Easy “fried” ice cream

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville Ice Cream, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

There are two types of people in this world: those who delight in sweet breakfast treats and those who prefer savory ones. I’m sure this is no surprise to you all, but I’m definitely “Team Sweet.” Sure, eggs and bacon are tasty, but they’re certainly not as exciting as a big plate of thick French toast with maple syrup, cinnamon, and powdered sugar.

As we head into a long stretch of cold winter weather, kicking off your morning with a delicious breakfast treat is a surefire way to start the day in a good mood. 

You can even take your sweet breakfast treat to the next level on “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day,” which is February 6. Hudsonville is celebrating in some creative ways, including the introduction of their newest Limited Edition ice cream flavor, Cinnamon French Toast. 

It is definitely my new favorite ice cream flavor, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s truly incredible, and I can’t get over how much it tastes like cinnamon French toast. It gets its distinct flavor from a caramel cinnamon ice cream base, cinnamon shortbread pieces, and ribbons of waffle cone and icing. I also tasted a hint of maple.

As you can imagine, it’s delicious on its own, but I knew it would be perfect for recreating one of my favorite restaurant desserts, fried ice cream.

As a child, I was thoroughly flabbergasted by the idea of fried ice cream. How can you fry ice cream without melting it? I later learned that a lot of restaurants actually cook the coating so it appears fried without actually sticking it in a deep fryer. And did you know the coating is actually just crushed cereal? I experimented with several types of cereal, including corn flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Wheaties, Special K, and Frosted Flakes. They all worked really well, but corn flakes, Wheaties, and Special K cereal had the best texture.

I don’t recommend using a food processor to create the coating. The crumbs will be too fine, and the texture will taste gritty. Instead, stick the cereal in a bag and use a meat pounder or rolling pin to create the crumbs.

It is very important to use a high-quality brand of ice cream because the consistency holds its shape better. That’s why I only use Hudsonville. The flavor profile of the Cinnamon French Toast ice cream is perfect for this recipe, but Creamery Blend Vanilla ice cream is another really great option.

All of Hudsonville Ice Cream’s Limited Edition flavors are seasonal and only available for a short time, so you’ll want to find them in your nearest grocery store as soon as possible! Use this Scoop Locator tool to find Cinnamon French Toast ice cream near you—it’s at Meijer stores in the Indianapolis area.

Easy “fried” ice cream

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 24 ounces Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Cinnamon French Toast ice cream
• 4 cups corn flakes cereal (or something similar)
• 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Optional toppings: honey, whipped cream, maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Line cupcake tin with plastic wrap. Scoop ice cream into 4-ounce balls (about 2.5 inches in diameter) and place scoops in cavities. Freeze until hard.
3. Pour cereal into plastic bag and crush with meat pounder or rolling pin.
4. Combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Stir in cereal crumbs.
5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour cereal mixture onto baking sheet and spread in even layer.
6. Place in oven and bake 10 minutes or until mixture is golden brown. Stir mixture every few minutes to ensure even baking.
7. Allow cereal to cool completely. Transfer to bowl.
8. Remove ice cream balls from freezer and roll in cereal mixture.
9. Place ice cream balls back in cupcake tin cavities and freeze until hard, about 30 minutes.
10. Before serving, drizzle with honey and garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherries, if desired.