S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches
Hi there, wine-loving friends! Katie from Butterlust here, and I’m back again to share the ultimate summer dessert with you today. Which can mean only one thing…S’MORES!
Whether you’re toasting yours over an open campfire, your backyard grill, the fireplace, or even the occasional chopstick-over-a-candle trick (guilty), gooey, toasted marshmallows are one of the most simple, delicious treats that life has to offer. There’s a kid somewhere in all of us that just can’t help but feel pure excitement at the thought of toasty marshmallows sandwiched between bars of milk chocolate and graham cracker, the perfectly messy experience of biting into one for the first time, fingers sticky and belly happy. It’s a nostalgic combination sure to last the ages, because holy moly is it tasty.
That’s not to say that we all still like our s’mores the old-fashioned way. Which is why today, I’m sharing a little twist on the classic — a slightly more grown up version (just slightly) that is intended to compliment wine, which is the real reason we’re all here, isn’t it?
These s’mores ice cream sandwiches feature a toasted marshmallow ice cream that is loaded with the real deal — two full cups of toasted marshmallows — so that while it satisfies your middle-of-summer craving for a frozen treat, it also maintains a slight gooey, warmth from real toasted marshmallows. And since a s’more isn’t complete without chocolate, the ice cream is flecked with lightly crispy flakes of dark chocolate that add a delicate, bitter crunch before melting into rich, chocolatey oblivion on your tongue. Yes, it’s definitely good enough to eat on it’s own.
But we can’t forget the grahams. In this case, two buttery sugar cookies, laced with chunks of graham cracker for a slightly chewy yet crisp bite. Due to the large pieces of graham cracker that are dispersed throughout the dough, these cookies don’t always bake up in a perfectly round shape but fret not, there is deliciousness in their imperfection. When you find that perfect bite where soft sugar cookie meets crisp graham cracker, you won’t mind those uneven edges one bit.
While it may seem so, one giant scoop of chocolately, marshmallow ice cream + two graham cracker cookies does not quite equal perfection, though we’re close. It’s not until you’ve paired this treat with a glass of K-J AVANT Red Blend, that you’ll reach true summer dessert nirvana. This seductively smooth and easy to drink blend of French reds has flirty hints of chocolate and vanilla that shine through its bright notes of summer berries when combined with these decadent ice cream sandwiches. It’s absolute perfection on a hot day, especially when shared with your favorite people. Enjoy!
- 2 cups milk
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 1⁄4 cups heavy cream
- 2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup nonfat milk powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ cups roughly crushed graham crackers (about 1½ sleeves)
- In a small bowl, stir together the corn starch and ¼ cup of milk. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining milk with the cream, sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, keeping a close eye as it can quickly boil over. Once boiling, cook for 4 minutes, then stir in the corn starch slurry.
- Return to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes, until mixture has thickened and will coat the back of a spoon.
- Place cream cheese in a bowl and whisk with ¼ cup of the warm mixture, until smooth. Whisk in the remaining mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract, set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray liberally with nonstick spray or rub with butter. Spread mini marshmallows onto the parchment in an even layer. Place under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, keeping a close eye, until marshmallows are toasted.
- Combine the warm ice cream base and the melted marshmallows in a blender, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or large Ziploc back and chill until cool.
- To make the chocolate flakes, melt the dark chocolate the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Spread the melted chocolate onto a sheet of parchment paper in a thin, even layer. Let cool until it hardens, then chop into flakes.
- Once the ice cream base is chilled, freeze the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. In the last minute of churning, add in the chocolate flakes and let the ice cream continue to churn until the flakes are distributed throughout.
- Transfer the ice cream to a loaf pan or airtight container and freeze until scoopable.
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and cream on medium-high for about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, milk powder, salt baking powder and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add the graham crackers -- there should still be some large chunks -- and paddle until incorporated, about 15 - 30 seconds. You want the crackers to break down some, but not into graham cracker crumbs.
- Scoop out onto a cookie sheet, rolling each scoop briefly to create balls of dough (this will help the cookies to bake in a round shape) and place 2-3 inches apart on your lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 12 - 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes on the warm pan and than transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Repeat process until all cookies are baked.
- Find cookies of comparable sizes to pair together for your ice cream sandwiches. Place a large scoop of marshmallow ice cream in the center of a cookie and then top with another cookie, pressing down gently to form a sandwich.
- If not serving immediately, place ice cream sandwiches on a cookie sheet and freeze until serving time. If storing, wrap in parchment to prevent freezer burn.
For more food and wine pairing ideas, visit the Entertaining section of our website.
