Maple Ice Cream - No Ice Cream Maker Required!

I love ice cream, especially homemade ice cream. However, I'm also lazy. Lugging out the ice cream maker, running to the store for ice, getting out the rock salt, making a custard base - sometimes I just can't be bothered with it.

Can you relate? If so, you need to make this right now. I'll give you three reasons:

1. Only three ingredients and 10 minutes of your time is required
2. You don't have to lug that ice cream maker out of your storage closet!
3. Oh, and it's DELISH.

Still not convinced? Then reason #4:


You know you want it.

Maple Ice Cream
Listed as "Maple Frango" in the fantastic midwestern cookbook Savoring the Seasons by Lucia Watson (check out her restaurant Lucia's in Minneapolis), it was served up at the downtown Minneapolis Dayton's store restaurant in the 1950's - and I'll bet any midwestern woman harbors a weak spot for the now defunct Dayton's retail chain. I halved this recipe and it worked perfectly. Serve with fresh blueberries, sliced bananas, sauteed apples or pears, or chopped toasted nuts - or just grab a spoon and dig in!

1 cup maple syrup (the real deal - no Aunt Jemima this time, please)
4 eggs, separated
2 cups heavy cream

In medium saucepan, warm syrup, then whisk in egg yolks, one at a time. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Allow to cool.

In a mixer bowl, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Separately, whip cream. Fold both egg whites and whipped cream into maple mixture; don't overmix so that it's completely blended, you should still see some white streaks. Pour into deep pie dish or 8x8 cake pan, or individual serving glasses. Put in freezer until very firm but not frozen solid (if it gets too hard, remove from freezer to soften before serving).