I have made ice cream approximately… *counts on fingers*… one time in my life, and that was in elementary school. We filled a bag with the ice cream mix, then put that bag inside another bag, then put that bag inside yet another bag full of ice and rock salt, and tossed it around to each other until it solidified through a combination of physics and magic. This blew Grade School Amy’s mind, but a later attempt to recreate the process at home ended in a burst-bag-salty-ice-water-all-over-the-kitchen-floor tragedy.
A mere two decades later, I finally have redemption.
Instead of the bag method, though, I’m doing the condensed-milk version of a no-churn ice cream that has been championed by Nigella Lawson, Martha Stewart, and The Kitchn. And for good reason — this is an incredibly easy way to make ice cream without having to buy special new equipment that will inevitably just sit inside a cabinet for months on end, taking up valuable under-sink real estate (looking at you, salad spinner that I have used maybe 3 times in the past 3 years).
The texture is incredibly creamy and rich, and it scoops wonderfully. To prevent grainy ice crystals from forming, pat a piece of parchment or wax paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream before covering it with an airtight lid and sliding it into the freezer.
And happy very-belated birthday to my guy, whose unbridled adoration for Fruity Pebbles inspired Flavor No 1.
Dramatic reenactment
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours, 20 minutes
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- ~3 1/2 cups* heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp strawberry extract
- 1 cup + 1/2 cup Fruity Pebbles, separated
Pour 1 cup of Fruity Pebbles into a large bowl.
Warm 2 cups of heavy cream gently over low heat on the stovetop. When it is steaming but not boiling (don’t let it get to a boil), remove it from the heat and immediately pour it over the bowl of cereal. Stir it a few times to make sure the cereal is covered by the heavy cream. Let this sit and steep until the heavy cream comes back to room temperature, or about an hour.
Using a fine mesh strainer, pour the steeped cereal mixture into another bowl, making sure to keep the cereal pieces out. Discard the soaked cereal and measure how much strained cream you got — top it off with more heavy whipping cream (unsteeped) until you get 2 cups of heavy cream altogether. Put this in the fridge until it is thoroughly chilled.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the strawberry extract into the condensed milk until it is combined. Set aside.
When the heavy cream mixture is chilled, pour it into a mixing bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the condensed milk to lighten it up. Then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream mixture, taking care not to knock the air out of it. Fold until the mixture is uniform and smooth.
Add in 1/2 cup of Fruity Pebbles and gently fold that in. Spread it into your ice cream container of choice (I use two flat Rubbermaid tupperwares) and press a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream. Cover that tightly with clingfilm or with a lid. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours but ideally overnight.
Sprinkle with more Fruity Pebbles when serving.
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours, 20 minutes
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tsp mint extract
- 1/2 cup chopped Oreos or Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies
- 3 oz mint chocolate (I prefer Lindt or Theo), melted
- 3 tbs chopped Andes mints (optional)
- Green food coloring (optional)
In a large mixing bowl, stir the mint extract and green food coloring if using into the condensed milk until it is combined. Set aside.
When the heavy cream is chilled, pour it into a mixing bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the condensed milk to lighten it up. Then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream mixture, taking care not to knock the air out of it. Fold until the mixture is uniform and smooth.
Add in the chopped Oreos and Andes mints if using and gently fold that in. Spread it into your ice cream container of choice (I use two flat Rubbermaid tupperwares) and press a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream. Cover that tightly with clingfilm or with a lid. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours but ideally overnight.
After the ice cream has firmed up, melt the mint chocolate. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and also remove the parchment paper. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top and then recover and put it back into the freezer until you’re ready to serve it.
Use an ice cream scoop (or a spoon) to break up the chocolate drizzle on top, which will then become incorporated into the ice cream as you scoop it. Top with more Oreo crumbles and Andes mints if you like.
