I understand. It is national ice cream day. That means ice cream treats are everywhere. But not for us. All the ads, all the discounts, all the hype. Just for something that will raise our blood sugar and make us feel like...well, you fill in the blank. But it doesn't have to be so. The hubster and I are celebrating today with this treat. Maple Pecan Ice Cream...made at home, Diner style.
Of course it is sugarfree. Not that hard to make, either, or I just wouldn't do it. The August issue of the Diner News is going to feature all sorts of frozen treats, so today I was sure that I made ice cream. I am not an expert at this by any means. I must admit that my thrift store ice cream maker was stuck in the back of the pantry for quite some time. I scanned a lot of recipes for home made sugarfree ice cream. This is what I put together from those. I didn't want to cook a custard, but I did want richness. That is the egg. If you don't trust your eggs, leave that out, as it is raw. I also added glycerin. This is an experiment for me. There are lots of ideas on how to keep sugarfree ice cream scoopable, not bricklike after the first serving. With two at home, there is no way not to have leftovers on this one. I had tried vodka once before; it did not do the trick for me. We will see. I was in a hurry to taste it and served this one a bit on the soft serve side. I used glucomannan for the thickener, but xanthan gum would work just as well. I always add one or the other to my protein shakes to give them that smooth mouth feel.
I had a marvelous idea to make a ribbon of maple flavoring. It worked--at first, but then I ran it too long. You can fix that and get the ribbon that eluded me. I will tell you how to one up my effort so you can learn from my
mistake experimentation. Being a teacher, I know that any effort, even one with less than stellar results is not really a mistake. That said, if you don't care about that ribbon, just blend the maple flavor on in and it tastes wonderful. We really don't lose either way. I mean, it is ice cream.
Here is the write up from the Diner News. Aren't you glad I gave it to you now instead of making you wait for August?
Maple Pecan Ice Cream
2 1/2 cups unsweetened cashew milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup erythritol/stevia blend
1 tsp glycerin (optional)
1 tsp glucomannan
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp caramel flavoring
1/4 tsp maple flavoring
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp vanilla stevia
1/2 tsp maple flavoring
In a blender, combine cashew milk, heavy cream, cottage cheese, egg, sweetener, glycerin, glucomannan, vanilla, caramel and maple flavoring and salt. Process until smooth and pour into an ice cream maker.
While the ice cream is churning, toast pecans and set aside. In a small bowl, melt coconut oil. Stir in maple flavoring and vanilla stevia. (It may not mix completely)
When ice cream is soft set, add toasted pecans. When those are incorporated, stir the coconut oil well and immediately add it in a steady stream. Allow the machine to produce a ripple effect then turn off. This happens quickly.
Scoop the soft serve into a freezer container. Freeze two hours until firm.
4 large servings : 271 calories 4 net g carb
6 servings: 180 calories 2 net g carb
So today, I have to be pretty darn please with myself. I made ice cream. Made my hubby happy--besides, he grilled out while I made the ice cream. That is a deal. I used two of my thrift finds. My Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and this pretty ice cream dish. I have to say the ice cream tasted extra delicious in such a fine vessel. ( and it only cost me 50 cents) Happy National Ice Cream Day!
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