You Can Make Homemade Ice Cream

It’s a hot August evening. The sun is going down. The cicadas are chirping. It’s a beautiful Texas night and everything is perfect. But then, you reach into your freezer … and there’s no ice cream.

A scoop of ice cream is an essential antidote to the hot, sticky evenings of a Texas summer; a much-loved bedtime treat for restless, sun-tired kids; the perfect topper to a cookout or an evening with friends. 

Luckily, with this guide to homemade ice cream, your icebox will never have to be without it again.

No Churn, No Fuss

“But I don’t have an ice cream maker,” we hear you cry. Never fear — no-churn ice cream is way easier than you might think. (Try this recipe!) You only need two ingredients — no special equipment.

Simply get your heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk ready and let inspiration strike. Crush up Oreo cookies. Pop in pecan brittle. Go chocolate-and-marshmallow crazy for Rocky Road. Add graham crackers and call it s’mores. Or just enjoy the simplicity of pure vanilla.

Berry Twists

Raspberries, blueberries, cherries — our trees and bushes are bursting with fruit that’s just begging to be eaten with ice cream. There’s no wrong way to do this. Dust your fresh berries with sugar and sprinkle them atop a scoop of vanilla. Or mash the berries and swirl them into your ice cream.

Just Peachy

Is there anything better than a Texas peach? Find a few sun-ripened fruits and slice them into your ice cream, or try caramelizing them in brown sugar and butter and whipping them into your sweet cream base. You can do the same thing with grilled pineapple. Paradise. Try this recipe.

Leftovers

Bread and butter is a dinner table must-have, but as an ice cream? Surprisingly good. Brown bread ice cream may sound wild, but its subtle, moreish flavors have made it a classic across the pond. Try this recipe.

Garden Variety

If you want to get even wilder, kick up your ice cream with carrot for an exotic way to use up your extra vegetables. Try this recipe.

Dressing It Up

Frankly, we could enjoy ice cream eaten straight from the icebox with a spoon! But sometimes it’s fun to make it fancy. Try:

• Using a loaf tin to freeze your ice cream into a cake — perfect for birthday parties.
• Making sundaes (perfect for any day!).
• Going all out with this cookie sandwich.

For more summertime recipes, try these fixin’s for your next barbecue: all-star barbecue sauces, and sweet Texas teas.