Last week marked the first of June and therefore beginning of Winter here in New Zealand. And with a bang, it suddenly was (like) winter. Well, not what an inhabitant of the upper Northern hemisphere would call winter, but cold enough to put on an extra layer of clothing before leaving the house ð
But that does not repel me from working on rather cold recipe creations. Like this vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and coconut free chocolate ice cream recipe, that I have been working on for a while now.
After a few variations I can say that it is quite crucial to add some kind of seed or nut in order to achieve a deliciously creamy texture. I opted for sunflower seeds because they are my personal favourite. You could also use pumpkin seeds or nuts, if you are OK with them. Make sure you soak them though.
As always, this recipe works with and without and ice cream maker. Please see instructions for both options below ð
Please note: I cook the sweet potato without peeling it, in a pot topped with water. Then let it cool down a little before peeling. This way it won’t soak up so much water. You can also bake it in the oven until tender.
For approx. 1.5 liter you’ll need:
1/2 cup (140g) cooked kūmara (sweet potato)
1/2 cup (75g) sunflower seeds, soak them in filtered water for at least 8 hours, then rinse and drain
3/4 cup (75g) FAIR-TRADE cocoa or cacao powder
1 cup (140g) dates, pitted and diced (or more if you like it sweeter)
3 cups (750ml) water
some extra cacao nibs if you like to add some more chocolate flavour and crunch ð (optional)
Preparation with ice-cream maker
1. In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients but the cacao nibs until smooth. If your blender isnât very powerful, let the dates soak in the water for a while.
2. Transfer mixture to the ice cream maker and churn until it is almost finished.
3. Pour in the cacao nibs and let churn for another 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Scoop the ice âdreamâ into a freezer safe container and pop in freezer for an hour or so to let firm up properly.
Preparation without high-speed blender:
1. In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients but the cacao nibs until smooth. If your blender isnât very powerful, let the dates soak in the water for a while.
2. Transfer the mixture into freezer safe containers, filling the container not higher than the thickness of your finger. Place in freezer until solid.
3. Pop frozen ice dream slabs onto work bench and cut into cubes.
4. Place ice cubes in high speed blender and using the tamper, push them at medium speed into the blades until it is ice-creamy.
5. Scoop a layer of the ice âcreamâ into a freezer safe container, sprinkle with cacao nibs. Then add another layer and sprinkle with cacao nibs again. Repeat until finished. Place in freezer until it is more firm.
Enjoy! ð
Please let me know what you think about this recipe, Iâd love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.
