Living in the mountains of East Tennessee can sure bring some doozies of snow storms our way. This past one we got left us with about 8 inches of snow on our mountain, and many without power. Sure we were snowed in for a bit, but our woodstove and propane cookstove kept us warm and well-fed.
Thankfully, we had other great things to keep us busy and entertained. Besides our daily homeschool work and my blogging activities, it was a great time to settle down and have some extra family fun in the snow. Trekking through the snow covered woods, sledding down our crazy steep driveway, and reading some great stories while snuggling on the couch together were just a few of the things we did.
Another one of our favorite things to do when it snows enough is to make snow cream. Snow cream is usually made with white sugar to make it extra sweet, but since I’ve buckled down more and the man and I’ve decided our family is sticking with our “real food” convictions, I’ve had to tweak recipes here and there which surprisingly isn’t very hard.
Today, I’m gonna share our new “healthy” snow cream recipe with you in case you ever get enough snow your way, and you and your little ones have a hankering for a yummy sweet treat!
You’ll need:
- 2 quart stainless steel bowl full of clean snow
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup raw milk (2 cups milk if you skip the cream or you can use homemade coconut milk)
- 4 TBSP grade B maple syrup
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
Directions:
Fill a 2 quart bowl full of clean, fresh fallen snow, pour in cream, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla and blend with a hand blender or mix in your Kitchen Aid mixer until all ingredients are mixed well. Serve cold and enjoy!
We enjoy snow cream too!
Where in East Tennessee? Both my husband and I were born and raised there. We live in Kingston (about 30 miles west of Knoxville). We only got 6 1/2 inches of snow but the kids loved it!!!
We’re in Johnson County… about 45 minutes east of Johnson City!
I’m in my sixties and have eaten snow ice cream all my life, as well as making it for my own children and grandchildren. Just a tip or two: This works best if everything is nice and cold and you combine all the ingredients except the snow, then stir that mixture into the snow. Sometimes the snow begins to melt as you’re working, so work quickly and serve immediately. I’ve heard some people actually go outside and make it on the porch or patio in order to keep it frozen and then head back indoors to serve & eat. When you get the hang of this (it’s really easy), you can begin to think about add-ins or toppings. Oh, and oddly enough, leftovers do not freeze well (it gets hard & icy and a bit “watery” tasting). Enjoy!
Interesting, Polly. I’ve always made it the way my MIL does, and she brings it in to make it. You’re right, though. It does start to melt a bit. I’ll definitely try it this way next time we make it! Thanks for the tip!