I love that scene in The Muppet Movie where Fozzie Bear goes to get ice cream cones at the fair, and he orders one honey and “one dragonfly ripple for the frog.”
Back in my undergrad days, the pastor at the ecumenical center on campus always seemed to know the Flavor of the Day at Culver’s and sometimes treated those of us in the student community to such delights. The burning question around the rectory office was always, “What’s the Flavor of the Day?”
Just a couple years ago in North Boulder, an organic ice cream shop opened up. They made it all right there in small batches, and it was the most decadent in terms of flavor and creativity: Champagne sorbet, Rum Raisin (Really), Caramel and Brandied Fig, Lavender, Cranberry Orange sorbet, Pomegranate sorbet, and Oatmeal Cookie Stout to name just a few.
I became friends with the guy that worked there, and we became running mates. On our runs, I’d rattle off a bunch of flavors that I’d like them to try. “What about pistachio-cherry-chocolate chunk?” I’d say. He would smile and mention something about how they tried that or wanted to but couldn’t find organic pistachios. “But there just has to be organic pistachios somewhere…” I’d utter, mildly exasperated that this was the limiting reactant to my frozen dairy bliss. When the shop shut down, it was a sad day for me and all of the friends that I had introduced to it and who fell in love with it as much as I had.
But then, I tasted the gastronomic trends of the raw vegans and discovered the non-dairy ice creams of the most potent and lovely flavors. I was hooked by the innate healthiness of these concoctions and the ease of whipping up a batch. All I needed was an ice cream maker. After one quick trip to Beth, Bath & Beyond - et voila! That Cuisinart was my ticket to homemade frozen decadence.
The first flavor I made was pistachio-cherry using soaked pis-nuts and dried cherries. It was good, but the texture was a little… chunky. The next batch was Chocolate-chocolate using cashews and almond milk for base, and in not time the rocky road to my chilly home-brews smoothed out like a chocolate river.
With an ice cream maker, anything is possible as long as you have a good base. Concocting your flavor palette becomes the fun part. (I once dreamt of making Guinness-bacon-chocolate chunk for a friend, but it has yet to happen.)
The coconut base has become my everlasting favorite. It’s lighter than the nut-bases, full of all that is coconut-good-for-you, and is just as rich as anything dairy laden. These days they have it in the stores if you need some in a pinch thanks to Larry & Luna. (If I was ever asked to name my 3 weaknesses in a job interview, I’d say “cookies, pirates, and Coconut Bliss.”) But if you have your own ice cream maker, it’s just as simple to whip up some of your own.
Here’s a favorite recipe for Lavender-Honey-Coconut ice cream:
2 cans of full-fat Coconut Milk
1/2 – 3/4 cup dried coconut (shredded)
1/2 – 3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (or more) of fresh lavender buds
1. blend all ingredients in the blender until smooth
2. pour into frozen ice cream maker tub
3. turn on ice cream maker for 20-30 mins until it firms up to a non-soupy thickness, readily spoonable.
4. scoop into individual serving containers and freeze, or serve immediately.
So delish.
“Cookies, Pirates, & Coconut Bliss” I love it! Three wonderful weaknesses!
You recipe looks amazing! We used to make a Lavender Blueberry that people loved, I would imagine throwing blueberries into this recipe would be delightful.
Thanks for the Coconut Bliss love!
Hi Kiley! thank you for being part of the ‘Bliss factor(y). I spread the ‘Bliss where ever I go… and everyone loves it!