"What Do You Mean, Raw Ice-Cream?"

Raw ice-cream: Doesn't sound particularly attractive does it?... No, not really, not even to me. But really, it's just words. Let's forget the 'raw' word for a moment and concentrate on taste - and only taste. Yes, raw vegan ice-cream may be super-healthy too, but let's face it, have we ever chosen ice-cream for health reasons?

I thought not ; )

So, just for a moment, let's talk TASTE and indulge honestly and openly in all things cool and comforting.

I've been an ice-cream lover since, well, birth really. Strawberry was my childhood favourite, although I was passionate about Neapolitan for a while there. Then came the strawberry (and occasionally tutti frutti) cornetto as my tastes got a little more sophisticated, and then, as adulthood drew nearer still, the almighty Feast became the ice-cream to be seen with! Chocolate upon chocolate upon chocolate, a chilling chewy creamy carresser-of-taste buds on a stick - oh, the teenage summers I thought heaven resided in a newsagent's chiller cabinet! Hmm.

Well, obviously life has moved on just a little... And one step beyond (or probably more likely, one hundred steps...) lays the deliciously decadent and hedonistically heavenly raw chocolate ice-cream that I now indulge in at least twice per week, every season of the year - with zero guilt and zero post-ice-cream-sickness syndrome. Now that's what I call an, um, RESULT!

And it's really all thanks to my new best friend, the ice-cream maker and 4 simple yet profound ingredients that co-create what (I am telling you!) is the best chocolate ice-cream I have ever tasted...

Interested?! You should be : )

Here's how:

Option 1: Make without ice-cream maker (use a blender instead) and end up with either frozen chocolate ice-cream chunks or ice-cream in a tub

Option 2: Make with an ice-cream maker (and a blender) and end up with the chocolate ice-cream that ends up looking like the picture above (round chocolaty scoops)

Either way you'll need: Pure water, medjool dates (or another raw sweetener such as agave syrup, rapadura sugar, or the not-so-raw maple syrup), cashew butter (or cashew nuts), raw chocolate powder - that's it! Just 4 ingredients!... I know, still sounds a bit suspect and maybe even less than inspiring, but - trust me!

Qtys: 1 pint water, 2 Tablespoons choc powder, 8 Medjool dates (or 8 Tbsps dark agave), 1 cup cashews (or 1 Tbsp cashew butter).

Option 1: Blend the above ingredients in a blender until all ingredients are broken down completely and mixture is smooth, runny but thick. You can then either drink as a smoothie/chocolate milk, OR pour into ice-cube trays to make frozen chunks of chocolate to eat like sweets later OR pour into a Tupperware container and pop in freezer. Then again, you could do all 3 if you make lots!

Option 2: As for Option 1, but pour mixture into your ice-cream maker and switch on. Let it do its thing until it's firmed up and miraculously sculpted itself into balls! Serve immediately and freeze any remainder. (Even I can only manage 2 helpings at a time!)

Best bit about it: Apart from the obvious 'have your cake and eat it' factor, I am a great fan of waking up the next day and remembering that I have some chocolate ice-cream left over and waiting for me in the freezer! Nothing quite like it! The ultimate comfort food as far as I'm concerned, yes, even in the bleak mid winter : )

PS: If you'd like to see this made right before your very eyes (and get to taste it too), you have 3 options: 1) Book a personal 1-2-1 with me at my home near Ely (all the ice-cream you can eat!); 2 & 3) Attend my 1 or 2 Day Courses (see menu right for events listings) which are PACKED full of great food and drinks just like this. NB: March Weekend now sold out. April 1-Day has places currently available and May 2-Day has 4 places left out of 8. Even though I say it myself, these courses are the business!

But don't just take my word for it...

"The course was a fantastic opportunity to experience first hand the reality and practicalities of increasing the amount of raw food in your diet. It gives you the time to truly assess your own diet, what you want to improve and equips you with the expertise to start. Raw food is an essential part of anyone's diet. If people want to look and feel fantastic all the time it's a must! Forget every preconception you may hold about raw food - it's delicious, energising and satisfying. The meals you can create are endless. As a chef I can see a whole new world of textures and flavours awaiting and I am already developing new raw food recipes for my family. It helps you savour and really appreciate the taste of food in its true state, it awakens your senses and literally energises your whole self.Thank you Karen." - Christine Bailey ~ Chef, teacher and health writer

"Just wanted to say one huge THANKYOU for last Saturday. The whole day was one welcomed trip. All of the recipes and quick techniques were invaluable! The food, well I haven't stopped raving about it - the great thing is how easy you showed us how to achieve it ourselves! Also I have to say it was fantastic to hook up with fellow raw food lovers, and have such a lovely host with heaps and heaps of experience! The day was truly inspiring! Thankyou so much." - Laura

Comments

[Jennie]

I just purchased a slightly used Cuisinart Ice-20 on ebay. This is the first ice-cream recipe I'm going to try!

[Gavi]

Just made this raw ice cream--Taste is fantastic! Word of warning though--and how I overlooked this, I don't know---but medjool dates have pits! Who knew! (Actually I did, but forgot) My blender didnt like that much.

[lusmila]

karen,
i am in the u.s. -- so, could you reccomend a good icecream maker? the kenwood is unfortunately, for the UK market only..and there are so many ice cream makers out there...

i would greatly appreciate it..especially with summer here. ^___^

thxs!
Mila

[Emma Mihill]

i'm there, and with you, with the chocolate ice cream!! i've made choccy cookies too - they're yum! they have certainly picked me up today!!