Malai Drumsticks From Pooja Bavishi
This recipe is both very easy and very labor intensive. If you already have all the ingredients on hand—homemade cones, ice cream, sauce, topping—this is a cinch to put together. If you don’t, this recipe becomes quite a process. But I will leave you with this story: During the first part of the pandemic, when New York City was on complete lockdown, my sister and I made tons of these little drumsticks and ate one every single day. Making them was a labor of love, but that daily ritual of eating one with my sister is still one of my favorite memories from that time.
Photo by Morgan Ione Yeager
INGREDIENTS
Makes 6 drumsticks
6 Jaggery Cones (recipe below)
1 batch Magic Shell (recipe below)
1½ quarts Spiced Peanut Crunch Ice Cream (recipe below)
½ cup Peanut Chikki (recipe below)
METHOD
Place 6 short glasses in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Place a jaggery cone in each glass. Make sure the top edge of each cone is at least 2 inches taller than the glass rim.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the Magic Shell into the bottom of each cone. Using a spoon, pack the ice cream inside the cones, making sure it touches the sauce on the bottom of the cone and forms a domed scoop on top. Place the filled cones in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Pour the remaining Magic Shell into a small, deep bowl or glass wide enough to accommodate a filled cone. Pour the Peanut Chikki into a shallow bowl. Remove the cones from the freezer. Turn a cone upside down and dip it into the Magic Shell to cover the domed ice cream scoop on top. Immediately, before the shell hardens, roll the top of the cone in the Peanut Chikki, coating the shell, and then set the cone back into its glass. Repeat with each of the cones.
Once all the cones are dipped and coated, return them to the freezer to harden, about 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and enjoy!
Jaggery Cones
INGREDIENTS
Makes 8 cones
5 tablespoons powdered jaggery (see Tip)
1 tablespoon granulated cane sugar
½ teaspoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons water
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Neutral oil, such as grapeseed, for brushing the waffle cone maker
METHOD
In a saucepan, whisk together the jaggery, sugar, cornstarch, salt, butter, and water, mixing well. Place over medium heat and whisk constantly until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour and baking powder until smooth. The batter should be free flowing and have the consistency of pancake batter. Add a little water if needed.
Following the manufacturer’s instructions, preheat the waffle cone maker to a color setting of around 4. Lightly brush both grids with oil.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the batter onto the center of the bottom grid, close the lid, and bake for about 1½ minutes. Open the maker, then, with a fork, carefully lift the waffle from the grid. Using a clean dish towel to protect your fingers from the heat, roll the waffle around the cone mold, pinching the bottom, and hold the cone for about 10 seconds to ensure it keeps its shape. Slide the cone free of the mold and set aside to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.
The cones will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
TIP: If you don’t have a waffle cone maker but you do have a waffle cone mold, you can still make the cones. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and lightly brush the bottom with a neutral oil. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the batter onto the pan and, using the back of a wooden spoon, spread in a thin circle about 4 inches in diameter. Let it fry until light brown on the underside, about 1½ minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until light brown, about 1½ minutes longer. Shape the cone around the cone mold as directed. This won’t create as thin or as crisp a cone, but the cones will still be tasty. And if you don’t have a cone mold, you can shape the cones into a bowl to make waffle bowls!
Magic Shell
INGREDIENTS
Makes enough for 8 to 10 scoops of ice cream
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
METHOD
In the top of a double boiler, combine the coconut oil and chocolate chips. Place over (not touching) simmering water in the lower pan and heat, stirring occasionally, just until the chocolate and oil have melted and the mixture is smooth. (You can also melt the mixture in a microwave using 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst.) Remove from the heat and stir in the cardamom. Set the sauce aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly before using.
To use, drizzle over a scoop of ice cream, add any extra toppings (such as sprinkles, nuts, and edible flowers), let sit for 15 seconds to harden, and then enjoy. Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. When ready to use, gently reheat in a double boiler or in the microwave to bring back the smooth consistency.
TIP: Other flavor options include white chocolate chips with 1½ teaspoons rose water, butterscotch chips with 1½ teaspoons ground toasted fennel seeds, or peanut butter chips with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Spiced Peanut Crunch Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1½ quarts
2½ cups coconut milk
½ cup granulated cane sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter
½ teaspoon ground star anise
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅓ cup chopped raw peanuts
METHOD
In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, star anise, salt, and cayenne pepper and heat over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until everything is melted and well incorporated. Do not bring to a boil. Once the mixture is homogeneous, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Transfer the cooled base to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the peanuts during the last 5 minutes of churning. Serve the soft ice cream right away, or place in the freezer to freeze completely.
TIP: To grind star anise, place a few in a spice or coffee grinder and pulse until a fine powder. You can store leftover ground star anise in an airtight container.
Peanut Chikki
INGREDIENTS
Makes about 3 cups
2¼ cups jaggery (shaved from a block)
¼ cup ghee
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups skinless raw peanuts, very finely chopped
METHOD
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. Tear off an equal-size sheet of parchment and spray it on one side with cooking spray. Set both the pan and the parchment aside.
In a saucepan, combine the jaggery, ghee, and salt. Place over medium-high heat and whisk the mixture constantly until it registers 300°F on an instant-read thermometer. Moving quickly, stir in the peanuts and then carefully transfer the mixture to the prepared sheet pan. Lay the second parchment sheet, cooking spray side down, over the peanuts. Using a rolling pin and working swiftly and carefully, spread the peanut mixture evenly over the sheet pan. The mixture is very hot and will harden quickly.
Set the pan aside to cool. Remove the top sheet of parchment. Once the chikki has cooled, lift it off the pan and break or chop it into pieces. Enjoy immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
From Malai: Frozen Desserts Inspired by South Asian Flavors by Pooja Bavishi. Excerpted by permission of Weldon Owen, an imprint of Insight Edition.
