Rocky Road Ice Cream

I’ve recently discovered a sneaky way of adding creaminess to ice cream – avocado! Stay with me on this one! Think green smoothies – the added plants don’t taste recognizable in the end product. Avocado as an ice cream base is probably suitable for many flavors besides Rocky Road. Forgive me for the vague measurements. Homemade ice cream, in my opinion, is not a science. Taste and adjust as you see fit.

Ice cream base:
1 ripe avocado
1 C coffee
1 C almond or coconut milk
3-4 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla extract
~1/4 C sweetener

Mix-ins:
3 tbsp almonds or walnuts, toasted and chopped
3 tbsp chopped dark chocolate, or chocolate chips
small handful vegan marshmallows, quartered

In a blender, blend all ingredients of the ice cream base. Taste and adjust. Freeze the mix-ins. Chill in the fridge until very cold, then run through your ice cream maker, adding in the mix-ins during the last 2 minutes of processing. Freeze about 3 hours, or until firm.

Popcorn Ice Cream

My mom described this ice cream well, saying it tastes a lot like the last bite of a vanilla cone – almost equal parts ice cream and soft, chewy bits. That is my favorite bite of the cone, although surely the saddest. With this flavor, you can experience “the last bite” over and over again. For a Cracker Jack variation, toss in 1/4 C chopped peanuts at the end of the churning process, and serve with caramel sauce.

Makes about 1/2 Quart

5 C plain popped corn (made from heaping 1/4 C unpopped kernels), divided
1 1/4 C milk
1/3 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted popcorn)
1 tsp vanilla
scant pinch of cinnamon, optional
3 tbsp melted butter

In a blender or food processor, blend together all ingredients except for 1 cup of popcorn and the butter. Process about 2 minutes, until very smooth. With the motor on a medium-slow speed, very slowly drizzle in the butter to create an emulsion. Chill mixture completely in the fridge. Churn the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s instructions, adding in the 1 cup of reserved popped corn at the very last moment. Freeze until firm. Serve garnished with popcorn!

Frozen Yogurt

Why did it take me so many years to plop yogurt in my ice cream maker? When I make this I pretend like I’m in Pinkberry and load on the toppings although my mom, the purist, prefers plain. Dirt and Baklava Spread are my two fave toppers. However, chocolate chips, sprinkles, coconut, nuts, fruit, cereal, and nibs are all worth considering. Experiment with flavor extracts! When I put baklava spread on top I flavored the yogurt with rose water.

1 big ol’ container of soy yogurt (I use plain Silk brand)
Agave (maybe 1/4 C…I don’t measure it)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine in a bowl, then process in an ice cream maker. Freeze at least 2 hours to harden.

Dirt

My sister and I call this Dirt and I can’t remember why. 4 basic ingredients that are remarkably good together. This is instant gratification with a spoon, or let it really shine atop some frozen yogurt. I see no reason why shredded coconut couldn’t find a place here. Sometime I feel like that’s my life motto…

1/2 C oats
6 dates
3-4 tbsp peanut butter
1/3 C chocolate chips

Pulse together in a food processor until almost nearly combined. If you have the patience, it firms up nicely in the fridge.

Sugarplum Fairy Ice Cream

Today I came across a magical new product called Duncan Hines Frosting Creations…COTTON CANDY FLAVOR (info here) Cotton candy? In convenient powder form much like kool-aide? I feel like I won the lottery. “Sugarplum Fairy” seemed a fitting name with the addition of chopped gumdrops. If I were an ice cream flavor I’m pretty sure it would be cotton candy with gumdrops – whimsical, blue, and sort of ridiculous. 

1 13-oz. can light coconut milk
13 oz. almond milk (measure in the coconut can)
heaping 1/3 C sugar
2 stevia packets
1 packet Duncan Hines frosting creations Cotton Candy flavor
1/2 C gumdrops (optional) chopped, tossed with sugar to prevent sticking, and frozen

In a small saucepan combine the milks, sugar, and stevia. Heat until warm-hot just to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, stir in the flavor pack. Revel in the beautiful blue hue. Refrigerate several hours, then run through an ice cream maker. In the last few minutes add the gumdrops. Freeze at least 1 hour before scooping.