Sweet Tooth: Rocky Road Ice-Cream

I don't know a single person that does not like ice-cream!  It goes with everything dessert wise and I love it!
I also have to admit that I love the fact that I can make it at home and it's not as sickeningly sweet as the store bought versions or the McDonald's sundae versions too....

I also love the fact that I do NOT need an ice-cream machine for the ice-cream I make because I love the "No Churn Ice-Cream" method.

Pretty much you whip cream until it thickens and there's peaks, add a pinch of salt and a can of condensed milk and your flavours then freeze that sucker in a container for a few hours (or overnight) and poof.  You have ice-cream.
No need for stirring it, or freezing a bowl or container in advance and definitely no need for extra space for your ice-cream machine!

I personally have a kitchen stand mixer - a Kenwood Chef Sense model (the 1100W one) that I got on sale a couple years ago (which I dragged home via sled because I live in Finland and there was a lot of snow and I don't have a car but anyway!) and the great thing about it is that I can get various attachments for it like a meat grinder/sausage maker, juicer, food processor and so on.
But most importantly - I can make some ice-cream!

Of course an electric hand mixer works just as fine - I got rid of mine after my kids dented the beaters and after I invested into this puppy.

So - I made Rocky Road ice-cream today because my friend had been hinting how awfully sugary the one in the store was and I agree.  After I eat store-bought ice-cream I feel a huge sense of guilt and like my teeth are threatening to fall out due to the intensity of the sugar that clung to them.

Here's what you need!

• 4dl of whipping cream
• 1 can of condensed milk
• pinch of salt
• A hearty teaspoon of vanilla extract - ok vanilla extract is crazy expensive here so I've been using vanilla syrup - like for coffee drinks!  It works for me and my wallet...
• Chocolate - I used Fazer Milk chocolate about 100g chopped up roughly but use what you like! Chocolate chips could be doable too!
• 1 sleeve of Grov Marie biscuits (let's say about 14-ish) - the closest thing I could find to a graham cracker here or an Arrowroot cracker - crush them up without shame!
• I used a jar of pasta sauce to crush them up in a stainless steel bowl...
• Candied cherries
• Salty or dry roasted peanuts - couple handfuls should do the trick.  Unless you're allergic (or whoever is going to eat this ice-cream is)- then probably you shouldn't.
• Mini marshmallows - one bag 
• Some sort of mixing device - electric hand mixer or stand mixer - whatever works for you!
• A spatula - I prefer silicone - they're cheap, easy to wash and dishwasher friendly usually!
• A container that can handle freezing with a lid - I just use those empty candy boxes from the bulk candy section that the grocery store leaves behind for customers to take for free.  But I've seen people use loaf pans or large Rubbermaid-kind of containers too.
• A freezer with space - or a very cold balcony.
• 15 minutes or so then a few hours of patience.

What to do!

All my goodies into a bowl.

Aww look at that little peak!

1. Pour your whipping cream into your mixing bowl and begin to mix your whipping cream until thick and peaks are forming.  
2. Sprinkle your pinch of salt and pour your can of condensed milk in there too.  (I find having a spatula very handy for scraping out the layer of condensed milk that can't seem to leave the can!)
3. Mix some more and add your vanilla extract.
4. Add your chopped chocolate, crushed cookies (aka anger management), nuts, mini marshmallows and mix slowly.
   ** You can simply fold it in with your spatula or just slowly mix it with your mixer.
5. Pour into your container and pop it in the freezer for a few hours.

Before it went to the freezer...

That is it.  You don't need to check on it or stir it or whatever you're supposed to do with an ice-cream machine.

Few hours later I had to try it. 
It was a bit soft because it hadn't frozen completely but it was still yummy!

Some other flavour ideas that I have done (you'll have to use your imagination because I may not don't have the photos for them on my phone...):

• Vanilla: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract
• Old Fashioned Vanilla:  Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla bean pod split and scraped out
• Cookie Monster: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract + Blue food colouring + crushed Oreos and crushed chocolate chip cookies This was a Pinterest WIN!
• Vanilla Maple: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract + maple syrup (aka some Aunt Jemima stuff) 
• ** I served this with a home-made salted caramel sauce and a brie and pear tart and it was a real decadent treat! **
• Mint Chocolate Chip: Cream + Condensed Milk + Peppermint extract + Green food colouring + dark chocolate chips
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract + chunks of cookie dough (without eggs) Ben & Jerry's is crazy expensive here so I make my own.

And there you have it!

XO
Dominique