campfire not required

Well, I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but I've been really enjoying my summer so far. I was recently on Martha's Vineyard and had some delicious s'more ice cream from a place called The Scoop Shack. That ice cream haunted me... the milk chocolate ice cream, soft marshmallows and crispy graham crackers were driving my ice cream/s'more cravings through the roof. I think at this point on my recipe page, I should have a section of marshmallow-devoted recipes. This ice cream would be at the top of the list (ok, it actually wouldn't since I alphabetize all my recipes, but you understand my sentiment).

Even though The Scoop Shack's s'more ice cream was fab, I knew I could kick it up a notch. Coating the graham crackers in milk chocolate (I used Hershey's because hello, that's what you use in an actual s'more) not only adds more chocolate to the recipe but it prevents the crackers from getting soft and soggy. And a toasted (slightly burnt) marshmallow is essential for a gooey s'more, so shouldn't it also be required in this ice cream? Nod yes here.

I've made a few different ice creams here on the blog and one thing I wanted to change was the recipe. Typically the other ice cream bases are a custard, made with heavy cream and egg yolks for a rich and decadent ice cream. While that method is lovely, it is calorie dense, super rich and takes quite a bit of time to make and cool down. Therefore, I went for a much quicker style ice cream (technically called "Philadelphia style") that doesn't require cooking egg yolks.

It's absolutely perfect here. The milk chocolate adds the creamy richness instead of the egg yolks. The chocolate covered grahams are an addictive snack all on their own, but crushed into the ice cream add the crunch that is needed. And the toasted marshmallows stay soft in the frozen ice cream, making you forget all about the hot campfire.

S’more Ice Cream

Ice cream recipe adapted from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz

Makes 1 quart

Recipe Notes-

- This may look like a lot of steps but each step is quick and easy. The hardest thing about making this ice cream is giving yourself enough time to let everything chill before it’s made into ice cream. When making ice cream, it’s best if each ingredient is cold/frozen so that it won’t lower the temperature/melt the ice cream. I typically make this the day before serving.

- David Lebovitz’s original recipe is for a dark chocolate ice cream so I swapped out some unsweetened chocolate for milk chocolate and I lowered the sugar since milk chocolate is already sweetened. I also upped the vanilla extract from 1 to 2 teaspoons.

- I was worried that the toasted marshmallows would fall apart during the churning process so my husband suggested freezing them first. I’m amazed that frozen toasted marshmallows stay soft and chewy in the ice cream. Pure heaven!

- I was also worried (yes, I’m a worrier) that the graham crackers would get soggy in the ice cream, so I thought coating them in chocolate would not only protect them, but create that classic s’more flavor.

- I rarely have whole milk on hand so I use 2% instead and it’s still creamy and delicious.

Ingredients:

For the milk chocolate ice cream:

2 Cups heavy cream

4 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 Cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

4.5 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

1 ¼ Cup whole milk (see note above)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the chocolate covered grahams:

7 full-size graham cracker bars split in half creating 14 squares

6 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

For the toasted marshmallows:

½ a bag of mini marshmallows

Directions:

For the milk chocolate ice cream:

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Heat the mixture until it comes to a full boil, then remove from the heat and add the milk chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. If you’re mixture is a bit lumpy there are 2 methods to smooth it out: a.) In a large bowl, with a fine mesh strainer on top, pour the chocolate cream mixture through the strainer and discard any lumps; or the second method is b.) pour the chocolate cream mixture into a blender and blend for about a minute, until the mixture is completely smooth.

2. Pour the smooth cream mixture into a large bowl and add the whole milk and vanilla extract. Mix until combined and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

For the chocolate covered grahams:

3. While the chocolate cream mixture is chilling prepare a baking sheet with wax paper (or parchment paper). In a microwave-safe bowl, slowly melt the chocolate until smooth. Coat the graham cracker squares in the melted chocolate and place on the wax paper. Once all the grahams are covered in chocolate, place the pan in the freezer until ready to make the ice cream (this can be done a couple days in advance).

For the toasted marshmallows:

4. On a small baking sheet (I used a half sheet) coat the pan with butter and pour the marshmallows in an even layer. Turn the broiler on high and toast the marshmallows under the broiler until they are a caramel-brown color (this goes FAST! Don’t walk away or take your eyes off of them because they’ll be black before you know it). Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Once the pan is cool, place the whole pan in the freezer to harden before adding to the ice cream.

Assembling the ice cream:

5. Freeze the chocolate mixture in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In the last minute of churning, take a gallon-sized zip-top bag and place the chocolate covered grahams in the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the grahams into bite-sized pieces and add it to the ice cream. Then with a spatula, scoop up sections of the frozen toasted marshmallows and drop into the churning ice cream; continue doing this until all the marshmallows are added. Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and place a piece of wax paper directly on top (this prevents freezer-burn). Freeze until hardened and then serve!