Make this Delicious-Looking Ice Cream in Just Two Steps

Most ice cream recipes require cooking a custard base, a fussy and time-consuming process. But this Blackberry-Lemon Ice Cream recipe from Food52 takes cooking out of the equation, using sweetened condensed milk in its place.

Author Posie Harwood says she wasn't a fan of no-cook ice cream; none of the recipes she'd eaten had the flavor intensity of ice cream made with a custard base. This recipe converted her. "Two cups of puréed blackberries and a hefty dose of lemon juice give the ice cream a deep, intense flavor that balances out all the creaminess," she writes.

After combining the ingredients (there are only five; you can find the recipe here) in a large bowl, Harwood suggests straining the mixture to remove the blackberry seeds if you want a smoother texture. The next step is to throw it in an ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer instructions. But you can make this even without a machine using the ice cream in a bag method.

Here's how it works: Pour the mixture in a quart bag , squeeze out the air, and seal tightly. Put this bag inside another quart-sized bag—also with as little air in it as possible—to prevent leaking. Put those bags inside a gallon bag (freezer bags, which are made of thicker plastic, are best), pack it full of ice, and sprinkle some salt on top of the ice. (Because the mixture contains milk, it needs to be slightly below 32 degrees Fahrenheit to freeze. Adding salt helps make the mixture around the ice cream a little colder than plain ice.) Squeeze out the air, seal, wrap in a towel, and shake and massage the bag for 5 to 8 minutes. Voila—ice cream!

If you'd like to go beyond single-serve, throw the mixture in a standard coffee can and seal the lid on tightly; place that can inside an economy can, and fill the space between with ice and salt. Seal it and shake (or roll it on the ground) until frozen; time will vary depending on how much future ice cream is in the can.

Harwood recommends popping the concoction in the freezer for an hour longer to harden it up even more. Happy summer!

[h/t Lifehacker]