For Mother's Day I requested an ice cream machine. My reasoning was that making your own anything, is cheaper than buying from the store, which is true. Also, that it would be healthier because you know exactly what is going into it, and you can pronounce all your ingredients (hopefully), also true. But hey, who am I kidding, I just love kitchen gadgets of all sorts and this is one more for me to make fun stuff to eat, right?!
I was inspired by several websites and their vegan ice cream recipes, but in the end I concocted my own and if I do say so myself it came out delicious. Perhaps beginners luck, since it was my first swing at it. Whatever! It worked and it is pretty tasty.
I will say it is not as firm as store bought vegan ice cream, but I'll try a couple other suggestions/recipes and keep you updated. Or maybe just letting it sit in the freezer for a while longer after it comes out of the machine instead of devouring it straight out of the container might work.The machine's instructions (mine is the $50 one from Cuisinart), suggests at least 10 hours of freezer time for the container. It took mine about 24 hours. Also, do not overflow the container when you put ice cream base in, I almost did. I think I can safely assume, had I put too much, there would not be enough cold to solidify ice cream base as needed.
Anyhow .... recipe, here goes:
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 vanilla soy milk
1/2 vanilla creamer
4 Tablespoons of flax oil
1/2 banana
1/4 cup dutch process cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon each, chocolate extract and almond extract (optional)
1/2 cup smooth almond butter
2 Tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
1/2 cup extra-firm Mori-Nu tofu
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1. Put all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. Chill overnight.
2. Follow ice cream machine's instructions
3. During last five minutes add chocolate chips. Total time for my machine was 35 min.
