We’re now deep in the season of swimming holes, insects, peaches, thunder storms, and the ice cream truck that rolls up and down the streets daily, announced by its chiming song. It’s a heatwave over here. I’ve been holding out for a long time on the ice cream making. For some reason “no churn” seemed like cheating to me and I don’t own an ice cream maker. All week the temperature has been hovering around a humid 95 degrees so I gave in. Much to my surprise, this ice cream is SO good.
It’s not really in my nature to just make straight up vanilla ice cream. I’m more attracted to counter-intuitive flavor combinations. It’s surprising to me that I actually haven’t made ice cream before this week. It is a perfect blank canvas for infinite combinations. The olive oil takes a simple vanilla ice cream and infuses it with a sophisticated subtlety. I actually like olive oil so much that I drizzled more over this ice cream and it was incredible, slightly peppery.
The ice cream itself is rich, creamy and sweet with the gentle touch of vanilla bean and the tiniest hint of lavender. The texture is almost the same as churn ice cream, though I’d say it melts a little more quickly. I cannot believe how quickly we ate this up, but it really was so much better than a lot of the ice creams you can buy. I’m thinking a chocolate, jalapeno, Mexican spice version will be next.
My world has been humming these past few weeks. I’ve been preparing meals with the season’s bounty (some of which can be seen on my Instagram). Cooking like this is honestly one of the chief pleasures in my life, right up there with travel. I’m headed up the east coast for a bit and then back to Mexico again for a week for work and a stop out to Grandma’s house in Coney Island before all of it. I’m hoping to land back in time for the height of the US Open, my fave sports event. Summer is an interesting balance between vibrant animation and inert relaxation. How does one achieve all these states in between the routines of work and demands that vie for your attention? When you figure it out, please let me know. Until I do, I’ll be pushing on all fronts, relaxing when I can (without guilt) and trying to be present in all of life’s fleeting cyclical pleasures like summer and ice cream. Have a wonderful week!
NO CHURN OLIVE OIL LAVENDER ICE CREAM
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 tsp culinary lavender
- 1/2 cup good olive oil
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, stir together condensed milk, vanilla, vanilla bean, lavender and olive oil. In a large bowl of a standing mixer, beat cream on high until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Or if you’re like me and do it by hand it might take about 10 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into condensed milk mixture, gently stirring until combined. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour into a regular sized freezer safe loaf pan, and freeze until firm, 6 hours.
Oh wow, this looks very intriguing! I have never had olive oil in ice cream, but I like your mixing of counterintuitive flavors, and I love lavender in anything. I bet this tastes delicious and refreshing! We have had a heat wave here too.
Thanks, Jenny. I had some more lay night and I thought it got even better. Some might shut away from the oil but I love that flavor. It separated it from pure vanilla. I’m with you on lavender in anything. These flavors are so distinctly summer. Stay cool!
That sounds fabulous. I think I’ve tasted lavender ice cream before and liked it. I’ve also eaten olive oil ice cream with sea salt, or rather Sal de Mar Caramelo Chocolate con Helado de Aceite de Oliva at a Spanish restaurant in London called Barrica, which again was delicious. I wonder if fennel pollen would be good with vanilla… 😉
That sounds incredible, md. Just my style! I bet that fennel pollen would add a great flavor. I’ll be experimenting. That restaurant sounds so good. Great to see you ad always 🙂
I look forward to reading a fennel pollen post, if it works 😉
Fascinating. I haven’t ever had olive oil in ice cream and it has been a long time since I saw a hand egg beater. Your recipe sounds easy and delicious. If you don’t have to bother with an ice cream maker -why bother? How do you think this recipe would work with chopped fruit or nuts?
I think it would work with both. I want to try cherries! The hand beater was my great grandma’s. I have an electric one but I have to put it together and plug it in. This one is easier. The olive oil flavor is very subtle but delicious. Nice to see you. I missed a week and missed you!
BTW – I forgot to say I hope you get to the Open. You deserve some down time.
Steamy hot summers and ice cream…I crave this. Still dull, grey and cold in Melbourne, can’t get my head around packing for that kind of New York heat!
Love that this icecream needs no machine…one less gadget Amanda… must be a good thing.
Any yet I’m always jealous in January when the Australian open boasts 100 degree temperatures. Wherever summer is, is where I want to be.
Mmm, mmmm!!
Can a soy version of this Icecream be created? For us lactose intolerant folks
Oh man. I’m not sure because the key to the sweetness is the sweetened condensed milk. I’ll look into it and get back to you. I also want to do a yogurt too. Xo
Amanda, this sounds and looks fabulous, can’t wait for you to try it with yoghurt, that will it a bit of a tart flavor, I would imagine.
Thank you, Cornelia. I can’t wait to try that either. I tried making kulfi, Indian ice cream and really messed it up. I should do a post on kitchen bloopers.
I just love olive oil ice cream, it’s rich and creamy with a gorgeous complexity. The addition of lavender is perfect.
Thank you. It really is so good. It’s so great to see you here. I owe you (and everyone) a little internet love. Summer and work have me running around. Ice cream certainly plays its part 🙂
Sounds grand! I started to say: Buy yourself an inexpensive ice cream maker. But that container part (of the el cheapo I have) does take up a lot of freezer space for a city apartment.
I hear you. That’s the problem. My freezer is “apartment-sized” which is really just a euphemism for tiny. I had to be creative fyi get this in there. But this method is good! I’m going to play with proportions and flavors and different milks. But this nailed it. Hope you’re well, Michelle.
Like I said before, I love the flavors of this ice cream Amanda! 🙂 Beautiful pictures as always.
Thank you so much! I really enjoyed it. Hope you’re well.
Hi Amanda, I’m in Burgundy, staying away from the computer as much as possible, but I couldn’t not read and comment on this one. I’ve had lavender ice cream before and remember liking it very much (though I must admit I have doubts about the fashion of using edible flours in various dishes), and I bet this very Provencal combination of olive oil and lavender works wonders! I’ve never made no churn ice cream (unless blending a frozen banana counts) but maybe I should be brave and give it a try! Have a lovely vacation!
Aww. So glad you did come on and comment. I hope you’re enjoying your relaxing time in Burgundy. This is a very Provencal combination, which is why I’m in love with it so much. It reminds me of my olive oil lavender cake from last summer. There is something about the combo in a (not too) sweet dessert that makes this a killer for me. I think lavender can be an overpowering scent and flavor so it must be used sparingly, but I do love it. You should try this no churn ice cream. I’ve been skeptical for years and now I can’t wait to experiment. Enjoy!
Oooh, yum. Love the idea of the olive oil. I’ve been wanting to make a honey & marjoram ice cream for a while now. May try that with a good olive oil!
Hi Karinna! So great to see you. I’m glad you like the idea of olive oil. A few people are put off by it. Honey, majoram sounds amazing. I may actually try that too. The combinations are limitless. I love sophisticated flavors as much as I love the classics. Hope all is well with you!
This is fantastic – I know I am going to make it very soon. The base (the whiping cream and the condensed milk) is the same as the one I use for my coffee ice cream which is always a big hit. so my family will love me for making this version for them 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you, Chica! Ohh I love coffee ice cream. I hope you do make this, I think you’ll love it!
The olive oil really intrigues me. I might have to give this a go. It looks so creamy.
Thanks, Maria. It’s so good. You may like this. It’s very creamy and so easy to do. 🙂
Interesting! I never had ice cream made with olive oil before. It looks creamy though. Hmm..this is quite intriguing, Amanda.
Thank you, Anna. It’s so delicious. If you love the flavor of olive oil you’ll see what a rich and lovely flavor it adds.
This does sound wonderful Amanda. I had to smile at no churn ice cream being cheating. Funny how you thought of it that way. I don’t have an ice cream machine so my only choice is no churn. And I find homemade ice cream made without a machine much more charming. Like bread made by hand rather than in the bread machine. The beauty of imperfection….. so under-rated. 😉
xo
Thank you, Lindy. I only think it’s cheating because the sweetened condensed milk is kind of a short cut from eggs and heating and then obviates the need to check on and churn. I really do want to try all these amazing flavors like corn, or mexican chocolate, but I don’t want to indulge yet.