SNOW ICE CREAM

One of the pleasures of winter that I have just discovered is snow ice cream.  I can't believe how good it is!  I grew up in Oklahoma and although we had cold temperatures and the occasional snow we just put up with winter knowing it would soon be over.  Since moving to New England I have really enjoyed winter as a beautiful season that extends way beyond Christmas and has surprising delights.


I have to say I was skeptical about snow ice cream.  I thought for sure it would be more like a snow cone; sweet slushy ice that can only dream of being classified as ice cream.  
I stand corrected.  

Look at this!  My kids and I made it in a matter of minutes.  No turning the crank in the hot sun until you think your arm will fall off.  No adult telling you that making homemade ice cream is a test of patience and endurance.  

It's quick, and delicious and only takes a few ingredients.

If you are lucky enough to live in snow country you must try it.

Snow Ice Cream 

Here are your basic ingredients:

3/4 cup half and half

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups packed fresh snow

for vanilla-maple flavor: add 2 tsp vanilla, reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and add 1/3 cup maple syrup  

for strawberry:  add 1/2 cup chopped frozen strawberries and one of the following - 1/4 cup strawberry Quik drink mix or strawberry pancake or ice cream topping

for chocolate: add 1/4 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup and 1/4 cup instant hot chocolate mix or chocolate drink mix such as Quik or Ovaltine

First mix your ice cream base and head outside. It's best to mix it up and enjoy it outside.  

Here we have set up an ice cream bar on our snow covered picnic table.  

These are the flavor bases.

Collect 4 cups packed snow for each flavor.

Dump the snow in the flavor base and mix quickly - licking the spoon is optional.

Enjoy!

Even daddy wants seconds.