Growing up, my family played shopping cart bumper cars at the grocery store on the 4th of July. Other people careened around the produce aisles, pushing innocent bystanders out of the way to snag the best basket of blueberries or juiciest strawberries. But we left them all in the dust, making a beeline for the baking aisle instead. Ā
No, we werenāt crazy enough to turn on the oven for cupcakes or brownies in the 90Ā° heatā¦ We needed salt. Rock salt. For homemade ice cream!
My parents owned an old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream machine, one where you poured ice and rock salt in between the metal can and the side of the wooden bucket. None of those newfangled electric ice cream makers for them! We all took turns cranking the handle, one right after another, to keep the mixer paddle constantly spinning. My brother and I started, when the cream base was still liquid, and Daddy finished it off when our miniature muscles grew tired.
20 minutes later, we divided up the ice cream straight out of the metal container (and snuck licks off of the paddle too!). Because of its perfect soft-serve consistency, we always stuffed ourselves with seconds. It just wasnāt the same after the ice cream firmed up in the freezer!
This year, the weatherman promised 100Ā°+ temperatures for the 4th of July, which scared meāthe ice cream base might never actually freeze and stay as a big melted mess! So with the windows thrown wide open and fans blasting in the kitchen one evening, I baked āice creamā cones as a Plan B. With a thick layer of whipped cream on top, they still have that similar (and addictive!) soft-serve consistency that we love so much.
Nobody will be able to resist these cute cupcake cones!
These sweet cones are so cute, and you can easily make them ahead of time without worrying that theyāll melt!
- Preheat the oven to 350Ā°. Place one cake cup cone upright in each hole of a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cups and level with a knife. Whisk together with the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites and vanilla, mixing well. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and cranberry juice, beginning and ending with the flour. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter between the cake cup cones. The batter should come up to Ā½ā within the top of the cone, or about where the straight part ends. Bake at 350Ā° for 24-27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with barely any crumbs attached. Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before setting out on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To decorate, add 2 tablespoons of whipped cream on each cupcake cone, and sprinkle a little of the blue and red sugars on top.
Making old fashioned ice cream sounds so fun & like good memories!! The cupcake cones are adorable! š
Thanks Karey! We still try to make ice cream at least once a year. But I don’t always need to take the first turn anymore — I’m finally getting stronger! š
These are the cutest things I have ever seen!! I don’t care much for ice cream in the hot days anyway, these are PERFECT!
Thank you Brittany!! I agree — ice cream sounds good on hot days, but since I’m such a slower eater, I always end up with a sticky chin and sticky fingers. Not that fun! š
Hand cranking? Now that’s dedication. And the heat, ugh! I haven’t baked in days and it makes me sad!
Me either! My oven is depressed too… I really want to bake cookies, just one little batch, but this 110Ā° heat is AWFUL!