Smore's Ice Cream Bars

I feel like it's been a while since I posted something. Not because I haven't made anything, although I have been cutting back, but because I've had my hands full. It's hard enough to find time to do everything I need/want to do with a newborn and toddler as it is, posting a recipe gets the back burner. So to make up for my lack of posts, here's a 2 in 1.
I love all things smores, so it was a given that I had to try making these. Especially since I like having a homemade treat in the freezer I can pull out and eat as I wish. Which i'm learning can be a very bad thing.. These ice cream sandwiches reminded me of an It's-It (the kind with oatmeal cookie and vanilla ice cream) if you've ever tried those.
The homemade graham crackers were real good, although mine turned out more like cookies. But that's ok..I like cookies :) Definitely something i'll make again. Except for I needed to bake them a little longer because they were a little doughey tasting. Once they were frozen though it was alright.
The roasted marshmallow ice cream was good too, but not really something I would eat by itself. But make it into a sundae or something and i'm sure i'd be all over it. I should also note that instead of making the meringue for the ice cream, I just used store bought marshmallows and roasted them on a baking sheet then blended it up with the custard.

Smore's Ice Cream Sandwiches
Pennies on a Platter



Graham Crackers:
Yield: 48 2-inch squares
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and frozen
1/3 cup honey
5 tablespoons milk, full-fat preferred
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal.
Whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour into the flour mixture and pulse again a few times until the dough barely comes together. It will be soft and somewhat sticky. Lightly dust a large piece of plastic wrap with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping by mixing together the 3 tablespoons sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl or shaker; set aside.
Once the dough is firm, remove from plastic wrap and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Flour the rolling pin as necessary. Cut into 2-inch squares and place on lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar topping then chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Using a fork, prick the dough to form three dotted rows. Bake the crackers/cookies for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Bake for a shorter time if desiring more of a cookie texture. Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar after baking, if desired.

Roasted Marshmallow Ice Cream
Ingredients:
4 eggs, divided
About 1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup water
2 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the marshmallow meringue:
Combine 2/3 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves, with the heat on low, until it reaches between 236˚-244˚F. Try not to let it boil. In the meantime, you can start following the instructions below to make the custard.
Once the syrup reaches 230˚F, start whipping the egg whites until reaches soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until reaches stiff peaks. With the mixer still on, pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream. Beat until somewhat cooled, then spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Broil for a few minutes, until nicely browned.

For the custard:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow; set aside. While keeping an eye on the sugar syrup, warm the milk, cream and salt in a medium heavy saucepan until almost boiling. Temper the eggs by slowly whisking 1/2 cup of the warmed cream into the egg yolks, while stirring constantly to avoid curdling. Slowly whisk in the rest of the cream into the egg yolks, then pour back into the saucepan and continue to heat on medium-low until the custard thickens (about 3-6 minutes). Place a lid on the saucepan to keep the custard warm until the marshmallow meringue is ready.
Once the marshmallow meringue is ready, transfer the custard into a large bowl and whisk in the roasted marshmallow meringue. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before freezing, whisk the mixture again and stir in the vanilla. Freeze according to your ice cream freezer manufacturer’s instructions.

Assemble the Sandwiches:
you'll need:
homemade graham crackers
roasted marshmallow ice cream
ganache

When making the ice cream, after churning in your freezer bowl, spread the ice cream in a 9×13 parchment-lined pan. Freeze overnight.
The next day, match your graham crackers into pairs by size. Make the ganache and spread a thin layer on one cookie from each pair. Set on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes to partially harden the chocolate. (This will create a sturdier base for holding the ice cream.)
Remove the ice cream from the pan by lifting the parchment paper and set on a cutting board. Using a knife, cut the ice cream into squares or rectangles equal to the size of your graham crackers, one portion for each pair of grahams. Place the ice cream square on the ganache and sandwich the other graham cracker on top, gently pressing together. Return back to the baking sheet and freeze until hard. Wrap individually in foil and keep stored in the freezer.
Makes about 8-10 sandwiches

Brownie Ice Cream Cake

My husband offered to make my birthday cake for me this year, it was a nice offer but it's something I prefer to do myself. This is a super simple recipe and one of the things I like most about it is you store it in the freezer and you can cut off a slice to eat whenever you want some. Normally I don't make cakes for the reason that there's only 2 of us and I don't want half of it to go to waste. Not a problem with this cake though. Matt didn't care too much for the marshmallows on top but that was my favorite part!! The brownie gets a little hard from being frozen, but that's expected and it still tasted great. I had a hard time picking what ice cream to use but decided to keep it simple and go with chocolate chip. I'm already thinking of different ice cream combinations to use because there will be a next time! Oh, and don't forget the hot fudge!

Brownie Ice Cream Cake
recipe girl

*updated 7/7/12: I made this cake for my birthday again this year, this time using chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. Definitely was better with something simple like chocolate chip! I really need to get some butane for my kitchen torch..the broiler always works faster than expected!

Ingredients:
BROWNIE LAYER:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
1/8 tsp. salt

ICE CREAM LAYER:

1 1/2 qts. ice cream, any flavor (I used chocolate chip)

MARSHMALLOW LAYER:

1 cup marshmallow cream
1 Tbsp. water
4 – 5 cups mini marshmallows

TOPPING:

hot fudge

Directions:

1. Prepare brownie layer- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolates and butter together in small bursts, just until melted. Stir until smooth. Sift together flour & baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Add the dry ingredients, espresso powder and salt. Stir until combined. Spread brownie batter in the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool completely before continuing with the recipe.
2. Take ice cream out of the freezer and soften for a bit, just until it’s easy enough to mash around and spread. Spread the ice cream over the brownie layer.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together marshmallow cream and water. Stir in 3 cups of marshmallows. Spread the marshmallow mixture over the ice cream. Sprinkle 2 remaining cups of marshmallows on top. Freeze until the ice cream is hard, at least 6 hours- but best overnight.
4. Toasting the marshmallows- If you have a handheld blowtorch, run a knife around the inside edge of the springform pan. Release the latch and remove the ring. Use a very sharp, wide, thin knife to run under the brownie layer to release it from the pan and transfer it to a serving platter. Torch the marshmallows until they’re golden brown. If using the broiler, adjust the rack so the ice cream cake will be 2 – 3 inches from the heating element. Preheat the broiler. Leave the cake in the pan, put it on a baking pan, and place it under the heating element. Broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan and remove the pan.
5. Serve immediately with a good amount of hot fudge. Freeze leftovers and eat as you wish, for up to one week.
Serves: 10

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream

I kind of made this recipe on a whim since I had a carton of cream that needed to be used asap and I happened to have some frozen raspberries left-over from the lemonade I made a few weeks ago. It was really easy and quick to make (aside from waiting time) and the ingredients are simple. I loved the texture of the ice cream, it was so thick and creamy. The raspberry and chocolate wasn't my favorite (maybe next time i'll try strawberry...) but it was still good. I'm usually pretty lazy when it comes to home made ice cream, i've only made it 3 times in the last 7 months or so since I got the machine but I enjoy it every time I do.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream
Pennies on a Platter

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
5 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
In a large, heavy saucepan, whisk together the whipping cream, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk frequently and heat until it comes to a full, rolling boil and starts to foam. Remove from the heat and stir in the raspberries. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and purée. Press through a strainer over a mixing bowl to remove the seeds.
Chill overnight in the fridge and then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Sicilan Chocolate Gelato

This recipe comes from the Scharffen Berger recipe collection. This is the first time making gelato and i'm pretty satisfied with the results. Especially since it's so pricey to buy for such a small cup. The gelato was very rich and creamy and simple to make and i'm excited to try other variations. There's also directions to make granita or fudge pops, however I haven't tried either of those.

Sicilan Chocolate Gelato

Scharffen Berger

Makes one scant quart gelato or 6-12 fudge pops.
Ingredients:

3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup Scharffen Berger Natural Cocoa Powder (unsweetened) (you could use any brand, but use a good one you like since the gelato will taste like the cocoa.)

1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Equipment:

Ice cream maker or ice pop molds

Directions:

In medium saucepan bring 2 cups of the milk to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining cup of milk with the sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch. Scrape the cocoa mixture into the hot milk. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles a little at the edges. Stir and cook for a minute longer. Be sure to use a pot with quite a bit of room or else it might end up bubbling up and over the side.
Strain through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and cool. Cover the surface of the mixture with plastic wrap and chill overnight. (You may also set the bowl over an ice bath and stir the hot gelato mixture frequently until cool).

TO MAKE GELATO: Freeze according to the instructions with your ice cream maker. The mixture is thick to begin with and may take less time than average in the ice cream maker. Makes one scant quart ice cream.

TO MAKE FUDGE POPS: Divide the chilled gelato base between the ice pop molds and place in the freezer overnight to set. These will have a slightly icy texture. (If you have an ice cream maker and would like a finer-textured fudge pop, freeze the gelato base according to the instructions with your ice cream maker and divide the mixture evenly between ice pop molds. Place in the freezer overnight to set.)

TO MAKE GRANITA: Pour the chilled gelato base into a large, shallow baking dish (the shallower the dish, the faster the mixture will freeze) and place in the freezer. In about an hour, the liquid will begin to freeze along the sides of the pan. Using a fork, scrape the ice towards the center of the pan. Repeat this process every 20 minutes or so until all of the mixture is frozen and flaked.

Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream

I JUST got an ice cream machine. I've never had one, never made ice cream, and I have a file of recipes i've been dying to make. Of course now that summer's over.. but that's ok, ice cream isn't just eaten in the summer (right?). The first one that spoke to me was this double cookie dough ice cream. Normally I like cookie dough, but i'm not a big vanilla fan, it's too boring for me, so cookie dough isn't my favorite. But this isn't vanilla ice cream with cookie dough chunks. This is actual cookie dough flavored ice cream with chunks of cookie dough. This is the best cookie dough ice cream i've ever had, and possibly maybe even the best ice cream i've ever had. If you have an ice cream maker, you need to make this. I will certainly be making this again! The only thing I would do differnt next time is to either use mini chocolate chips (in both dough and ice cream) or chop the chocolate into small pieces. The regular chips are rather large and once they're frozen they're really hard.

Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the cookie dough:
5 tbsp. salted butter, melted (or unsalted butter plus ¼ tsp. salt)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup flour
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup chocolate chips

For the ice cream:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
4 large egg yolks
Pinch of coarse salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups whole milk
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

Directions:
To make the cookie dough, stir together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Mix in the flour, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. (The dough will look like a runny, gooey mess, but it will firm up and be fine).
To make the ice cream, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue heating, stirring often, until the butter is a deep golden brown color, being careful not to burn it. Whisk in the heavy cream and heat until simmering. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Once the cream mixture is warm, add a small amount to the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in the rest of the cream. Mix in the salt. Return the egg-cream mixture to the saucepan and heat until just slightly thickened, and the temperature reads 170-175˚ F on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract and the whole milk. Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chop the disk of cookie dough into small chunks. As soon as the mixture is done churning, transfer to a bowl or airtight container and stir in the chocolate chips and the chunks of cookie dough. Store in the freezer until firm.