Why It Works
- Swiss meringue provides a thick and stable base for a no-churn "ice cream" that's as fluffy as the original Klondike Bar filling.
- Refined coconut oil keeps the milk chocolate coating glossy, crisp, and whisper-thin.
- Using the smallest possible bowl for the dipping procedure will minimize the need for chocolate, as well as waste.
We've all sat through the rhetorical questioning of atelevision commercial, numb to its effects. Do you happen to have any Grey Poupon? How many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Where's the beef? Got milk? Little did I know that one such question would lead me on a journey of self-discovery, and test the limits of my culinary skill: What would you doooooofor a Klondike Bar?
While some maycluck like a chickenorconfess to a crime, I found that I would do something else altogether—make it from scratch.
The Fluffy Filling
The components of a Klondike Bar seem straightforward enough—slabs of plain ice cream, coated in crispy milk chocolate. Yet that simplicity belies a curious complexity: Beneath a whisper-thin and explosively crisp chocolate shell is no ordinary ice cream, but a fluffy filling as light and pure as driven snow.
Those qualities made me think offior di lattegelato, but as soon as I'd tackled that recipe, I knew it was going to be too rich for this filling. So I tried to lighten things up by usinghomemade ice milk, only to find it was far too lean. And neither could compare to the cloud-like softness of the inside of a Klondike Bar.
Texturally, the closest I came was with myno-churn vanilla ice cream, which owes its feather-light texture to whole eggs and sugar cooked over a water bath, then whipped until foamy and pale.
After I'd added whipped cream and frozen it overnight, the texture was about as close to that of a Klondike Bar as I'd ever come, but those whole eggs gave it a custard-like flavor and color. Perfect for old-fashioned vanilla ice cream, but not for a supernaturally pale frozen novelty.
This got me thinking: If egg yolks were all that ruined the flavor and color, why not leave them out? With egg whites alone, the sugar-and-water-bath technique would give me something ultra light, fluffy, and mild:Swiss meringue.
Because it's fully cooked, this style of meringue is extremely stable, and perfectly amenable to the addition of soft butter (at which point it becomesSwiss buttercream), so I had a hunch it would do well with whipped cream instead.
In fact, it did a littletoowell. My trial run of Swiss meringue folded with whipped cream wound up almost comically light, with an excessively soft,Cool Whip–like texture. Perfectly delicious, and Klondike-esque in its simplicity, but much more like whipped cream than ice cream, and not particularly amenable to being sliced into bars.
Fortunately, the fix was as easy as cutting the meringue with a splash of milk. Aside from contributing a pleasantly milky flavor, the added milk deflated the meringue ever so slightly, giving it a more ice cream–like density, and provided enough water to allow the meringue to freeze hard. Not too hard—just hard enough to slice into bars.
For that, I scraped the "ice cream" into asquare cake panlined with two overhanging sheets of parchment, and spread it flat with an offset spatula.
The recipe can be scaled to accommodate almost any pan, but an eight-inch-square pan will fit into any freezer, and the nine-bar yield is supremely manageable in terms of the logistics of dipping as well as freezer storage. And logistics are indeed key—you'll need a good mise en place and efficient organization so that the dipping process can move along as briskly as possible, given that you'll be coating quick-to-melt ice cream in warm chocolate. There’s no need to rush or move at a breakneck pace, but nor should you dally around.
In that spirit, one piece of equipment that's a huge help in keeping the bars cold is a thick cutting board that's narrow enough to fit in the freezer. When the cutting board is chilled overnight along with the ice cream bars, it provides an ice-cold work surface to keep the bars cold during both the cutting and the dipping phases.
To cut the bars, remove the pan and cutting board from the freezer, and use the parchment flaps to tug out the brick of ice cream. Cover the exposed surface with a sheet of parchment, and flip the whole thing over to peel the parchment off the bottom.
Using a large chef's knife, cut the ice cream into nine squares. If you have a deep-seated need for precision, each bar will be 2.66 inches wide. But, especially given that you'll be in something of a race against the clock, it's okay to eyeball it.
Cover the ice cream bars in plastic to prevent odor absorption, and return them to the freezer. They can sit there for however long it takes to prepare the chocolate coating, but if you plan to leave them in there overnight for convenience, do be sure they're wrapped up nice and tight. Freezers are home to all sorts of stale, funky smells that this mild ice cream can soak up like a sponge.
The Chocolate Shell
For those looking to capture a true Klondike Bar flavor, reach for a relatively dark milk chocolate, such as Endangered Species 48% (my personal fave) or Whole Foods 39%.
Both are among mytop supermarket picksand have a chocolate flavor that's deep enough to contrast with the filling, but not so potent that it completely overwhelms the delicate milky notes. Dark chocolate works on a technical level, but its flavor is so bold that the flavor of the ice cream is completely lost.
As withstracciatellagelato, I make the coating for homemade Klondike Bars using a combination of chocolate and refined coconut oil. Cutting the milk chocolate with oil lowers its melting point, so it won't sit on your tongue like a waxy lump when frozen; meanwhile, using a saturated fat like coconut oil helps create a crunchy snap.
Unlike the chocolate chips in stracciatella, however, this coating has a higher proportion of oil, for a super-thin, fluid consistency that ensures a light and even coating, rather than one that's heavy and thick.
Time to Dip!
After it's melted, transfer the chocolate mixture to the smallest bowl you have that can accommodate the ice cream bars—about four inches wide and three inches deep—and cool the mixture until it registers about 80°F (27°C) on adigital thermometerbefore dipping.
That temperature may sound a little warm, but remember that each ice cream bar will cool it slightly; starting with cooler chocolate will mean it's more inclined to lump and seize. Plus, a cooler coating will form a thicker layer around each bar, and, however tasty that may sound, it'll ruin the delicate snap of a thin chocolate shell.
To dip, use a spatula to drop one bar into the chocolate, then quickly dunk it under and lift it out with a fork.
Let the excess coating drip off, then return the bar to a clean patch of parchment on the chilled cutting board.
Think of it a little like a conveyor belt, with plain bars taken from the bottom and dipped bars placed near the top. As you work, the "naked" bars that remain can be scooted down to make room for the new bars as they're dipped.
Keeping both on the same cutting board means you can pop the board back in the freezer as needed along the way. If you have the freezer space for two separate cutting boards, though, by all means, spread your wings!
Once all the bars have been dipped, return them to the freezer until the chocolate has fully set.
Any leftover chocolate coating can be strained and spread out in a thin sheet to freeze for reuse as DIY chocolate chips for ice cream. Alternatively, re-melt it to use as a sauce for cake and ice cream, or as a dip for fruit like strawberries and sliced bananas.
It's perfectly normal to see a few blowouts here and there in your bars; the chocolate coating contracts as it freezes, which can force a little "eruption" of semi-melted ice cream. Don't sweat it if you notice a few imperfections, but an excess of explosions can indicate working conditions that are too warm.
Once the coating has set, the bars can be wrapped in plain or decorative foil. This isn't a strictly necessary step, but it provides an extra layer of protection against freezer burn, and the act of unwrapping the bar makes it feel all the more authentic.
Protected by foil wrappers, these DIY Klondike Bars can keep for over a month in the freezer, if tucked inside a zip-top bag. Not that they'll actually last that long—between the super-fluffy ice cream and the snappy chocolate shell, this homemade frozen treat is as irresistible as the original.
September 2018
Recipe Details
Homemade Klondike Bars Recipe
Active60 mins
Total13 hrs
Serves9 servings
Ingredients
For the Filling:
3 ounces egg whites (from about 3 large eggs; 85g)
3 3/4 ounces sugar (about 1/2 cup; 105g)
1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, or 1/4 ounce lemon juice (about 1 1/2 teaspoons; 7g)
8 ounces heavy cream (about 1 cup; 225g)
2 1/2 ounces milk (about 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon; 70g), any percentage will do
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Coating:
7 ounces dark milk chocolate, such as Endangered Species 48%, finely chopped (about 1 cup; about 200g)
3 1/2 ounces refined coconut oil (shy 1/2 cup; about 99g)
Directions
Getting Ready: Line an 8-inch-square cake pan with two 8- by 14-inch sheets of parchment paper so that the parchment completely covers the bottom and sides of the pan, with a little excess all around. These flaps will be essential in removing the "ice cream" later on; wax paper and tinfoil should not be used.
Prepare a water bath in a wide pot, with a thick ring of crumpled tinfoil set inside to later prevent the bowl from touching the bottom of the pot or the water itself. Place pot over high heat until water is bubbling-hot, then adjust to maintain a gentle simmer.
For the Filling: Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place bowl over the water bath so it sits on the foil ring (the bowl should not touch the water). Cook, stirring and scraping continuously with a flexible spatula, until egg white mixture reaches 165°F (74°C). This should take about 6 minutes in a metal bowl; if it takes substantially longer, it simply means the heat is too low. If the mixture cooks too fast, or scrambles despite constant stirring, this indicates that the water has come to a boil, or that the water is able to touch the bowl.
When the mixture reaches 165°F (74°C), transfer bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed until meringue is glossy, stiff, and thick, about 5 minutes. (The timing will vary depending on the power of a given stand mixer.)
Once meringue is thick and stiff, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, as well. (This can be done in a separate bowl by hand or with a hand mixer, or in the original stand mixer bowl if the meringue is transferred to a second bowl; no need to wash the whisk.) Add milk and vanilla to meringue and whisk to combine. Add whipped cream and continue whisking until smooth.
Immediately pour "ice cream" mixture into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Cover with foil (the foil should not touch the ice cream) and freeze overnight or until 0°F (-18°C). Meanwhile, freeze a cutting board large enough to accommodate the pan as well.
Using the excess parchment, tug the chilled ice cream from the pan. Remove one sheet of parchment and place over the surface of the ice cream, then invert ice cream onto the chilled cutting board. Peel off remaining parchment and cut ice cream into 9 squares with a large chef's knife, wiping the blade clean with a paper towel between slices. Drape with a sheet of plastic wrap and return ice cream bars to the freezer until needed. (If this will be longer than 1 hour, be sure to wrap the bars tightly in plastic to prevent odor absorption.)
For the Chocolate Coating: Melt chocolate over a water bath or in a microwave-safe bowl, using two or three 15-second bursts on normal power and stirring well between rounds. Add coconut oil and stir until fully melted and smooth. If any lumps refuse to melt, rewarm briefly and stir until they do. Pour approximately two-thirds of this mixture into a bowl or container approximately 4 1/2 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches deep (see note), and cool to about 80°F (27°C). The time needed for this stage will vary depending on the starting temperature of the coconut oil and melted chocolate.
To Assemble the Bars: When the chocolate has cooled, grab an extra sheet of parchment and remove prepared ice cream bars from freezer. Working with one at a time, use an offset spatula to loosen each bar and transfer to the dish of chocolate coating. Using a fork, dunk each portion under the chocolate, then lift and allow the excess to run off. Transfer to a clean sheet of parchment set on the free edge of the cutting board. This setup will work something like a conveyor belt, as the dipped bars slowly outnumber the un-dipped bars and take up new space on the chilled board.
Continue until all bars have been coated, adding reserved chocolate to dipping bowl as needed. Pause as needed throughout the process to re-freeze the bars if they seem to be melting or softening around the edges.
Freeze the bars until the chocolate coating has fully set, about 15 minutes, then transfer to a gallon-sized, freezer-safe zip-top bag. If you like, the individual bars can be wrapped in a sheet of wax paper or thin decorative foil. Continue freezing until ice cream has fully hardened after its time outside the freezer, about 4 hours more. In an airtight container, the ice cream bars can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Special Equipment
Stand mixer, digital thermometer, 8-inch square cake pan, cutting board, chef's knife, offset spatula, flexible spatula, decorative foil (optional)
Notes
A 4 1/2– by 2 1/2–inch bowl is the smallest possible vessel that can accommodate the ice cream bars while also creating enough depth of chocolate for dipping. It's possible to dip the ice cream in a larger bowl, but it will require additional chocolate for depth, and result in more unused coating in the end.
Read More
- Perfect Swiss Meringue
- The Best Milk, Dark, and Extra-Dark Chocolate Bars for Baking
- No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream