A bite-sized taste of chilly sweetness
We have a small firepit behind the house we rent. On many weekend nights, we finish the evening with a fire and a glass of wine (for me) and bourbon (for my husband). Some of those nights also include a s’more. What do s’mores have to do with ice cream truffles? Keep reading to find out!
The original post from July 2018
This recipe started like many of mine do: I had a gathering to attend and wanted to bring a dessert. Being the middle of summer, I wanted a dessert that would be fairly light and cooling on a steamy, summer night. I had a nearly full container of vanilla ice cream in the freezer, begging to be used. What sort of original creation could it be transformed into?
As I thought about ways to use the ice cream, I also considered the gathering. We would be at our friends’ house, most likely hanging out around the kitchen island as we always do. Sure, I could make ice cream sandwiches, but I’ve already shared that recipe. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a variant that would be worthy of a new recipe.
However, it did send me down the path of handheld desserts. What could I do with ice cream, besides placing it between two cookies, in order to make this sort of treat? Then it dawned on me. If coated in some outer layer, it could become handheld.
New idea in mind, I continued envisioning this treat. Chocolate made the most obvious choice for the outer coating. Yes, it melts if you hold it for too long, but it does provide a solid coating to the ice cream. That could have been enough, but I wanted to be sure the ice cream was securely tucked inside and also add another textural element.
For this version of ice cream truffles, I used graham cracker crumbs. They added a thin layer of crunch and a hint of flavor. In fact, these truffles had an almost s’mores-like quality to them. Go ahead and spear them to keep your fingers clean while eating, just don’t let them near the campfire.
- 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
- 4 full graham cracker sheets
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces milk chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Scoop and form ice cream into small balls (about the size of a walnut).
- Place on parchment or waxed paper-lined tray.
- Freeze for 1 hour.
- Crush graham crackers in food processor or in a bag with a mallet.
- Transfer crumbs to a small bowl and stir in sugar.
- Pour cream into a second small bowl.
- Roll ice cream ball in cream, then crumb mixture.
- Place on second parchment or waxed paper-lined tray.
- Return to freezer for 1 hour.
- Combine chocolate and coconut oil in a small bowl, heat on high in microwave in 15 second increments.
- Stir after each increment, repeating until fully melted.
- Roll graham coated balls in chocolate.
- Return to trays and freeze for 15 minutes.
