Ann Byrne is a New York Times bestselling food writer and author of Baking in the American South (out September 3). A Nashville resident, she was the former food editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, writes the weekly newsletter Between the Layers on Substack, and is a frequent contributor to Bitter Southerner, CNN, and Southern Living.
This is a twice-monthly column called “Baking in the American South” that you’ll find exclusively on Southern Kitchen.
Flip through a mid-20th century Southern cookbook and it seems like everyone was making their own ice cream. Lemon, lime, raspberry, mocha, strawberry, chocolate. Häagen-Dazs hadn’t even been around yet. It was a bit of a DIY spirit, making your own ice cream.
My first memories of ice cream are of summers spent in my hometown of Nashville, sitting at the ice cream maker in our backyard in August, my sisters and I taking turns turning it by hand. It was hot, and my mom was inside the house sipping iced tea in the air conditioning, but all we kids needed was the promise of my mom’s homemade chocolate ice cream and we could stomach almost anything.
Growing up, there was a time when I would use our Domvier ice cream maker for dinner parties, and my husband and I would go to so much trouble to churn custard, scrape beans from vanilla pods, soak prunes in Armagnac, and make the ice cream.
One time, the insulated bowl of our ice cream maker hadn’t been kept in the freezer for at least 24 hours before making the ice cream, so my husband rushed to the store because a customer was arriving in just a few minutes.
I’ll be honest, as my family grew, freezer space became a premium, and with decent gelato available outside of Rome, I lost interest in making homemade ice cream.
Which means I’ve entered phase three: no-churn ice cream. Lazy ice cream. The “I have two ice cream makers and I don’t want to take it off the shelf” kind of ice cream.
It starts with a can of sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream, your favorite flavors, and a loaf pan. The result is ice cream that’s velvety smooth and rich, almost gelato-like. Plus, it’s a fun conversation starter. Who doesn’t love a good workaround?
A little backstory
Brits love a good no-churn ice cream. Cookbook author Nigella Lawson made it popular again in 2010. Chef Jamie Oliver calls it retro. It has a long history and we’re surprised it didn’t originate from the internet.
A key ingredient is canned milk, which has long been a lifesaver for cooks in remote areas. In the late 1800s, Gail Borden invented condensed milk by removing the water from milk and adding sugar to make it more resistant to bacteria. Today, condensed milk is a staple of ice cream and other summer desserts, adding texture, flavor and convenience.
Two summers ago, I got obsessed with non-whipped ice cream and experimented with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mango, and caramel flavors, and today I want to share my success stories with you.
Here’s what you need
Suitable materials: Sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, flavorings, often liquids, additives.
Device: All you need is an electric hand or stand mixer to whip the cream, a metal loaf mold to freeze the mixture in, and some space in your freezer.
time: Place in the freezer until the ice cream is firm, at least 6-8 hours, but preferably overnight.
A note about ice cream
For perfect scooping, remove loaf pan from freezer 30 minutes before serving. Run ice cream scoop lengthwise across pan. A scoop with spring action is perfect for serving rounds into bowls or cones.
For less sweetness, use less sweetened condensed milk. Add a pinch of salt. Add 2 ounces of cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat before adding the cream.
It’s not the 1950s yet, but there’s nothing stopping you from making your own homemade ice cream this summer – no hand-turning required!
Chocolate Fudge No Churn Ice Cream
This recipe is great when mixed with small marshmallows and crushed toasted peanuts for a rocky road feel, and for the best ice cream sandwiches, place between homemade chocolate chip cookies and freeze until ready to serve.
Serves 8
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Freeze time: 6-8 hours or overnight
material
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, divided
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 cups cold cream
Divide the chocolate into 5 ounces and 3 ounces. Working with the 5 ounces first, chop and melt on low heat or in the microwave. Line a 13 x 9 inch loaf pan or 1/4 sheet pan with parchment paper and pour the melted chocolate into the pan, spreading it into a thin layer. Place the pan in the freezer until set.
Finely chop the remaining 3 ounces of chocolate and melt it over low heat or in the microwave. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the melted chocolate.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the cream. Increase the mixer to high speed and mix until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes depending on your mixer.
Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of the whipped cream onto a large spatula and add it to the chocolate mixture, gently fold in. Place the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the whipped cream and fold the two together until no streaks remain.
Remove the chocolate from the freezer and break it up with your hands or use a knife to cut it into bite-sized pieces. Work quickly to avoid melting the chocolate. Fold it into the mixture. Pour into a 9-inch loaf pan and cover with foil. Freeze until solid, at least 6 to 8 hours.
No-churn olive oil ice cream
Use the finest extra virgin olive oil for flavor in this recipe, and pair it with slices of ripe peach for a perfect, not-too-sweet end to a summer meal.
Serves 8
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Freeze time: 6-8 hours or overnight
material
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
2 cups cold cream
Instructions
Whisk olive oil, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl.
Place the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour in the cream, beating until just combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until stiff peaks form.
Transfer half of the whipped cream to the bowl with the sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined. Add the remaining whipped cream and carefully mix until no streaks remain.
Pour into a 9-inch loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap or foil. Freeze until firm, at least 6 to 8 hours.
Remove from freezer 30 minutes before scooping.
