A Treat of Great MAGNUM-tude

As I walked down Spring Street in NYC's SoHo on a sweltering summer evening,  the anticipation to reach my desired destination was getting to me.  Just when I thought I couldn't go any further, there, in front of me, were the telltale signs I was looking for.  Large jewel encrusted ice cream sculptures hanging in the windows were my bat signal drawing me in to the one and only Magnum Ice Cream Pop Up shop. 

For the last few summers Magnum Ice Cream has opened up pop up shops in NYC where one can customize their ice cream bars with indulgent toppings such as rose petals and gold leaf.  For $8, (yes I know, it's steep, but it's definitely worth doing at least once!), you get your choice of a chocolate or vanilla ice cream bar that can be dipped in either dark, milk or white chocolate and topped with your choice of three items.  Each year the items change to keep things fresh.  This year you could chose from a variety of nuts and seeds, mini marshmallows, various flavored chocolate chips and sugars, dried fruit such as raspberries, cherries and figs, and my all time favorite, rose petals. Other years, toppings have included gold leaf and various salts. The decision of what to add is never an easy one, which then of course, warrants multiple trips.  Your three items are placed into a small cup and shaken together.  Once the bar is dipped in the chocolate sauce of your liking, half the items are sprinkled over one side, then turned over and the rest is sprinkled on the next side so that the whole bar is covered.  It is then drizzled with another sauce you choose and topped with a signature M embossed chocolate disk for aesthetics.  You can then photograph your creation in one of the two photo booths set up in the store.  Eating such an indulgent treat is one of the great pleasures of summer, and I savor every bite. 

Magnum Vanilla ice cream dipped in dark chocolate with rose petals, dried cherries and espresso sugar with white chocolate drizzle.

However, since the store's time frame limited, once the summer is over,  I recreate the concept at home, though my choice of toppings isn't quite as eclectic.  (I don't usually keep edible flowers and gold leaf on hand in my cupboard, but if you do, kudos to you - you are definitely ahead of the game!)   You can use any chocolate covered ice cream bar you like.  I mix all my toppings together in a small cup, usually coconut, salt and crumbled cookies.  I slather the ice cream bar with Smuckers Magic Shell chocolate sauce, then sprinkle on my toppings (quickly, as it hardens fast).  The possibilities of such a creation are endless, so much so, that you will never look at a simple ice cream bar again the same way. Though obviously they are not exactly like the ones I get at the Magnum shop, they definitely tie me over until next summer rolls around, and once again I can make the pilgrimage to the original.