Homemade Cool Britannia Ice Cream

A creamy homemade vanilla ice cream, studded with chocolate covered shortbread and strawberries.

This post is sponsored by Smith Brother's Farms. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make two sugar bugs possible.

I've already professed my love of ice cream. Homemade Cool Britannia ice cream is my all time favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor; chocolate covered shortbread and strawberries in creamy vanilla ice cream.

This flavor was around from 1995-1998 before making it's way to the flavor graveyard. I remember being so sad when this flavor disappeared from stores. It's hard for me to believe it has taken me twenty one (21!!) years to make a homemade copycat version. I know you are going to love it.

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So, have I mentioned that we have a milk man? Like a real deal, milk man that drives a truck and carries the milk up to my porch?? Smith Brother's Farms was established in 1920 and has been serving the greater Seattle area ever since. We have an adorable insulated box that sits on our front porch and once a week we get our delivery of fresh from the farm milk and local products. My family has been customers since 2012 and we can't imagine ever going back to buying store bought milk.

I am beyond excited to share my homemade ice cream recipe today, which was made using Smith Brother's Products.

Homemade Cool Britannia ice cream takes a few steps to create, but it is absolutely worth it. The end result is a creamy vanilla ice cream with crunchy and chocolatey shortbread and sweet strawberries. It is pure bliss!

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE COVERED SHORTBREAD

Start with a good quality shortbread cookie and dark chocolate. I like Walker's shortbread and Callebaut chocolate. Ghiradelli, Lindt and Trader Joe's Pound Plus dark chocolate are other good options for chocolate.

Melt the chopped dark chocolate with ½ teaspoon of coconut oil (canola or vegetable oil work as well). I use a double boiler, but a microwave can also be used. After the chocolate and oil are melted together, dip the shortbread cookies until fully covered in chocolate. They do not have to be perfect and pretty as they will be chopped into bite size pieces. Allow to cool and harden on a wire cooling rack, parchment paper or waxed paper.

Then prepare your strawberries by thinly slicing and chopping them. Place strawberries in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. Set aside while you prepare the vanilla ice cream.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

Whisk the eggs and set aside. Then stir together the granulated sugar, half and half, and ½ cup of milk in a medium-large size saucepan.  Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it reaches a simmer.

Once simmering, remove pan from heat and quickly add half of the mixture to the beaten eggs.  Whisk quickly to keep the eggs from scrambling.

Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream and remaining ½ cup of milk.  Cook over medium-low, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon (about 10 minutes on my stove).

Remove saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.

Pour the ice cream base into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cool (approximately 2 hours).  Once cool, pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions (approximately 30 minutes). 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

While the vanilla ice cream is churning, chop the chocolate covered shortbread into bite size pieces.

Next, lightly mash the strawberries with a fork.

Once the ice cream has finished churning, move ice cream to a bowl and fold in the chocolate covered shortbread followed by the strawberries. Be gentle while mixing in the strawberries and only mix a couple of times or the ice cream will turn pink in color.

If you don't want to make a traditional ice cream base or don't have an ice cream maker; have no fear. Follow my good friend Kathleen's Circus Animal Cookie Ice Cream recipe up through step 2 and then add in the chocolate covered shortbread and strawberries.

Transfer the ice cream to a loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap or place ice cream in an air-tight container and store in the freezer. Ideally, ice cream should firm up for a minimum of 6 hours before serving.

Homemade Cool Britannia Ice Cream

recipe created and tested by:

Tasia Harper

A creamy homemade vanilla ice cream, studded with chocolate covered shortbread and strawberries. It is my copycat version of Ben and Jerry's graveyard flavor, Cool Britannia.

I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Please note

When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.

Print Recipe rate this recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Bake Time 20 minutes mins

Additional Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Ice Cream

Servings 8 servings

Calories 343 kcal

Equipment

Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker (White)

Pyrex Bakeware 1-½-Quart Loaf Dish, Clear

Walkers Classic Shortbread Fingers - 5.3 oz

OXO Good Grips Solid Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 5 Shortbread cookies such as Walker's
• ▢ 3½ ounces dark chocolate melted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coconut oil canola or vegetable oil also work
• ▢ 1 cup thinly sliced and chopped strawberries
• ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12g

for ice cream base

• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
• ▢ 1 cup half and half 240mL
• ▢ 1 cup milk 240mL, divided (I use 1%)
• ▢ 2 large eggs beaten
• ▢ ½ cup heavy whipping cream 118mL
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler (or in the microwave). Once fully melted and combined, dip each shortbread cookie; covering completely in chocolate*. Place on a wire cooling rack, parchment or waxed paper to dry and set up.
• Thinly slice and chop the strawberries. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the granulated sugar, half and half and ½ cup of milk.
• When the mixture begins to simmer, remove it from the heat and quickly whisk half of the mixture into the beaten eggs. Whisking quickly helps to keep the eggs from scrambling.
• Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream and remaining ½ cup of milk. Cook over medium-low, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, approximately 10 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour ice cream base into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cool. (1 ½ - 2 hours)
• Pour cooked mixture into an ice cream maker and churn approximately 30 minutes (or according the the manufacturer's instructions).
• While the ice cream is churning, chop chocolate covered shortbread into bite size pieces and slightly mash the strawberries with a fork.
• Once the ice cream has finished churning, move ice cream to a bowl and fold in the chocolate covered shortbread followed by the strawberries. Be gentle while mixing in the strawberries and only mix a couple of times or the ice cream will turn pink in color.
• Transfer ice cream to a loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap or place ice cream in an air-tight container and store in the freezer. Ideally, ice cream should firm up for a minimum of 6 hours before serving.

Notes

*The chocolate covered shortbread do not need to look pretty as you will be chopping them up to add to the ice cream.

Store covered in the freezer for up to one month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 343kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 238mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 447IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 2mg

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Leave a comment and rating below! I love hearing from you!

Recipe shared with Full Plate Thursday, Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck