No Churn Premium Vanilla Ice Cream

Have you ever saved a recipe knowing that you just needed to save it, because you had to make it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually, and to an expectant transcendental change. I’m talking about a recipe that will change everything. The fantasy recipe that appears in dreams in muted lights...

Enter the Magic Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from the Summer 2010 issue of Cook’s Country, the folks who also do Cook’s Illustrated (including the PBS cooking show). We like them because they test their recipes thoroughly. This doesn’t mean that it will always meet with our palate, but their research does make it easier for us to tweak dishes because we already know the things that may or not work, and what each iteration will yield, and we can avoid the undesirable results.

This recipe does not require an ice cream machine, but it would be easier if you have an electric mixer. You can use a whisk, but it would take a little longer. By longer, I'm speaking of a matter of minutes. A child could do this, and the best part is that it will impress the pants off your guests. (Assuming that's a goal!)

Magic Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup sour cream

1 ¼ cups cold heavy cream

Pinch of salt

Place condensed milk and chocolate chips in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds to a minute. (The milk will become like molten lava, so do not test it by touching it.) Stir the mixture and make sure you incorporate the chocolate into the condensed milk. It will resemble a caramel sauce. Let it cool off. Stir in salt, sour cream, and vanilla extract. 

Note: use real vanilla extract, the good stuff, not the fake (vanilla-flavored extract). This will make a difference after freezing and will make the taste pop. It's worth the expense.

Whip cream with an electric mixer or a hand mixer to soft peaks. (I used a metal bowl and placed it and the whisks in the freezer about an hour before using.) Whisk a third of the whipped cream into the chocolate sauce and, once fully incorporated, fold in the rest by hand. 

Note: make your own whipped cream. This will only take 2-3 minutes. Go natural, don't ruin it with processed crap. It's worth it, I promise!

Finally, place in an airtight container and freeze until firm. We have these small, individual portion containers—at about ½ cup each portion, you’ll have between 6-8 servings.

The final product will have a silky finish and it tastes like premium ice cream. The condensed milk gives it a creamy texture, and the whipped cream adds airiness – that lightness that lets it melt in your tongue and make you moan.

Already as we enjoyed our first batch of the Magic Vanilla Ice Cream, we were thinking of ways to tweak it. I suspect that we’ll try this recipe (possibly with blended berries) and make popsicles with it. I also want to try it with milk chocolate chips and do a mixed serving.

Of course, this is a treat, not an everyday thing! If you must, do the ice cream dance to counterbalance the calories. Enjoy!