5 Ingredient Pumpkin Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free

Less than two weeks till Halloween! Do you have your costume figured out? I think I'll go crazy and wear a fancy shirt. I don't expect any trick-or-treaters for either candy or Unicef in my neighborhood, but that doesn't mean we won't want pumpkiny goodness.

And this ice cream? It definitely qualifies as pumpkiny goodness. The fact that real, actual, honest-to-goodness pumpkin, rather than just pumpkin spices, means you can really taste the pumpkin. Does that also mean we can count it as a vegetable course? hmmm. I'm leaning toward "yes."

For the first time I experimented with using one can of full-fat coconut milk and one can of light coconut milk. It's good! It might not be quite as creamy as using only full-fat, but Mr Official Taster hasn't noticed, and I think it's dreamy delicious. Lower fat + pumpkin? I think that equals a firm "yes" on the vegetable question. Sweet.

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free
adapted from MindBodyGreen

As I mentioned above, you can use either two cans of full fat coconut milk OR one can full fat + one can light coconut milk.  Do you have a good spice cabinet but no pumpkin pie spice? Make your own! 

2 15-ounce cans of coconut milk, well shaken (see note)
1 C pumpkin puree (either canned or fresh)
1/2 C maple syrup
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract

and a bonus, "optional" ingredient

splash of bourbon

Add the first five ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally, and then whisk more frequently as the mixture warms up until it's fully combined and no lumps remain (a boil isn't necessary). Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate at least a few hours or overnight. 

Transfer chilled mix (plus a splash or two of bourbon, if using) to your ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Strawberry Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free

I think I've teased you long enough. 

I'm finally sharing my recipe for vegan Strawberry Ice Cream. Even though I was allergic to strawberries and dairy for most of my childhood, it's one of those dishes that just screams "summer!" to me, along with peach crisp, tomato salad, and grill pizza. It's not so early in the growing season that strawberries are so precious that each one is savored raw, and "how-dare-you-even-suggest-that-I-could-get-sick-of-these!" is a common thought when reading recipes that cook down pints of them. It's full on Summer, which means beautiful, full-flavored strawberries are everywhere, and it becomes hard to keep up with Mother Nature.

Mr Official Taster was certainly happy for me to give this a whirl, and he likes it better than my vegan sangria fruit ice cream. (I like that one better from a economic/fully use your food point of view, but this recipe is more practical for the everyday). In many ways, my vegan jam ice cream is my favorite frozen creation, but I can understand not wanting to give up/sacrifice/repurpose yummy jam.

ANYWAY, this jam is fairly simple to put together. The hardest part is remembering to plan for 4-5 hours of chilling time for the base and to already have your ice cream maker bowl frozen. I try to keep my in the freezer in case the ice-cream-making mood strikes, but sometimes actual food takes precedence in the space wars.

So go ahead, celebrate summer with this yummy vegan (and gluten free, of course) strawberry ice cream. What dishes scream summer to you? Let's discuss in the comments!

Strawberry Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free
adapted from The Kitchn

I have successfully halved this recipe, so if you don't want the temptation of an entire batch, know that it works. Want to add some yummy bits to the ice cream? Add things like chocolate chips or graham crackers in the last five minutes of processing. If you don't need to worry about dairy, white chocolate chips seem like they would be delicious. When I made this recipe, I didn't use the cornstarch the original added, and I also didn't add any liquid sweetener. I liked it just fine. It wasn't super sweet, so if you'd like more sweetness, please add it in.

2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup agave nectar (or honey, although I found I did not need the extra sweetness of either option)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 dry pint (2 cups) strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/4 cup natural cane sugar (I think an equal or smaller amount of honey would work instead, though I haven't tried it)

Make sure your ice cream maker's bowl is thoroughly chilled per the manufacturer's instructions.

Shake the cans of coconut milk thoroughly to combine before opening. Combine the coconut milk, agave (if using) and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat until all of the ingredients combine smoothly and the mixture is uniformly warmed, about 2 minutes.

Scrape the vanilla bean into the mixture and slip in the pod as well (or add vanilla extract). Cook over medium heat until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not to allow the mixture to boil.

Remove the pot from the heat, discard the vanilla bean pod, and pour the coconut base into a bowl. Cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours — you really do need the base to be very cold before you process it in the ice cream machine.

While the base is cooling, make the strawberry sauce. Mash the strawberries down in a small to medium saucepan. Sprinkle in the sugar and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the berries start to lose their shape and become juicy. Remove from the heat and cool on the counter for a bit. Once slightly cool, blend in a food processor or blender, or with an immersion blender, for just a few seconds until a thick sauce forms (it will be somewhat jammy in consistency). Set aside (or stick in the fridge until you're ready to go).

Churn the coconut ice cream base and strawberry sauce in your ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. I've never found coconut ice cream to get really hard in a machine - it's always a bit like soft serve in consistency. Enjoy immediately or spread the ice cream into a large loaf pan (or pie pan) and freeze for a few more hours (or overnight) until the ice cream has firmed up completely. Mine froze super hard, so you may need to take it out 10 minutes or so before you'd like to serve it. 

Sangria Fruit Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free

Can you believe it's already almost Memorial Day weekend? Can we talk about that for a second? Because I really can't seem to wrap my mind around it. At work, we're planning and prepping for a busy weekend, as we are at home, but I really just can't take it in that it's already the beginning of summer. Maybe if we had fireflies here it would be easier to grasp? (yes, sad fact. no fireflies on the west coast)  I just...whew this year is flying.

"Anyway, moving on" as my dad would say. Are you hosting or attending a party this weekend? I don't know what else you have planned, but I recommend sangria and ice cream. Both are perfect harbingers of summer, and both are crowd pleasers. They are also show stoppers that are easy to prepare and easy to prepare for a group.

First, let's talk sangria. Here are some mouth-watering recipes I pulled from my Pinterest collection of drinks:

• Summer Sangria with Pineapple & Mango
• Mango, Mint & Peach Sangrias
• Two Classic Sangrias from Smitten Kitchen
• Sparkling Grapefruit Sangria

If you make one or four of them, invite me! I'll bring brownies and my ice cream maker.

Alas, I can't invite you over to my place because, well, it's gonna be full. I have good friends coming for a visit (yay!), and a sister-in-law graduating with an MBA (yay!), which means parents-in-law will also be in town (yay!), and, well, I think you can agree that the weekend sounds pretty full. If I were more on top of things and didn't have to, um, work, perhaps I'd be the one cooking a celebration feast. If I were, sangrias sound like a festive must-drink.

The beauty of this "recipe" is that it's really just a guide. Use what you have and it will be delicious.


Sangria Fruit Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free

Below are the volumes that I used, but the point of this recipe is really it's versatility. Have more than a cup of fruit? Add some more milk. Have less fruit but more people? Add some "regular" fruit and/or some more milk. Want a lighter ice cream? Add a second can but use light coconut milk and/or add some more fruit. Consider reserving some fruit for garnish. Mostly, though, just use what you have, and I can pretty much guarantee that no one will complain that it's not ___ enough. If they do? They're probably having a terrible day, and you may want to grant them a little leeway. And maybe a drink. 

1 C sangria fruit (I used a mix of berries)
1 (~15oz) can full-fat coconut milk
agave, honey, or sweetener of choice (optional, see below)

Use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to fully combine the milk and fruit. Taste, and add a little sweetener if needed. Mix to combine. Chill in refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, or overnight.

Transfer chilled mix to your ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Spicy Gingerbread Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free

Are you spending inordinate amounts of time watching the Olympics? I've been watching a couple hours in the afternoon, but when they start up the broadcast again at 8pm it's practically bedtime. Sad, but true. I suspect, however, as the games continue, I will stay up later, watch more, and sleep less. Man, getting that antenna is really cutting into my beauty rest!

In other news, it stopped raining (sad face), but on the plus side, I've noticed that the sun is still shining after 5pm. Spring is on the way! All you folks facing yet another snowstorm, take heart! I even saw an ad today for spring flowers and gardening tools.

I've made gingerbread ice cream in the past, but this time I wanted it to be both dairy free and really, strongly, gingerbread cookie-like in flavor. I was so pleased with how coconut milk worked in my homemade jam ice cream that I knew I had to use it again.

Mr Official Taster (the big ice cream eater of the family) prefers spicy gingerbread cookies to sweeter ones, so I used those as inspiration. The biggest flavor influence is choosing ginger as one of the spices to give the ice cream that signature bite. The sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves all play a sweet/savory role and balance the taste.

Because this is not a sweet ice cream, it goes particularly well with sweet desserts like apple tarts. Although I haven't tried it, I imagine this spicy gingerbread ice cream would pair beautifully with chocolate pumpkin cake, pumpkin pie, and snickerdoodle muffins. Or you could go another direction and enjoy it alongside some hot tea, coffee, or, dare I suggest, Irish coffee to help take the chill off?

So even though it's cold outside, I still think you need to go make this ice cream. Tonight, if possible. 

You can always snuggle in front of the Olympics for extra warmth.


Spicy Gingerbread Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free

a Short & Sweets original

Below is the full-sized version, but I've also made a half batch successfully, which comes in handy if you live with someone who will eat however much is in the freezer. I have not tried making this with the low fat version of canned coconut milk because it's the fat that makes it so decadent and creamy. If you want to lower the fat, I would first try this recipe with one can of full fat and one can of low fat. Then let us know how it goes, mmmkay? For a sweeter version, skip the ginger, cut down the cinnamon to 1 tsp, and increase the sugar to 1/2 C. 

2 cans full-fat coconut milk (see note)
2 Tbsp molasses
1/3 C brown sugar or sucanat
2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
pinch of salt
gingerbread cookie dough (optional- try this one or this one)

Add the milk, molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to a small saucepan. Heat, whisking occasionally, on medium until steam rises from the milk and the sugar is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes or so). Remove from heat and cool completely (2+ hours in the fridge; you can speed things up by sticking it in the freezer instead). Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

If you want to add in pieces of cookie dough:
When I have done so, I've added somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 C of cookie dough pieces (recipes here and here) towards the end of the ice cream maker's work, because that's what the machine's instruction manual said to do. I have no idea if you can add things like chocolate chips/cookie dough/gummie bears at the beginning or not. But I suspect that adding them in the last 5 minutes or so ensures they are well mixed in and don't just sink to the bottom.

Homemade Jam Ice Cream - vegan & gluten free

Guys, I'm sorry. Turns out Decembers are hard, even when your other person is not in Sweden. Are Decembers hard for you too? I'm going to go ahead and blame the getting-dark-early, the cold, and the crazy-work-because-it's-the-holidays. There, see? Not my fault.

Moving on.

Perhaps you've started eating that jam you made this summer? Perhaps some of it didn't turn out perfectly? Perhaps some of it is over-set and so stiff as to be unspreadable? Yes? Well, then do I have a solution for you!

Soliciting Thoughts on Ice Cream Makers

So lately I've really been wanting an ice cream maker because I keep seeing delicious sounding recipes that call for one. They are jumping out from pages of old Gourmet magazine issues, new cookbooks, websites, the works. I've never been a huge ice cream eater, what with it being a dairy-centric food and all, but I do really love sorbets. My reasoning that has kept me from actually buying one is that our very small kitchen is very small and there's not really any room for one.
But then my resolve was tested. I saw these popular Cuisinart ice cream makers in fantastic colors. And I really want the orange one. it's so cute!

Do you have an ice cream maker? Do you use it a lot or has it been sitting in the back of a cabinet for the last several years? General ice cream thoughts?