Food52 Ice Cream and Friends

Imagine doing the breaststroke through a pool of glassy-smooth melted bittersweet chocolate. We can’t give you that experience, but we can give you this unabashed and unadulterated chocolate ice cream.

Borrowing a smart technique from David Lebovitz’s book The Perfect Scoop, Barbara uses cornstarch rather than eggs to thicken the pudding base so that the cocoa powder, chocolate, and vanilla extract come through in the end product “as if there were exclamation points around them.”

For those who aren’t chocolate-obsessed (are you really out there?), you can use this same technique—a cornstarch-thickened custard for an ice cream base—to make other flavors; Barbara has had great success with churning salted caramel custard, and we imagine a butterscotch or pumpkin pudding would be qualified candidates, too.

1. In a large saucepan, heat 2 cups (470ml) of the half-and-half, the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt over medium-low heat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1 cup (240ml) of half-and-half until smooth, then stir into the cocoa mixture. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until the base thickens and begins to boil, about 5 minutes.

3. Off the heat, add the chocolate, crème de cacao, and vanilla, stirring until the chocolate melts and the mixture is very smooth. Cover the surface with wax paper and chill until cold, at least 2 hours but ideally overnight.

4. Scoop the ice cream base (it’s thick) into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

This “recipe” comes from Amanda Hesser’s father-in-law’s girlfriend, Mary French: She uses a 3-inch (7.5cm) cookie cutter to make a circle in the middle of two slices of whole-wheat bread, toasts the circles, and, while the bread’s still warm, smooshes a scoop of chocolate ice cream between the slices. Et voilà, an instant ice cream sandwich that’s the ragtag cousin of pain au chocolat. Mary insists the wheat bread makes it healthy. We like Mary.

Homemade Sprinkles

Makes about 1½ cups (205g) | From Michelle Lopez

We’d have a hard time telling you what store-bought sprinkles are made of, let alone what they taste like. So for sprinkles that are flavorful and delicious enough to eat on their own, it’s worth it (and pretty dang simple) to make them yourself. The best part? You can think about your ice cream’s taste and appearance and choose your sprinkles’ flavor and color scheme accordingly. Make it as elegant (dark sprinkles on chocolate ice cream) or as whimsical (a rainbow of sprinkles on mint-basil chip) as you’d like.

8 ounces (225g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 egg white, at room temperature

¾ teaspoon vanilla or any other extract, such as rose water or peppermint

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Up to 3 food colorings of your choice

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a handheld electric mixer), beat the confectioners’ sugar, egg white, vanilla, and salt on low speed until combined.

2. Divide the paste among as many bowls as you have colors, tinting the paste in each bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir the food coloring into the paste until it’s an even hue. Adjust the amount of food coloring (if it’s too thick) and sugar (if it’s too thin) in small increments until you find a consistency that’s squeezable.

3. Transfer the pastes to pastry bags fitted with small pastry tips such as Wilton’s No. 2 or 3, or a zip-top plastic bag with one corner snipped. Pipe out long, thin lines on a baking sheet or jelly-roll pan. Repeat the process with the remaining colors and let the piped lines set, uncovered, in a dry place for 24 hours.

4. Once the piped lines have dried completely, use a bench scraper or a butter knife to chop them into short sprinkles.

5. Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Two-Tone Fudge Pops

Makes 6 to 8 pops | From Merrill Stubbs

The best bite of these double-layer fudgesicles is right in the middle, so you get the spiced chocolate layer and the milky chocolate layer at the same time (it’s sort of like getting the center of the Tootsie Pop without all the work). If you happen to have extras of either chocolate, Merrill says it’s great in coffee, eaten by the spoonful, or in its own one-tone confection.

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream

1 cup (240ml) whole milk

3 ounces (85g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Large pinch of cayenne

3 ounces (85g) milk chocolate, chopped

Seeds from ½ vanilla bean

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the heavy cream and milk over low heat.

2. In a heatproof bowl, combine the bittersweet chocolate, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the cayenne.

3. In another heatproof bowl, combine the milk chocolate, remaining 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and the vanilla seeds.

4. When the milk mixture is just about to boil, carefully pour half of it into each of the two bowls, whisking well to melt the chocolate and dissolve the sugar.

5. Pour the bittersweet chocolate mixture about halfway up the sides of each pop mold. Freeze until just beginning to set, 1 to 1½ hours. (In the meantime, cover and refrigerate the milk chocolate mixture.)

6. When the surface of the bittersweet chocolate mixture has firmed up, but the rest is still soft enough to insert a stick, give the milk chocolate mixture a quick whisk and divide it evenly among the molds (you know what to do with the leftovers!). Gently insert popsicle sticks, stabilizing them by pushing them a little bit into the bottom layer. Freeze the pops for several hours, until completely hard.

7. When ready to serve, dip the molds into a bowl of very hot water for a few seconds—the pops should slip out easily.

Better Chocolate Chunks

Makes enough for 3 to 4 cups (710 to 950ml) of ice cream
From Alice Medrich (adapted from Seriously Bittersweet)

Recipes for homemade chocolate chip ice cream frequently recommend adding a chopped-up bar of chocolate—but frozen bits of even the highest-quality chocolate feel hard and gritty in your mouth. You can do better!

Ice cream manufacturers solve the problem by adding coconut oil to make the chocolate melt faster after you bite, but the oil dilutes the flavor. Here’s a solution: If you want crunchy chunks or shards that shatter and then melt with a big burst of chocolate flavor (even in a rich chocolate ice cream), it’s better to melt the chocolate, then chill it and chop it.

Melting the chocolate destroys the chocolate’s temper, lowering its melting point and diminishing its ability to harden except when chilled. This just means that the chocolate will be brittle and crunchy in cold ice cream, but will soften in the warmth of your mouth, releasing its flavor more quickly than do frozen bits of a chocolate bar. Tricky but good, right?

You could even make fudgy instead of crunchy chunks by mixing the melted chocolate with water. Yes, you heard that right: It works so long as you add enough water for the cacao percentage of your chocolate. But more on that in the recipe.

4 ounces (115g) milk or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons water, plus extra as needed (optional, if you want fudgy chunks)

1. In a stainless-steel bowl set over a saucepan of not quite simmering water, melt the chocolate and, if you want fudgy rather then crunchy chuncks, add the water, stirring frequently. (The higher the cacao percentage, the more water will be needed to prevent the chocolate mixture from seizing up. Start with 2 tablespoons of water for milk chocolate or dark chocolate with up to 60 percent cacao; for 66 to 72 percent cacao, at least an additional tablespoon of water will be needed.) Once the chocolate is melted, stir in a few teaspoons of warm water, as necessary, to make a smooth, fluid mixture; if it’s stiff or curdled, add the water and stir until smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture onto a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Spread into a thin, even layer.

3. Freeze the baking sheet until the chocolate is firm. Chop the chocolate into bits or shards, put them in a plastic bag, and return to the freezer until needed.

Where to stick the chunks in the last few minutes of churning:

Naked Chocolate Ice Cream

Philadelphia-Style Super Vanilla Ice Cream

No-Churn Peanut Butter Curry Ice Cream

Dark Chocolate–Rosemary Ice Cream

Horchata Ice Cream

Burnt Toast Ice Cream

Beet Ice Milk

Avocado Gelado

Olive Oil–Cacao Nib Gelato

Makes 1 quart (950ml) | From Amanda Hesser

If you have a bottle of olive oil you’ve been saving for a special occasion, bring it out now. Whisk the olive oil into a creamy gelato base and the floral, peppery flavors head just a smidge toward “sweet.” Food52 contributor Yossy Arefi’s turn on Amanda’s recipe is to add cocoa nibs, crunchy like chocolate chips but fruity and bitter like olive oil. They’re in no way necessary, but certainly a welcome bite in this smooth-as-aioli gelato.

¾ cup (150g) sugar

¾ cup (175ml) whole milk

Pinch of salt

4 egg yolks

6 tablespoons (90ml) good-quality olive oil

2 tablespoons cacao nibs

1. In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, milk, 6 tablespoons (90ml) water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. While the mixture is heating, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.

2. When the milk mixture has come to a gentle simmer, gradually whisk it into the egg yolks. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 185°F (85°C) on a candy thermometer. Be careful not to let the mixture boil, which will scramble the eggs and ruin the base.

3. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate to chill completely, at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. When the ice cream base is cold, whisk in the olive oil; the base will be thick and glossy.

4. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the cacao nibs.

Magic Shell

Former Food52 editor Marian Bull taught us how to make our own Magic Shell, that stuff you drizzled copiously over every scoop of ice cream as a kid, watched harden, then broke into like a little monster. For 1 cup (240ml) of the good stuff, chop 6 ounces (170g) good-quality chocolate (dark, preferably) and add it to a microwave-safe container with a scant ½ cup (110g) coconut oil. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until liquid. Pour over ice cream (or milkshakes). Then, magic! Magic Shell will stay liquid in a hot kitchen and solidify after sitting in a cold kitchen or the fridge. You can remelt it in the microwave.

Brooklyn Blackout Semifreddo Cake

Serves 6 to 8 | From Suzanne DeBrango

The original Brooklyn Blackout Cake was created by Ebinger’s Bakery in Brooklyn during World War II—it got its name from all the blackout drills in the area at the time. Rumor has it that right before the bakery went out of business in the 1970s, diehards stocked up and put lots of these fudgy pudding layer cakes in their freezers for safekeeping. This rendition isn’t just an ice cream version of the classic, though. Nor is it your run-of-the-mill ice cream or chocolate cake. When a rich semifreddo custard (instead of pudding) is schmeared between layers of sponge cake, you get ice cream–like stripes of filling straight from the freezer, which become even fudgier after the cake thaws a tad.

Cake

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup (60ml) milk

2 cups (400g) sugar

8 eggs, at room temperature

¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour

½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (use black cocoa powder for an extra-blacked-out cake)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Semifreddo

7 ounces (200g) dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped

2 teaspoons espresso powder

½ cup (100g) sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1⅓ cups (315ml) heavy cream

2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature

Ganache

6 tablespoons (90ml) heavy cream

4 ounces (115g) dark chocolate (70% cacao), broken into small pieces

1 tablespoon light corn syrup (optional)

1. To make the cake, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking sheet, line it with parchment, butter the parchment, and sprinkle with sugar. Melt the butter with the milk in the microwave, about 45 seconds. Beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, tripled in volume, and thick, about 8 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add the milk and butter.

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then fold it into the egg mixture; there should be no lumps. Fold in the vanilla.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for a couple of minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Invert the pan onto a wire rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely.

4. To make the semifreddo, in a metal or glass bowl set over a pot of slowly simmering water, melt the chocolate and espresso powder, then remove from the heat. Keep the pot simmering—you’ll need it again!

5. In a metal or glass bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until it thickens and the sugar dissolves. Off the water, continue whisking until the mixture doubles in volume and the whisk leaves a ribbon when lifted from the bowl. Whisk in the melted chocolate and let cool for about 10 minutes.

6. Whisk together the heavy cream and cream cheese until whipped. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 2 additions, just until incorporated.

7. Line a 10-inch (25cm) loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving extra plastic hanging over the long sides of the pan.

8. Cut the cake into 3 pieces that will fit into the loaf pan (you will use the extra cake for the crumb topping). Place the first piece of cake into the pan. Top with half of the semifreddo, followed by the second piece of cake, the remaining semifreddo, and finally, the third piece of cake. Fold the hanging plastic over the top, and freeze overnight or for up to a week. Wrap the remaining cake in plastic wrap; you will need it for serving.

9. On the day you want to serve the cake, make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a pot over medium heat until scalding. Add the chocolate and corn syrup. Remove from the heat, let the mixture sit for approximately 5 minutes, and then stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

10. Crumble the remaining cake with your hands or a food processor.

11. Use the plastic overhang to transfer the cake to a serving plate. Remove the plastic from the cake.

12. Spread a thin layer of ganache on the sides of the cake, press the cake crumbs on the sides, spread another thin layer of ganache on top, and freeze until firm, 2 to 4 hours (or up to 2 weeks, well wrapped). Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Philadelphia-Style Super Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart (950ml) | From Cristina Sciarra

Because Philadelphia-style ice cream avoids eggs—and therefore cooking a custard—it has more lift than traditional ice cream. So this vanilla rendition is like a vanilla Frosty meets whipped cream: The flavor is full-on vanilla and dairy (with a wink of rum), so be sure to use the best ingredients you come across. You’ll want to eat this one right from the canister (by which we mean dollop it on pie) or within a few days of churning. Otherwise, the ice cream will go crunchy.

1¾ cups (415ml) heavy cream

1¼ cups (300ml) whole milk

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125g) sugar

3 tablespoons skim milk powder

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a pot, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, sugar, milk powder, and rum. Add the vanilla bean seeds and pod and vanilla extract. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat before whisking to dissolve the sugar.

2. Remove from the heat, let cool, then chill the base completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. Pass the chilled base through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and discard the vanilla bean pod.

3. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Serve the ice cream straight from the machine. You could spoon into a container and freeze overnight, but the consistency won’t be quite as light. If frozen, let sit for about 10 minutes to soften before scooping.

Know Your Dash from Your Splash

As in this vanilla ice cream, a bit of booze is added to a base not (just) for flavor but to help with consistency. Alcohol lowers the freezing point of ice cream, so it’ll have a harder time toughening up in the freezer. But don’t go glugging bottles of wine or rum into every ice cream base: 1 tablespoon per 1-quart (950ml) batch is the safe zone. Any more than 2 or 3 tablespoons and that ice cream will be a sloppy mess, never to take shape and graduate to sophomore year.

Fresh Ricotta Ice Cream

Makes a scant 1 quart (950ml) | From Pat Aresty

When Pat Aresty tasted ricotta gelato for the first time in Florence, she experienced “gelato nirvana,” then promptly took it upon herself to re-create the dessert. She used a ricotta ice cream in Gourmet magazine as her launchpad, throwing in candied citrus peel, chopped pistachios, and chocolate to mimic the filling of another classic Italian dessert: cannoli. With a homemade sugar cone wafer to stand in for the cannoli shell, you might as well be in a piazza in Palermo.

Both homemade and purchased whole milk ricotta are fine—as is sheep’s milk. But if your ricotta is grainy, your final ice cream will be, too.

1⅔ cups (410g) fresh whole milk ricotta

3 ounces (85g) cream cheese

1 cup (240ml) whole milk

1 cup (200g) sugar

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped candied citrus peel (such as orange, lemon, or citron)

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped pistachios

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped bittersweet chocolate

1. Blend both cheeses, the milk, sugar, rum, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add the heavy cream and blend until the base is just combined.

2. Pour the base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the candied citrus peel, pistachios, and chocolate.

Balsamic Butterscotch Sauce

If you like salted caramel (this page), then you’ll be praising this sauce of Liz Larkin’s at first spoonful. It takes a savory surprise to butterscotch, which is caramel but with brown sugar in the mix. For 2 cups (475ml) of sauce, in a small saucepan, combine ⅓ cup (75g) salted butter, 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar, ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar, and ⅔ cup (160ml) heavy cream and cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Boil the sauce over medium heat, whisking continuously for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar. Taste and add up to a tablespoon more. The sauce will thicken as it cools and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Pour it on ice cream (nuke it so that it’s pourable, though it doesn’t taste bad cold!) but also bananas, cake, ricotta, a spoon.

Sugar Cones & Other Shapes

Makes 10 to 12 cones | From Cristina Sciarra

Whereas boxed sugar cones could be confused with thin cardboard, these are sweet, buttery, and slightly caramelized. And you get to decorate them any which way: Dip edges in Magic Shell and then sprinkle on sprinkles, caramelized ginger, or chopped nuts. Or puddle the Magic Shell or caramel (this page) or butterscotch (this page) on the inside. You can even add some flare to the batter by adding ground ginger, cocoa powder, orange zest, or poppy seeds.

Folding these dainty cones does take some practice to master: After baking thin, tuile-style cookies, you fold them up while they’re still hot from the oven and then let them crisp up. They taste so good that even if the shapes are a little wonky, you can stick a couple into your bowl and call them abstract art.

6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 egg whites

3 tablespoons whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted but not hot

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup (60g) flour

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat, and lightly spray with oil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together both sugars and the egg whites. Whisk in the milk, butter, vanilla, and salt, followed by the flour, until smooth. (The batter can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.)

3. Now, decide what shape you’re after: For cups or cannoli-esque tubes, spoon the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, then use a small offset spatula to form thin, even discs 6 inches (15cm) in diameter. For more traditional pyramid cones, spoon the batter into half-moon shapes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden.

4. Remove from the oven and, working quickly, use an offset spatula to carefully lift the shapes off the baking sheet, then use your hands and tongs (wear plastic gloves if the shapes are too hot) to immediately form them (bribe a friend or two to help you). To make cups, fit the discs into lightly sprayed muffin tins; for cannoli-esque tubes, roll up the circles like loose cigars; and for cones, take a half-moon and grab each end of the straight edge. Pull the ends toward the center, tightening and overlapping, so that the curved part of the half-moon is now the top of the cone. (If the discs become too hard to mold, move the baking sheet back to the oven for 30 seconds to a minute.) Use a cool baking sheet for the next batch.

5. Cool completely before decorating. While best fresh, the cones can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Malted Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Makes a generous quart (950ml) | From Emily Vikre

Think of an old-fashioned pharmacy—the kind with the soda jerks, malts, and long pretzel rods in tall glass containers. Now wrap all those feelings in vanilla ice cream, and you get this: a malted milk ice cream with salty, chocolate-covered pretzel pieces shooting through it. Bonus: The chocolate keeps the pretzels from getting soggy.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Bits

8 ounces (225g) dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup (40g) salted pretzel sticks

Malted Vanilla Ice Cream

1¾ cups (415ml) heavy cream

1¼ cups (300ml) whole milk

½ cup (100g) sugar

⅓ cup (80ml) light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

6 egg yolks, lightly beaten

⅔ cup (95g) malted milk powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To make the pretzel bits, line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each. Stir in the butter until the mixture is smooth.

2. Break up the pretzels into little pieces. Drop the pretzel bits into the chocolate and stir until evenly coated. Using a fork, lift the pretzel bits out of the chocolate and separate them on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until hard, 20 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

3. To make the ice cream, in a heavy saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, ¼ cup (50g) of the sugar, the corn syrup, and salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, then turn the heat to low. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, malt powder, and remaining ¼ cup (50g) sugar.

4. Whisk a ladleful of the hot cream into the egg yolks (vigorously!) to temper them. Repeat with one or two more ladlefuls. Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the cream mixture.

5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium-low heat until it has thickened to a custard texture and coats the back of a spoon. Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large metal bowl, then stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate to chill completely, at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

6. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the pretzel bits.

S’mores Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart (950ml) | From Phyllis Grant

When Phyllis was developing this recipe, she toyed with the idea of brown butter–graham cracker crumbs to take it upscale, but her tasters said no—s’mores ice cream is meant to be sweet and full of hefty chunks and creamy swirls. The final recipe isn’t shy about how sweet it is, nor is it embarrassed about the messiness involved. There’s a wonderfully sticky web of marshmallow and lots of bittersweet chocolate rippled over graham crackers, which then get smooshed into a toasty marshmallow ice cream. It’s the sort of thing you might dribble down your bathing suit—and we encourage you to do so.

S’mores Chunks

12 graham crackers (honey or plain, but not cinnamon)

2 cups (100g) mini marshmallows

10 ounces (285g) bittersweet chocolate, broken apart or chopped

Marshmallow Ice Cream

1½ cups (355ml) half-and-half

4 egg yolks

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups (100g) mini marshmallows

1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream

1. To make the chunks, heat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange 6 of the graham crackers on the baking sheet so that they’re touching completely. Cover evenly with the marshmallows. Broil. Don’t walk away. Rotate the baking sheet for even broiling. Remove when the marshmallows are just starting to burn.

2. Immediately sandwich the marshmallows with the remaining 6 graham crackers.

3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring frequently.

4. Pour the melted chocolate over the graham cracker sandwiches. Spread the chocolate all over and let it drip over the edges. Freeze until firm.

5. Chop the chocolate-covered sandwiches into bite-size pieces. They will fall apart and crumble. This leads to all kinds of wonderful textures and flavors in the ice cream. Place in a jar or a freezer-safe plastic bag in the freezer.

6. To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing several handfuls of ice in a large bowl (you’ll add the water later). Place a smaller bowl inside the larger bowl. Rest a fine-mesh sieve on top.

7. In a bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, egg yolks, and salt.

8. Heat the broiler. Spread the marshmallows evenly on the bottom of an ovenproof pot. Broil until the tops of the marshmallows are nicely browned and just about to burn, about 2 minutes.

9. Transfer the pot to the stove top and pour the heavy cream over the marshmallows. Whisk constantly over medium heat, until the marshmallow cream is just about to boil. Slowly whisk the hot marshmallow cream into the egg yolk mixture, then pour back into the pot and continue cooking, stirring the whole time with a wooden spoon. The base is done when you drag your finger across the back of a coated spoon and a trail lingers.

10. Pass the base through the prepared sieve and into the smaller bowl. Fill the larger bowl with water until it rises to the level of the base. Once cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.

11. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon the ice cream into a container, fold in at least 2 cups (190g) of the s’mores chunks, and freeze for a few hours, or overnight. Eat!

Store-Bought Shortcut

The s’mores chunks are good enough to be sold in a candy shop. Keep them in the freezer, soften some store-bought vanilla ice cream, then mix in some of those chunks from the freezer. You’ll have yourself a very fine semi-homemade ice cream.

Chocolate Tacos

Makes 6 to 8 | From Molly Yeh

With these chocolate tacos, it’s your taco party so you can do what you want. You can spoon whatever ice cream flavor you desire into soft, chewy shells (that you shape by hanging over books, but not this one!), then top with Picasso-like splatters of chocolate and crushed nuts—or sprinkles or brittle (this page) or gummy bears. You get the idea.

The shells are a love child of eggy crêpes and soft flour tortillas—and the secret star of this taco. You can make the shells a day in advance and have guests fill their own, or you can make the tacos entirely in advance and keep them in the freezer.

Taco Shells

⅔ cup (85g) all-purpose flour

½ cup (100g) sugar

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the skillet

¼ cup (60ml) milk

¼ teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 egg whites

Fillings and Toppings

10 ounces (285g) dark chocolate chips

3 tablespoons coconut oil

4 to 6 cups (950ml to 1.4L) ice cream, softened (store-bought Choco Tacos have fudge-swirled vanilla ice cream)

½ cup (60g) crushed nuts, plus any other desired toppings

1. To make the taco shells, cover 6 to 8 hardcover books that are 1 inch (2.5cm) thick with parchment paper. Stand them up vertically, spine up. These are your shell molds.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, 1 tablespoon water, almond extract, and vanilla, followed by the egg whites. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

3. Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Butter the skillet and then spoon in 2½ tablespoons of batter. Spread the batter gently with the back of a spoon or offset spatula so you have an even circle. Cook until slightly brown on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until slightly brown on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes more. With a spatula, gently fold the shell over the spine of the book and let cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding butter to the pan as needed.

4. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each. Let cool slightly.

5. Fill the taco shells with ice cream, drizzle with as much chocolate as you wish, top with the nuts, and enjoy! You can freeze uncovered for a few minutes to let the chocolate harden; the tacos will also keep, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Milkshakes

Makes about 1 quart (950ml) ice cream and, in turn, many child-size milkshakes | From Amanda Hesser

This recipe transforms salted caramel ice cream into a nostalgic shake that should be neither milky nor solid, but “ploppy,” as Amanda explained to her kids the first time she made it with a kid-friendly blender “Santa” gave them. While you could make this shake with any very good store-bought salted caramel ice cream, you’ll notice the difference when you make this one, an adaption from one at New York’s Eleven Madison Park. It has an intensely dark, rich caramelly flavor you can get only from leaving the caramel on the stove just a moment longer than you’d deem a good idea. If you’re not making milkshakes, sprinkle the ice cream with fleur de sel just before serving.

1¼ cups (250g) sugar

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

2 cups (475ml) heavy cream

2 cups (475ml) whole milk, plus more for blending the milkshakes

10 egg yolks

½ teaspoon fleur de sel

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine ¾ cup (150g) of the sugar and the corn syrup. Do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat until it’s a dark caramel, about 5 minutes, swirling to distribute the sugar as it begins to brown. Add the heavy cream, stirring to get all the bits stuck on the bottom of the pan, then slowly add the milk and continue to stir. The caramel will harden. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring, just until the caramel has dissolved.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup (100g) sugar, the egg yolks, and fleur de sel. Whisk a little caramel cream into the egg mixture to temper, then pour the egg mixture into the remaining caramel cream and mix. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Let cool completely in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.

3. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. When you’re ready to make the milkshakes, just drop a large scoop of ice cream per person in the blender. Add enough milk to almost cover the scoops—usually ½ to 1 cup (120 to 240ml) does the trick. Turn on the blender—bbrrrrrrrrr! Done!

Sorry, Kids

For a boozier rendition, decrease the milk to ¼ to ½ cup (60 to 120ml) and splash in ¼ cup (60ml)—or more—of whiskey or rum before blending.

How to Make a Milkshake Every Which Way

Whoever you are, you can’t possibly mess up a milkshake, and that’s a fact. If you mess up the ratio of milk to ice cream, just add more of either one until you have the right consistency. The worst thing that can happen is that you end up with a larger milkshake than you were expecting, and that’s a pretty great “worst thing.”

Here’s how to make the milkshake you always wanted, with whatever you have on hand.

1. Get out your blender and ponder a deep question: Do you prefer icy shakes or silky shakes? If you prefer icy shakes, you’ll want to crush a handful of ice cubes in the blender or by hand before you start. If you want a smoother shake, let the ice cream sit out on the counter for a few minutes.

2. Plop in several scoops of ice cream (we recommend one or two per person). Choose any flavor you want, but make sure it’s high quality, as the ice cream will determine not only the flavor, but also the texture of your shake. For our purposes, sorbet and frozen yogurt also fall under the broad umbrella of ice cream.

3. Next comes the milk. You can use whole, skim, or even dairy-free. The richer the milk, the richer the shake. Pour in a bit of milk, then blend and test the viscosity. If your shake is too thick, add more milk; if it’s too thin, add more ice cream. Rocket science, this is not.

4. Finally, the add-ins! This is an opportunity to transform whatever flavor of ice cream you already have into something new and exciting—see some ideas at left. Throw them in all at once or go for more textural variety and add the crunchy toppings when you’re almost finished blending.

5. Blend it all together. It will only take a few seconds in a powerful blender.

6. Top with whipped cream and other garnishes of your choice. Sip through a large straw, or use a spoon to dig into a thicker shake.

Add-in ideas:

Chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, or vanilla extract

Maple syrup, ground espresso beans, malted milk powder

A spoonful or two of sweetened condensed milk, almond butter, tahini, or chocolate-hazelnut spread

Frozen fruit

Cookies like graham crackers or Oreos

Any candy bar, broken into pieces

Booze

Saltine Cracker–Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich

Makes about 16 ice cream sandwiches | From Mandy Lee

It’s hard to have qualms about ice cream sandwiches, but we’ve got two: They can be overly sweet and very large. But in swapping unwieldy cookies for saltine crackers, both problems go poof. The salt from the crackers balances out the almost-marshmallowy no-churn ice cream (adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food) and the densely fudgy brownie layer. That’s right—what ice cream sandwich have you had with a brownie layer?

Crackers

50 to 60 salted saltines or soda crackers

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Brownie

½ cup (85g) semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

½ cup (100g) granulated sugar

½ cup (110g) packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1½ tablespoons ground espresso beans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅔ cup (85g) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

No-Churn Ice Cream

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (240g) sweetened condensed milk

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ tablespoons dark rum

1⅓ cups (315ml) heavy cream

1. Layer the bottom of a 9-inch (23cm) square baking pan with crackers. Count how many you have and multiply that number by 2. Once you’ve figured out how many crackers you’ll need, brush the crackers on both sides with the butter.

2. To make the brownie, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Adjust the oven racks to the middle and lower positions. Oil the baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment hanging. Have a baking sheet ready, too.

3. In a big bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butter in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each. Whisk in both sugars, the eggs, ground espresso, and vanilla until smooth and slightly fluffy. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold the ingredients together with a spatula or whisk until smooth.

4. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange half of the crackers on top of the batter. If a whole cracker doesn’t fit at the edge, just cut the cracker with a sharp knife into the exact size. Once you have completely covered the brownie batter with crackers, scatter the rest of the crackers on the baking sheet.

5. Place the brownie-cracker on the oven’s middle rack and the crackers on the lower rack. Bake until the brownie-cracker is slightly underdone, about 25 minutes; a wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out moist with wet crumbs. Take out the crackers as well.

6. Let the brownie-cracker cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the pan to the freezer for 30 minutes. The brownie-cracker should be completely cold before you continue. (They will keep, tightly wrapped in plastic, in the freezer for up to 1 week.)

7. Transfer the brownie-cracker to a work surface. Line the pan with another piece of parchment, invert the brownie-cracker, and remove the first layer of parchment. Place back in the pan, cracker layer facing down. Take note of where the uneven crackers are so that you can match the top layer of crackers to the bottom layer and make even cuts later. Return to the freezer while you make the ice cream.

8. To make the ice cream, in a small bowl, combine the condensed milk, vanilla, and rum.

9. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a handheld electric mixer), whisk the heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream just until combined.

10. Pour the ice cream on top of the brownie-cracker and smooth the top with a spoon. Arrange the remaining crackers on top, making sure to arrange them so that they match the bottom layer of crackers for easy cutting. Return the pan to the freezer to harden for at least 8 hours, or up to overnight.

11. Cut between the crackers to form little sandwiches. Wrap each mini sandwich with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks.