I have fond memories of making snow ice cream with the family as a kid. I’m pretty sure it’s a Mennonite thing, although Ben has no recollections of making it growing up. Anyways, it’s the bomb. (I’m trying to bring back that late-90’s expression of approval but haven’t gotten a wide following yet). I loved it back then and I love it now. Snow ice cream is totally not just for kids.
We just got a(nother) new layer of snow over the weekend, and I was looking out the window when I suddenly exclaimed, “I haven’t made snow ice cream yet this year! I should do that! Right now!” And Ben, who was nearby, said, “Get it from the back yard rather than from the front yard where I’ve shoveled.” And I said, “Obviously.”
The point I am trying to make here is that my husband was totally for it, which reminded me why I married him.
Ben and I had a blast making this and then enjoying it together. I want to encourage you married folks without children to try this with your darling, just for fun, to prove to the world that you don’t have to have little ones in the house to be creative with natural resources and sugar. And if you do have munchkins: all the more reason to try this. Your kids will love making and eating snow ice cream, I guarantee it.
So, if you’ve still got snow sticking around, here’s the drill:
1. Go outside and collect some snow in a bowl. I generally just skim off the uppermost layer to get the cleanest stuff. Note: you don’t need nearly as much as I’ve got in this picture here if it’s just for two people.
Warning: I have no idea whether snow is safe/healthy to eat.
2. Get together the remaining ingredients: cream, sugar, and vanilla. You probably shouldn’t use whipping cream like we did if you care at all about your waistline but it was all we had in the house. Lighter creams work just as well. And every self-respecting Old Colony Mennonite knows that vanilla from Mexico is best, but plain ole’ vanilla from the grocery store is just fine, too.
I separated the snow into two different bowls. This ended up being way too much — we ended up sharing just the one bowl full.
3. Mix the ingredients. Mennonites measure everything by eye — I think the term they use can be roughly translated, “by eye-full.” This is how I measured the ingredients for my snow ice cream. I just poured on cream, sugar, and vanilla and stirred until it looked right. It should be kind of runny, like a Slurpee or whatever you Yanks have that is similar (Slushie? Slush-Puppie?).
Ta-da! Your snow ice cream is ready.
Warning: garden gnomes also love snow ice cream. They may offer to help make it just to get some for themselves. Instead I let Kenneth and Chad have the leftover bowl of snow while Ben and I enjoyed the delicious fattening one. They were OK with that.
Enjoy! Remember: Childhood lives on, even after you’re married.
(If you haven’t previously met my gnomes, you can learn all about them here).
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I thought our family was the only one who did this! We totally made snow ice-cream growing up, and I agree, it is the bomb!
My Mom always adds a teesy-tinsy bit of salt, just so it isn’t too bland. When we were younger, we were allowed to pick a colour of food colouring to add to it. We enjoyed trying to come up with new creations of colours. You had to watch out for that green, though, it usually made anything previously cool look swampy.
Ah, see you now the true nature of Garden Gnomes. They’re tricksie.
I used to love snow cream. Thank you for the childhood memory.
I don’t remember ever doing this, but I have heard about it before (never seen a recipe, though, thanks!) With the fresh snow, I’ll have to try this soon as I get back home this afternoon.
While I don’t have any cream, I do have some vanilla from Mexico (something like a quart, it’ll take us forever to use that much!)
We did this too, but my mom’s culinary skills were limited. We actually just put maple syrup on the ice cream. Still delish though! I’ll have to try this… whenever the next time I’m in Canada in the winter, that is.
I really hope we get another layer of snow here in Illinois now. We never did this as kids because we lived in Arizona.
What a cool foodie thing! I’ve never heard of it, but it seems amazing to me (and totally post-worthy.) I’m currently in the sunshine state, where there’s never any snow, but I’ll definitely make a note of it.
This looks like “the bomb”.