Ice Bowl

A simple ice bowl can add beauty and function to any buffet table. Ice bowls are also a great conversation starter as most guests will be amazed at your creativity and want to know how you made them.

As a catering director I have seen a lot of talented chefs carve ice sculptures from a block of ice. They use a chain saw to do most of the carving and complete the sculptures with chiseling tools. The ice sculptures are beautiful, however, there are more practical ways for you to have mini ice sculptures for your buffet table.

An ice bowl decorated with edible flowers, fresh herbs or citrus slices can be frozen into your desired shape. They are easy to make and the results are as useful as they are beautiful on a buffet table.

If the ice bowl comes in contact with food, make sure the decoration used are edible. You can also place clear glass bowls inside the ice bowl to keep food chilled.

I used colorful fall leaves to decorate one of my ice bowls. The leaves may not be safe for food, so I will place a clear bowl inside that will hold shrimp and keep them chilled. The other bowls were made with lemon, lime and orange slices.

Think about garnishes, what will match the food you are serving when decorating the bowls with edible decorations. Ice bowls can be used for a salad station, ice cream station, hor dourves and for any other food that you want to keep chilled.

You will want to place the bowls on a tray with something to absorb the drips like a linen towel or napkin. Wax paper placed between the ice bowl and towel will keep the bowl from sticking to the material.

Materials Needed;

• 2 Glass or Stainless Steel Bowls; one should fit inside the other, with a 1/2-1 inch space between them.
• Decorations; Fresh Herbs, Edible Flowers or Citrus Slices.
• Tape
• Water

How to Make Ice Bowls;

Scatter decorations in the larger bowl. Place the smaller bowl inside and tape so the tops of bowls are flush. Pour water between the bowls to 1/4 inch from the top. Add more decorations to the sides and arrange them with a skewer. Add water to the top bowl to help weigh the bowl done because the ice will expand causing the bowl to rise. Freeze mold overnight.

Remove from freezer and let bowl stand at room temperature, on a dish towel for 10 - 20 minutes, until they separate easily. Do not run water over the bowls; you can sit them in a sink of water to help loosen. Remove tape, remove top bowl, invert bottom bowl and the ice will slide out of it's mold. Cover with saran wrap and freeze until your ready to use.

Experiment With Decorations and Shapes;

Experiment using different shapes like an ice sleeve to keep wine or liquor chilled. Place a full bottle of liquor or white wine bottle into a fully opened cardboard half-gallon milk carton. Place decorations such as fruit slices around the bottle. To keep decorations from floating to the top, you will have to freeze in layers until the water reaches the bottles neck. After freezing, cut away the milk carton, wrap a dinner napkin around the ice sleeve base.