Summer is in full swing, which means the weather is as hot as it can get. One of the go-to remedies for the scorching heat is the beloved ice cream cone. And while many of us have always wanted to try our hand at making it at home, the absence of an ice cream machine has proven to be a definitive challenge – but not anymore!

Here’s a no-machine recipe that will make ice-cream making a breeze. Start off by making our ice cream base, which will only require two ingredients: heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk.

ICE CREAM BASE RECIPE

SERVING 1.4 liters

INGREDIENTS

• 470 ml whipping cream
• 400 ml (approx. 1 medium can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, using a mixer, whip up your cold cream until you get soft peaks.
2. Add your cold sweetened condensed milk.
3. Continue whipping on high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Gently fold in your vanilla extract.

What you have now is a simple ice cream base. If you wish to enjoy as is, simply store it in your freezer for a few hours (preferably overnight) before serving.

The reason we are calling this a base is because from that mixture, we can build up on flavors. Here’s a few suggestions:

. CHOCOLATE

Mix in melted chocolate to your ice cream base on a 1 part – 3 parts ratio.

You will need to be quick so as to not let your chocolate set completely before getting mixed in.

. FRUITS

Mix in fruit puree to your ice cream base on 1 part – 4 parts ratio.

We recommend you only give it a couple of folds so you get streaks of fruit in your ice cream.

. COOKIES & CREAM

Mix in crushed cookies (we recommend Oreo) to your ice cream base on a 1 part – 2 parts ratio.

. FINE SPIRITS ICE CREAM

Add a shot (30 ml) of your spirit of choice (try it with a shot of arak) to your sweetened milk and mix it in before adding it to your whipped cream.

Keep in mind that the alcohol will affect your end product, making your ice cream slightly softer.

FEW TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

1. The cream will need to be whipped to stiff peaks, so you cannot substitute for light or low-fat cream.
2. However, you may opt for a fat-free or lighter substitute for your sweetened condensed milk.
3. Using cold cream and sweetened condensed milk is crucial to the making of this ice cream. This is what will give the ice cream its soft and ‘scoopable’ texture and will prevent it from hardening when freezing.
4. Add in some vanilla extract at the end. The alcohol in the extract will help secure a soft texture, since alcohol itself doesn’t freeze to a solid state in the freezer.