Summer is here and with it my appetite for ice cream. Two years ago I bought myself an ice cream machine. At first I was hesitant because first, if you plan to buy a proper one it is an investment and second because they are quite big. Well I bought it anyway and what can I say, yes it was expansive and yes it is taking up a lot of space in my already small kitchen and yes I love it anyway. It just makes the most perfect ice cream.
I do not believe in no churn ice cream recipes! Believe me I made them all and most of them did not turn out very nice. With the ice cream machine I found it is quite easy to get good results without any fuss or long waiting times.
Along the ice cream making way I gathered some experience and tips I would like to share:
Choose your base wisely. For me there are three different kinds of bases that work for vegan ice cream: Ripe bananas, cashews and coconut milk/cream. They all have their pros and cons, so I would choose according to the flavour you are going for or your personal liking.
Banana: works wonderfully with chocolate, nut or caramel flavours, adds natural sweetness and is wonderfully creamy, but also adds a taste of banana which is not for everybody
Cashews:is quite neutral in taste, but is a lot more work as you have to soak the cashews and you need to use a blender. Works for all kind of flavours.
Coconut milk: comes closest to milk or ream, adds some natural sweetness and healthy fats to your ice cream, but also adds a taste of coconut which is not for everybody and is also not the cheapest option.
Respect the proportions: in order for you ice cream to be creamy you may not add to much liquids. Liquids freeze differently than cream and will always attract frost. Flavours and base should not exceed a proportion of 1:1
Reduce fruits: If you heat your fruits until they go soft and break down you get rid of all the excess liquids (juice) and you get a much more intense fruit flavour. I always reduce my fruits unless I want to have fruit pieces.
If you follow these basic rules it is very ease to make your own ice cream or copycat of your favourite non vegan ice cream. Happy ice cream making and let's share my current favourite. This recipe was kindly adapted from thefarmes-daughter.com. Enjoy!
Serves: 4 Prep time: 30 min churn time: 30-60 min
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 - 2,5 cups coconut cream (refrigerated overnight and only use the hard part)
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
2 tablespoons basil, minced
Directions:
1. Place the blueberries, water, and maple syrup into a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally and let them cook until they start to fall apart and most of the water is gone (more like a syrup consistency). Now mash the blueberries or give them a quick mix with a hand-held blender. Set aside and let cool completely.
2. Add blueberry sauce, coconut cream, salt,basil and vanilla to your ice cream machine and start the churning process )following the instructions of your ice cream machine. Place in the freezer for a couple of hours afterwards to firm it up before serving or have some right away as nice cream ( I love to do that).
If you tried this, please let me now how you liked it in the comment section down below and if you want to get notified about more recipes like this, a subscription is just three clicks away.