Frozen S'mores Hot Chocolate

Homemade hot chocolate has to be one of the most decadent beverages out there, but this recipe for frozen s’mores hot chocolate just kicked it up several notches!

I was recently invited by the American Dairy Association North East on a trip to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. We were told ahead of time that the trip would culminate in a few friendly cooking challenges.

Everyone would be participating in a macaroni and cheese cook-off, and for the second challenge, we were broken down into groups. I was placed in the beverage group, and if I’m being completely honest… I was kind of stumped!

I floundered for a bit, went back and forth on a few things, jotted down some notes… and then finally decided to stop thinking about it and just enjoy the trip! After all, this house consumes quite a bit of dairy, so I was excited to join the trip and see some of our favorite foods in a behind-the-scenes way.

Our first stop was to Yancey’s Fancy Cheese, New York’s only artisan cheese maker! Quite the claim to fame, isn’t it?! Pretty sure my Buffalo Chicken Soup will never be the same again now that I’ve sampled their Buffalo Wing cheese! If you’re ever in the Finger Lakes region, be sure to stop by their storefront (crazy good prices!!).

Of course, what’s a dairy tour without a stop at a local dairy farm? Our stop at Noblehurst Dairy Farm was so enlightening for me!

Even though I have lived my entire life surrounded by dairy farms (22+ years in Lancaster County, PA Amish country!), I’ve always been more of a Main Street kind of girl and don’t pay very much attention to the farms. I was amazed at all of the cutting edge technology at Noblehurst.

They focus on everything from cow comfort to tracking the cows’ movements to ensuring a proper digestive system in their cows. Most impressive for me, however, was the waste they recycle that turns into energy to power the entire farm and beyond. Waste from not just their farm, but that they collect from local businesses as well!

We ended our day in the most perfect way… with an authentic Farm to Table dining experience at F.L.X. Table in Geneva, NY.

It was an incredible dinner full of fresh produce, dairy-based soup and desserts, local wine and more. If you’re looking for an intimate, freshly-sourced dinner, be sure to make a reservation at F.L.X Table.

Our second day consisted of a visit to the New York Wine & Culinary Center.

If you’re ever in Lake Canandaigua, NY, be sure to allow for some time to stop by. It’s only about a block from the lake:

There was a garden out back with plenty of chairs for enjoying nature. And when you stepped inside, there was a wine store, meeting rooms, souvenir shop and the most gorgeous test kitchen I’ve ever seen!

This, my friends, was the site of the cooking throw downs! All in good fun, of course! And my word, all in good taste too!

So many delicious macaroni and cheese dishes made with Yancey’s Fancy Cheese. Then there were the smaller competitions where we were placed into groups. As I mentioned before, I was part of the Beverages challenge. Which was a bit ironic seeing as I pretty much only drink water and diet soda!

But when I thought about it some more, I realized that one of my favorite beverages is homemade hot chocolate! Made with a slow-simmered whole milk and topped with real whipped cream, it is so decadent! As part of the dairy competition, I decided to go a couple steps further and make it a Frozen S’mores Hot Chocolate, because why not, right?!

And because presentation is everything, I dipped the rims of the glasses in hot fudge and then rolled in broken graham cracker pieces. Then I used piping bags to pipe marshmallow cream and more hot fudge inside the glasses.

Tips to Make Frozen S’mores Hot Chocolate:

You can use sandwich bags with the tip cut off to pipe inside your glasses. A piping bag give you a better reach, though, so you aren’t getting hot fudge all over your hand like you do with the shorter sandwich bags.
You can decorate the rims and inside of the glasses ahead of time and just store in the fridge until you’re ready to fill.
The mason jar glasses with handles are perfect for recipes like this because the glass itself will get pretty cold and uncomfortable to hold. The handles are perfect! It also gives you a nice, distinct rim for dipping.
Be sure to use real heavy whipping cream and not frozen whipped cream. It makes such a difference!
You can also drizzle more hot fudge sauce and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on the whipped cream if you want!

Frozen S’mores Hot Chocolate

A decadent treat that is a cross between a milkshake and your favorite homemade hot chocolate!

5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1.5 tbsp cocoa
2 cups whole milk (divided)
4 cups crushed ice
2 tbsp marshmallow cream
6 tbsp hot fudge topping
3 full sheets graham crackers
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Break one full sheet of graham crackers into 4 even pieces. Dip each end into the hot fudge and then set aside.
Break remaining 2 sheets of graham crackers into smaller pieces and set in bowl.
Dip the rim of 4 glasses into the hot fudge and then roll in the small graham cracker pieces.
Using piping bags, pipe a line of marshmallow cream inside each cup about 1/4 of the way down. Then pipe a line of hot fudge over that. Set the glasses in the fridge until you are ready for them.
Using a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set the bowl in the fridge until you’re ready for it.
In a small sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, sugar, cocoa powder and 1 cup of milk over medium low heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted and it is smooth. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a blender, add crushed ice, remaining cup of milk and cooled chocolate sauce. Blend until smooth and then pour into prepared glasses.
Pipe prepared whipping cream on top and then garnish with a graham cracker piece! Enjoy immediately!

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