Easiest Ice Cream
Chocolate Flake & Sour Cream Ice Cream with Saucy Cherries
This is truly the easiest ice cream (maybe more like “ice cream”) you can make. Inspired by the numerous recipes floating around featuring that wonderful combination of sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, this version calls on a touch of sour cream for mellowness and flake upon flake of chocolate.
The saucy cherries are a great complement to the not-too-sweet ice cream. And if cherries aren’t your thing, you can substitute any berry you’d like. Speaking of substitutions, if the chocolate flake isn’t speaking to you, you can omit the chocolate altogether or swap it out for toasted coconut, chopped roasted pecans, salty peanuts, or even sprinkles.
Make the Chocolate Flake:
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in microwave or on stovetop, stirring until smooth and very spreadable.
Smooth the chocolate onto a parchment-lined sheet tray, spreading it so that it’s thin enough to chop into flakes rather than thick chunks.
Refrigerate or freeze the chocolate until it’s set and solid.
Break the chocolate into pieces and peel it away from the parchment then chop it into flakes. Set aside.
Make the Ice Cream:
In a large bowl, stir together 1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 t salt.
To a second bowl, add 3 tablespoons sour cream. Pour 2 cups heavy cream into a spouted measuring cup, Add a splash or two of heavy cream to the sour cream in the bowl, then whisk so that the sour cream disappears into the heavy cream.
Pour in the rest of the heavy cream and whisk until the cream holds stiff peaks. (This step can be done in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer.)
Once the cream is holding stiff peaks, scoop approximately half of it into the bowl containing the the sweetened condensed milk mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the remaining cream and gently mix until no streaks remain.
Remember the chocolate you turned into chocolate flake earlier? Grab that flake and mix it into the ice cream base you just created.
Scoop, slide, or pour the ice cream into a shallow freezer-safe vessel of your choosing. Freeze until solid.
Make the Saucy Cherries:
Pour 2-2 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries into a small saucepan (frozen cherries are great for this!) and set the pan over medium heat. Warm the cherries until they are somewhat hot and juicy.
Add 2 cups granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar to the hot cherries. Add a pinch of salt. Give the cherries and sugar a good stir, then bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady bubble and cook the cherries for 10-13 minutes until you’ve got a saucepan of cherries floating in a somewhat thickened saucy sauce.
Pull the pan from the heat and pour the cherries into a jar or other vessel suitable for refrigerator storage. Allow to cool completely.
Make a Little Sundae:
Grab a few bowls and some spoons.
Scoop the chocolate flake ice cream into the bowls.
Top the ice cream with a few cherries and plenty of sauce.