Pumpkin Spice Fried Ice Cream
You read that right. PUMPKIN SPICE FRIED ICE CREAM. Is it just me, or did you ever wonder HOW the Mexican Restaurants you frequent DEEP FRY ice-cold ice cream in lava-hot-oil? How do they take a scoop of decadence that is FROZEN, dip it in a batter then put it straight into a scalding hot fryer and not have it spatter and instantly melt into a viscous blob of cream? My friends, I have learned the secret, and I'm going to be so kind and share it with you all.
Though this recipe does take time and prep, anyone I've ever made this for will agree that it is worth it. Patience is not a virtue I excel at, but for this? For a crispy and warm outer shell with the perfect consistency of ice cream in the center, all drizzled with ooey-gooey sauces?! Yea. I'll wait.
The secret is a layer or bread. Some of you may be scratching your heads. But I promise. Bread Layer is a key role in this recipe; it's what keeps the ice cream from melting through the batter and all over your stove. Kings Hawaiian Bread (I also used it here) lends a helpful hand in slightly adding sweetness, and remains dense enough to protect the inner core of cold cream. Simply cutting off the crusts (crust-hating-kidlets rejoice!), flattening with a rolling pin (aim for paper thin, people), and wrapping up the ice cream in a pocket of doughy glory is going to act as a parka for our little scoops of joy. All this dipped in a pumpkin spiced batter, and you've got yourself a real party of texture, flavor and temperature!
Don't like pumpkin? First off; WHAT?! Second, no worries, this can be made sans-pumpkin spiced and enjoyed just as a simple dessert. But I strongly urge you to reconsider and to try it as a fall treat. If nothing else written in this post has convinced you to try it, why not take a look at the pics below and then try and withstand the temptation?
Pumpkin Spice Fried Ice Cream
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 3 Deep Fried Ice Creams
Ingredients:
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
6 slices Kings Hawaiian Bread
1 cup Just-Add-Water Pancake Mix
1/4 cup pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
3/4 cup Water for mix
6-8 cups oil for frying
Caramel Sauce:
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1. Line a plate that will sit flat in your freezer with aluminum foil. Scoop vanilla ice cream with 1/2 cup ice cream scooper into balls. You can use clean hands to mold the scoops if you'd like. Place scoops on plate and freeze for 1 hour.
2. Cut crusts off the Hawaiian bread and use a rolling pin to roll as thin and flat as possible. Take ice cream scoops from freezer, and mold two pieces of bread around each scoop. It helps to mold on piece first, then overlap the other on the other side, squeezing to ensure good contact with the ice cream (but don't squeeze too hard and break the bread). Place back on the plate and back in the freezer for another hour at least. These can sit in the freezer for up to a week covered before you have to fry them.
3. Before pulling ice cream from the freezer, make the caramel sauce by combining butter and brown sugar in a small pot over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted and sugar granules can no longer be felt. Add heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. When combined, let boil for one minute untouched. Remove from heat and let thicken.
4. Heat oil in a deep pan/pot. Mix pancake mix, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and water. You can tell the oil is ready when you drop a bit of batter into the oil and it starts bubbling immediately. The oil needs to be nice and hot so it will cook enough without melting the ice cream too much.
5. Cover the ice cream ball in the pumpkin batter and gently place in the oil, carefully turning to make sure all sides cook evenly. Cook for 3 minutes total, until the outside is crisp.
6. Serve immediately with lots of caramel sauce.
7. ENJOY and post with #perfectleehungry.
