The onslaught of Summer heat in Australia can be oppressive when the temperature hits above 40 degrees C. You just don’t want to move, you just cannot move no matter how hard you try and the thought of leaving air conditioned comfort fills you with dread. It’s at times like these that you transform to a Winter lover and fantasise of snow. Sweat pours from your brow although I should take the chance to confess something about myself. I can’t really sweat. That’s why I feel the heat that much more than everyone else as my very own inbuilt air conditioning system is faulty. So I absolutely need cool drinks and desserts to help me through the day.
This is really based on the Ice Kacang dessert from Singapore and Malaysia but of course it’s not entirely faithful so that’s why I haven’t put any claims forth or called it Ice Kacang. For starters I don’t think that they would use Pomegranate syrup on theirs and instead of fruit they use sweetned red beans and palm seeds. I’ve made a version which is more Western in flavour for the simple reason that I didn’t have the Asian ingredients to hand. I can imagine pursits clucking amongst themselves “Coconut! Mango! Cherries and Ice Cream, that’s not an Ice Kacang tsk tsk!”. I made this last year for my friend Queen Viv, M and her boys and they loved the sweet coolness and immediately asked me for the recipe.
You can use an ice shaver for this but I don’t really have any room for single use items in my kitchen so I use a food processor which does a good enough job. What you do need is syrup, sweetened condensed milk (in a tube works best), fruit and the a big spoon to tunnel into the snow capped mountain. I used young Coconut meat which you can find at most supermarkets nowadays (and the juice itself is delicious), lychees, ice cream and achacha fruit which is a new type of fruit which is similar to Mangosteen which is one of my favourite fruit. Sadly I’ve yet to have a good Mangosteen here in Australia but opening these up is much easier, they’re much more reasonably priced and they’re just as sweetly gorgeous (and the season has just started yay!).
With the young coconut, you’ll need a very, very sharp and heavy knife and even then my chef’s knife wasn’t really a match for it. I kept banging and banging using the thick base of the knife (no use breaking an knife for a coconut no matter how delicious the innards are!) and I found it best to summon up any inner rage and beware your fingers. It will give way eventually and then some delicious coconut water will come out. Have a bowl ready to catch this delicious water. Once the coconut has drained then take a spoon and scrape away the smooth white coconut layer inside and drink the juice separately.
This also happens to be fabulous for kids and relatively low in fat particularly if you use a low fat ice cream or just one scoop. They love towers of colours and digging at things and of course the sweetness. Ah yes the sweet coolness, there’s nothing quite like the ice cold trickle of the syrup, fruit and ice down a parched throat. And raising an arm to spoon this in is the most I can do most days.
So tell me Dear Reader, how do you beat the heat?
Snow Sundae Dessert
Makes 1 medium to large bowl (serves 2)
- 1 tray of ice cubes
- Fruit Syrup (make your own Pomegranate syrup here or buy one)
- Sweetened condensed milk, chilled
- 1/2 whole Young Coconut, chilled and cut open, the sweet white meat removed
- Fruit such as lychees, achacha, mango cubes or cherries, chilled and cut up ready to use
- 2 scoops of ice cream, cold (obviously
)
Buyer’s tip: Achacha fruit are available at Eveleigh Markets, Sydney.
1. Take out everything just before using. Place 1 tray of ice cubes in the blender and blend until it resembles shaved ice. Place a scoop of ice cream in a bowl and add some fruit and coconut meat at the bottom. Add the shaved ice on top of this and pour some syrup over and then douse liberally with some sweetened condensed milk. Add extra scoop of ice cream and the add more fruit around it. Serve immediately.
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
40 Comments | Add your own
I have to remember that it’s summer in your part of the world because the rest of us are bundled up in sweaters and have the heat turned up high. But then again, I once did eat gelato standing outside during a snowstorm in Boston. Good ice cream is just always good no matter when.
OMG….gimme, gimme, gimme..some please. Even though it’s winter in Ohio, USA…still looks SO good!
Enjoy!
ooooh I thought I spotted lycees in there – one of my favourites! That sundae looks amazing!!! Especially in this killer Aussie heat!
Yummy ,that looks so good! You are lucky that you can find fresh young coconuts in your part of the world;here they had in my near supermarket frozen ones but don’t have them anymore
I happen to have one of those ice crushing machines, which I nicked from mom’s cupboard the last time I visited. Poised, waiting for the heatwave to strike again
looks really refreshing. i think they should include freshly shaved coconut in the authentic version too
What a fab dessert! I have nevre herad of ice kacang before – or acacha. Learning all the time.
To beat the heat, I like to go to the shops (or work!) for the airconditioning.
I love mangosteen too! Whenever I go back to Asia, we always get bags and bags of it
This looks like the perfect way to cool down. Exotic fruits and ice cream are the best thing about Summer 
Ahh I was wondering what you meant when you said yours was different
But it looks so yummy, I want to try it your way now! Especially the pomegranate syrup, mmmm…
looks fantastic and with high heat predicted today – just the ticket! thanks for the ideas.
I love shaved ice desserts – so very refreshing and satisfying on a hot summer’s day! If only making the shaved ice didn’t make such a racket! I tried on the weekend and I don’t think my apartment neighbours like me much anymore! The achacha look like an interesting (if fiddly) fruit – will have to try them the next time I spot some.
welcome to my world.
here in SG, its scorching hot all year round.
plus the rain, its really humid
luckily for the awesome cold desserts we have though
bet this post saved many people from the heat! hehe
Yum! I can see why kids would love this! Btw, I could use a little of that heat over here…and a little of that sundae!
Please come to my house every day this summer and make one of these for me!
I’m looking forward to trying these achachas (almost as much as I like saying the name).
Looks so refreshing! I can’t imagine needing it right now, since I’m in frosty NC, USA (could be worse… could be in New England!), but I can fantasize about eating it on a summer day
I love lots and lots of coke zero on hot days, I have to admit!
Yum! Am going to look for the A cha cha fruit now, mangosteen (Indon: mangistan) used to be one of my most favourites, often couldn’t find them because it seems they were not ideal for exporting as they don’t seem to stay fresh very long.
WOW…mouthwatering…
i’d love to have them all day if the temperature went up to 40 AGAIN in Sydney…
I am always amused when my mind tells me it is too hot to leave the airconditioned house to go into the cool pool merely 5 metres away. I presume my feet are talking to my head saying that they’ll burn on the pavers on the way there and just to stay inside! I could just put shoes on, but hey, it is too hot!
it looks awesome and easy enough to make. i’m overseas at the moment so i’m away from the crazy hot sydney weather (at least it was crazy hot the week before i left) but i must try this if it gets hot when i return xD
This looks like a wonderfully cool dessert! I love sorbet to help me cool off. Two years ago I was 8 months pregnent, with a broken air conditioner and a 2.5 year old, and I remember crying on some of the hot days. Lemon sorbet was the only thing that made me feel better…that and the air conditioning man fixing the air conditioner finally (that is another story!)
That looks so delicious! And I am so curious to try that A cha cha fruit out! I will have to keep my eye out at the shops…
That’s such a pretty dessert! I love all the colors swirling together. I’d love to taste achacha fruit.
Another hot 1 today… if only 1 of these can magically appear in front of me right NOW :p
Achacha sounds like a very interesting fruit.. will go n look for them at harris farm
Frosty Fruits! That dessert looks like a contender though! I’m impressed you had the energy to bash through a coconut with this insanely hot weather
So perfect for the Sydney weather at the moment! I personally use a damp towel and a strong fan to keep cool, it’s more environmentally friendly than AC!
I soo need one or two of these right now!! As long as it is a good combination of ingredients and syrups it works imo!
Omg I need to source some Achacha fruit as I just love Mangosteens. Your Snow Sundae looks so refreshing and perfect especially for today’s weather.
Nothing beats a swim in the ocean to cool down followed closely by gelato or ice-cream hehe
Ha ha, your version has more chance of getting eaten at our place than the “proper” one with beans (gasp!) and corn(erk!). Never heard of achacha fruit before, looking forward to hunting them down!
LOL as I’m reading this it’s 4 degrees in Denver, and this ice cream dish still sounds good to me. All kidding aside, I sure hope your heat doesn’t spark the fires like you had last year. I watched that in horror.
It is a source of amazement to me that you guys are now having your summer. I need to visit Australia LOL. Stunning sundae. I will eat it, even it its freezing here in the UK. Hand it over daaaahling!
That looks fabulous! I love the flavours – very fun!
I love everything about this gorgeous dessert! All the flavors sound perfect, and the little parasols are simply adorable!
What a delightful sundae, sure to beat the heat! Gorgeous presentation!
Some people wld envy you not sweating..like me.
that looks soo soo refreshing! Ill have to make one tomorrow…i hope I can stop myself thinking about it tonite.
truthfully, i’m freezing my bum off as i sit here, but i’ve never wanted ice cream more than i do in this instant. this sounds positively refreshing and invigorating, and although i’ve never dealt with young coconut, i’m quite certain i’d love it.
That looks lovely! I’ve never had mangosteens or achacha fruit – what must I be missing?!
Haha, I WISH I was trying to beat the heat. Instead I am trying to keep warm!
Yummy! that looks eprfect for summer! and healthy! trés jolie!
thans for this post!
oh wow it’s so melty!!! Meanwhile I’m sitting here freezing LOL
Hi Carolyn-I know, it’s funy when I see all the Wintry warming foods! Haha you are so funny!
Hi Pam-Hehe it’s still good in the cold I promise!
Hi Lisa-Oh yup I love lychees and ice cream! It was my favourite childhood dessert. Thankyou!
Hi yaelian-Oh really! I think it’s a newish development over the past few years so perhaps sometime in the future?
Hi Y-Haha poised and ready to pounce?
Hi Simon-I think so too-here here!
Hi Cakelaw-It’s a goody! And I tink you might like it in the QLD heat
Me too!
Hi Betty-Haha I do too!
I totally agree, I just adore exotic fruit 
Hi Steph-Haha yes you went the authentic way which I’m sure many more would approve of! Hehe thanks!
Hi brussellsprout-You’re more than welcome, I hope you like it!
Hi Forager-I know! It’s so noisy isn’t it! I’ve seen ppl use those manual ones but that seems a bit taxing in the heat
Yes they’re at Eveleigh markets if
you happen to be there
They’re a bit hard to get off the seed but they’re really super easy to open.
Hi felicia-Hehe yes! My mum is from there and we have to brace ourselves whenever we go there! I hope so!
Hi erin-Hehe yes it’s so funny how you guys are in the opposite season to us!
Hi Conor-Haha sure!
I know, what a cute name!
Hi Julie-Thankyou!
Hehe yes best for summer time fantasies! 
Hi Howard-Yes they are very hard and not very sweet at all. I tink achacha is very close to mangosteen which is good!
Hi serena-Thankyou! Yes I thin we might get some of those days in Dec/Jan!
Hi Ellen-Hehe you are so funny! I can understand that
Hi Alice-Thankyou! It’s very, very easy so that’s why I like making it. Absolutely, I hope that you like it!
Hi Amanda-OH you poor thing!
Yes some days you just have to have the air con on!
Hi Sarah-Thankyou! It’s at Eveleigh markets that I know of and perhaps at some shops
Hi lisa-Thanks so much! It’s really delicious, I thought I had no chance to having a mangosteen while I was here!
Hi YW-Hehe yes! Why can’t food just appear?
Cool! I think the season is just hearing up now 
Hi Michael-Hehe! I know, it was desperation I tell ya! I could feel the cool coconut water inside!
Hi Moya-Thankyou! Yes that’s better for the skin too than air con although sometimes only AC will do
Hi FFichiban-Yes the ratios need to be right. I find I always like a lot of sweetened condensed milk!
Hi matilda-Oh definitely then! They’re so similar except much easier to open but bigger seeds. Thankyou! I like your way of thinking
Hi shaz-Hehe sadly I didn’t have any sweetened beans hehe
They’re really good!
Hi Lea Ann-I know, I almost forgot about those bushfires! None yet that I’ve heard of but it usually happens over Christmas
Hi Heavenly Housewife-Isn’t it funny!
Yes I have dreams of following Summer around 
Of course here you go! 
Hi Lauren-Aww thankyou so much!
Hi Faith-Thankyou so much! May I say you have great taste!
Hi 5 Star Foodie-Thanks so much!
Hi zurin-Oh really? But I tend to get very hot instead which isn’t great too
I’d love to know what you think of it!
Hi grace-Hehe let me teleport you one!
Oh yes it’s awfully good stuff!
Hi anna-OH you should try and get your hands on some. They’re really good I promise!
Haha the grass is definitely much greener on the other side 
Hi Beau-You’re more than welcome!
Hi stephchows-Hehe meanwhile we are sweltering!
It’s winter here but I want this now! achacha is new to me.
Post a Comment