I’ve been seeing a lot of news stories lately about the fact that America appears to be falling out of love with ice cream. The amazing, cold, creamy concoction that helped people drown their feelings during prohibition, boosted spirits during World War II and served as the ultimate comfort food during the pandemic (remember the empty ice cream cases?) is sadly, suddenly, being left out in the cold (excuse the pun).
Health concerns related to consumption of too much fat, sugar and even dairy are being sited as reasons for why people are turning away from this treat. And although my mind clearly understands this, my heart aches for the pure, simple delight of an ice cream cone.
As a child, I remember being taken to my local Baskin-Robins for a scoop of my favorite flavor, which back then was strawberry. Fast forward a million years and I recall the delight of my daughters at getting a soft serve at our neighborhood ice cream stand. Their faces covered in sprinkles and ice cream dripping down their arms as they tried to devour this icy delicacy before it literally melted all over them. And just a few weeks ago, I stared at a line that stretched down the parking lot from a brand new ice cream shop located in a small beach town where we’ve been spending time lately. An adorable converted RV made to look like something out the 1950’s.
Although seeing the line and knowing that it would take a good twenty minutes to get through it may have seemed like a deterrent, it made me crave ice cream all the more. And it also made me wonder if people are actually falling out of love with ice cream or if their tastes are changing.
This small batch creamery seems to have tapped into something special. In addition to just serving predictable flavors like strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla, they offer exotic flavors using the freshest of local ingredients. Temptations such as Chai Tea with Feifer’s (local orchard) Peach Swirl, Fifer’s Strawberry Sorbet, Vegan Coconut with Cinnamon Caramel and Pecans, Fresh Mint Chip, Earl Grey and Lavender and my current favorite, Lemon with Bennett’s (another local orchard) Blueberry Swirl.
Not only, do they offer healthier options, but this creamery provides its customers with unique flavors that are not easily found at other ice cream shops. And guess what, people, me included, are willing to wait in line for a scoop of their amazing creations. So maybe we’re not falling out of love with ice cream as a whole, but our tastes are evolving.
That’s where this ice cream comes in. Swirls of tart, boozy, homemade cherry jam (recipe coming soon) and toasted salted almonds layered in creamy, dreamy vanilla ice-cream that only takes minutes to prepare and requires no churning is the purest and, at the same time, most sophisticated indulgence.
All you do is whip up some fresh cream, swirl in sweetened condensed milk a bit of pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Mix in some chopped salted almonds and you’re almost done. Pour half the mixture into a 9x5x3 inch metal loaf pan, swirl in half of the cherry jam then add the rest of the ice cream mixture and top everything off with the rest of the jam. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and stick it in your freezer for at least six hours, and preferably overnight. And, voila, you’re done.
But here’s the best part, because this ice cream is homemade, you know exactly which ingredients went into it. There are no chemicals or ingredients that you can’t pronounce. Yes, it does still have fat and sugar, but isn’t life all about balance? And the best part of all is that you can customize this ice cream to use whatever flavors you prefer. Don’t like nuts, leave them out. Don’t like cherries, use raspberry jam or skip the jam altogether and use fresh fruit. Want chocolate, add some crushed up chocolate chip cookies or a swirl of Nutella. Anything goes.
I hope that you’ll give this Cherry-Almond No Churn Ice Cream recipe a whirl. If you do, please let me know what you think or tag me on Instagram. I always love hearing from everyone and seeing pictures of anything that you make. And above all, thanks so much for stopping by.
Cherry-Almond No Churn Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 big pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 cup cherry jam
- ½ cup salted roasted almonds, medium chopped
Instructions
- Place a 9x5x3 inch metal loaf pan in the freezer.
- Using a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form (about 2-3 minutes). In a separate bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture then fold this mixture into the remaining whipped cream until well blended. Gently fold in the chopped almonds.
- Pour half of the ice cream mixture into the chilled loaf pan. Dollop with half of the cherry jam and using a knife or wooden skewer swirl to combine. Repeat with the remaining ice cream and jam. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.