Here we go with the ice cream again! I hope you aren’t all sick of ice cream yet. Wait a minute, hold the phone here.. Who on earth could get sick of ice cream? I mean, everyone has an obsession with ice cream like me, right? Ah yes, in my dream world, ice cream would be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Maybe with an occasional salad thrown in. It’s all about balance, right? Mhm.
Anyway, I decided a few weeks ago, that hot cocoa ice cream is going to be a thing. I am sure it has been for a long time, but I’ve never seen it, or tried it. (Maybe I live under a rock?) So, I decided to try it out when I went through my most recent multi-flavor ice cream making day. I dug out our favorite homemade hot cocoa mix from the cupboard from this past winter (Gasp! How did it not all get used!?), and got down to business.
As always, I used my favorite ice cream base, but I decided to reduce the sugar since there is already a little sugar in the hot cocoa mix. And marshmallows. You can’t have hot cocoa without marshmallows. Unless you’re weird like my husband. Luckily, I had made vanilla marshmallows a few days before to restock our s’mores collection. Although, you can use store bought, I would highly recommend making your own.
This Hot Chocolate Ice Cream with Toasted Marshmallows turned out to be everything I had hoped and dreamed it would be. It is super creamy, and it seriously tastes just like hot cocoa, but cold. I think it’s even better than a steaming cup of hot cocoa. At least I can say that right now because it’s hot. I would probably think differently if it was -5º outside. Anyway, this hot cocoa ice cream is chocolatey, smooth, with little gooey bites of toasted marshmallows. I am in heaven. Dig out any leftover hot cocoa mix from the back of your cupboard and get cookin’!
Recipe adapted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home
Hot Chocolate Ice Cream with Toasted Marshmallows
Who said you can't have hot chocolate in the summer? This super creamy ice cream will satisfy any hot chocolate craving with it's chocolatey flavor and toasted marshmallows.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup sifted hot chocolate mix (homemade is better!)
- 8 ounces mini marshmallows store-bought, or homemade
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the milk to create a slurry.
- In a heat-proof bowl, mix the cream cheese and salt together until smooth.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk, heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup and hot chocolate mix. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Let boil for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil again and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill completely, several hours or over night.
- Meanwhile, prep the marshmallows. If using homemade marshmallows, dice into small pieces. Cover a large cookie sheet with foil and lightly grease. Spread the marshmallows evenly over the pan. Toast under the broiler (keep a close eye because they will burn quickly), or toast with a kitchen torch. Place in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours.
- When sufficiently chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold in the marshmallows when transferring the churned ice cream to a freezer container. Store in the freezer.
