In the Kitchen With Ricky: No Churn Ice Cream

National Ice Cream Day was this past Sunday, but it’s never too late to have a fail-safe recipe for a simple and delicious vanilla ice cream.

Usually, ice cream is thought to be an arduous task, but since “no-churn” ice cream came around and became popular the past few years, it doesn’t have to be a lengthy process. It now can come together with a few ingredients and will certainly impress you, your friends and/or anyone with whom you decide to share it. This recipe uses few ingredients, and the better the quality of ingredients, the better the results will be, especially the vanilla extract.

Who doesn’t love ice cream? I can’t think of anything better for a kid, or the kid within all of us, especially on a hot summer day. My birthday (end of July) was practically yearly celebrated with a Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream cake, and still when I take that first bite of ice cream, at any given time, it brings back so many childhood memories.

It’s no surprise that National Ice Cream Day is a celebration. Thanks to President Ronald Reagan, who in 1984 declared that July be National Ice Cream Month and that the third Sunday of this month be National Ice Cream Day.

Ice cream is said to have originated thousands of years ago. People of the Persian Empire put snow in a bowl and added gram juice (a legume like a lentil) over it, and then ate it as a snack. It’s said that we owe thanks to Quakers for bringing their recipes for ice cream with them to the American colonies. Americans now lead the world with the consumption of this frozen treat. It is said that on average we each consume 20 pounds of ice cream – that’s four gallons – per year.

I am choosing to keep it simple and go with vanilla ice cream in the recipe below. I always say: “By going with vanilla, you can tell how good the ice cream is.” If simple and traditional flavors are done well, they can be perfect. However, if vanilla isn’t as exciting to you, I give some more ideas that are easily achieved. Feel free to add in chocolate pieces, candies, cookie crumbs, or fruit by folding them into the whipped cream right before freezing. This ice cream is also a great canvas for an ice cream sundae.

No Churn Ice Cream Base

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups heavy whipping cream (at least 36% milk fat)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Before making the ice cream, freeze a metal loaf pan (9-by-5 inches) by placing it into the freezer.

In a large bowl, or in the base of your stand mixer, add condensed milk, vanilla, heavy cream and salt.

Using the whisk attachment or a hand mixer fitted with the beaters, whip the cream mixture on medium speed until thick and medium peaks present themselves.

Transfer the mixture to the frozen loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap.

Return to the freezer and freeze until set (at least 5 hours, or overnight).

Scoop and serve.

This ice cream is best if it is eaten within one week of making but can last up to one month in the freezer.

Below are some more ideas to change up the ice cream flavor:

For chocolate, add in ⅓ cup of a rich and dark unsweetened cocoa powder before whipping ingredients together.

For coffee, add in 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder before whipping ingredients together.

For coconut, whisk in ¼ cup of coconut oil before whipping ingredients together.

For a fruit base, such as strawberry or cherry, fold in 2 cups of cleaned fruit that has been blended.

Enjoy!