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Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce

Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce | Gather & Dine

I recently noticed that so far I have not a single post for ice cream on this site and I’m out to change that today.  Ice cream used to be my absolute favorite dessert and I once had constant cravings for it every evening.  We almost always kept a supply of ice cream in the freezer just for those times when I could not do without.  After gradually incorporating more whole foods and natural sweeteners into our lifestyle, I can honestly say that those cravings no longer exist.  I do enjoy desserts, but I rarely crave them the way I used to.  That being said, it’s hard to resist a good quality ice cream if put in front of me.  This non-dairy Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is creamy, not at all grainy, and naturally sweetened with raw honey.  It’s slightly adapted from Amy Chapin’s beautiful cookbook,  At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen.  In addition to using full-fat coconut milk, she also uses cashews, which lends to this ice cream’s rich creaminess.  The coconut flavor is there, although it is not as pronounced as you might think it would be.  By itself, this ice cream is pure, simple, and subtly sweet.  When paired with juicy, plump, rum-soaked raisins in maple sauce, it becomes divine.  This sauce would be perfect for bringing along to ice cream social gatherings or would make a wonderful gift when put in a pretty jar.  Or you could just keep it for yourself.  That’s what I did.

Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce | Gather & Dine

Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce | Gather & DineCoconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce | Gather & Dine

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Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
  • ¾ cup cashews, soaked for 2-6 hours
  • 2 (13.5-ounce) cans full fat coconut milk
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • pinch sea salt
  • ⅓ cup raw honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Maple Rum Raisin Sauce
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 3 tablespoons rum
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup maple sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
  1. Drain and rinse cashews and place in a high-speed blender. Add coconut milk and blend on the highest speed until completely smooth. Line a fine mesh strainer with a double layer of cheese cloth. Pour cashew mixture through the strainer into a medium sized pot. (If using a Vitamix or other high-powered blender, the straining step can be skipped.) Twist the ends of the cheesecloth together and gently squeeze the remaining liquid out. Discard the solids or save for a later use.
  2. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Whisk in the the vanilla bean seeds and salt to the coconut cashew mixture. Add the vanilla bean pod and simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes, and discard vanilla bean pod. Add honey and vanilla and whisk until honey is completely dissolved.
  3. Refrigerate mixture until thoroughly chilled.
  4. Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to manufacture instructions. This can be served right out of the ice cream maker or placed in the freezer for a firmer texture. If left in the freezer for more than a few hours, allow ice cream to thaw for 20-30 minutes before serving. Serve with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce.
Maple Rum Raisin Sauce
  1. In a small bowl, combine the raisins and rum. Allow raisins to soak and soften for 15 minutes or so.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the syrup, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the raisins and rum along with the butter. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Serve warm for a thinner consistency or chilled for a thicker consistency. This will keep for several weeks when stored in the refrigerator.
Notes
-ice cream slightly adapted from Amy Chapin's At Home in the Whole Foods Kitchen
-maple rum raisin sauce from Deborah Madison's The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
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Strawberry Almond Cake

Strawberry Almond Cake | Gather & Dine

 A couple years ago Ryan asked me to bake him a simple no frills almond cake for his birthday.  Because I don’t make cakes often, I really like going all out on birthday cakes, decorating them, and making them beautiful.  A request for a simple unfrosted undecorated cake was a bit disappointing to me, but since it was his birthday I obliged.  And wouldn’t you know, the cake in all of its simplicity was outstanding and it far surpassed any expectations I had for a “plain” cake.  I knew it was a cake that I would be making again.  So here it is, although this time I did dress it up with some fresh strawberries and mascarpone cream.  (Although it’s not quite strawberry season here in Michigan, I couldn’t resist the recent sale I came across on organic strawberries.)  Even with the strawberries and cream, it’s still quite beautifully simple and rustic.  One bite of this and my daughter declared that this was what she wanted as her birthday cake.  I’m just not sure I’ll be able to wait that long until I make it again.

Strawberry Almond Cake | Gather & Dine


Strawberry Almond Cake | Gather & Dine

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Strawberry Almond Cake
 
Ingredients
Almond Cake
  • 1 cup spelt flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 7 ounces almond paste
  • ¾ cup evaporated cane juice sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 eggs, at room temperature
Mascarpone Cream
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • ¾ cup mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Assembly
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
  • powdering sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Almond Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Use a cake pan to trace two 9-inch diameter circles out of parchment paper. Carefully cut the circles slightly smaller than outlined and place in the cake pans. Lightly butter the parchment papers.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium mixing bowl.
  4. In a stand mixer, mix together the almond paste and sugar on medium speed until almond paste is in very small pieces. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
  5. Using the stand mixer again, beat the butter until creamy and lightened. Add the almond paste mixture and the vanilla. Cream together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl when necessary. Add flour mixture half at a time, mixing until just combined.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes and then turn cakes out of the pans onto wire cooling racks and remove the parchment paper. Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.
Mascarpone Cream
  1. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or use a handheld mixer), whip the cream and sugar until fluffy and soft peaks begin to form. Add the mascarpone and vanilla beat for an additional minute, until thickened with soft peaks.
Assembly
  1. Spread half of the mascarpone cream onto one of the cakes, leaving a 1 inch border around the edge. Arrange with half of the strawberries. Top with the second cake and layer remaining cream and strawberries. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. This is best served the same day it's made.
Notes
inspired by Sara Forte's The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook, almond cake adapted by Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food

 

 

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Raspberry Hand Pies

Raspberry Hand Pies | Gather & Dine

Isn’t everything more fun to eat when it’s shaped in a heart? I just couldn’t resist sharing these little raspberry hand pies with you today.  I used the same dough as I did this these chocolate hazelnut toaster pastries and filled each with a couple teaspoons of jam.  Surprisely simple, yet still special.

Wishing you all a beautiful day filled with love.

Raspberry Hand Pies | Gather & Dine

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Raspberry Hand Pies
Serves: 10-12 hearts, depending on size
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups spelt flour
  • ¼ cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • about ½ cup good quality raspberry jam
  • coarse finishing salt and turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Process until seeds are finely ground. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of ice water. With the food processor running, gradually add the vinegar and water. Process just until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and finish kneading together by hand. Form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill about 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 400.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to approximately ⅛" thick. Use a shaped cutter to cut into hearts.
  5. Take one heart and spread 2 teaspoons raspberry jam in the middle, leaving a border around the edges. Top with another heart and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Repeat with the remaining hearts.
  6. Sprinkle tops with a generous pinch coarse salt and turbinado sugar.
  7. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges start to turn light golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on tray and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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