No Churn Rhubarb Cookie Crumb Ice Cream

The combination of sweet and tart is what makes this No Churn Rhubarb Cookie Crumb Ice Cream so delicious! First, prepare a quick and easy rhubarb compote with fresh rhubarb, sugar, and lemon. Once cooled, swirl it into the ice cream mixture to create the most heavenly frozen rhubarb dessert!

Dear Reader, let me just go on record and state that I do not like ice cream. Well, maybe ‘do not like’ is a strong statement; it’s more that I do not crave it.  Ice cream could sit in our freezer for weeks… months!  I’m sure I’d finally get around to throwing it out because it would be freezer-burnt. But, there’s just something about this No Churn Rhubarb Cookie Crumb Ice Cream that I could not get enough of!

John.e, on the other hand, loves ice cream. He could eat it every single day; in fact, there might be an instance or two where I can recall him eating it every day for a week; at least!  I’ve made many versions of no churn ice cream over the years that we have been together, but this is the one he raved mostly about. Alas, he didn’t get to eat all of it as he usually does. I packed up a container of this ice cream and shared it with our friends, Shawn and Eileen.

This ice cream has a consistency all its own. It’s not overly sweet, but it’s thicker than a regular milk-based ice cream.  I love that it’s packed full of crushed cookies and lots of really easy to prepare rhubarb compote too. You have got to try this!

NO CHURN ICE CREAM POPULARITY

I’ve been making no-churn ice cream for years now. It’s exactly what the name implies; it’s ice cream that you can make easily at home without having access to an ice cream maker. I must say though, that the old-fashioned ice cream maker – the one with the metal cylindrical cavity holding the cream mixture and the wooden bowl filled with ice and salt – I have fond memories of that one. The ice cream is incomparable to anything else, but who has time to hand-churn it for such a long time?

No churn ice cream has no doubt gained so much popularity, because of the fact that not everyone has access to an ice cream maker. I always relate it to living in an apartment where storage is an issue. The machine can be quite clunky depending on the brand and size. And, then the ice! My apartment freezer used to be full of food. I had room for two ice cube trays, but not enough to store the amount of ice needed to keep a hand-churned ice cream machine in business.

In addition to that, the ingredients needed to make no-churn ice cream are cheap and readily available almost anywhere. You can flavour it with just about anything. It takes about five minutes to prepare, rather than hours. Whip up the mixture, place it in the freezer, and wait until it is frozen. It is just too easy and the results, although not quite high-end ice cream, is a delicious, homemade substitute.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

• Canned Sweetened Condensed Milk – This recipe has not been tested with low fat condensed milk.  Depending on where you live, the size of the can may differ.  Be sure to have the full 14 ounces!
• Whipping Cream – Please see the next section on whipping cream.
• Vanilla Extract
• Golden Oreo Cookies 
• Rhubarb Compote – This is super easy to make. Take a look at my quick and easy rhubarb compote recipe here.

HOW TO MAKE NO CHURN RHUBARB COOKIE CRUMB ICE CREAM

Before you start anything at all, take the bowl you intend to use to beat the whipping cream in and place it in your freezer. An ice-cold bowl will help to make whipping the cream faster and easier. Pour the cold whipping cream into the chilled mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream until it forms stiff peaks. At this point, add food colouring to tint the ice cream if desired. Also, add the vanilla extract. Beat into the whipped cream.

Next, while still beating, pour the canned sweetened condensed milk into the bowl in a steady, slow stream. Don’t empty the contents of the can in and then beat. The whipped cream will lose its fluffiness. Slow and steady wins the race. When no more pours out of the can, scrape the rest out with a spatula. You’ll want to use every drop!

Finally, add the crumbled cookies and use a spatula to fold them into the whipped cream mixture. (Reserve 1/4 cup of the crumbs for a topping. This is for presentation only and is completely optional.) Once done, transfer half of the ice cream mixture to a freezer-safe bowl or container. Top with half of the rhubarb compote. Transfer in the remaining ice cream mixture and once again, follow that up with the remaining compote Use a chopstick or the handle of a thin wooden spoon to swirl the compote into the ice cream. Top with any remaining cookie crumbs.
Cover and freeze for 4-6 hours or until firm.

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM

Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference in the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to No Churn Rhubarb Cookie Crumb Ice Cream.

Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

I have a lot of recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen with sweetened condensed milk as one of the ingredients. (Click here to see them!) Growing up in Newfoundland, it was always something I’ve been aware of. But, that’s not the case for everyone. I get many questions from readers about it. For someone not familiar with the gooey, sticky canned milk, it might be easily confused with canned Carnation condensed milk, for instance. Let me explain what it is here.

So, first of all, it’s condensed. The milk is condensed by removing water. This can be accomplished by applying heat. The water will evaporate causing the milk to condense, which thickens the milk. Sugar is added to sweeten the condensed milk. The main purpose of adding sugar is to prolong the shelf life of condensed milk, which can sit on room-temperature shelves for years. Sugar prevents microorganisms from growing in the milk and helps to thicken it even further—it’s added after the milk has been boiled, reduced, and pasteurized.

If you find unsweetened condensed milk, it’s most likely that it’s simply evaporated milk or condensed milk, which is thick, but not gooey and sticky. Evaporated milk is often used as a cream added to tea or coffee. If you are unfamiliar with it, please read the can carefully. Also, shake it – can you feel the liquid splashing about inside the can? If so, it’s not sweetened condensed milk; it’s evaporated or condensed milk only!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!