dairy-free Archives -

June 15, 2016

Toasted Almond Coconut Ice Cream

As we approach the official start of summer, there is so much anticipation and excitement about the months ahead. Among the many delights of summertime, for me homemade ice cream comes near the top. There’s nothing quite like the taste and texture of freshly made ice cream. When Dream sent me a box of their new Ultimate Almond Beverages, homemade ice cream immediately came to mind. Dream Ultimate Almond is made with four times as many almonds as their original almond drink so it’s rich and creamy with a concentrated almond flavor. For the ice cream, I combined it with coconut milk cream for a nice balance between the almonds and coconut. Throughout the ice cream are bits of toasted almonds for a pleasant crunch, and the shredded coconut reminds me a bit of eating a macaroon coookie. Toasting the almonds and coconut are absolutely essential for depth as are both the coconut sugar and maple syrup for flavor, so no substitutes here. With three months of summer ahead, I hope it’s filled with plenty of good ice cream.

April 18, 2016

Walnut Torte with Coffee Coconut Cream

It had been a rough day, the kids were finally in bed, the house was quiet, and Ryan and I wearily sat down for a quiet moment to ourselves. All of my earlier efforts making dessert were paying off now that we could sit in peace and ease into uninterrupted conversation. After reading Ashley’s Date Night In book, we’ve been trying to be more deliberate about the time we spend together, and one evening a week we put everything aside to focus on each other. Sometimes it’s dinner together after the kids are in bed, other times it’s just dessert. It’s requires a bit of extra thought and preparation, but the investment has been worth it. In the midst sibling squabbles, the constant flurry of after-school activities, and now homeschooling, I often forget what Ryan and I were before we had kids. Going out is always fun, but dating in the calmness of your own home is also fun and intimate in a different sort of way.

May 12, 2014

Chocolate Milkshake {with raw cacao}

For some time now, our family has been enjoying these Healthy Chocolate Milkshakes from A Couple Cooks. Everyone I’ve made these for is surprised when they find out these milkshakes are dairy-free and refined sugar-free. They are so creamy, chocolate-y, and delicious. I recently tried making these milkshakes with raw cacao powder instead of cocoa powder and it has the same delicious taste with an added boost of nutrients. Raw cacao powder has transformed our dessert life. Because cacao powder is cold-pressed and kept at low temperatures, it is extremely high in antioxidants and has a variety of health benefits. Although cocoa powder is derived from the same cacao nibs as cacao powder, many of the antioxidants are destroyed during the production process when the cocoa is roasted at high heat. I do not claim to be any type of nutritional expert, but I have also read that dairy interferes with the absorption of nutrients from cacao. The coconut milk in these milkshakes allows for the full health benefits of the cacao powder. Besides being healthy though, these chocolate milkshakes just taste so so good. We love them and I hope you do too!

Chocolate Milkshake {with raw cacao}

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 can light coconut milk (not boxed coconut milk)
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
5-7 medjool dates, pitted
½ teaspoon vanilla
toasted coconut and dark chocolate chunks, for garnish

Instructions

Shake the can of coconut milk well before opening it. Reserve half a cup of coconut milk in a separate glass and refrigerate. Pour the remaining coconut milk into an ice cube tray and freeze.
Using a high-speed blender, blend together the frozen coconut milk cubes, cacao powder, medjool dates, vanilla, and reserved coconut milk until creamy and smooth.
Garnish with toasted coconut and chocolate chunks and serve immediately.

Notes

slightly adapted from A Couple Cooks via Edible Perspective