July 1, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Cherry, Chocolate, Almond Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart

Thanks are due, once again, to Wheeler del Torro, author of The Vegan Scoop, for his vegan ice cream formula that I enjoy endlessly adapting. This flavor combination was inspired by a day trip with my friend Katherine last week to Currituck County in North Carolina. On our way to visit Harbinger Lavender Farm, we stopped at Morris Farm Market where I purchased beautiful ruby-red fresh cherries for a song. Our trip even yielded the little stainless steel ice cream bowl in the photo. I bought two mismatched ones at an antique store for half price.

1 cup unsweetened soy milk, divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 cups plain soy creamer (I used French Vanilla, but plain would be delicious too)
3/4 granulated or raw sugar (you might need 1 cup if cherries are really tart)
2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted, and pureed in a food processor until almost smooth
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
approximately 1/2 cup chopped almonds (lightly toast them if you like)

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy milk and arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside. Place the remaining 3/4 cup of soy milk, soy creamer, sugar and pureed cherries into a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth followed by the vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, whisk again if lumps remain, and then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight until thoroughly chilled. Whisk to remove any remaining lumps and then freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. (I use a Cusinart electric ice cream maker.) When ice cream is almost frozen, pour in chocolate chips and almonds and continue freezing so that they are well distributed. Scrape ice cream into an airtight container and store in freezer.

June 23, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin-Ginger Ice Cream

Yield: approximately 1 quart

I am indebted, once again, to Wheeler Del Torro, author of The Vegan Scoop for this ice cream formula. His blend of soy milk, soy creamer and arrowroot powder always yields rich and creamy results. My recipe was inspired by left-over canned pumpkin from the weekend’s pancake creation and fresh ginger from the Vegan Chinese Orange-Sesame Chicken with Carrots. The addition of a couple of sticks of cinnamon yields a flavor that is deeply pumpkiny, but with subtle nuances for a beautiful complexity. It is especially delectable with a dollop of Soy Whip into which a little orange liqueur and fresh orange zest has been folded.

1 cup unsweetened soy milk, divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 to 2 1/2 cups plain soy creamer (I used French Vanilla, but plain would be delicious too)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
8 very thin slices of fresh ginger, peel left on
1 cup pureed pumpkin (canned is perfect)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy milk and arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside. Place the remaining 3/4 cup of soy milk and remaining ingredients, except vanilla extract, into a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth followed by the pumpkin and the vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, whisk again if lumps remain, and then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Whisk to remove any remaining lumps, then remove cinnamon sticks and ginger slices, squeezing the latter slightly as you do. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. (I use a Cusinart electric ice cream maker.) Scrape into an airtight container and store in freezer.

June 14, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream

Yield: approximately 1 quart

The aroma and appearance of Starbucks’ Caramel Macchiatos, those creamy cafe-caramel beverages to die for–but off-limits for vegans–inspired this delectable ice cream. Once again, I have based my creation on the never-fail formula in Wheeler del Torro’s The Vegan Scoop cookbook.

1 cup unsweetened soy milk, divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals (I use decaffeinated)
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
3/4 to 1 cup packed brown sugar
2 to 2 1/2 cups plain soy creamer
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy milk, arrowroot powder and coffee until smooth and coffee is dissolved. Set aside. Place vegan butter and brown sugar plus one tablespoon of the remaining soy milk into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add remaining soy milk and the soy creamer and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in soy milk-arrowroot-coffee mixture until very smooth. Whisk in vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, whisk again if lumps remain, and then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Whisk to remove any remaining lumps, and freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. (I use a Cusinart electric ice cream maker.) Scrape into an airtight container and store in freezer.

June 7, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Vanilla Bean-Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Yield: approximately 1 quart

Wheeler del Torro, founder and owner of Wheeler’s Frozen Dessert Company in Boston, is a genius. If you love ice cream–and not just sorbet–are vegan, lactose intolerant, or just in search of a healthier alternative, and don’t want to spend a day’s pay on a pint of the stuff, his new book The Vegan Scoop is a must-have. Beautiful, hip, well-designed and well-written, this book contains just the right amount of information in addition to seductive color photos and 150 of his creative recipes. With many cookbooks, the preface is skipable. But you will want to savor this one in which del Torro recounts his delightful journey to frozen fame in a personal, but succinct, way.

The base for many, if not most, of Wheeler’s ice creams is a cup of soy or other vegan milk, 2 cups of soy creamer, 2 tablespoons of arrowroot (a natural starchy thickener) and 3/4 cup of sugar. From there, go anywhere using his incredibly diverse recipes or ones of your own devise. You will scarcely believe how smooth and creamy the end results will be because the arrowroot thickens the base and, more importantly, reduces the formation of ice crystals.

My concoction, inspired by Wheeler, emerged from my Cuisinart electric ice cream maker almost identical to a firm soft serve. Perfection! Even better, a day later, it had not iced up, but remained silky smooth. I feel as though I’ve found the Holy Grail.

1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons arrow root powder
1 1/2 cups coconut milk, shaken well (you can add a whole 13.5 ounce can–about 1 2/3 cups–I just didn’t have a full can)
1 1/4 cups soy creamer
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon, broken in half (optional, but it imparts a subtle layer of flavor)
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy milk with arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside. Pour next three ingredients into a small-medium saucepan, stir to combine, and add optional cinnamon stick halves. With a sharp paring knife, slit the vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the tip of the knife scrape out seeds into the milk mixture. Place over medium heat and, bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth. Add vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, whisk again if lumps remain, and then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove cinnamon stick halves, whisk to remove any remaining lumps, and freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Scrape into an airtight container and store in freezer.