On a snowy day when the wind howls and your toes begin to feel like popsicles themselves, most people would choose to sedate their sweet tooth with a mug of hot chocolate, or warm, gooey cookies. Me personally? I went for ice cream.

As the forecast became more and more daunting and my hopes of a long weekend climbed higher and higher, my social media feed flooded with recipes for… ice cream? More specifically, homemade ice cream that can be whipped up with a few simple ingredients and a whole lot of snow. I had to put this to the test, and the results were frosty and fabulous.

Firstly, grab a mixing bowl (something metal works especially well!) and press it into some fresh snow to make a bowl-shaped dent. Then, sprinkle your rock salt/ice cream salt. This step is necessary as it lowers the freezing point of ice, allowing the ice cream to firm up. Once a generous amount is in your dent, place the bowl back inside, making sure to pack snow around all sides.

Now to add the ingredients! Start with a cream base: heavy whipping cream is preferred, but regular whole milk works just as well. Next, add in vanilla extract. And finally, top with icing sugar/confectioners sugar. For measurements, eyeball it! When you’re cooking in the snow, how precise must you really be?

Then comes the long process of whisking. Your mixture may begin liquidy, but after consistent stirring for around ten minutes it should begin to thicken! Remember, we’re not going for hard ice cream, but rather an elegant soft-serve. If your ice cream is not firming up, it’s a-okay to go off the rails and add in some snow to quicken the process (WHITE, not yellow). 

Finally top with your favorite additions, whether it be sprinkles, oreos, or whipped cream, and enjoy! Is it as good as your store-bought ice cream?…Probably not. But the pride of making it in a near blizzard makes it taste that much sweeter.

And finally, the most important step is to warm up inside with your favorite movie or a good book (see Reading Review for some awesome inspo). This ice cream recipe might freeze your fingers, but it will certainly thaw your heart.