Parle-G Ice Cream Sandwich

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What is a Parle-G Ice-Cream Sandwich?

Parle-G biscuits are every Indian child's favourite biscuits. Every indian household will always have a pack of these iconic biscuits, featuring a young girl on its packaging, lying in the corner somewhere.

My Parle-G ice-cream sandwiches are inspired by one of my favourite childhood memories of visiting my grandparents in India every summer. My Parle-G ice-cream sandwich is filled with cardamom and Parle-G ice-cream and surrounded by 2 pieces of Parle-G biscuits. You’ll feel like you’re actually drinking elaichi (cardamom) chai with every bite of the sandwich. These make for a great summer treat for both kids and adults!

But, what is Parle-G?

If you’ve never tried Parle-G, you’re certainly missing out! They’re the oldest brand name in India (since 1939) and one of the best-selling brands of biscuits in the world. They are small, rectangular flat-baked biscuits filled with the goodness of milk and wheat. If you didn’t know, the ‘G’ represents Glucose and Genius since they represent a source of strength for the body and mind.

Parle-G biscuits are usually eaten as a tea-time snack dunked in chai. However, you can enjoy these biscuits with a cold drink, in the form of a pudding/pie base, crumbling over ice-cream/custard or even in my ice-cream sandwich recipe.

Can I make the ice-cream without cardamom?

I would not recommend making this ice-cream without using cardamom as it’s one of the primary flavours that complements the Parle-G biscuits. If you are not fond of cardamom, you can reduce it and add crushed Parle-G biscuits into the ice-cream. Don’t eliminate it completely as the ice-cream will not have any flavour without the cardamom.

Can I make the ice-cream without using Parle-G?

Absolutely not! I would not suggest you make these without Parle-G as it would ruin all the flavours and fun. Only if you can’t find Parle-G, then I would suggest using any other biscuits of your choice including digestives. But if you do have access to Parle-G, please don’t consider making them without it.

How thick do the sandwiches need to be?

It’s up to you on how thin or thick you want the sandwiches to be! The sandwiches I made were about 3.5 cm thick including the biscuits (the ice-cream bars were about 2.5 cm thick). I used a 32 cm x 22 cm baking tray to make these sandwiches.

Do you need any special equipment to make this ice-cream?

Absolutely not! This is a no-churn ice-cream recipe that works on the basis of using double/heavy cream and condensed milk. This also means that you don’t need a fancy ice-cream maker to make this ice-cream at home. You only need a hand/stand mixer to help you. If you don’t have one, you can also make the ice-cream using a whisk. If you are using a whisk, it will take longer for the cream to whip up (up to 10 minutes or even more), so please be patient!

What type of cream do we need for this recipe?

You need heavy or double cream to make this ice-cream recipe. The butterfat content in the cream needs to be between 36% to 48% to be able to whip up well, hold its shape and form ice-cream. You cannot use whipped, single, light or cooking cream to make any ice-cream since they have a lower butterfat content. Similarly, please don’t try to make ice-cream using clotted cream or creme fraiche as they have a higher butterfat content. Make sure to check you are using the right cream before making this ice-cream. There is nothing worse than bad ice-cream!

How long do you need to whip the cream?

You need to whip the heavy/double cream for at least 3 minutes until they form stiff peaks. It can take anywhere between 3 to 6 minutes for it to reach stiff peaks. If you are using a whisk, it will take up to 10 minutes or longer depending on how fast you whip it. So be patient!

Why do we need to place the bowl in the freezer and the condensed milk in the fridge?

Placing your bowl and hand/stand mixer attachments in the freezer ensures that the cream remains cold when you are whipping it up. If you are using a whisk, make sure to freeze it for 10 minutes before starting to whip the ice-cream. You also want your condensed milk to be cold, hence it’s best to ensure it is refrigerated before using it. If you are living in a hot country, it makes it even more mandatory to do this step.

How long do you need to refrigerate the ice-cream before serving?

Once you’ve whipped the ice-cream, you need to freeze it for 24 hours in a tray before cutting it out into rectangular bars and making the sandwiches. Once you have sandwiched the ice-cream, freeze them for about 12-24 hours before serving. Freezing it for the second time allows ice-cream to become hard and the biscuits to become soft and stick to the ice-cream.

How should I serve the ice-cream?

This ice-cream is best served in the form of sandwiches. You can wrap them in small pieces of parchment paper if you want! If you don’t intend to make them into sandwiches, you can serve them in a waffle cone or a bowl instead.

How long can I store the ice-cream for?

You can store the ice-cream in the freezer for up to a month, so you can enjoy it whenever you want. Ensure you store the ice-cream sandwiches in a tightly closed container in the freezer.

Any substitute for the ingredients mentioned?

Unfortunately, if you are intending to make this no-churn Parle-G ice-cream sandwiches, there are no substitutes for any of the ingredients. Having said that, you can replace or skip ingredients if you are intending to use this recipe to make other types of ice-cream sandwiches!

Any cooking tips for this recipe?

Make sure you place your bowl and hand/stand mixer attachments into the freezer for about 10 minutes before starting to whip your cream.
Ensure your double/heavy cream and condensed milk is cold before starting.
Make sure to check if you are using the right type of cream.
Do not over/under whip the cream. If you under whip it, the ice-cream will not form and if you over-whip, the ice-cream will begin to deflate and become runny.
Allow the ice-cream to freeze for at least 24 hours before cutting it into rectangular bars and making them into sandwiches. Allow the sandwiches to freeze for a further 12-24 hours before serving them.