Natalie of Good Girl Style joins us each month to share incredible desserts with Big Girls, Small Kitchen readers–desserts that are entirely gluten-free, but not like obviously gluten-free. That means no specialty flours or hard-to-find ingredients, just ice cream, peppermint, and coconut. Today’s wintry dessert is dressy and fun: snowballs! Don’t miss Natalie’s recent recipe for cashew-cranberry turtles, which make a sweet Christmas gift.
I love Christmas traditions, both old and new. These peppermint ice cream snowballs are a tradition for my boyfriend’s family on Christmas Eve, and one I am more than happy to adopt! I’m a huge fan of peppermint ice cream with hot fudge; it just tastes like Christmas. Add in some coconut “snow” to make things even more festive and who could resist? Combined with the fact that these are probably the easiest dessert you’ll make all holiday season, there’s really no reason not to get the ice cream scoop out right now.
You’re going to want to get a little bit hands-on to make these. I’d recommend lining the counter with some waxed paper to help you work. Use a scoop to gather the ice cream, then use your hands to shape, working quickly to minimize melting. Covering the ice cream in coconut helps the scoops become more stable. Serve in a pool of hot fudge and/or pour it over the top. Old-fashioned ribbon candies make a beautiful accompaniment (available at most grocery stores), but crushed candy canes will look lovely, too.
**Recipe**
Peppermint Ice Cream Snowballs
By Natalie Wise
Serves 5
Ingredients
1 1/2 quarts gluten-free peppermint ice cream
7 ounces (2 2/3 cups) angel-flake coconut
1 cup hot fudge, for serving (store bought or homemade)
Ribbon candy or crushed candy canes for decoration
Line a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Put the coconut into a wide, shallow bowl. Scoop and mold the peppermint ice cream into 5 balls, each about the size of a tennis ball. Place in the bowl of coconut and roll to cover completely in coconut. Place in the waxed paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. When ready to serve, pour about 1/4 cup of warmed hot fudge in the bottom of each bowl, place a snowball in the middle, and garnish as desired with more hot fudge, ribbon candy, or crushed candy canes. Serve immediately.
