Gears N' Dirt Recipe
Triple Chocolate Oreo ice cream layered with Oreo crumbs in a chocolate-iced jar rimmed with Oreo. Finished with chocolate whipped cream, crushed Oreos, gummy worms, a chocolate mold, and a plastic shovel for digging in.
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Ingredients
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Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream Base
Jar Decoration and Oreo ‘Dirt’
Chocolate Whipped Cream & Toppings
Method
Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream Base
- 1
Make chocolate custard base
In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup whole milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa (if using), and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Place over medium heat and warm until tiny bubbles appear at the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat.
- 2
Melt chocolate
Add 4 oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate to the hot milk-cocoa mixture. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until fully melted and smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- 3
Combine with cream
Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and stir in 2 cups heavy cream. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until thoroughly cold (preferably overnight).
- 4
Churn ice cream
Once chilled, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions until soft-serve consistency (typically 20–30 minutes).
- 5
Fold in Oreos
While the ice cream is finishing, finely chop 18 Oreo cookies. When churned, gently fold the chopped Oreos into the soft ice cream so they are evenly distributed.
- 6
Firm up
Spoon the Oreo-chocolate ice cream into an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours (or until scoopable and firm).
Jar Decoration and Oreo ‘Dirt’
- 7
Prepare Oreo crumbs
Place 12 Oreos (for dirt and rim) in a zip-top bag and crush to a fine crumb using a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor. Reserve about 1/3 cup for jar rims and the rest for layering and topping.
- 8
Chocolate rim
Melt 4 oz semisweet chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon neutral oil (optional for shine) in a microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between, until smooth. Dip the rim of each serving jar (6 small jars) into the melted chocolate and immediately press the rim into the reserved fine Oreo crumbs to coat. Set jars upright on parchment to let the rim set (chill 5–10 minutes if needed).
- 9
Layering 'dirt' and ice cream
Spoon a thin layer (about 2 tablespoons) of crushed Oreo crumbs into the bottom of each jar to create a 'dirt' base. Add a scoop (about 1/3 cup) of the chilled Triple Chocolate Oreo ice cream, then a layer of crumbs (about 2 tablespoons). Repeat once more, finishing with ice cream level about 1/2 inch below the jar rim to leave space for toppings.
Chocolate Whipped Cream & Toppings
- 10
Make chocolate whipped cream
Chill a mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Pour 1 cup chilled heavy cream into the bowl, add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip on medium-high speed until soft to medium peaks form (stiff peaks will be too firm to pipe nicely).
- 11
Assemble final garnish
Pipe or dollop a generous swirl of chocolate whipped cream onto each jar. Sprinkle with coarsely crushed 6 Oreos (about 1 tablespoon each jar). Nestle 2 gummy worms into the whipped cream/dirt on each jar. Place one small decorative chocolate mold on top of each serving. Insert one plastic mini shovel into the side for digging.
- 12