Screwball Ice Cream
I remember hearing the ice cream truck driving down our road when I was a child. It was rare that we’d be allowed to actually buy anything from the ice cream man, but on the odd occasion that we could, I would always choose a Screwball Ice Cream. Even now, when I hear the music and I know the ice cream van is on its way around, I’m struck by fond memories of that delicious sweet treat!
What is a screwball ice cream?
A Screwball Ice Cream is a delicious raspberry ripple ice cream served in a plastic ice cream cone. The screwball name came from the hard ball of bubble gum that sits right at the bottom of the cone.
When were Screwball Ice Creams first made?
This frozen dessert was first released in the 1970s and it has been a popular choice amongst kids and teens ever since.
Special Edition Screwballs
Two-ball Screwball was a special edition Screwball that came out in the United States. As the brand name “two ball screwball” suggests, these contained two of the bubblegum balls which made them even more popular.
There were also some limited edition flavours released too. These varied depending upon whereabouts in the world you lived, but these were a few of the flavours available:
- Raspberry Ripple
- Blue Raspberry
- Lemon Swirl
Screwball Ice Cream with Alcohol
Tipsy Scoop make their very own version of the screwball that is loaded with Tipsy Scoop Liquor. These are only available in certain areas of the United States but they definitely set the scene for an adult take on the delicious ice cream. If you’re in the US though, take a look at their Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey Chocolate Swirl.
If you’re a fan of boozy ice cream, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are lots of recipes available online that will show you exactly how to make your own Screwball Ice Cream loaded with alcohol. Just remember that these most definitely are not suitable for the kids. Don’t worry if you don’t have a home ice cream maker either, it’s really simple to make ice cream without one. They aren’t too expensive to buy though, so you could treat yourself and make your own soft vanilla ice cream and you could even stick a bubble gum ball in the bottom too. This would be great for parties!
Where can you buy Screwball Ice Cream UK?
Thankfully, if you fancy buying some of these tasty treats, you can still buy Screwballs today in most UK supermarkets. Here are a few of the places you can still get your hands on them:
These ice creams all come with a creamy vanilla base with that delicious raspberry flavour peeping through.
How many calories in a Screwball Ice Cream?
Now that these ice creams are available so widely and made by so many different brands, the calories will vary between each one. Typically a screwball ice cream will be around 90 calories which is pretty good for such a creamy tasting dessert or treat.
Ingredients
Obviously, the ingredients will vary depending on where you buy your ice creams, but here is a list of the typical ingredients in a Screwball Ice Cream taken from the ASDA Raspberry Ripple Screwballs:
Reconstituted Skimmed Milk Concentrate, Water, Raspberry Sauce (9%) [Sugar, Water, Glucose Syrup, Raspberry Purée, Cornflour, Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid, Sodium Citrates), Colour (Anthocyanins), Gelling Agent (Pectins), Flavouring], Sugar, Palm Oil, Glucose Syrup, Bubblegum Ball (4%) [Sugar, Gum Base, Glucose Syrup, Flavouring, Colours (Beetroot Red, Curcumin, Carotenes), Emulsifier (Acacia Gum), Glazing Agents (Carnauba Wax, Shellac)], Dextrose, Beef Gelatine, Whey Powder (Milk), Emulsifier (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Flavourings, Stabilisers (Guar Gum, Sodium Alginate), Colours (Beetroot Red, Carotenes).
If you remember the sound of the ice cream van and the delicious treat that was the Screwball Ice Cream, then I can be those are happy memories. The frozen treats back then were just something extra special weren’t they?!
