Welcome back from the long weekend. Step into my kitchen, kick off your shoes, and make sure you’re wearing stretchy pants because today we’re going to eat something that could serious make me a very fat lady if I ate them all at once.
Yep – that’s a Snickers Ice Cream bar that I made all by myself. And not just because it’s yummy. There’s history. When we moved to NoVA when I was a kid, my grandmother lived nearby and would often host us all for dinner at least once a week. She made a lot of delicious food, but occasionally she wouldn’t have made cake, pie, cookies or whatever other tasty desserts are her specialty. In that case, we would clear our plates, politely go up to her seat at the head of the table and ask if we could have a Snickers ice cream bar. She would usually keep a box or two in the freezer for just these occasions, and my memories of her house and family dinners will always have this yummy processed food link.
She’s going to have a significant birthday in a few weeks, and some of my cousins have decided to put together a recipe book with all the family favorites. People would claim one, write up the recipe and a memory, and include pictures of her making the food, us eating the food, or just general family togetherness. It’s a fantastic idea, and I can’t wait to get my own copy. I volunteered to take the Snickers “recipe” but decided to find a homemade version to make since writing a recipe that consists of “Go to a grocery store; buy Snickers Ice Cream bars; pay for them; enjoy!” isn’t much of a recipe.
Google did not fail me. While there aren’t many recipes out there, I did find one, and it was all I needed. I made them a while ago, and took photos and had the boy and his daughters try them out. H said they tasted just like real Snickers bars, and her father asked her how many Snickers bars she eats. We reminded him about Halloween, but he told me later that while he doesn’t like giving his kids so much processed food, these were nice because I could tell him exactly what was in them.
It did take about 24 hours from start to finish, so not as easy as ripping open a package…but pretty darn good.
Homemade Snickers Ice Cream Bars
Yield: Makes 14 bars [mine made about 12]
Ingredients
1 batch Caramel Ice Cream (or your favorite vanilla ice cream mixed with 1/4 tsp caramel extract; use enough to fill up an 8-inch pan as shown in the photos [I used 1 pint of Talenti Sea Salt Caramel])
5 tbsp peanut butter, softened to an easily-spreadable consistency (75g)
chopped peanuts, optional
9 oz chocolate chips [you might want to use 12 oz – I was down to the dregs at 9 oz]
4 tbsp vegetable oil (coconut oil can be subbed, but the coating will be more melty) (40g)
Instructions
Line an 8-in square pan with parchment or wax paper. Spread the ice cream evenly into the pan.
Freeze until firm, then spread with the peanut butter and sprinkle on chopped peanuts if desired. Refreeze until firm (but just soft enough to cut), then cut into rectangles.
Immediately put the pan back in the freezer to completely firm up again. Meanwhile, line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper.
When the snickers bars have refrozen, take them out of the pan and place them on the cookie sheet. Immediately put the cookie sheet in the freezer until the bars are completely frozen again.
Melt the chips in a wide, shallow dish (either using the double broiler method or carefully in the microwave), then stir in the oil until a smooth sauce is achieved.
Take out one Snickers bar and dip it in the chocolate. [you probably want to use a small fork to help turn and coat the bar]
Return the bar to the freezer to set, and repeat with another bar until all are coated.
Snickers bars should be stored in the freezer, but you can thaw in the refrigerator for 1/2 an hour before eating, so the ice cream gets soft and the texture is like a real Snickers ice cream bar.
From: Chocolate Covered Katie