S’mores Ice Cream celebrates summer in the best way. Slightly charred, gooey, melted marshmallows swirled into a rich vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate and graham crackers. Get ready for the perfect summer treat!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Toasting marshmallows is a popular pastime here, and I’d say eating ice cream comes a close second. We don’t shy away from dessert because honestly life is too short to worry about such things, especially when the sun is shining, children are laughing and the scent of sunscreen fills the air.
What is pudding?
I prefer to use custard as my ice cream base regardless of how I flavor it and here’s why.
Puddings are made with eggs. Egg yolks contain lecithin, which are chains of fatty acids that make great emulsifiers. Lecithin helps the fat in the cream bind, creating a better emulsion and creating the ice cream’s rich, creamy, velvety texture.
How to make vanilla ice cream
You can think of this recipe as a two for one recipe. The pudding base is simply homemade vanilla ice cream. If you’re running out of time or realize your kids somehow managed to eat all the chocolate in the house while you weren’t looking, just stir the pudding and you’ll have glorious vanilla ice cream!
How to store homemade ice cream
Freeze at least two hours before serving; The longer the ice cream sits in the freezer, the harder it gets. When you’re done, you can pour this ice cream into a bowl, a cone, or between two graham crackers for the s’mores factor!
How long does homemade ice cream last?
Homemade ice cream doesn’t have the stabilizers that commercially made ice cream uses, so it doesn’t retain its creamy texture for as long as something from the store. In other words, homemade ice cream is likely to start forming ice crystals sooner.
Many people suggest eating homemade ice cream within a day or two, but in my experience, ice cream with a higher fat content, like this recipe, keeps longer than those with a lower fat content. I kept this recipe in the freezer for a month and it was still as creamy as the day I made it. You can keep it for more than a month; It’s still perfectly edible, but it can form ice crystals.
No ice machine? No problem!
An ice machine is a worthwhile investment. I have a Cuisinart similar to this one and I like it because it doesn’t take up too much space in my closet and it’s easy to clean.
If adding a new gadget to your kitchen tool box isn’t on your to-do list right now, worry not. You can make delicious ice cream without an ice cream maker. Instead of pouring the mixture into a machine, pour it into a shallow container like a 9×13-inch pan. Put it in the freezer.
Blend every 15 to 20 minutes with a whisk or hand mixer until the ice cream is thick enough to stir with a wooden spoon and has the consistency of soft serve. This will break up the ice crystals and you will likely have to repeat the mixing 4 or 5 times.
This no-swirl ice cream won’t be quite as creamy as one stirred in a machine, but it will still be ice cream, and that’s better than no ice cream at all.
Need more ice cream recipes?
- Strawberry ice cream
- chocolate ice cream
- Coffee Bourbon Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- chai ice cream
S’mores ice cream
If you eat this ice cream straight away, it will have the consistency of soft serve. If you want a harder, spoonable ice cream, freeze for at least 4 hours.
ingredients
- For the ice base:
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2 cups cream
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2/3 cup whole milk
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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6 egg yolks
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1/3 cup sugar
- To the add-ins:
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6 ounces chocolate (about 1 cup chocolate chips)
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2 cups mini marshmallows
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6 graham crackers, broken into small pieces
method
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Freeze sundae:
Place the ice cream maker mixing bowl in the freezer the day before making ice cream. (Most manufacturers recommend freezing the mixing bowl for 24 hours before making ice.)
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Warm up dairy:
In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, pour heavy cream, milk, vanilla extract, and salt.
Slowly bring the mixture to a simmer until you see small bubbles around the edges of the pan. Stir occasionally. This takes about 15 to 18 minutes.
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Make the pudding:
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until the mixture is thick and pale.
The cream should be warmed through at this point, with small bubbles beginning to form around the edge.
Using a ladle, pour the milk mixture into the egg and sugar mixture in a slow, thin, steady stream, beating all the time. Continue until all the liquid is combined. Don’t rush; otherwise you get scrambled eggs.
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Cook the pudding:
Return the pudding to the pan and heat over low heat. Gently stir with a spatula until the pudding takes on the consistency of maple syrup, about 8 minutes.
When it’s done, it covers the back of a spoon and when you drag your finger through it the mark is left behind.
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Chill the vanilla pudding:
Once the pudding has thickened, remove from the heat and place the pudding in a large bowl. If your pudding looks like it might contain boiled egg chunks, strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. If it looks smooth you can skip this step
I like to use a large bowl so the mixture cools faster. You can also chill the bowl in the freezer before pouring in the warm custard.
Allow the pudding to cool to room temperature, then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. When ready, it will have the consistency of eggnog.
This is now the basis for your ice cream. It can be made a week in advance and kept covered in the fridge.
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Prepare the add-ins:
Break the graham crackers into nickel-sized pieces.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Stir constantly until melted. Remove from stove. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
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Roast marshmallows:
Place your rack in the center of the oven, turn on your oven light, and set your oven to broil.
Line a small baking sheet with foil or parchment and spray with cooking spray. Scatter the marshmallows over the prepared pan.
Place under the kettle for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the tops are brown. Don’t leave your oven and watch it all the time. The marshmallows toast quickly and sugar can burn!
Take the pan out of the oven. Let the marshmallows cool for about 5 minutes.
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Stir the ice cream:
Pour the cooled pudding into the bowl of your ice cream maker and stir according to the manufacturer’s directions.
After about 5-7 minutes the ice cream should become thicker. Gradually add the marshmallows.
Gradually drizzle in the chocolate using a spoon or spatula. It’s okay if your chocolate is a little thick; just try to drop it in ribbons. You should see the chocolate dissolve so that it looks like chocolate chip ice cream.
When done, it will have the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
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Serve or freeze ice cream:
Place your ice cream in a freezer-safe container and fold in the graham crackers. If desired, the ice cream can be served immediately.
To set the ice cream to a spoonable consistency, flatten the top of the ice cream, press a piece of parchment paper over it, and cover with a lid. Place the ice cream in the freezer and let it cool for at least 2 hours. When you’re done, scoop it onto your favorite cone.
This ice will keep for about a month before it begins to crystallize.
