Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream

Not that there is really a wrong time to adore toasted marshmallows, but this time of year always has me jonesing for them like crazy. Most of the time I eat them in s’more form straight from our fire pit (still one of the very best things about our house), sometimes I consume them in cookie bar form, but this toasted marshmallow ice cream is my new favorite delivery method.

I’ll be straight with you and say up front that, though simple overall, making this is a somewhat messy affair. Marshmallows are torched and then frozen before being folded into the just churned ice cream. The business of getting the marshmallows into the ice cream is where things will get sticky since, even though frozen, the marshmallows are a gooey mess. Don’t worry though – you’ll eventually get them into the mix, wash your hands and then enjoy the finished product a few hours later. Hopefully, like me, you will find the whole mess completely worth it. And if you’ve never tried making homemade marshmallows, this is the perfect opportunity. The texture and flavor are light years better than the packaged variety and it will make all the difference in the outcome of the ice cream. Enjoy!

Yield about 1 quart

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk, divided
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
Pinch of fine sea salt
1¼ cups heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, split
8 oz. mini marshmallows*

Directions

01
To make the ice cream, combine 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in small bowl and whisk to a smooth slurry. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and salt and whisk until smooth. Combine the remaining 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons of milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean and the vanilla pod in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return to the heat and bring back to a boil, stirring with a spatula until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
02
Whisk the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese until smooth. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator to chill thoroughly before churning. (Alternatively, you can place the bowl with the mixture into a larger bowl with an ice bath and stir until chilled.)
03
Spread the marshmallows in an even layer over a foil-lined baking sheet. Use a kitchen torch to toast all exposed sides of the marshmallows to a golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer. Chill until the marshmallows are frozen, at least a couple of hours.
04
Remove the vanilla pod from the ice cream base. Once fully chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Working quickly, alternately layer the toasted marshmallows (in about 3 layers) with the ice cream. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
05
Note:
- If using homemade marshmallows, cut into about ½-inch to ¾-inch cubes.

Source

ice cream base from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home