Just in case: Here’s how to make snow cream
It’s not that snow cream is so good. It’s that it’s so exotic.
With a rare snow storm aiming at Charlotte, one of my editors (a guy from Michigan) asked me, “Is snow cream really a thing? We never did that and we had a lot of snow.”
Exactly, dude: You had a lot of snow. We don’t have a lot of snow. And good snow cream, like good snowballs and snowpeople, takes the right kind of snow. You don’t want it too icy or too slushy. You need a fluffy, slightly dry snow, and a Southern kid may only get that once or twice in a childhood. You have to be prepared when the right kind comes along.
Will it be the right kind of snow on Saturday? Or even much snow at all? There’s no way to know until it falls. That’s part of the magic of snow in this part of the world: It’s so borderline, you never know what’s going to happen.
If it does happen, and it happens as the right kind of snow, we thought you might want a few directions for making snow cream. Like snow, measurements are flexible.
Kathleen Purvis: 704-358-5236, @kathleenpurvis
Basic Snow Cream
About 8 cups clean(!), fluffy snow
1/2 to 1 cup milk (or condensed milk or cream if you want something richer)
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
Toppings: Sprinkles, chocolate syrup or maple syrup (optional)
The trick here is to keep everything cold, so a metal mixing bowl will bring the best results. Either put the bowl outside while the snow is falling (if we get that much), or look for an undisturbed patch free of any approach by animals and stampeding children and gather your snow.
In the house, add the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk or stir it all together lightly (a fork works well). Start with the smaller amount of milk and sugar and add more if you need it. Dish it up with toppings of your choice.
Yield: About 4 servings.
This story was originally published January 6, 2017 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Just in case: Here’s how to make snow cream."