What better way to welcome spring then with ice cream!? Not just any kind of ice cream... raw, vegan, ice cream! I first experienced raw ice cream at Quintessence, a raw restaurant in NYC. From that point on, I was determined to create amazing raw, creamy, ice cream from my kitchen at home. How hard can it be? The answer... not very.
I did research and decided it would be worth my while to invest in an ice cream maker. This gadget is not necessary for you to create raw ice cream, it can be made without one. However, it certainly adds texture and creaminess to the final product. I purchased the Cuisinart ICE-20, it ranges in price from about $29.99 to $54.99. I browsed a few recipes for inspiration and came up with my own version using a coconut meat/cashews base, agave as a sweetener and vanilla and peppermint oil for bursts of flavor. I made raw chocolate chunks so I could officially call it mint chocolate chip ice cream! After about 25 minutes in the ice cream maker I had... the most creamy, flavorful, alive, vibrant, raw, vegan mint chocolate chip ice cream I have ever tasted... ever.
I have played around with raw ice cream quite a few times since initially getting my ice cream maker. I came up with this easy sorbet recipe, it is extremely diverse and can serve as your "base." Have fun with it, experiment, and make it your own. Try adding: cashews for creaminess, lucama powder for sweetness, cacao powder, cacao nibs, chopped walnuts, maca or... anything!
Meredith's Amazing Berry Sorbet
10 oz. bag frozen mixed berries
8 oz. cold spring water
2 frozen bananas
1/2 c. agave
4 tbsp. coconut butter or coconut oil
2 tea. vanilla extract or vanilla bean
pinch salt
optional:
2 tbsp. lucama powder
1 tbsp. maca powder
cacao powder
cacao nibs
1. blend all ingredients in blender or vita-mix.
2. follow manufacturers instructions on your ice cream maker and make ice cream!
3. serve your delicious raw sorbet with your favorite raw sundae fixins': candied nuts, "whipped cream", chocolate syrup....
4. grab two spoons and one friend and enjoy the best ice cream ever together!
Fun Facts:
Lucama is a rare fruit that is grown in South America. Lucama is an extremely popular flavor in Peruvian culture and has been honored since ancient times. In Peru the flavor is considered more popular then chocolate! It is a wonderful sweetener, especially for diabetics, because it is considered low-glycemic (doesn't spike blood sugar!) Lucama is loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals including beta-carotene, iron and niacin. To enjoy the wonderful flavor of lucama add it to your ice cream, smoothie or dessert.
0 comments:
Post a Comment