Snowpocalypse: Make Snow Ice Cream

The Canadian in me tells me not to do this. I can't get past the idea that when you go camping? you boil your water. I've never heard of a Canadian that I know doing this

Tried this one out following our last big storm and it is very easy (and tasty). I don't like to work with too many ingredients...so this was right up my alley!

@The Mrs - I tried to reply directly to your comment, but I keep getting redirected to your blog when I click reply. I LOVE the suggestion of using cocoa with the peppermint! I think I might have to give that a try with last nights snow. Thanks for the tip!!

Dawn DeMeo also blogs at  Dawn's Recipes ( http://www.dawnsrecipes.com ) and Been There, Dawn That ( http://www.demeo-web.com ).

Thanks for sharing your grandmother's version of the recipe. That must be very special for you! I know I wish I had more of my grandmother's recipes.

My recipe is just one of the many different ways to make snow cream. While this version might be a "shortcut", I assure you it is still very tasty! Even when I make regular ice cream, I tend to shy away from custard-based recipes. I personally don't care for the eggy taste and texture (but that's just me). Also, this was just intended to be something fun and quick to throw together, especially if you have little ones who like to help out in the kitchen.

Happy Eating!!

Dawn DeMeo also blogs at  Dawn's Recipes ( http://www.dawnsrecipes.com ) and Been There, Dawn That ( http://www.demeo-web.com ).

This recipe shown is a "shortcut" recipe and not a very good one at that. If you've ever had real Snow Cream, you would notice the difference at first bite.

I use my grandmother's recipe, which she got from her mother. My grandmother passed away last year just shy of her 101st birthday. It's the real deal and tried and true!

Snow Cream

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla
3 - 4 cups milk
Sugar to taste (about 2 cups)
A dash of salt
1 large bowl of fresh, clean, powdery snow (not crusty or packed)

Pour milk and beaten egg into a saucepan and heat on low, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. When the mix begins to form tiny bubbles, slowly add the vanilla and then the sugar, all the while stirring the mixture. Turn off heat and allow to cool a bit. Gather fresh snow and divide into individual dishes. Carefully pour the milk mixture over the snow, stirring until you get the consistency you want. Add more snow or milk mixture, if needed. Refrigerate leftover milk mixture.

If you can believe it, I was allergic to ice cream growing up--allergic to all dairy products, actually--so making snow ice cream with my mom made me feel both normal and special at the same time. Great recipe! It's been a while since I've made any, but being from MN, we certainly have enough white on the ground for me give it a try... :)

I hadn't heard of this until this year. I love the idea!

Contributing Editor Jenna Hatfield (@FireMom ( http://twitter.com/FireMom )) blogs at Stop, Drop and Blog ( http://stopdropandblog.com ) and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land ( http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com ). She is a freelance writer and photographer.

Peppermint extract does work well, especially mixed with a tiny bit of cocoa powder...yum.

This brought back some good memories...

The Mrs ( http://www.themrs.ca ) is on maternity leave and hopes to extend it for...oh...forever. She blogs about bread, (mostly) bad kids books, grocery shopping, and things she thinks are funny.

But I do have some hazy memories of making snow cones with fresh snow and Kool-Aid.

Contributing Editor Karen Ballum also blogs at Sassymonkey ( http://sassymonkey.ca ) and Sassymonkey Reads ( http://sassymonkeyreads.ca ).