Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [81]
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
When you have superripe bananas that need to be eaten right away, use them to make banana ice cream. Peel and freeze the bananas for at least 8 hours. Then process the frozen bananas to make your ready-to-eat ice kream.
6 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
¼ cup agave syrup
Water, if needed
Place the frozen bananas in a food processor and process into a smooth ice kream.
Enjoy immediately with your favorite toppings, such as chopped nuts and fruit, sauces, and syrups. Or, transfer to a container and place in the freezer to firm up for an hour or two, to your desired consistency.
Will keep for weeks in the freezer. Remove and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, to soften before scooping.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with sliced strawberries and Chocolate Fudge Sauce (page 282).
CHOCOLATE-BANANA ICE KREAM WITH HAZELNUTS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Bananas are flavored with cacao powder for chocolate ice kream. Hazelnuts are added for flavor and crunch. Make a sundae with your favorite sauce, such as Berry Compote (page 281) topped with Lavender Extract (page 99).
6 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
2 tablespoons agave syrup
¼ cup cacao powder
½ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
Place the frozen bananas and agave syrup in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the cacao and process to mix well. Add the hazelnuts and pulse lightly to mix.
Enjoy immediately, or transfer to a container and place in the freezer to firm up for an hour or two, to your desired consistency.
Will keep for weeks in the freezer. Remove and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, to soften before scooping.
BASIC ICE KREAM
MAKES 2 CUPS
Start with this basic recipe, then add your favorite flavors to create endless flavor combinations.
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, first grind nuts into a powder. Then, put into the blender, and blend with the remaining ingredients. This will help you achieve a smoother texture.
I’ve discovered a way to keep my ice kream scoopable straight out of the freezer. The water is in a delicate balance with the syrup, which doesn’t freeze solid when frozen. If you’re finding your ice kream too icy or hard, try decreasing the amount of water next time. And, if it’s not freezing hard enough for you, add another tablespoon or two of water to find the exact balance for the consistency you love.
1 cup nuts, such as cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, or almonds
¼ cup agave syrup
4 to 6 tablespoons filtered water, as needed
Blend the nuts with the agave syrup, adding only enough water to make a thick cream. The less water you use, the less ice crystals will form in your final frozen recipe.
OPTIONS: Add 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract or the seeds from 1 vanilla bean pod for a traditional Vanilla Ice Kream flavor. Or, replace the water with fruit juice, such as orange. Or, lightly swirl in a syrup or sauce (pages 280 to 283) before freezing. The combination of flavors are endless!
MEXICAN CHOCOLATE ICE KREAM
MAKES 2 CUPS
Inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, which is a blend of chocolate with cinnamon mixed with an optional bit of the Mayan-influenced spice, cayenne.
1 recipe Basic Ice Kream (page 277)
¼ cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
1/8teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Blend together all the ingredients, including the cayenne, if desired. Transfer to a container, cover, and place in the freezer overnight.
LAVENDER ICE KREAM
MAKES 2 CUPS
An aromatic ice kream with the flavor of lavender. I prefer using lavender extract, for a smoother texture. But you can also use straight, pulverized flowers to avoid the alcohol in the extract.
1 recipe Basic Ice Kream (page 277)
1 tablespoon lavender extract, or 2 tablespoons pulverized culinary laven-
der buds (do not consume any lavender sold for potpourri)
Blend together all the ingredients. Transfer to a container, cover, and place in the freezer overnight.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with your favorite sauce.
LÚCUMA ICE KREAM
MAKES