Ice cream

Rhubarb. Yes, Rhubarb.

Posted on by Charity

A couple of weeks ago, I acquired some rhubarb.

Rheum rhabarbarum - Rhubarb

Rheum rhabarbarum – Rhubarb (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’d never cooked with rhubarb, and the only experience I’d had with it (aside from a vague memory of a song some high school friends used to sing that involved repeating “rhubarb” over and over) was when my mom would pick a stalk from my grandpa’s Ohio backyard and then eat it raw dipped in salt. One quick taste convinced me that this was not the way I wanted to enjoy my rhubarb, but neither did I care for the high sugar content of most rhubarb recipes I encountered. So, I kept looking while hoping the rhubarb would stay fresh-ish in my fridge until I found a recipe I wanted to use. Read More

5-Minute Dairy-Free Chocolate Ice Cream

Posted on by Charity

Inspired by the chocolate ice cream recipe that came with my VitaMix.

This recipe makes about 5 cups. If you want to, you can cut the recipe in half. That’s actually the way we’ve been making it lately because my husband seems to think that ice cream is just a summer dessert. Why on earth would he believe that?

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup Ah-Laska dairy-free hot cocoa powder

1/2 cup Better Than Milk Soy or Rice powder

1/8-1/4 cup agave nectar (or sweetener of choice)

2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder (I think plain old cocoa powder would work, too)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups (about 2 trays) ice cubes

Place all ingredients in the VitaMix (and put on the lid). Turn it on variable speed 1 and quickly turn up to 10 then switch to High. Use the tamper that came with the blender to gently jam the ice cubes into the blades. The ice cream is done when the blender starts to sound different and four mounds form at the top of the mixture (30-60 seconds). If the consistency is like a milk shake, quickly add a few more ice cubes and run for a little longer (or just grab a straw and enjoy).

This is my personal favorite of the ice creams I’ve made in the VitaMix. As a result, there are no pictures of it. Next time I make it, I’ll try to remember to grab my camera before devouring the entire batch. (Hmm…I wonder if it would be wrong in some way to make up a half batch while everyone else is in bed…)

Update:

And I didn't even wake up the kids running the VitaMix.

 

5-Minute Vanilla Ice Cream

Posted on by Charity

CF Vanilla Ice Cream

I modified a recipe from the VitaMix cookbook to make this dairy-free, cane-sugar-free ice cream. If you count the time it takes to eat, this is actually 10-minute ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup powdered soy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups ice cubes (I used 1.5 trays)

Place all ingredients in VitaMix. Turn machine on low, variable speed 1 and quickly turn variable speed to 10 and then to high. Blend for about 30-60 seconds until the sound of the motor changes and four mounds appear on the top of the mixture. Be careful not to blend too long or the ice cream will be too melty. Made “properly,” this makes an ice cream of soft-serve consistency.

I think I might try maple syrup as the sweetener next time, if the kids are amenable. I don’t see any reason you couldn’t use any sweetener you’d like in this, just modify the amount to suit your tastes and the sweetener.