Adventures in Baking: Summer Ice Cream Fun

Whenever I think of summer, I inevitably start thinking about ice cream. The allure of a freezing-cold and deliciously sweet ice cream cone never fails to make my mouth water, especially during a heat wave. Most people believe that the only way they can eat ice cream is if they buy it or spend hours laboring in their kitchen with ice cream machine; however, there are easy no-churn ice cream recipes out there that can be made in under 45 minutes. This month, I present one of them to you: a simple mix-and-freeze Mint Chip ice cream recipe.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that to make it, one only needs regular baking supplies, like measuring cups and a stand mixer or bowl and whisk, and a container in which to freeze the ice cream (any open container will do; I used a loaf pan).

First, I combined the sweetened condensed milk, milk, mint extract, food coloring, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. (A note on substitutions: I substituted mint extract for peppermint and I used 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk, not 13, because I had a 14 ounce can and didn’t want to waste the last ounce.) Next, I whipped the heavy whipping cream in my stand mixer until it reached a soft peak. 

    After the cream reached a soft peak, I folded in the mint mixture first, then folded in the chocolate chips. In baking, the term “fold” means to move your whisk or spatula under and over the cream to combine two mixtures. The key to folding is to do it gently and slowly, or else you will take all the air out of the cream, which you just whipped to fill it with air. Next, pour the ice cream into your container and cover it with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is pressed directly onto the surface of the mixture. Freeze the mixture for a minimum of 6 hours, though I recommend freezing it overnight. Then, voila! Your homemade ice cream is ready to serve!

    The day after I’d made the ice cream, I scooped the ice cream into a bowl and made a sundae.

 The ice cream was delicious! Minty and sweeter than store-bought ice cream, it was just a bit thicker than soft serve. I declared the no-churn ice cream a success!

    In case you’re not a Mint Chip fan, I’ve also included the recipes for Vanilla and Chocolate no-churn ice cream.

    Here’s the Mint Chip Ice Cream Recipe:

Ingredients:

• One 13-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup milk
• 2-3 drops peppermint extract
• 1-2 drops green food coloring (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or mini chips

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, milk, peppermint extract, food coloring (if desired), lemon juice, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it reaches soft peak. Fold in the mint mixture and the chocolate, then transfer to a shallow freezable container.
3. Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper pressed directly on the surface of the ice cream, and place in the freezer for 6 hours.
4. Scoop and serve with chocolate sauce, or a drizzle of your best bourbon.

Citation:

Bilderback, Leslie. No-Churn Ice Cream. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015. Print.

Here’s the Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe:

Ingredients:

• One 13-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup milk
• ½ vanilla bean, scraped (Substitute for this with either ½ tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups heavy cream

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, milk, vanilla bean, vanilla extract, salt, and lemon juice.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it reaches soft peak. Fold the cream gently into the milk mixture, then transfer to a shallow freezable container.
3. Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper pressed directly on the surface of the ice cream, and place in the freezer for 6 hours.
4. Scoop and serve the finished ice cream with fresh berries, chocolate or caramel sauce, or a drizzle of Kahlua.

Citation:

Bilderback, Leslie. No-Churn Ice Cream. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015. Print.

Here’s the Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or bittersweet chocolate chips) (Substitute your preferred chocolate for bittersweet if you prefer milk or dark chocolate)
• 1 cup milk
• One 13-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (can be substituted for whatever cocoa powder you have, natural or Dutch-processed)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups heavy cream

Method:

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Bring the milk to a near boil, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
2. Stir in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, cocoa powder, lemon juice, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it reaches soft peak. Fold the cream gently into the chocolate milk mixture, then transfer to a shallow freezable container.
4. Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper pressed directly on the surface of the ice cream, and place in the freezer for 6 hours.
5. Scoop and serve the ice cream with fresh berries, whipped cream, bitter orange caramel, a sprinkle of fancy salt, or crushed Hawaiian -style potato chips. That’s what I said.

Citation:

Bilderback, Leslie. No-Churn Ice Cream. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015. Print.

Citation for Soft Peaks Whipped Cream picture:

“soft peaks whipped cream.” www.google.com. Google, Inc., 2016. Web. 30 July 2016.