It’s finally summer time in Wisconsin, and if there is one thing I really like to do to relax with the kids after a long week of work it is to make a fire in my backyard on an early Sunday evening. Lately it has just been the thing to do, and we all seem to really enjoy it. My kids love it because they know they can gather twigs, dead leaves, and whatever else they try to sneak in to burn, and it give me the opportunity to stare at the fire, reflect on the past week, and slowly begin thinking about the upcoming week. But with every fire comes the anticipated question I get from the kids, and it happens every fire, ‘can we have smores?’.
Thankfully, I plan ahead. I hide the chocolate bars where they cannot reach, and typically the marshmallows, as I have one boy who would eat them all day long if he could. So my answer is always yes. Yes, we can make smores. It is nice to see how they are quickly growing and as they would only want their marshmallows uncooked a few years ago, they now want them charred to the crisp. This has allowed me to see how their tastes are changing and how they are beginning to be curious about how the burnt marshmallow tastes on a bed of chocolate and covered in graham crackers. Because I am a foodie, that simply brings a bit of joy to my life.
So happens a couple of Sundays ago, I was unable to make a fire due to the weather. That caused a change in my Sunday routine, but it did not stop me from making smores! If you know me, I quickly came up with the idea of making an ice cream packed with everything you would expect in a great smore.
Lets get started.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole milk, cold
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 graham crackers, roughly crumbled
- 1 cup of miniature marshmallows, torched
- 2 Hershey bars, crumbled
- Ice Cream Maker
Always make sure you freeze the ice cream bowl. Do this the night before. Begin by adding the milk and sugar to a mixing bowl, and do just that, mix with a whisk until all of the sugar dissolves. Add in the vanilla extract and the heavy cream. Assemble your ice cream maker, and turn it on, adding in your mixture. Let the mixer spin for at least 30 minutes.
During this time, prepare your remaining ingredients.
To torch your marshmallows, I use a micro torch that I purchased years ago for making creme brulee. You can find one at your local hardware store, or online. So torch your marshmallows, burning them to your liking.
When the ice cream has formed, fold in the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.
Scoop and serve.
I am not sure what my kids loved more. They were quiet and somewhat giggling at the fact that they were loving smores ice cream, possibly more than smores around the fire pit. That laughter and quiet joy made my Sunday evening, much like staring at the fire does.
Give this one a shot, and let me know what you think. Enjoy.