No Churn Creme Egg Ice Cream

It is creme egg season and I know that in my house, because every week I've bought something easter chocolate or creme egg related. They are my weakness. And yes, when they arrived in the shops in January... even though everyone says it's too early... I still bought a pack. I had to. 

And ever since, I've been buying packs of mini eggs. It's a problem and it happens every year. 

Another thing I'm also loving at the moment is no churn ice cream. It's rich, indulgent, super creamy and really easy to make. 

I think everyone assumes that ice cream requires a special  mixer, whisking for a certain amount of time or that it's harder than it looks. But it really isn't. There are no special ingredients, just double cream and condensed milk - that's all! And it's versatile too, you can add virtually any flavour combination to it, swirl it in, mix it in, combine it any way you'd like and you've got a winning ice cream. 

I definitely will be experimenting this summer with some new flavour combinations. My sister made a blueberry muffin one last week, it was addictive to say the least. There is currently a lime pie ice cream in my freezer, which is gradually being eaten. 

But for this recipe, I put two of my favourites together: no churn ice cream and creme eggs. The result tastes like a mcflurry and I'm not joking here. I'm also not joking when I say, it won't last a week in your freezer because you will have eaten it all by then. Mine barely lasted and I'll be honest, I'm a bit sad I'm not eating it right now. 

How do you make no churn ice cream? 

Well, let me help you out here, my friend. First, you start with your double cream in a large bowl and you want to whisk it until soft peaks start to form. Don't whisk it until the peaks are firm, but the soft peaks are what gives it its creaminess. 

When you have soft peaks, then pour in your condensed milk and whisk again to combine. Keep whisking until you are left with a smooth consistency. 

Now at this point, you have your ice cream base. It's effectively ready to add whatever flavour combination you heart desires. It's versatile like that. 

What equipment do you need to make no churn ice cream? 

A whisk. That is all! You can use either a hand whisk or an electric whisk, but an electric whisk will always be quicker. You can use a stand mixer but it feels a bit extra for something so simple. 

What ingredients do you need for no churn ice cream? 

Double cream and condensed milk are all you need to make the base of a no churn ice cream. Make sure you are using double cream and not single cream, as single cream does not whip and therefore won't get the consistency you are aiming for. It will just be like soup. Very nice soup I'm sure, but not the kind of ice cream we want here. 

Can you add food colouring to no churn ice cream?

Yes! With this creme egg ice cream I've added some orange food colouring to get it looking like the inside of a creme egg and a few drops of your favourite food colouring and that is all you need. Seriously. 

I recommend food gel, as you get a better concentrated colour with minimal risk. You'll only need a few drops of a good food gel. Steer clear of food colouring liquid, in every aspect of baking... just avoid. 

What can I store my ice cream in? 

No fancy storage required, you can use a loaf pan, like I have, a pyrex dish, a plastic container - literally any container will do in this scenario. I'd recommend a plastic lidded container to be able to store it easily though. 

No Churn Creme Egg Ice Cream

Ingredients: 

600ml double cream

1 tin (405g) of condensed milk

orange food colouring

creme eggs (mini or regular, chopped)

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, whisk the double cream until you have soft peaks. Be careful not to overwhip. You want the cream to be able to hold its shape, but when you lift your spatula up, the tips of your peaks should flop over slightly. 
2. Then pour in your condensed milk and whisk again until it is all incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl down, to ensure it is all mixed in. 
3. Next, split your mixture up, you want about two thirds kept white and spoon the remaining third into a separate bowl and add some orange food colouring (I recommend gel) until you have the desired colour. 
4. Get a container ready, and start off by spooning some of the white mixture in first, then layer some orange in, and then add some chopped up creme eggs. Then repeat the process again, with remaining white mixture, then orange and creme eggs (reserve some creme eggs!) Then give the mix a little swirl together and then top with more creme eggs for decoration... and because the answer is always more creme eggs. 
5. Place in the freezer to set, preferably overnight. About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, remove from the freezer to allow it to melt a bit. Then scoop out into servings! Top tip: dip your ice cream scoop in a jug of hot water to make scooping easier!

Let me know if you give it a go!