Snow Cream is the stuff of childhood dreams. When a deep and fluffy snow has freshly fallen, gather a few essential ingredients from the kitchen and stir them together. Then collect a pristine bowl of that magic ingredient that has just fallen from the winter sky. All that’s left to do is…”Add Snow”…and enjoy this dreamy soft vanilla custard while you can.
A Blanket of White
It is Christmas Eve. Outside, the ground is blanketed in white. I woke up this morning to find it snowing again. Another 4 inches or so of new snow fell on top of old. I smiled. This was what I had been hoping for since I looked through my Family Cookbook a few days ago. There, along with pictures from the big snow of 1966, was a short handwritten recipe for Snow Cream.
Snow Cream is a treat I have treasured since I was a child. It is made with that one specific ingredient that could be hard to come by during winters in Kentucky – snow! Making some was one of the first things I thought of whenever snowflakes did begin to fall.
Even then the conditions had to be just right. Growing up, us kids learned that it had to be at least the second snowfall of the year for the snow to be useable. It also had to be the right kind of snow; soft and fluffy. Eagerly, whenever snow began to fall, I would ask my mother or Aunt Hen if the conditions were right for making Snow Cream. When the answer was yes, I was thrilled.
A Dream Come True
I have no memory of making Snow Cream after I was a little girl. Over the years, as I got older, I lost the magic of those moments. I forgot the recipe we used and didn’t know where to find it anymore. In time, the taste and texture of that dreamy soft cold custard receded to the vague corners of my mind.
Then one day, looking through some old papers, I came across a note in my mother’s handwriting:
In bright playful letters it was titled “Snow Cream.” It listed just four simple ingredients. Then it concluded with a single direction in letters larger than the rest – “Add Snow.”
After all these years, and everything that has happened, that recipe still makes me smile. It is a recipe for magic, an alchemist’s dream, a childlike incantation. What it produces is as beautiful and captivating as any memory of catching a snowflake on my tongue. I was delighted with my discovery! But by then I lived in the south. While I had regained a beautiful memory I lacked that singular ingredient that could bring it back to life.
More years have passed without the opportunity to recreate this delicious memory in real life. Memory and opportunity have failed to intersect until today. And what could be more perfect than following my childhood memories to a sweet conclusion on the morning of Christmas Eve. By the time I got out of bed I was determined to make it happen.
Making Snow Cream
Before going outside my husband and I grabbed a stainless steel bowl from the kitchen. We took it out to in a secluded area of our yard where the snow was clean and untouched. There we harvested a quantity of fresh snow. We did this carefully, skimming it from the top of the freshly fallen snow.
Back in the kitchen, we beat together Eggbeaters, 1/2 cup of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 cup of milk. Then we mixed in enough of the fresh snow to thicken the mixture to the right creamy consistency, much like that of fresh homemade ice cream.
I was amazed at how the smell and the texture took me back in time. Once again I could see through the eyes of that child I used to be. The smell of the vanilla, the soft texture of the creamy snow being stirred with a wooden spoon, the breath of cool winter rising with the promise of a tasty treat, even the bright reflections in the shiny surface of the stainless steel bowl. As we finished stirring it together; I knew it was just right! And the taste was simply divine; sweet, creamy, a sort of cross between sorbet and gelato, a strong memory and a wonderful treat.
After scooping up bowls full we stored the remainder of our Snow Cream on the snow in the flower box just outside my kitchen window.
There it helped to frame a wonderful view of this white Christmas snowscape.
Merry Christmas to all!
Snow Cream
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes15
minutesWhen a deep and fluffy snow has freshly fallen stir together a few essentials from the kitchen and ….add snow. This dreamy soft vanilla custard is a sweet and creamy treat. Enjoy it while you can.
Ingredients
1/2 cup liquid egg-beater
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of milk
a big bowl of fresh snow
Directions
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
- Add sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir until combined.
- Add fresh snow. Gently stir it into the mixture until it is the desired consistency, about 6 cups. Stir until combined.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
I have never heard of this before! What a wonderful Memory. Thank you for sharing….I am a little teary. Being a new grandmother I hope to make memories and traditions for my grandchildren – this will be a keeper. Thanks again!
We have had an usual amount of snow in VA this year – now I now what to do with some of it! Thanks!
Oh….your memories are so precious! Now, I want to run outside and make some Snow Cream! Our snow is now frozen solid but I’m pretty sure we’ll have another blizzard or 2 before spring finally appears.
Lisa we like snow ice cream too. I have never added eggs but when it ever snows here I will give it a try. I usually add cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Sometimes I will make “shaved” ice by mixing snow with a coffee syrup like strawberry or raspberry. Now I think I will join my kids and pray for snow!
love this idea. now i just need it to snow again! hmm, don’t know if i really mean that though 🙂
Oh my gosh, I had forgotten all about snow cream. What a great recipe and what fun to make! Your photos are spectacular! Not only are you a great cook, but your photo styling is terrific! Happy New Year!
Hmmmmm! I need to try this – especially with the 4 feet of snow we’ve had in Telluride over the last week or snow.
We used to do this when I was growing up in Maine with soft-crack-maple syrup!
YUMMMMM!
thanks for sharing your awesome story and an equally fabulous recipe–what fun!
i hope your christmas was lovely. 🙂
I only wish we had a big dump over here!
Merry Christmas Lisa, hope you had a wonderful day!
What a cute and festive idea, kids would love this! The kid in me does :D!
Wow, how did I not know this was possible. Weeks in the snow, and no snow cream? Sigh.
I’ve never heard of snow cream! How wonderful!! Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas! Love the “add snow”!
What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing with us!