Air-Fryer Fried Ice Cream Balls

Fried ice cream is the dessert trick that seems impossible — how do you fry ice cream without it melting? — and the answer is: very, very quickly, with the ice cream frozen so cold it could break a tooth. The coating crisps in 90 seconds in the air fryer; the centre stays solid; the contrast between hot crisp shell and cold creamy interior is the entire reason this dish exists.

The technique requires advance planning. Scoop the ice cream into balls, freeze on a tray for at least 2 hours (3 is better) until they're rock-hard. Roll in beaten egg, then in crushed cornflakes mixed with cinnamon sugar. Return to the freezer another 30 minutes. Only then does the air-frying step happen.

The cornflake coating is the cheat. Crushed cornflakes have all the qualities of a deep-fry coating — they go gold, they crackle when heated, they hold their structure — without needing actual oil. A light spray of butter at the end gives the coating its final colour.

The chocolate sauce gets poured over right before serving so it hardens slightly when it hits the cold ice cream — a small chocolate-shell effect. Whipped cream and a maraschino cherry are optional but encouraged.

The photo shows one ball plated on a cream ceramic dish, partially cut open showing the cracked golden shell and melting white ice cream inside, with chocolate sauce being poured over the top. Another ball waits in the background. The dessert that makes you look like you know what you're doing.