
You will need:
- A tub of your favourite ice-cream
- A bag of panko crumbs (you’ll need at least 3-4 cups)
- 3 eggs (whites only—use the yolks for the next day’s Hollandaise!)
- Vegetable oil—enough to fill your saucepan so that your ice-cream scoops will be covered (this was around 2-3 inches for us)
- A deep, heavy saucepan… Aka. A poor foodie’s deep fat fryer
- Cinnamon sugar, vanilla essence, anything else you’re keen to add to your panko mix to give it a little flavour kick.
- Hundreds and thousands, chocolate sprinkles, tiny M&Ms… Whatever you want to ‘garnish’ with
- A regular spoon or ice-cream scoop
- A strainer spoon
- A single kernel of popping corn, un-popped (trust me, this will make sense later)
#2: The Preparation
Scoop the ice-cream into as round a scoop as you can manage, and place onto a baking tray or similar surface, then place this tray into the freezer for a couple of hours.
Put the panko crumbs and any dry flavour extras (eg. Cinnamon) in a bowl.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks and put the whites in a bowl, along with any vanilla essence or other liquid flavour extras.
Take an ice-cream ball out of the freezer and dunk it in the egg white mixture, then strain using the strainer spoon.
Roll the ball in the panko crumbs so that it is covered in crumbs, then place it back in the freezer for an hour.
After an hour, take the ice-cream ball out and repeat the egg white and panko crumb steps—you want a good thick coating! You can do this three or four times, freezing in between.
#3: The Frying
Guys, it’s very rarely that I advise of danger, but this step is one that you’ll want to get 100% right. Hot oil is no joke…
Fill the pan with enough vegetable oil to cover the top of your crumbed ice-cream balls.
Drop your single kernel of popping corn into the oil while the oil is still cold.
Heat the oil on a stove to around 180-200˚—you will know it’s at this temperature when the popping corn pops! …Or you can use a kitchen thermometer, but ain’t nobody got the kitchen drawer space for that.
Remove the popcorn and add your crumbed ice-cream balls, no more than two at a time.
Leave the balls in the oil for between 10-30 secs, depending on how long they take to brown.
Remove them using the strainer spoon, and rest on some kitchen towel to remove the excess vegetable oil.
Serve and eat IMMEDIATELY.
#4: The Eating!
These little critters are the ultimate in deliciousness and can be served with some berry coulis, salted caramel sauce, a dollop of Nutella, or a shot of Baileys poured over the top!
If you’re in a rush or are catering to a large crowd, you can prep your balls of dreams up to three days in advance. Just make sure they’re kept in the freezer and don’t get crushed by that drunken housemate who’s looking for the party pies at 3am.
#5: Got Leftovers?
If you find that you’ve a heap of panko crumbs and egg white left over, get creative. You can crumb and deep fry just about anything so have a rummage and get concocting. That deep fried caramel Tim Tam could be the creation to put you on the food-trepraneur map.
Love DIY food tips? Learn how to make the perfect espresso martini at home.
Image credit: Gabby Stjernqvist for The Urban List