Snow Ice Cream

Snow Ice Cream???

I have been WAITING for snow!!! (Rather impatiently I might add….) Not only because I just like snow and seeing it  and hearing it (that wonderfully beautiful “silence” of snow) and shoveling it and playing in it…..BUT also because this little ol’ recipe has been burning a whole in my recipe files for. way. to. long. (Summer…is when I found it well flipping through old magazines, NO WONDER it looked so nummyyy I was probably hot!!!! PRETTY sure I went right in the house and came out with a freezie for all.)

So, today was the day!! We got just enough snow to be able to make this! I sent the kids out with STRICT snow collecting rules ~ you know, avoid dirt, dead grass, yellow snow ~ and they did not let me down!

Now, you will not really be eating the snow, just using it as a little freezer or ice cream machine.

After lunch we begin, oh the dessert we will soon be enjoying!!!!

My son says, “can I see the recipe??”

“Sure.”

“Cool.”

More on THAT later.

OK. Snow Ice Cream??? WHAT was I thinking?!

Well, because I don’t think, apparently, I just assumed that it would work. It had to. Right?  I got us ALL pumped up! Oh, the anticipation of fresh “churned” ice cream ~ our mouths were watering, we WERE ready for the work of shaking. No doubt. We were ready.

THEN.

It failed. It feel like the biggest dud of a firework you could even imagine. We opened the bag (after 10 minutes) to find soup. We (well, a few of us brave ones) tasted it. Wrong. All wrong. So, because my ignorance is at an utter high, I say, “come on guys, 5. more. minutes.” We muscle through, and still have soup. I say, “alright, freezer for 30 minutes, then we will have ice cream.” Timer goes on, kids go play. Thirty minutes later ~ it. is. still. soup.

I am ready to walk away from ALL cooking and baking. Dramatic? Maybe. No.

I began to slice my strawberries for coffee cake. OK, so my dramatics didn’t last TOO long, I was back in the saddle baking just mere minutes later……

It comes to me…….SALT!!!!! Argyle socks!!! THE SALT!!

“Guys HURRY!!!!”

“I forgot the salt!!!! Sorry. Let’s go again.”

My oldest says, “I wondered were the salt was……” AND HE COULDN’T HAVE VOICED HIS QUESTION EARLIER.  He said “sorry mom” *oh, so sweet, like it was HIS fault, not HIS fault his mom is a dip* I said “sorry I messed it up.”

Back at the shake shake shaking, though at this point they OBVIOUSLY do not believe me (nor do I blame them for that) so I am cheering myself on well they wrestle.

Mere moments later we have it!!!! ICE CREAM. No joke.

Apparently the secret is the salt. (I hear you, saying “ah….yeah.”) I learned another good lesson to pass on to you. Ice + salt = something comparable to dry ice. PLEASE don’t stick your hand in the bag to test it, your fingers will nearly freeze off. It hurts….burns…..I know. Learn from me AGAIN, please!!

We made a batch with snow and heavy whipping cream. We also made a batch with crushed ice and 1/2 & 1/2. The general agreement was the heavy whipping cream was more “ice creamish” and the 1/2 & 1/2 was a bit more of a “slushy ice cream” ~ both good.  (Pictured is the 1/2 & 1/2 batch.)

*This is a fun “craft” to do with your kids……it takes some time and smooshing and swooshing, but play “pass the bag” and EVERYONE gets a turn!!

*When it is all “ice creamed”, then add in what you want too! (Candy, sprinkles, crushed cookies, brownie bites, hot fudge, nuts and on and on!)  Being that this was my first time making it, we kept it simple with mini-chocolate chips.

* I used a vanilla bean in place of the vanilla in one of the batches, I happened to have a few left over from making Vanilla Extract.

* I used table salt, it was fine, but the recipe called for kosher salt with the bigger granules.

Ready for “Snow Ice Cream”?? Give it a go, if you want, and let me know what you think!!! Just PLEASE remember the salt!!!

Happy “snow” day!   (Oh, by the way, IF you live where there is no snow, just use crushed ice cubes in place of the snow.)

Snow Ice Cream 

1 c. heavy whipping cream (or 1/2 & 1/2)
3 TB. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. salt (table salt is fine)
snow (or crushed ice)
pint size Ziplock bag
gallon size Ziplock bag
2 TB. mini chocolate chips

Mix cream, sugar and vanilla and pour into pint size bag, seal (well).

Fill the gallon size bag halfway full with clean snow and add the salt. Put the smaller bag inside the larger one and squeeze out all the air, seal (well).

Knead bags till cream mixture solidifies, this will take about 5-10 minutes.

Open bigger bag and CAREFULLY remove smaller bag. Rinse outside of smaller bag with cold water before opening. Squeeze ice cream into bowl and add chocolate chips (or whatever your topping of choice is or isn’t) and SERVE!!!

ENJOY!!!!

Recipe from a Women’s Day magazine and also from Arlo Kallemeyn from the Shopper.

This recipe linked to Six Sister’s Stuff.