Bramley Apple and Salted Caramel Mini ‘Magnums’

Makes 40 ‘mini magnums’  

Prep Time: 35 minutes, plus 2 hours for freezing 

Ingredients

For the caramelised apple dice: 

  • 1 Bramley apple (approx. 120g) 

  • 50g caster sugar  


Making the ‘mini magnums’: 

  • 1 x 400ml tub salted caramel Ice cream 

  • 40 cocktail sticks 

To finish the mini magnums: 

  • 50g nibbed almonds 

  • 200g chocolate (dark, milk or white – your choice) 

  • 40g cocoa butter (or vegetable oil) 


Method

For the caramelised apple dice: 

  1. Peel, core and dice the apple into ½ cm dice. 

  2. In a medium-sized bowl, roll the diced apple in half the sugar. 

  3. Heat a heavy-based large frying pan over a high heat, then add the remaining sugar to the pan. Cook it until it is a dark caramel and then add the diced apple and toss them in the pan until golden and caramelised. 

  4. When they’re evenly coloured, tip them onto a tray and allow them to cool. 

 

Making the ‘mini magnums’: 

  1. Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tray with clingfilm. 

  2. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and leave it to defrost for about 15 minutes, and then transfer it from the packaging to a medium-sized bowl.  

  3. At this stage the ice cream should be soft enough to mix with a spatula. Fold the diced, caramelised apple into the ice cream. 

  4. Spread an even layer – about 2cm thick – of the apple-caramel ice cream over the lined tray. Place the tray in the freezer for at least 1 hour or until frozen hard.  

  5. Next, line a separate large tray (that will fit into your freezer) with baking parchment.

  6. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and cut it into about 40 evenly sized rectangles.  Insert a cocktail stick into the thin end of each piece to create bite-sized ice creams – maybe 2 bites!  

  7. Place them on the prepared tray so they’re flat and don’t touch each other.

  8. Return them to the freezer for at least 1 hour before finishing. 

 

To finish the mini magnums: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.  

  2. Spread the nibbed almonds on a baking tray, transfer to the oven and toast for 7 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. 

  3. In a bain-marie (or in a microwave) melt the chocolate and oil to around 50ºC. Remove from the heat and stir to ensure they are well mixed.  

  4. Add the toasted nibbed almonds and stir again.  

  5. Pour this mixture into a tall, narrow jug – it’ll be easier to dip the ice cream. 

  6. Remove the little ice creams from the freezer in batches. Dip each ice cream into the chocolate mix ensuring all the ice cream is coated and tap the stick on the side of the jug to knock off excess chocolate drips.  

  7. Return the chocolate-coated ice cream to the tray and repeat the process until they are all dipped.  

  8. Return the mini ‘Magnums’ to the freezer and keep there until ready to serve. Serve them straight from the freezer. 

Variations 

The size and shapes can be altered, depending on the depth the ice cream is spread and how big you cut them. Hundreds of variations can be made this way – and create your own favourite flavours! 

Credit: Chef Raymond Blanc on behalf of British Apples and Pears

TaraMay ByrneComment