I had a great Fourth of July last weekend! We got to see a fantastic local firework show and launched some small fireworks off at our place. And we ate our own veg versions of the traditional Independence Day fare: hotdogs and ice cream. We had Yves veggie dogs with chili and pasta salad, and followed it up with some delicious homemade coconut cookie dough ice cream.
This stuff is good. And I mean never-buy-an-overpriced-dairy-free-ice-cream-again good. The coconut ice cream is rich and creamy on its own and with cookie dough chunks, it tastes just like one of the exciting flavors you would buy at the store. When Drew and I got married in May, we received an ice cream maker as a wedding gift. Let me tell you, that thing is worth its weight in gold. In case you're interested, I have the Cuisinart 2-quart ice cream maker and it's worked fabulously for me. I love the fact that I can make ice cream with an ingredients list exactly as long as I want it to be -- no unpronounceable ingredients allowed. Not to mention how fun it is to get creative with different ice cream flavors!
Coconut Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Coconut Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 13-oz. cans full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup raw sugar and stevia blend (You can use the Purevia brand or add your own sugar and stevia to taste)
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1 Tbs. coconut oil
Dash of salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk over a low to medium heat until the mixture is cooked--the sugar and oil are melted and well combined-- but do not bring to a boil. Be sure to taste it to make sure it is as sweet as you would like it to be. Next, take it off of the heat, transfer to a blender and blend thoroughly. This step may seem unnecessary, since you just whisked it and it seemed so well combined, but trust me, you need to blend it. If you don't, then little lumps of coconut fat will harden in the fridge and you'll end up with lumpy ice cream. Which is just not ideal. After blending your creamy coconut liquid, you'll need to chill it in the fridge for a few hours.
When it is chilled, just follow the instructions on your ice cream maker and add in your cookie dough chunks when your ice cream is still somewhat creamy and soft!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. coconut oil (melted)
4 Tbs. maple syrup
3 Tbs. agave nectar or honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbs. cinnamon
1 cup white whole wheat flour
Semisweet chocolate chips to taste
Whisk together the wet ingredients. Then, add in the flour, cinnamon and salt and mix well. After that, just add in as many chocolate chips as you want. And if you don't have maple syrup, don't sweat it. I really like the flavor maple syrup adds, but the cookie dough will still taste great with a different sweetener as well. Next, just roll the cookie dough into little balls and place in the fridge. As I mentioned above, when the ice cream is out of the ice cream maker and about the consistency of soft serve, stir in the cookie dough chunks and then either serve right away, or place in the freezer to make a firmer ice cream. Enjoy!
