fluff fest
Recipe: cookie butter marshmallow swirl chocolate ice cream
This has been such an excellent winter for us snow-wise. Sandwiched by sunny bluebird days, this last storm dropped nearly a foot in the local mountains on Tuesday. And it was a cold storm which meant nice sugary powder.
untouched snow on the trails
looking across the valley
It’s funny how we use food to describe snow: champagne powder, sugary, mashed potatoes, chocolate chips (technically rocks on snow), buttery, death cookies, corn snow. Recently, when I drop into a big pocket of powder, I’ve been thinking of it as marshmallowy. That jogged my memory of these amazing candy bars that a client (Robin Chocolates) developed last fall: dark chocolate ganache, marshmallow, and cookie butter topped with crisped rice pearls and dipped in dark chocolate. You have to see it to believe it.
insanely good
I had never had cookie butter before until Robin gave me a taste (and then she gave me some of the candy bar to sample). Whoa. Cookie butter, where have you been all my life?! I bought a jar last week for some inspiration, and settled on making an ice cream version of Robin’s candy bar. Damn straight. Are you ready? Start with chocolate ice cream.
egg (yolks), sugar, salt, chocolate, dutch-process cocoa, cream, milk, vanilla
whisk cocoa and cream together
stir chopped chocolate into the heated chocolate cream
stir in more cream
I’m using my go to chocolate ice cream recipe. Feel free to use whatever ice cream recipe you want, but this one is GOOD. It comes from David Lebovitz. I especially love that it only dirties one saucepan.
heat sugar, salt, and milk
whisk a little hot milk into the egg yolks
after the custard is thickened, strain it into the chocolate and chill
churn the chilled custard
While the ice cream churns, you can make the marshmallow creme. I looked into melting marshmallows, making marshmallows, using marshmallow fluff, and making marshmallow creme. I settled for marshmallow creme which is just like making marshmallows except it doesn’t use gelatin to help set the confection. And I like it better than marshmallow fluff because it doesn’t contain the extra preservatives or stabilizers. That said, you can certainly use marshmallow fluff if you don’t feel like making your own marshmallow creme – but it’s really quite easy!
egg (whites), water, vanilla, cream of tartar, salt, sugar, light corn syrup
combine the water, sugar, salt, and light corn syrup
whip the whites to soft peaks
boil the sugar syrup to 240°f (223°F at 8500 ft.)
You will need a candy thermometer to read the temperature of the sugar syrup, but 240°F is basically soft ball stage. When that’s ready, reduce your mixer speed to its lowest setting and slowly pour a steady stream of the syrup down the side of the bowl. Don’t pour it on the balloon whisk because you’ll make something akin to cotton candy as it whips the sugar about into long strands and doesn’t incorporate it into the egg whites. If some (or a good bit) of the sugar cements onto the side of the bowl, it’s okay. You will still have marshmallow creme. When the syrup is poured in, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for about 7-9 minutes. The contents will transform to a gorgeously pristine white marshmallow.
pour the syrup down the side of the bowl with the mixer on low speed
add the vanilla in the last minute of whipping
this is what mine looked like
place in an air-tight container
The recipe yielded about 3 cups of marshmallow creme for me. It is a million times smoother, tastier, and dreamier than marshmallow fluff (the store-bought stuff). When I finished the marshmallow creme, the chocolate ice cream was just about done churning. It was in a nice soft-serve stage, and was ready for the add-ins. Because I wanted the cookie butter mixed in, but not blended with the chocolate ice cream, I added little chunks during the final minutes of churning the ice cream. You could also attempt to mix it in by hand, but I worried that the cookie butter wouldn’t mix in enough and just float about as giant hunks of cookie butter.
adding in: cookie butter and marshmallow creme
drop cookie butter in by little spoonfuls
fold the marshmallow into the chocolate ice cream
a sweet treat
So how did it go? Well, I made two batches because I got over zealous with the marshmallow creme on the first batch by adding 2 cups. I think that’s a bit much (but hey, maybe you like it that way). On the second batch, I folded in one cup and the balance was much better. The ice cream is out of this world fantastic. I took a quart over to my neighbors and they wanted to hide it from their children to keep for themselves. Jeremy calls it his “precious”. You can do a shortcut version and use marshmallow fluff and even store-bought chocolate ice cream (just let it soften enough to mix things in before freezing it again), but it won’t be as awesome as the homemade version. I think this would also be great with a coffee or vanilla ice cream base and maybe chopped bittersweet chocolate. This will get a lot of rotation on our entertaining menus.
chocolate, cookie butter, marshmallow
just for you
Cookie Butter Marshmallow Swirl Chocolate Ice Cream
[print recipe]
1 quart chocolate ice cream custard (not yet churned)
1/2 cup cookie butter, smooth or crunchy (I prefer crunchy)
1 cup marshmallow creme (use more or less according to preference)
chocolate ice cream
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsps Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
5 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
marshmallow creme
from Brown Eyed Baker
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (7 oz.) light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
pinch salt
2 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
Make the chocolate ice cream custard: Whisk 1 cup of heavy cream and the cocoa powder together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Reduce to a simmer for 30 seconds while still whisking. Turn off the heat. Stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl. Stir the remaining cup of heavy cream into the chocolate. Set aside. Using the same saucepan (don’t wash it), warm the milk, sugar, and salt together in the pan over medium heat until it starts to bubble at the edges. Turn off the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks together to break them up. While whisking, ladle a half cup of the hot milk into the yolks. When fully incorporated, whisk in another half cup. Scrape the milk and egg yolk mixture back into the pan with a rubber spatula, whisking it together with the rest of the hot milk. Heat the custard over medium heat while constantly stirring the bottom and corners of the pan until the custard thickens. This will take a few minutes, so be patient. The custard is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into the chocolate mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract until blended. Chill completely in the refrigerator. Makes 1 quart.
Make the marshmallow creme: Combine the sugar, light corn syrup, water, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reads 240°F (223°F at 8500 ft.) on a candy thermometer. Place the egg whiles and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the balloon whisk. Whip on medium-high until soft peaks form – foamy, holds shape, but a little droopy. [If the whites are finished before the sugar syrup has reached temperature, turn the mixer off.] Reduce the mixer to low speed and pour the sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream along the side of the bowl while the mixer is running. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 7-9 minutes until you achieve stiff glossy peaks (it will look like marshmallow creme) and the bowl feels cool to the touch. In the last minute of whipping, add the vanilla. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 3 cups.
Make the cookie butter marshmallow swirl chocolate ice cream: Churn the chilled chocolate ice cream custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the custard has turned to soft ice cream, but is still churning, start adding 1-2 teaspoons of cookie butter to the ice cream. Wait for the cookie butter to disappear from site before adding the next one. When all of the cookie butter has been added, turn off the ice cream machine. Pour half of the soft ice cream into a vessel for freezing. Fold 1/2 cup of the marshmallow creme into the ice cream – don’t over mix, just gently fold so you preserve streaks of marshmallow. Pour the rest of the soft ice cream into the vessel and fold the remaining 1/2 cup of marshmallow creme into the ice cream just as before. Cover and freeze until firm. Makes just under 2 quarts.
more goodness from the use real butter archives
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homemade marshmallows |
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mallow cookies (db) |
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key lime pie ice cream |
|
rum raisin ice cream |
March 13th, 2014 at 5:52 am
Darn…I am NOT a marshmallow fan, but maybe I would be ok with homemade marshmallow fluff. If not, I’m sure the rest of my family would polish this off! Several years ago, I asked you about your skiing language, and here I go again: what are death cookies and corn snow?
March 13th, 2014 at 6:46 am
This looks amazing! Would you say the ice cream takes on more of a milk chocolate or dark chocolate flavor?
March 13th, 2014 at 7:01 am
Oh. My. Goodness. I’m sold. And if you say the homemade fluff is worth the extra effort, I’ll try it. Love David Lebovitz’s book.
March 13th, 2014 at 9:25 am
David’s book is the best – I have yet to try his chocolate ice cream, and it looks phenomenal. Love the idea of adding homemade marshmallow fluff. I’m sure you could add some chocolate chunks and graham crackers and turn it into a s’mores ice cream too!
March 13th, 2014 at 8:04 pm
Wow, it seems like Speculoos spread is really “in” right now… I can’t go anywhere without running into it lately…
March 13th, 2014 at 9:08 pm
Wow! I got a Cuisinart ice cream maker for Christmas from my boyfriend’s mom. I have yet to make any ice cream. Come Spring and summer, I know it will get put to plenty of use. I’m glad to hear of your love for this chocolate recipe. I have bookmarked it. I have only tried cookie butter once at a friend’s house. Pairing it with chocolate and marshmallow sounds really tasty!
March 13th, 2014 at 9:52 pm
I’m not a marshmallow fan either, but I wouldn’t hesitate for a second if someone offered this ice cream to me! Wow!! I must keep this recipe on file. You have outdone yourself! Brava!
March 13th, 2014 at 11:18 pm
Just for me? OH, God bless you, Jen!
March 14th, 2014 at 8:04 am
it looks amazing!
March 14th, 2014 at 9:00 am
Ohhhh, Myyyyyy! A bit of heaven.
March 14th, 2014 at 9:21 am
Can I become your neighbor? Seriously, your neighbors must feel like they have won the next-door-lotto!
March 14th, 2014 at 10:02 am
Jen, this is seriously the best ice cream flavor ever! You should trademark it stat!! XOXO
March 15th, 2014 at 5:19 am
[…] cookie butter marshmallow swirl ice cream. […]
March 15th, 2014 at 9:20 pm
This looks incredibly good and cute!
March 15th, 2014 at 9:53 pm
Wow. This looks AMAZING.
March 16th, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Oh wow. This looks like the ultimate ice cream recipe. Yum!
March 16th, 2014 at 5:32 pm
Once you start making your own marshmallow cream, it’s hard to go back to the store bought stuff. This ice cream sounds incredible, love the cookie butter mixed in!
March 17th, 2014 at 8:16 am
I love being the only one posting who actually made the ice cream. Because having a quart and a half (roughly) to actually eat is much better than oohing and aahing over the photos. I’ll second the homemade marshmallow cream. You can make it any flavor you want… Key lime pie ice cream with passion fruit marshmallow fluff…?
March 21st, 2014 at 4:50 pm
[…] Cookie Butter Marshmallow Swirl Chocolate Ice Cream. Say whaaat?! […]
March 25th, 2014 at 9:47 am
Kristin – Death cookies are big chunks of ice and corn snow is when the snow has gone through the melt freeze cycle enough that the crystals coalesce into round kernels that are great to ski on in springtime (usually backcountry).
Chani – the ice cream is a dark chocolate ice cream.
Anita – ha ha, I don’t have time! Why don’t you trademark it? You have my permission :) xo
Tad – glad you liked it. Isn’t that homemade marshmallow creme the bomb?!?! :)
March 27th, 2014 at 5:47 am
Thanks!
May 31st, 2014 at 12:05 pm
I just made this but I’m having a hard time with the marshmallow fluff being mixed into the ice cream. It’s freezing as I drop it in and just making hard chunks instead of beautiful swirls. How did you get the marshmallow cream mixed in? Maybe I whipped mine too much so it’s too thick?
May 31st, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Michelle – yes, this is a problem. I encountered it too. It helps to have the fluff at room temperature. The main thing is that the marshmallow doesn’t really swirl into the ice cream when you fold them. The marshmallow sort of sits in blobs. I drew a knife through the blobs to try and spread them out, but ultimately, you just want them well-distributed in the ice cream when you freeze it and to have vertical layers of ice cream and marshmallow. Then when you scoop it, you’ll get the swirl pattern.
July 4th, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Ridiculous. Thanks for the recipe!