Your new favorite summer treat: Taiwanese snow ice

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Shaved snow

Shaved Milk Ice Dessert with Ice Cream and Fresh Fruit Toppings

Recipes and photography from The Food of Taiwan by Cathy Erway. Copyright © 2015 by Cathy Erway. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

The shaved ice and topping dessert trend in Taiwan has spurned this smart variation, which features frozen milk that’s shaved or crushed instead of ice. Often called “snow ice” in Taiwanese dessert shops, the milk shavings are snowy white and creamy tasting. Again, the proper ice-shaving appliances would be ideal when making this, but I’ve made it work by filling up ice cube trays only halfway with milk, then transferring the small cubes to a blender once frozen. It takes several pulses to become coarse, somewhat uniform crumbles. But as it melts, this icy “snow” will soften.

Makes about 4 servings
1 cup water
[1/4] cup sugar
2 to 4 cups coarsely chopped fresh fruit, such as strawberries, kiwis, and/or mangoes
4 cups whole milk
4 scoops assorted ice cream or sorbet

Pour the milk into ice cube trays and freeze overnight.

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, to dissolve the sugar.
Continue to cook at a rapid boil until the mixture reduces by almost half, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely and then refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Toss the syrup with the fruit of your choice.

Place the frozen milk cubes in a blender and pulse several times, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally. Once the mixture resembles fine crumbles, transfer to a large serving platter (discard any large chunks). Scatter the chopped fruit in syrup across the snow and top with the scoops of ice cream. Serve immediately.

2 Responses

  1. Kate -

    I loved the shaved ice at Vivi tea. Now the only shaved ice place I could find with authentic toppings is the Taiwan pork chop house on Doyers st.

    Reply

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