S’mores Ice Cream

So I mentioned in my last post that I had two ice cream recipes chosen to make for National Ice Cream month and this is the second. I have another ice cream flavor that I would love to try making but looks like July will get away from me before I have a chance to do it. I first saw this ice cream on Pinterest and pinned it right away. There are few things that say “summer” more than s’mores made on a bonfire. We’ve been having a string of 90-degree days here so bonfires are not happening, but the flavors of a toasty, ooey, gooey s’more mixed up into a nice cool treat? Now that is happening. I was skeptical that the ice cream would turn out tasting like a toasted marshmallow, but it certainly did. I might let my marshmallows get a bit more char on them the next time I make this, imparting more flavor to the base. The original recipe called for a fudge layer but I made this easier on myself and mixed in semi-sweet chocolate chunks. It does appear to be a really involved recipe, but I actually whipped up the custard base in less than 20 minutes and that’s with two little helpers wreaking havoc in my kitchen. Enjoy!

S’mores Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 (10-ounce) bag large marshmallows
1 1/2 C. whole milk
5 egg yolks
1/2 C. granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

about 8 graham cracker squares, coarsely chopped

3/4 C. semi-sweet or milk chocolate chunks

Directions:

Spread the marshmallows in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place them under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until toasted. Take them out and, using tongs, flip them over and put them back under the broiler until the other side is toasted. Set the marshmallows aside.

Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat on medium until simmering.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt in a large, heatproof bowl. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, using a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture from the bowl back into the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly with the spatula, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (it should be between 170 and 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl.

Let the custard cool for a few minutes. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and stir. Put the toasted marshmallows in a blender, then pour a cup of custard over top. Puree until the marshmallows are completely broken down and the mixture is smooth. (I was skeptical that the full blender of toasted marshmallows would blend up, but they did!) Add the rest of the custard and blend for 10-15 seconds to combine. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Before churning, remove plastic wrap and whisk ice cream base until smooth and pourable. It will be thick and spongy at first. Churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Remove half of mixture and place into a storage container. Sprinkle with half of the chopped graham crackers and half of the chocolate chunks. Spread the remaining ice cream over top and sprinkle the rest of the graham crackers and chocolate. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker