cashew aquafaba ice cream

When I was little, ice cream was a nightly communal ritual. Dad brought out the gold-rimmed carton of Blue Bell and five spoons. There was always a dish towel to guard our bare legs from the frosted cardboard. Never one for monotonous texture, I was guilty of digging out the mix-ins - the oreos, the cookie dough, the chocolate chips.

As I grew older & learned about nutrition facts, ice cream became relegated to one or two bites eaten while standing with the freezer door open, snuck as if it never happened. In high school, I thought frozen yogurt was God's gift to the women of suburbia. This was when low-cal and low-fat ruled the universe, and sugar flowed under the radar.

Today, I am only interested in the quality and simplicity of ingredients. Like most of my recipes, this cashew ice cream was a happy accident. I had heard of aquafaba's magical abilities in vegan meringues and started to experiment.

Serves 4 after a big meal, 2 after a salad, 1 if you're heartbroken

ingredients:

base

1 c raw cashews (soaked overnight)

water from 1 can of chickpeas (~3/4 c)

3 pitted medjool dates (more to taste)

1 tsp vanilla extract

sea salt

ground cinnamon

mix-ins (optional)

roasted nuts

chia

cacao nibs

fruit

swirls (optional)

nut butter

chia jam

honey

chocolate sauce (equal parts cacao powder & melted coconut oil)

prep:

1. soak raw cashews in water for 4+ hours (I leave them in a jar on the counter overnight)

2. drain & rinse cashews

3. soak dates in hot water to soften them, remove pits

4. add cashews, water from 1 can of chickpeas ("aquafaba"), dates, vanilla, a pinch of sea salt, & a few shakes of ground cinnamon to a food processor or blender

5. blend until smooth

6. add your mix-ins of choice. I like nuts, seeds, cacao nibs, or fruit, but anything is fair game. throw health to the wind & add cookies, candy, whatever

7. pulse a few times to keep a chunky texture, or blend until smooth

8. spread evenly into a tupperware

9. dot the mixture with your swirls of choice. to swirl, drag a toothpick or knife through the dots, making sure to press all the way to the bottom of the tupperware

10. freeze for 6-8 hours

11. allow it to soften for ~10 minutes before serving. if extra finicky, pop back into a blender for a super creamy texture. if you're hosting a dinner party, move ice cream to the fridge when guests arrive, it'll be soft by dessert.

12. scoop into bowls & top with any combination of sea salt, chia jam, stewed fruit, chocolate sauce, nuts, melted nut butter, seeds, etc.

13. scoop any leftovers into single servings & freeze separately for easy access tomorrow

flavor variations

balsamic fig - use storebought fig jam as a swirl, or make your own using my chia jam recipe. for the topping, cook fresh figs over medium heat. add a splash of water, a squirt of lemon juice, & a pinch of salt. cook until your desired softness. arrange stewed figs on top of the ice cream & drizzle with balsamic vinegar & sea salt honey peach - use honey as your swirl & top with stewed peaches cooked using the same method as the figs chocolate peanut butter - add cacao powder or nibs to the base mixture & blend smooth. pulse cacao nibs or chocolate chips. swirl with melted peanut butter & top with peanuts & sea salt.peanut butter crunch