Triple Berry Blender Ice Cream {no ice cream maker needed}

Have you ever had an inkling to make homemade ice cream but don't have an ice cream maker?  This quick and easy blender ice cream is the closest thing I've found to recreating that yummy homemade soft serve kind of ice cream. I remember getting fresh berries from my grandpa's garden as a kid and my mom would make such yummy raspberry and strawberry ice cream! It was a favorite summer treat for sure.  

We're sharing this recipe on Or So She Says blog. Check it out for the full recipe and printable. 

Lemon Blueberry No-Churn Ice Cream

Summer is still in full swing over here, how bout for you? Ice cream is eaten year round at our house, but it does have a special spot for summer. It's a tasty way to cool off in the heat. And since we've been experiencing high 90s temps, I'm always ready for some ice cream. I've seen no-churn ice cream recipes popping up all over the web lately, and decided they must be worth a shot. Have you jumped on that bandwagon yet?  I don't have an ice cream maker, but I love homemade ice cream.  

I have fond childhood memories of fresh strawberries and raspberries from my grandpa's garden mixed into my mom's famous homemade ice cream.  Mmmm, those are the best kind of memories!  We actually got to have some last week when we were visiting them. We had one of those old ice cream makers that is super loud and you have to add ice and salt to it to keep it mixing.  It was fun!  Nowadays you can buy ice cream makers that are much quieter.  But I haven't invested in one yet. I can't decide if I would have enough self control to only make it occasionally, I think that's the only thing holding me back. :)  

But thanks to no-churn ice cream, I can still enjoy the fresh taste of homemade ice cream made right from my own kitchen.  After mulling over hundreds of flavor combinations I went with a favorite flavor combo of mine . Lemon blueberry.

First off, can we stop for a second and admire how beautiful blueberries are! Gah! I'm in love. We've been getting good deals on them fresh at our local grocery stores too, so we've been eating LOTS of blueberries at our house.  I love to freeze them and eat them as a treat. They are so good! Have you tried them?  Better than frozen grapes in my book.

I was really skeptical about how no-churn ice cream would turn out - and while it's a little different than churned ice cream, I still think it's out-of-this-world-good.  If you serve it straight out of the freezer it's got a unique texture of frozen and creamy.  I also tried smoothing it up in my food processor and it was more like the soft serve ice cream you get from an ice cream  maker. Either way, it's deeee-licious! 

Below are the step for whipping up this yummy concoction! 

1. Place blueberries, lemon juice and lemon zest in a 2 cup measuring cup.
2. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth (isn't that color pretty!).
3. Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a bowl and mix together. 
4. Add the blended blueberry mixture and stir. 
5. Stir it until it's totally combined (I love watching the shade of purple change).
6. Whip up two cups of heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer. 
7. Fold the whipped cream into the berry mixture. 
8. Once it's all combined you are ready to freeze it. 
9. Pour it into a large storage container with lid and smooth the top.  Place the lid on and freeze for 6-12 hours.  

Once it is done freezing you can scoop it up into a dish or cone and enjoy. And if you are after a more soft serve consistency, put it in the food processor and process til smooth.  

 We love making homemade cones too! 

Here is the smooth version of the ice cream!

 I hope this ice cream will keep you cool during this hot summer! Enjoy! 

Lemon Blueberry No-Churn Ice Cream

Printable Version {Click Here}

Yield: about 1 quart

Ingredients:

---

1 ½ cups fresh blueberries (thawed frozen ones should work too)

1 small lemon, zested, and 2 tablespoons of the juice

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

Directions:

---

Place a medium-sized stainless or glass bowl in the freezer with beaters to hand mixer to get nice and cold for whipping the cream

Place the blueberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice in 2 cup measuring cup and blend with an immersion blender until smooth (or you can use a regular blender too).

In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk with the vanilla until combined, then add the blueberry mixture and stir until combined.  

In a medium size stainless steel bowl, whip the 2 cups of whipping cream on medium speed until frothy. Once frothy, increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the berry mixture until combined.  

Pour the mixture into a large storage container with lid (that holds about 1 quart). Place lid on top and freeze 6-12 hours.  Scoop and serve in a cone or bowl.  If you want it more like soft serve ice cream place it in the food processor and blend until smooth.  

Recipe Source:

---

Originally posted on Eighteen25.com adapted from How Sweet Eats Blackberry Chip Ice Cream recipe.

Homemade Ice Cream Cones {no cone-maker needed}

We've been enjoying lots of ice cream this summer! How about you? Last summer I was really wanting to make some homemade ice cream cones, but I didn't have a waffle cone press or cone mold.  But I wasn't going to let that stop me from making them - and I wasn't going to drop $40 on a waffle cone maker, because I really don't NEED one.  

So this is where I let my creativity take over.   I remembered how delicious these fortune cookies were that I've made several times. They crisp up totally nice and they taste AMAZING (they actually have flavor and don't taste like the cardboard ones you get for Chinese take out).  So I decided I could make them larger (cone size) and make my own mold out of cardstock and waxed paper.  It worked so well! So well that I've made them several times now.  

Here is my cardstock and waxed paper made cone mold

I seriously find joy in homemaking everything! These cones are no exception.  Homemade always tastes better, and I love knowing what all the ingredients are - and it just gives me warm fuzzies that I can make something so cute, functional and yummy! Is anyone else with me? Or am I really odd?

 

Now, I will tell you that I don't go to lengths to make these for all the times we eat ice cream around here, because, well, really you probably don't need to know how much ice cream we consume. I'm not sure I want to share that with you.  Ahem! We eat in a bowl most of the time.  But these cones seriously add a little fun to a family night or when we have friends over for dessert.  That's when I make them.  

I hope you'll feel like a rock-star, like I do, when you whip out a batch of these yummy cones!  Fill them with your favorite ice cream!  (I'll share the recipe for the ice cream below very soon)

Here is a little handy picture guide for seeing the steps of making these cones

 

Homemade Ice Cream Cones

Yield - about 6 large cones
Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

---

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla

3 egg whites

½ cup chocolate chips, ½ teaspoon coconut oil, sprinkles, chopped, nuts, pretzel bits, dried fruit or other garnishes (optional for dipped cones)

Directions:

---

If you don’t have an ice cream cone mold, you can make one. Using some cardstock or other firm paper, make a cone shape about the size you would want for an ice cream cone. Tape it to secure the shape. I used an 8 ½ x 11 inch paper and then trimmed the bottom to be flat so it can stand up on the counter.  Then line the cardstock cone with wax or parchment paper, also securing with tape.  Masking tape seems to work well.  Make at least two of these so you can make a few at a time.  

In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt and whisk together until incorporated.  In a separate bowl (cereal bowl works great), add the egg whites and vanilla and whisk until foamy but not stiff.  

Pour the egg mixture in with the flour mixture and stir until smooth; it should be fairly runny.  If it’s not then add another ½ - 1 whisked egg white to the mixture.  

You can cook these in the oven or on the stove top. I prefer the oven because you get an even browned look and you don’t have to flip them over.  See notes below on both methods.

To cook in the oven - line an 11 x 17 baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.  (I’ve failed with parchment but I didn’t grease it).  For a large cone use about 3 tablespoons of batter and for a mini (kid size) cone use about 1 tablespoon.  Spread the batter with the back of a spoon making a 7-8 inch circle for a large cone and about a 3 inch circle for a mini cone.  Make sure it’s evenly thick.  Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes or until the edges of the cone have turned a nice golden brown about ¼  inch wide around the outer edge of the cone.  I can usually fit 2 cones per sheet.  Let the cookie sit for 1 minute after you remove it from the oven (it will cool fast.  

To cook on the stove top - using a non-stick skillet, heat the pan between medium and medium-low heat lightly grease it with spray grease.  For a large cone use about 3 tablespoons of the cone mixture and for mini (kid-size) use 1 tablespoon.   I use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture smooth into a circle, (about 8 inches in diameter for a large cone and about 3-4 inches for a mini cone). Cook til you see bubbles rise to the top (about 4 minutes), and you can slip a spatula under to peek and see if it’s browned.  If it’s cooked enough you won’t have trouble looking on the bottom, if not, let it cook longer - when it’s easy to see you’ll know it’s ready to flip.  Flip it over and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes.  

Once they are done cooking - use a wide flat spatula to remove them from the baking sheet or skillet.  I like to use the up side of the cone for the outer side since it’s smoother and prettier (this only really applies to the baked ones).  Place it on the cone mold, being careful because it will still be hot, then wrap it around the mold and press it closed.  Try to wrap it so that the tip of the cone is closed (so you won’t have ice cream melting out the bottom). If you don't wrap the cone so it's closed, you can always dip it in chocolate to seal up the hole.  Let it cool completely (5-8 minutes) - if you’ve cooked it long enough it should be nice and crispy just like a waffle cone.  Repeat this process until you’ve used all the batter.  

If you want to dip them, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl on high for 10 seconds at a time until melted. Dip or spread the chocolate around the edges of the cone and sprinkle with sprinkles, chopped nuts, pretzel bits, or whatever else you fancy. Let them dry until the chocolate is hardened (I place them in a cup so they don’t have a damaged side). If you don't wrap the cone so it's closed, you can always dip it in chocolate to seal up the hole, that way you won't have any leaking ice cream out the bottom.

Enjoy, filled with your favorite ice cream!  

Notes:

---

You can see pictures on my fortune cookie post showing the difference in look between a baked and pan cooked cone/cookie.

Recipe Source:

---

Adapted from the recipe I use for fortune cookies, posted here.