by Alison Anton
What kid doesn't crave a sweet, creamy, frosty cup of ice cream during the hot months of summer? What adult doesn't? It's too bad that all the commercial varieties -- including natural and vegan brands -- are loaded with refined sugar, pasteurized cream, starches, gums and emulsifiers.
Solution: Did you know that making your own is actually easy? It's also a fun project for the kids. But the best thing about it is that YOU get to control how much sweetener goes in and what kind of milk to use, be it cow's milk, soy milk or oat milk. I swear you'll love this ice cream!
Here's what you'll need:
Ice Cream Maker: You can find one at Target for around 30 bucks. It's a small appliance and the base can be stored right in the freezer for quick and easy ice cream on the fly. Just pour in the batter, turn it on and get a quart of homemade ice cream in 20 minutes!
Cream: For dairy-free ice cream, I use a blend of cashews and unsweetened oat milk. Pureed together with your choice of sweetener and flavorings, these two make a perfect pair for an amazingly creamy, dairy-free ice cream dessert. Macadamias, which are more nutritious than cashews, can be used, but the cream will have a slightly grainy texture in comparison to that of cashews. Oat milk can be found in the boxed milk section at your local natural foods store.
If you'd like to use real cow's milk, try to find an organic, unpastuerized source from a local dairy. Commercial milks have been pasteurized (flash-cooked at high temperatures) to kill any bacteria in the milk. Unfortunately, vitamins, nutrients and the protein structure in the milk have likely been damaged, too.
Sweeteners: Anything goes... really. My sweetener of choice is agave nectar because I like its neutral taste and texture, and it absorbs slower into the blood stream than sugar. Maple syrup, brown rice syrup, honey, or even unrefined cane sugar can also be used. It's easy to adjust the sugar content as you go: start with a small amount, taste, and add more until it meets your taste requirements.
Goodies: Variations on the basic recipes are always welcomed by little mouths-a-munchin'. Chocolate or carob chips, chopped cookies, nuts or anything you can think of, can be added into the batter after chilling.
©2008 Copyright Alison Anton - All rights reserved.