Fluffy, freshly fallen snow works best. Some North Carolinians advise waiting until the second snowfall so that the first one can clean the air. That might be prudent, but in places where even one snow is unexpected, it’s also risky, like hoping to pull two aces in a row from a deck of cards. No matter the timing, be sure to scoop from a part of the great outdoors that’s clean enough to eat off of.
Yield: About 4 cups.
1 cup milk, evaporated milk, half-and-half, or cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 to 12 cups pristine snow
Whisk together the milk, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and refrigerate while you get the snow. Bring in more snow than you think you’ll need, because it often melts more than you expect it will. Stir snow into the milk mixture until it reaches the consistency of an extra-thick milkshake.
Variation: Replace the milk and sugar with a chilled can of sweetened condensed milk.
When cold weather settles in around the mountains, across the Piedmont, and along the coast, stay toasty with these four recipes.
Each month, our senior editor, a former music editor of Rolling Stone, curates one-of-a-kind Spotify playlists featuring North Carolina songs and musicians. We sat down with him to find out more about his love of music.
Whether you need fuel for sledding and snowball fights or comfort food for a day spent by the fire, these recipes — from snow cream and hot cocoa to warming casseroles, stews, and soups — will keep you cozy.
Everything grinds to a halt when Mother Nature dumps snow and ice on North Carolina. Still, there’s something special about seeing glistening ice or a bright mound of snow piled high where it doesn’t seem to belong.
