I just got back from the farmer’s market this morning. In California, we’ve just entered into summer fruit mania. It always starts with strawberries, then progresses to cherries, stone fruits and melons.
I think I may be dating myself with this, but I grew up right across from a strawberry field. You knew strawberry season was right around the corner, because the scent of berries permeated the air. Armed with three dollars, I would walk across the street to buy a whole flat of strawberries. Yes, three whole stinking dollars.
I would gorge on those freshly picked berries from April through August. Sadly, that field was ultimately sold and razed to develop homes, but the sensory memory of that place still lingers with me.
Fast forwarding to today, it’s interesting to see that my home town, Fountain Valley, still has plots of land where local farmers work the land, grow fruits and vegetables, and sells them to the local residents – farms in a suburban landscape. Residents are pushing back on re-zoning laws, so that the local farmers can maintain that land. Read this OC Register article about the last two historical farms losing their agricultural status last year. I would love to have this in our neighborhood, but I accept the reality of living in the heart of Los Angeles.
I’m keeping the strawberry memories alive, buying as much as I can during the season. Aside from enjoying the fruit as is, I will make this ROASTED STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM as many times as I can. I’ve tinkered with a lot of dairy-free ice cream recipes, but I think this one is a winner. It’s a blend of a rich cashew cream and coconut milk, and an ingredient tI’m keeping the strawberry memories alive, buying as much as I can during the season.
Aside from enjoying the fruit as is, I will make this ROASTED STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM as many times as I can. I’ve tinkered with a lot of dairy-free ice cream recipes, but I think this one is a winner. It’s a blend of a rich cashew cream and coconut milk, and an ingredient t sets this recipe apart from the others is cocoa butter. You end up with this impossibly rich ice cream, with a mouthfeel very close to the heavy cream versions. The cocoa butter adds a wonderfully subtle white chocolate taste to the ice cream – it tastes like white chocolate covered strawberries.
If you want additional decadence, serve this delicious ice cream with a chocolate magic shell. It is truly delicious over this ice cream. I think it tastes like chocolate covered strawberries in ice cream form.
ROASTED STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM (dairy free, vegan)
Ice cream base recipe adapted from Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream. (FYI, their vegan ice cream is one of the best I’ve ever tasted – for reals!)
Special equipment needed – ice cream maker, immersion blender (optional)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart 1x
- Category: dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
ICE CREAM
1 c cashew cream (see recipe below)
1 c coconut milk, canned
3/4 c organic cane sugar
6 tbsp cocoa butter
1/4 c refined coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 batch ROASTED STRAWBERRIES, cooled
2 tsp vodka
Instructions
CASHEW CREAM
Soak 2 c cashews for 3-4 hours in filtered water.
Drain, place soaked cashews in a small blender.
Add 2 c filtered water. blend until smooth. No need to filter through a nut bag. Make approx 2 cups.
Reserve 1 c of cashew cream for this recipe.
ROASTED STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
in a small saucepan, add sugar, water, cocoa butter, coconut oil and salt. Over med/low heat melt mixture until it is liquid
in a medium size bowl, add cashew cream and coconut milk. add the liquid sugar mixture.
Whisk until all ingredients are well incorporated (an immersion blender is handy here if you have one).
Chill mixture in refrigerator for a maximum of 2-3 hours.
When ready, transfer chilled mixture to ice cream maker. Add vodka (which will make ice cream more scoop-able). Make according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer to a freezer safe container, layering in dollops of the roasted strawberries. Freeze overnight.
Keywords: ice cream, strawberry, coconut
CHOCOLATE MAGIC SHELL
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (do not use chocolate chips)
1/4 c coconut oil
Instructions
Melt chopped chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler.
Cool in bowl to room temperature, then transfer to a jar.
Notes
Magic shell will firm up to one solid mass when refrigerated. To get to temperature, submerge jar in a bowl filled with hot water, and let the chocolate melt.
Keywords: chocolate, magic shell
