[Gluten-Free] Chocolate Ice Cream Bites

Patrick and I were sitting on the couch the other night when a panicked thought popped into my head. “Oh no, did I get Patrick a Valentine’s Day gift? How could I have forgotten? Wait… do we even get each other gifts for Valentine’s Day?” For the life of me, I couldn’t remember. You would think after almost 8 years of marriage I would commit this stuff to memory. Geez..

Then, I just blurted out, “We don’t get each other gifts for Valentine’s Day, right?” Immediately, Patrick replied, “Of course not. I was thinking I could just make you dinner while you drink wine.”

And there it was. The single, most perfect response I could think of to answer my panicked question. Then, it all came back to me. We’ve never really done the whole Valentine’s Day thing. When I think about it, our Valentine’s Day could have been last Sunday when we went for a sunset walk on the beach with our homemade grapefruit margaritas.  

Or last Saturday when we watched a movie after taste testing my strawberry muffins and eating Patrick’s (famous) baked ziti. Or a day last summer when we were traveling though Jackson, Mississippi and Patrick drove 20 minutes out of the way just so I could get a good gluten-free lunch. The list could go on and on. But for this year’s actual Valentine’s Day- you heard what the man said- I’m drinking wine while he’s cooking me dinner, aka the best night ever! But you didn't actually think that this was a blog post about how I’m getting pampered by my husband and not cooking anything, right? Oh good.

Because while I know Patrick will prepare an amazing dinner, I know he’s not thinking about one very important detail…dessert. And hello? Dessert is important! So, I put myself in charge of a making a sweet treat. Chocolate is a must. But not too heavy. In all these years I've never seen Patrick make a “light” dinner. And I want to make it ahead of time so it doesn't get in the way of me drinking wine, I mean, in Patrick’s way in the kitchen :) Then, I got it! Chocolate covered bites of vanilla ice cream... it would be perfect!   

Whoa mama... Wine, a homemade dinner made especially for me, and chocolate ice cream bites…how did a girl get so lucky? 

Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo

[Gluten-Free] Chocolate Ice Cream Bites

Oh my, are these are good! Smooth vanilla ice cream wrapped in chocolate and topped with a sweet strawberry slice- it’s a perfect combination! And the best part? These little bites of heaven are really simple to make!

Makes 12 bites

1 pint (16 oz) vanilla ice cream*  

1 (4oz) bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped

4-5 strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced

Line a plate with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Scoop teaspoon size balls of ice cream onto the parchment (about 12 bites). Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler*, melt the chopped chocolate slowly. Stir often. Once melted, remove the chocolate from heat and let it cool slightly.

Dip a chilled ice cream ball into the cooled chocolate. Use a fork to roll it around until completely covered. Let the excess chocolate drip off the fork before placing back on the cold plate. Top each bite with a strawberry slice. Continue one by one until all bites are done.

Place bites back in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to harden. When ready, serve on a cold platter to keep them from melting. Bites will keep in freezer for 3-4 days. Place in an airtight container to keep them from getting freezer burn. Enjoy!

*dairy free? use coconut milk ice cream, like Coconut Bliss “Vanilla Island”*

*Double Boiler: Start by bringing a small amount of water (about 1/2 cup) to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl (stainless steel/glass) that can sit on top of the sauce pan and not touch the water. The steam from the simmer will melt the chocolate slowly. Stir often. Keep the water at a slow simmer and do not let the bowl touch the hot water because the chocolate could burn.