Frescolita Ice Cream (Cola-Ice Cream)

We are going down memory lane today. You have been warned.

I was born and spend my early years growing up in Venezuela. And like most people those food that you eat in your childhood just stay there, in your soul.  Just the smell of them brings me down memory lane.

I lived in a small town (back then) in the most southern part of the country.  We were knows as the last stop before going to the Amazon jungle and experiencing the Salto Angel. In Venezuela (and like most latin countries), neighborhoods have a sense of community. Most people live in a house for years and years, so everyone knows everyone’s business; kids grow up together and play together.  My fondest childhood memory was that of playing outside our house on the street with other kids around the neighborhood. It was as tacky as any movie, where kids were left to run a bit free and pretty much do whatever we could do before being called back into the house by our parents.

Most of the “barrio” (Neighborhoods) have families that sell something to make a bit of extra cash on the side. I remember in my barrio we would have the house that would sell homemade cakes, another one that would have “Pastelitos” and “Empanadas” (pastry filled with all types of filling). And the tequeños (which trust me I will be making some and posting it here) Some when as far as having a “Bodegita” and part of a small business - think of it as a raw version of a “Farm Store”

Many of times I was given money and told to go to the bodega to get something my grandmother needed or forgot to get at the big supermarket. It love doing that because then, I could sneak a “real” (the equivalent of 25 cents) from the change to buy a Toronto, or a Cocosete.

And sometimes I would collect my “reales” and have enough (1 Bolivar = 1 dollar) to go to the green house down the corner and buy a “Helando de Frescolita” (Soda Pop ice cream). They were delicious, and creamy, sweet and ice-cold, a great treat for the hot days.

When I left Venezuela and came to the states, those were the treat that I would miss, those homemade cakes and ice creams, made by the women in the “Barrio”. As I got older and traveled back for vacation, I finally go the guts to ask how to make them and was surprise that all you needed was 2 ingredients.

Frescolita and sweeten condense milk.

Oh yeah, see where this is going?

To deliciousville on the fast train! (because anything with sweeten condense milk is ok with me)

Frescolita is a Venezuelan cola. It is very similar to cream sodas found here in the United States, with a taste similar to bubble gum. It’s yummy and one of my favorite soda drinks.

Most Latin markets sell them, or in some cases a version of the same thing, so it should not be hard to find, you can also buy it here

So let’s get cracking… you will need:

Ingredients 
1 can of Frescolita (or similar cream soda)
1 can of sweeten condense milk (we will use about ½ of the can more or less and some more to coat the inside of our cups)
Equipment:
A blender, some small plastic cups, a container to hold them in the freezer (Tray, cake pan, etc).

We start off by pouring the can of frescolita into the blender, then take the sweeten condense milk and pour some of that yummy liquid into the individual cups, coating the bottom. It should be about 1 tablespoon per cup (you can put more or less, depending on how much you like sweeten condensed milk). then pour about 1/2 of the can of condensed milk into the blender. Hit mix and swirled it up until well mixed, about 2 minutes or so. 

Taste it and if is not sweet enough, pour some more condensed milk and mix again. I personally don't like it too sweet, plus keep in mind that when freezing it, the flavors will intensify.

Pour the mixture into the coated cups about 1/2 way full, place into a tray or pan, cover wtih aluminum foild and into the freezer they go. Freezer for about 24 hours.

When ready, to eat just take out of freezer and spoon it up!