Ice Bowls

Pretty coloured food and flowers suspended in clear ice make gorgeous containers and are worth the effort to make. They cost next to nothing and can transform an ordinary fruit salad or iced soup into a spectacular dish. They are also practical – keep seafood or even ice creams perfectly chilled on the buffet table.
 
The main points to remember when making these containers is that the two bowls must be the same shape, one smaller than the other and the two bowl rims must be level when filled with water.
 
Allow at least two days (for freezing) to complete the bowl.

You will need​:

• 2 containers the same shape, one slightly smaller than the other
• 2 broad elastic bands or sticky tape
• Flowers, fruit, herbs, etc

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill the larger bowl 1/3 full with cold tap water or still mineral water. Push the smaller bowl into the water and secure with the elastic bands or tape, ensuring the two bowl rims are level. The water should now come about 2/3 of the way up the bowls.
2.  
3. Push the decorations into the water between the bowls. Place the bowls in the freezer overnight or until frozen.
4.  
5. Add another layer of decorations and gently pour in a cupful of very cold water or enough to just cover the decorations. Freeze again. Then fill to the top with more iced water and freeze again.
6.  
7. To unmould the bowl, fill the smaller bowl with tepid water, twist to loosen and remove. Dip the bottom of the larger bowl in tepid water to loosen, then remove this too. Make sure the water isn’t too hot or the bowl will crack. Keep the ice bowl in the freezer until required.

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Hints ‘n Tips:

• Whenever possible, use glass bowls so that you can see the pattern while you are arranging it.
• You can make individual ice bowls in the same way. Try using yoghurt, cottage cheese or coleslaw containers.
• Before freezing, check there are no air bubbles as these will melt and produce a hole.
• You can use a few drops of food colouring to tint the water a pale pink, green or orange.

Herb Bowls: use rosemary sprigs, mint leaves, dill fronds, borage leaves and flowers. Ideal for fruit salads, vegetable or seafood salads and cold soups.

Flower Bowls: use rose petals, sweet peas, freesias, lavender, buttercups, geranium and nasturtium leaves and flowers. Ideal for fruit salads, ice creams and sorbets.

Fruit Bowls: use sliced strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, oranges, lemons, limes, star fruit and sprigs of red currants and blackcurrants. Ideal for fruit salads, ice creams, sorbets.