Roasted Banana Coconut Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Almond Pieces

Ice cream is by far my favorite dessert. I always crave it. You would think that since I have my own ice cream maker, I would have a handmade batch on hand at all times. The truth is, I've only made real ice cream once. And it wasn't even for me! I have experimented with many alternative ice creams though. When I cook for myself at home, I always try to eat healthy and well. I don't worry about what I eat as much when my boyfriend and I prepare meals or go out. I love my burgers and will forever love him for introducing me to Queso, Texas style (Velveeta and Rotel). Having a balance in your diet is important. I give props to those who can restrict to the max, but for me, that is not possible. I love food too much! Anyway back to the ice cream. This is a non-dairy ice cream made with a base of bananas and coconut cream. The coconut cream gives off such a creamy texture!  The ice cream itself is made without any refined sugars. (Cane sugar is an ingredient in the chocolate used to make the chocolate covered almonds.) This is a super simple recipe that you can feel good about eating. 

 Roasted Banana Coconut Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Almond Pieces

Ingredients:

For ice cream

4 ripe bananas
2 tbs coconut sugar
3 tbs melted coconut oil
1 can coconut cream (I use Trader Joe's brand)
4 tbs agave nectar
½ teaspoon almond extract
Juice from half a small lemon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For chocolate covered almonds

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup slivered toasted almonds
1 teaspoon coconut oil
pinch of salt
generous pinch or two of coconut sugar

To make:

Preheat oven to 370 degrees F. Peel bananas and slice lengthwise. Lay bananas flat side down on a silpat or foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with coconut sugar and drizzle with the coconut oil. Gently roll bananas around the baking sheet to coat with the sugar and oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Add bananas and sugary goop to a food processor and blend till smooth. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add coconut cream, agave, lemon juice and salt. Blend again to incorporate all ingredients. Transfer food processor bowl to the fridge and allow mixture to cool for at least 15 minutes. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Now it's time for the chocolate covered almonds! In a small saucepan over very low heat add your chocolate chips and and coconut oil. Stir constantly to prevent chocolate from burning. Once your chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and mix in almonds. Stir to coat evenly and spread out mixture on a small baking tray lined with parchment or foil. Sprinkle with salt and coconut sugar. Place in the freezer to set.

About 2 minutes before the ice cream churning is complete, remove chocolate covered almonds from the freezer. Break apart with your hands or roughly chop. Add them to the ice cream.
After ice cream is done, transfer to a loaf pan and place in freezer overnight or for at least a few hours, until firm.

Banana Coconut Fudgesicles

Here is a super easy recipe for Banana Coconut Fudgesicles. This quick summer treat is creamy, healthy, and delicious! I love having these on hand in my freezer.


Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas, frozen
1 can coconut cream
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

To make:

A day or two in advance, freeze very ripe bananas in a ziplock bag. You can break apart pieces or cut into slices. Heat coconut cream in a small pot on the stove over medium-low heat. Add chocolate chips and continually whisk until all the chips have melted. Pour mixture into a blender and add frozen bananas. Blend until you get a smooth consistency. Pour evenly into 10 popsicle molds and place in freezer overnight or until frozen.

Recently Shared Recipes

For those who don't know, I've recently started contributing recipes to an awesome new site called Collective Lifestyle. With that being said, I have been slacking with this blog. In case you missed them, here are the recent posts I've shared.


Matcha Latte

Superfood Pizza Crust

Cashew Coconut Butter Truffles

New Frontiers Quinoa Salad

Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gluten & Egg Free

 Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 cup gluten free oat flour
3/4 cup hazelnut flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:

4 oz butter, browned
(All I had at home was salted butter so if you
 use unsalted add about 1/2 teaspoon salt.)
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax meal plus 6 tablespoons hot water. Gently stir to saturate the flax meal.)


To Prepare:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
First thing in order is to brown the butter. For those who are not familiar, here is an easy tutorial. 

How to make brown butter.
Once the brown butter is done, pour into large bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then add the 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree. Whisk till combined.
At this stage you can prepare your flax eggs. It’s best to let them sit after the water has been added.
In a medium size bowl, sift together all dry ingredients except the coconut sugar and chocolate chips.
Gently mix well until flour blend is combined evenly.
Add the flax eggs to the brown butter and mix to incorporate.
Cream sugar into butter mixture.
Add flour blend a little bit at a time while mixing together in between additions. A spatula was handy at this stage.
Once the dough is uniform, fold in chocolate chips.
Form dough into 2 tablespoon size balls and place evenly spaced on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
Bake for 12 minutes.
I don’t know if it’s just me or because I use alternative flours and sugar but the cookies I bake never seem to flatten and expand outward. About 10 minutes into the baking I pressed down on them a little with the back of a spatula.

Afternoon Adventure & an Ice Cream Float

I don't know how long Clairmont Farms has been around but I've been driving by it for many years, it seems, and never once stopped to check it out. Until yesterday that is. I had a jar of Sweet Lady Cook's strawberry lavender jam and wanted to make something yummy with it. My intent was to go to the farm to purchase some culinary lavender and make a honey lavender syrup. 

Just driving into the farm felt magical. It looks like one of those French rustic farms you see in movies. The long driveway is lined with tall trees and to the left you see all the beautiful bushes of lavender. 

Their little shop is situated at the end of the driveway. They carry a variety of body care products as well as lavender infused teas, honey, salts, and other herbs and spices. I left with a jar of lavender rooibos tea, lavender infused honey and a bouquet of dried lavender just because it's so pretty. I took a quick walk through the lavender field before leaving. This place is just so darn cute. They even have picnic tables set up so visitors can bring and enjoy their lunch in this gorgeous place.

Having acquired that lavender honey, it was time to make something delicious. What better way to end a summer night than with an ice cream float.

Summer Ice Cream Float

What you will need:

Sweet Lady Cook strawberry lavender jam
Both vanilla and caramel ice cream 

(You can use just one flavor if you prefer) I used the Talenti brand gelato.
Lavender infused honey.
Club soda

How to prepare:

In a tall glass, add two heaping tablespoons of Sweet Lady Cook strawberry lavender jam. Using a muddler, mash down any larger chunks of fruit.
Add a scoop of each vanilla and caramel ice cream. Top with a generous spoonful of lavender honey. Pour in the club soda and enjoy. I forwent the straw on this one and dug in with a spoon.

Don’t feel limited to the ingredients in this recipe. I’m confident that any of Sweet Lady Cook’s jams would be great in an ice cream float. You can even change up the ice cream flavors and use regular honey to get new and fun flavor combinations.

Lauren's Fruit Cobbler

Years ago my dad dated a women named Lauren. I remember the night my brother and I met her for the first time. I had a preconceived notion she was going to be some young bimbo. I guess that says more about my dad. Anyway, she was great. She was a lovely woman. Over the years we spent a lot of time together. I will always remember what a great cook she was. On our beach outings, she would pack a picnic with the most amazing sandwiches. One day she served us a piece of her fruit cobbler. Oh my, it was amazing! The best cobbler I had ever tasted. So buttery and delicious. It was always such a treat when she would make it. I had gotten the recipe from her but never made it until now. I had been thinking in my head of how I wanted to make a gluten free version. The original recipe calls for self rising flour and sugar. I tweaked the recipe to make it gluten and refined sugar free. It still tastes just like that amazing cobbler I had years ago.

This recipe is great because you can use whatever fresh fruit you prefer. The first time I made it, I used strawberries and blueberries. This time around I used fresh apricots from my friend Wallace’s tree.

Lauren's Fruit Cobbler,
Gluten and Refined Sugar Free

What you will need:

1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 almond milk, unsweetened (soy or regular would work as well.)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups fresh fruit of your choice (if using stone fruits, pit first and then measure.)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut sugar

To make:

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 9 inch baking dish, preferably glass or ceramic. I just do this right over the burner on the stove.

In another bowl, sift together your flour blend and coconut sugar. Add milk and mix well to combine.

In a pot add your fruit, honey and coconut sugar. Substitute honey for the coconut sugar if you prefer. You can always adjust the amount of sweetener used depending on how sweet the fruit is. Heat until the sugar has melted and fruit is warm but not cooked.

To assemble, take the baking dish with melted butter, pour batter mixture into the middle. Again, into the middle, add the warm fruit mixture. Do not spread out!

Place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden and crisp on top. Serve warm or cool. I like it best served with vanilla ice cream.

Gluten Free Stawberry Mascarpone Tart

Thanks to Instagram I discovered Sweet Lady Cook. Located in Santa Barbara, she specializes in small batch jams using local fruit, no preservatives and minimal sugar. I was so thrilled to see that she was located just 30 miles south of me! At the time she was only selling her product online. I placed an order and couldn't wait till my jams arrived. Along with strawberry habanero and blackberry lavender jam, I purchased her clementine marmalade for my mom. (I'm not a marmalade person.) Funny how that turned out to be my favorite. See previous post for my Gluten Free Clementine Marmalade Granola. It's been so much fun using her jams in my food experiments. 

Using seasonal fruits, her newest flavor is a seascape strawberry! The smell was absolutely amazing upon opening the jar. I decided on making gluten free strawberry mascarpone tarts using an almond and date crust. For the full recipe "click on the link below."

sweetladycook.com/blog