Makes 4 one-cup servings

Born and raised in the Midwest, we know that real snow cream is a dessert made from newly fallen snow mixed with a sweetened and flavored cream to make an ice cream substitute. The technique of using snow as a main ingredient in a dessert is very old. Common ingredients for this variety are a dairy based ingredient, sugar, a flavoring agent and clean snow; the snow melts and congeals into a simple ice cream substitute. Similar to ice cream but no churning involved! The cream version involves whipping heavy cream until it is stiff to give the appearance of snow. We rarely see snow here in Central Texas, however, so we tend to go with the cream-based version you find below. Both are good, and this version can even be made when it’s a hundred+ degrees outside!

Ingredients:
1 cup sweetened condensed milk or whipping cream
1 Tbsp vanilla, almond, or preferred flavor
1 Tbsp sugar (if not using sweetened milk)
4 cups shaved ice
Cake sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
1. Add whipping cream and flavoring to a bowl and whip until fluffy; set aside
2. Place ice in the blender, in batches, and spin to make finely shaved ice
3. Add small amounts of the whipped dairy, and pulse until the desired consistency is achieved
4. Serve this yummy treat in a bowl, a tall glass, or even in an ice cream cone

We made snow cream occasionally when our children, and then grandchildren, were young and snowfalls were very common. In the Mid-west, we often had snow on the ground for weeks at a time, and frequently saw one or two feet of fresh, newly fallen snow. This snapshot is of our bed and breakfast, northeast of Indianapolis, after a fresh snowfall. Some recipes for snow cream call for the use of raw eggs, but with small children, and later with overnight B&B guests, we avoided using raw eggs due to possible allergies.