How To Make Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

My blog is devoted to making ice cream, but I realize an ice cream maker is something many may not have just lying around their kitchen. If you would like to join me on my ice cream making expeditions, but do not want to want to shell out the money on fancy kitchen equipment, have no fear. I have recently learned of a way to make ice cream without breaking the bank or requiring anything more than a whisk (preferably electronic) and a bowl.

Ingredients:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 pint of heavy cream

Flavoring (of your choosing)

 

Preparation:

Mix your flavoring into the sweetened condensed milk and set aside.

Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.

Gently combine the whipped cream with the sweetened condensed milk. Freeze for 4 hours prior to eating.

Full Disclosure: I have not actually tried to make ice cream using this method. However, I have recently eaten ice cream made by someone using the above steps and it was quite tasty. It was a little fluffier than most of my ice creams turn out, but I would never have known it was made without an ice cream maker if I had not been told. Apparently, this method of making ice cream is inspired by the steps taken to make kulfi. Kulfi is a delicious Indian dessert that is somewhat similar to ice cream.

I was introduced to this method at an Ice Cream Club meeting I was invited to this weekend by a friend of mine. As the name suggests, the club was for ice cream making enthusiasts. Each person brought a pint of of ice cream to share and a pint of ice cream to trade. I tasted a number of new and interesting flavors, including: avocado ice cream, cardamom ice cream and black sesame ice cream. The flavors were delicious, but by the time we left, even I was feeling ice creamed out and that is hard.

More enjoyable than the experience of eating ice cream at 10:30 in the morning was the opportunity to talk to fellow amateur ice cream makers. It was the first time either of my friend or I went to this Ice Cream Club. I have to admit I was feeling a bit apprehensive about the experience. I was not sure exactly what to expect or if I would be surrounded by ice cream making snobs. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone was very friendly and it was a great environment to talk shop and swap secrets of the trade. I never realized there were so many fellow ice cream enthusiasts out there! In addition to learning about this new way to make ice cream, I met a young woman who had some suggestions on how to improve the texture and consistency of my ice cream. She recommended using cream cheese, corn syrup and corn starch rather than egg yolks. I will be trying this trick next, so stay tuned for the following week's blog post.

Until next time, keep calm and get your ice cream eating on.