What’s your coldest, Winter memory? I’ll answer first. It was a brain-freeze type of cold day. A thick pea coat covered layers of clothes and a wooly sweater. No one could tell I wore a few socks underneath a pair of bright yellow rain boots. The winds pierced through layers of clothes to chill my back. Fingers underneath my gloves froze numb. Large, billowy snowflakes floated swiftly to the ground. The snow was piled one to two feet deep, and there was slippery ice everywhere. Then a child is seen walking in my direction. She’s happily skipping in this frigid, cold weather, while licking an ice cream cone. The mother is walking behind the child. She sees a perplexed, astonished look on my face. She shrugs her shoulders to communicate, “I know, I know… my child is strange…right?” We warmly pass each other, smiling and giggling.

It seems strange to post a recipe about ice cream in the middle of this year’s unrelenting Winter season. A snow emergency is in progress as rain and hail are making special appearances as they prance and glide against the glass of the skylight in my apartment. Surprising sounds of thunder wake an evening sky and temperatures are in the single digits. Is anyone screaming for ice cream, right now?

Is it possible to crave a chill scoop of Vanilla Chai ice cream on top of a warm slice of Banana Pecan Bread? Can you imagine by the time the heat of Summer occurs, these days will be considered dreamy and refreshing? There’s this comfortable knowledge of watching this dreary, white weather from the inside of a cozy apartment. As mentioned before, it’s an emotional time right now, and it’s a coincidence I’m in the midst of another unforgettable cold Winter. For now, every spoonful is creamy and the spices are warm. It’s a cozy moment to savor. I’m indoors. Feeling blessed. Hopeful. And, screaming for Vanilla Chai Ice Cream. Stay warm, everyone.

Vanilla Chai Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 cup organic whole milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups organic heavy cream
2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla extract

Directions
1. Warm the milk and spices in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl.

2. Slowly add warm milk by an eighth a cup to the egg mixture and continue to whisk.

3. Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the saucepan and heat slowly over medium-low heat until thickened. Stir mixture constantly until it’s similar to a liquid pudding. Do not let the mixture boil!

4. Place mixture in a sealed container and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.

5. Add chill egg and milk mixture to a bowl. Whisk in cream and vanilla to form the Vanilla Chai Ice Cream base.

6. Add base to your ice cream maker, and follow manufacturer’s directions.

7. Depending on the ice cream maker’s brand, if custard is similar to the texture of a slightly firm soft-serve ice cream, place custard in a sealed container in the freezer. Chill until firm.

8. Cheers!

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