She Strengthens

Crafting the Perfect Homemade Ice Cream Bars

Rich Vanilla Ice Cream and Snappy Milk Chocolate Coating

Imagine indulging in a creamy, dense vanilla ice cream bar smothered in a thick, snappy milk chocolate coating. The perfect treat! To make these mouthwatering bars, you’ll need a few essential tools and high-quality ingredients.

Essential Tools and Ingredients

For coating the bars in chocolate, you’ll need a kitchen scale and a chocolate thermometer. If you prefer to buy ice cream instead of making your own, opt for a dense, rich variety like Häagen-Dazs or Double Rainbow. These premium brands contain less air, making them easier to coat with melted chocolate.

Tempering Chocolate: The Key to a Snappy Coating

Professional pastry chefs use couverture chocolate, which sets up nicely due to its high cocoa butter content. To achieve this, you’ll need to temper the chocolate. Tempering ensures a snappy coating, but if you’re short on time, you can dip the ice cream squares in our Chocolate Shell Ice Cream Topping instead.

Game Plan: Tempering Chocolate and Assembling the Bars

To temper the chocolate, heat it to 118°F, then cool it to 80°F, and finally, heat it to 86°F. Work quickly, as the chocolate stays in temper for only a short time. Have everything ready to go, and make sure your workspace is at room temperature (mid-60s to low 70s).

Yield and Difficulty

This recipe yields 9 (3-inch-square) bars and has a medium level of difficulty. The total preparation time is 45 minutes, plus at least 7 hours of freezing time.

Ingredients and Instructions

Ingredients:

• 2 pints (4 cups) premium or homemade vanilla ice cream, softened until just spreadable but not melted
• 2 pounds milk chocolate couverture or coarsely chopped milk chocolate

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Ice Cream Slab: Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with plastic wrap, overlapping as needed to completely cover the bottom and sides. Drop the ice cream in large dollops into the pan and spread to the edges with a rubber spatula. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and press on the surface of the ice cream with the bottom of a measuring cup until it’s packed into a smooth, even layer. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
2. Cut and Freeze the Ice Cream Squares: Remove the pan from the freezer and slice the slab into 9 even squares. Using a flat spatula, transfer and evenly space the squares on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.
3. Temper the Chocolate: Fill a large bowl with 2 inches of cold water, add 3 to 4 ice cubes, and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer over high heat; once simmering, reduce the heat to low and maintain a bare simmer. Place 24 ounces of the chocolate in a large, dry, heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and has reached 118°F.
4. Coat the Ice Cream Squares: Remove the empty baking sheet and the baking sheet with the ice cream squares from the freezer. Working quickly, use the flat spatula to drop 1 ice cream square into the chocolate. Using the fork, flip the square, making sure the edges are covered in chocolate. Lift the square out of the chocolate with the fork and tap the fork several times on the edge of the bowl to even out the coating. Scrape the bottom of the fork against the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Place the coated square on the empty baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining squares and chocolate.
5. Freeze and Store the Bars: Freeze the dipped ice cream bars until the chocolate coating has hardened and the ice cream is solid, at least 2 hours. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.