Snow Ice Cream Recipe

I honestly don't remember where I found the recipe for snow ice cream, but my kids sure are glad I did. We had plenty of opportunities to make this sweet treat with all the snow we had last winter and it was the first thing they requested when they realized we were going to have enough snow last week. My kids are pretty simple, and though we've tried other flavors (peppermint is my favorite), they like plain ol' vanilla the best.

Snow Ice Cream Recipe

8 cups freshly fallen snow
1 cup half & half
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (or flavoring of your choice)

 Stir everything together and serve immediately in little bowls. Makes about 8 servings.

6 Tips for Making Snow Ice Cream

1. You'll want to use freshly fallen snow. We've tried to make a second batch the next day, and the ice cream ends up with little chunks of ice. 
2. The air temperature outside needs to be below freezing. If it's starting to warm up above freezing, you'll end up with milkshake consistency. (Not necessarily a bad thing if you don't mind sipping it instead.) 
3. Get your snow from a protected area. There's nothing worse than getting snow from the front yard where some road salt dust has settled! Well, if you have a dog, I can think of something worse. Let's not go there. ;)
4. Use a large plastic or metal bowl for mixing to keep everything cold while you stir.  
5. No half & half in the pantry? You can substitute a can sweetened condensed milk. (Leave out the sugar if you go that route.)
6. Prefer chocolate? For you chocolate ice cream lovers, check out this chocolate mocha version over at All Recipes.com. 

What is your favorite wintertime treat? 

I love hearing from readers.  So if you have additional tips or flavor suggestions, please let me know in the comments.