Hunky Monkey Ice Cream

When thinking of a new ice cream flavor to make a few days ago, I suggested banana bread to Aaron. He came back with Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey (insert all copyright/trademark info here...I'm not trying to steal your thunder, Vermont!). A lengthy discussion then ensued about how I don't like large chocolate chunks in my ice cream because they get too cold and hard to eat and could we please do a fudge swirl instead but when we've tried fudge before it never comes out right because we're not patient and this time we're going to do it right.

Enough talking. I bring you...the tastiest ice cream ever. Inspired and enjoyed by Aaron, my hunky monkey. (PS Ben and Jerry's is going to start catering to the dairy-free soon)

Hunky Monkey Ice Cream

2 frozen bananas
2 cups non-dairy creamer
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 recipe chocolate fudge sauce
1-1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Before you begin, decide what container you will use to hold your ice cream and make sure there is space in your freezer for it to lay flat.

Blend together the bananas, creamer, coconut milk, and sugar. Batter = done.

Make according to your ice cream maker's directions, adding in the walnuts in the last few minutes of churning. Spread evenly in whatever container you're using and freeze for a few hours, until pretty thick but not rock-solid.

While the ice cream is churning, make the chocolate sauce and refrigerate.

Once the ice cream is good to go, glob the fudge sauce on top.

Using a fork, gently distribute the sauce into the ice cream. You want to swirl it, not fully combine it. Both the ice cream and the fudge sauce need to be as cold as possible while still being able to "move," otherwise they will melt together too much (which if you want it that way, obvs fine, just not how I wanted this one.)

Freeze again until solid. Make sure it is flat in your freezer, otherwise it will get too swirled together (unless you want it that way!)

Scoop and serve.

Jimmy Fallon Ice Cream

Where has March gone? The month is half over and this is my first post...but it's an epic one, so I hope that makes up for the hiatus. If you're a fan of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and/or Jimmy Fallon, you know that the dynamic duo recently created The Tonight Dough, a ridiculous concoction of caramel and chocolate ice creams with chocolate cookies, chocolate chip cookie dough, and peanut butter cookie dough. The bad news is that this has cow juice in it and therefore won't be going in my body, the good news is that it can totally be veganized. I have to admit I took some shortcuts with this. I made the ice cream a caramel-chocolate ice cream rather than swirling together the two separately, mostly because it would have taken a couple days because I only have one ice cream bowl. I also used peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough instead of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie doughs separately because, well, it was just easier. If you do eat dairy and want to compare the "real thing" with this one I would love to know how they stack up, but even if they don't taste the same that's fine by me because this is tasty.

Jimmy Fallon Ice Cream (inspired by Ben & Jerry's The Tonight Dough)

For the ice cream:
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbls. coconut oil
2 cups soy creamer, divided
1 cup non-dairy milk, divided
1 oz. baking chocolate
2 Tbls. cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. chocolate extract

For the mix-ins:
3/4 cup crushed chocolate cookies*
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbls. water
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

*We happened to have some chocolate cookies already in the freezer but if you don't, make these (with or without the chocolate chips) and freeze them before crushing.

The ice cream part is a bit complicated to make so it helps to set up everything beforehand. First, get set up on the stove a pan or small pot with 1 cup of soy creamer and the coconut oil. In a large pot, add the sugar and shake gently so it sits in an even layer.

On the counter next to the stove, have your whisk ready to go, the remaining 1 cup of soy creamer + 1/2 cup milk, the chocolates and salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the arrowroot powder whisked in thoroughly.

Heat the creamer mixture and keep it simmering. You won't need it for a bit but it needs to be super hot when you add it.

Turn the sugar on medium heat and let it melt. Once it starts to get brown around the edges, stir it around a bit using a spatula.

Keep the sugar melting until it is nearly all liquid.

Slowly pour in the hot creamer mixture and keep stirring with a spatula until all the bubble frenzy dies down.

At this point you will likely have some lumps of caramel in the batter. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes until they have melted. Stir occasionally with a spatula.

Slowly add in the remaining cream/milk mixture and the chocolates with salt. Let it all melt together, whisking occasionally.

Once everything has mixed together, bring the mixture to boiling and then quickly whisk in the arrowroot mixture until the batter has thickened. Let cool for about half an hour and whisk in the extracts. Refrigerate until cool.

Now it's time to make the cookie dough. In a large bowl combine the peanut butter, agave nectar, vanilla, and water.

Stir in the flour and salt, then the chocolate chips.

Prepare a sheet of silpat or parchment paper, making sure it will eventually be able to fit in a bag or tupperware in your freezer (this is a good time to make sure you have freezer space too). Form the dough into balls the size of small marbles and place them on the paper. If the dough gets too soft while you're working, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. I got 80 out of the dough with a spoonful left over for eating :). I arranged them this way so I could fold the paper but do whatever works for you. Seal tightly in a bag or tupperware and freeze.

You're almost there! Once the batter is chilled and the mix-ins are frozen, make the ice cream according to your ice cream maker's directions. During the last few minutes of churning add in the cookie crumbles and cookie dough. Yum-may.

Coconut Chip Ice Cream

Sometimes when I make something really tasty for Aaron I think back to before we met each other, when our mutual friend who set us up on a blind date asked him "She's a vegan, are you okay with that?" I always tease him that he thought I just ate raw vegetables all day long and that he never thought I would make all of the yummy foods, especially desserts, that are a far cry from raw vegetables. (Don't get me wrong, I eat baby carrots like candy. I could devour an entire cucumber in one sitting. But also, I love ice cream.) Aaron's favorite flavor combination is coconut and chocolate so this is my love letter to him, in ice cream form. Personally it's not my favorite since it's too coconutty for me, but he loves it. If you like coconut and chocolate, you probably will too.

Coconut Chip Ice Cream

2 cups non-dairy creamer
1 cup coconut milk, divided
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut, toasted
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1 tsp. coconut extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Start by toasting the coconut. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!

Blend together the creamer, 1/2 cup of coconut milk, and sugar.

In a small bowl mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk and the 2 Tbls. of arrowroot powder.

In a large pot heat the coconut mixture until boiling, then quickly whisk in the arrowroot mixture to thicken. Cool at room temperature and whisk in the coconut extract. Refrigerate until cool and make according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

While the batter is cooling, make the chocolate flakes as I do here. Add to the ice cream in the last few minutes of churning.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Insanity Ice Cream

My friend Amanda and I had a friend date last weekend and she requested ice cream. I quote: "Can the ice cream involve chocolate and peanut butter??" Well duh, yes it can, because those are the two greatest flavors to go together ever. I was thinking of how I could get as much peanut butter and chocolate into one batch of ice cream as possible and this was what I came up with. I dubbed it "chocolate peanut butter insanity"when I texted her about it and the name stuck. So if you like peanut butter and chocolate, then this is for you.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Insanity Ice Cream

Double recipe chocolate ice cream
3/8 cup (6 Tbls.) chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter, divided
1 1/2 Tbls. liquid coconut oil, divided
1 Tbls. PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
1 Tbls. brown sugar

Make the ice cream batter and refrigerate. While it is cooling, make the chocolate/peanut butter mix-ins. Start by preparing a small baking tray or plate with a sheet of parchment paper large enough to cover it twice. Also make sure you have room in your freezer for the tray to lay flat, and a plastic bag large enough to hold the tray.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and spread on the parchment paper. Cover with the other half of it, seal in the bag, and freeze until hard.

While the chocolate is freezing, melt together 1/4 cup of the peanut butter with 1 Tbls. of the coconut oil. When the chocolate is ready, spread the peanut butter mixture on top. Cover, seal, and freeze.

When the batter is cool, make according to your ice cream maker's directions. While it is churning, remove the tray and parchment paper from the bag and break apart your chocolate/peanut butter slab.

Mix the chocolate pieces into the batter in the last few minutes of churning. Spread evenly into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 1-2 hours, until hardened but still pliable.

Shortly before the ice cream is semi-frozen, mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter, 1/2 Tbls. coconut oil, PB2, and brown sugar.

Now you're ready to add the peanut butter swirl to the ice cream. Carve a few wells in the ice cream by dragging a butter knife through it and fill with the peanut butter mixture.

Very carefully, using a spatula, stir the swirl into the ice cream so that it is swirled, not blended. Re-freeze.

Your ice cream is ready now. Scoop and devour.

Glory and Achievement

My husband is a very smart man. I could brag all day about how clever and intelligent he is but what he truly excels at is creating ice cream flavors. The notion that "hard work pays off" isn't new to the ice cream world, because indeed the most complicated flavors to make are by far the tastiest. A couple months ago Aaron came up with "salted caramel ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels." Genius. After that he requested "salted peanut butter ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels." Again, genius. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what happened next. A word of advice, Salty Stix pretzels are by far the best. World Market has them, or you can order them in bulk from Amazon, which you should do because once you taste this ice cream you will never want to eat anything else again.

Glory and Achievement (aka Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Pretzels)

2 cups non-dairy creamer
1 cup non-dairy milk, divided
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4-1 tsp. sea salt
Splash of vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups pretzel sticks

To make the ice cream batter, start by whisking together 1/2 cup of the non-dairy milk with the arrowroot powder and set aside.

Pour the granulated sugar into a large pot and shake it gently so the sugar settles evenly. Melt the sugar over medium heat, watching constantly so it doesn't burn.


While the sugar is caramelizing, heat the creamer and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk together in a medium pot.

Once the sugar looks like this:

Quickly whisk in the hot milk. Keep whisking over heat until any caramel clumps have dissolved. If you have an electric whisk, use it.

Then whisk in the peanut butter and brown sugar.

Bring to a boil, lower slightly, and whisk in the arrowroot mixture until thickened.

Let cool for a bit, then whisk in 3/4 tsp. sea salt and the vanilla. Taste for saltiness and add more gradually if desired. Refrigerate until cool and make according to your ice cream maker's directions.

While the ice cream batter is cooling, it's time for the chocolate covered pretzels! Before you begin, make sure you have a large flat space available in your freezer. Prepare your pretzel-prepping station by getting a medium tray or plate, several layers of parchment paper, and a plastic bag big enough to fit the tray.

Start by melting your chocolate chips in a large bowl in the microwave.

Gradually stir in the pretzel sticks so they are evenly coated with chocolate.

Cover your tray with parchment paper. Spoon a single layer of pretzels, top with parchment paper, and repeat until you had used all your pretzels. It's kind of hard to arrange them in a single layer, but do the best you can.

Cover the pretzels with a final layer of parchment paper, put the whole thing in the plastic bag, and freeze until hard (this doesn't take that long).

When you're making the ice cream, get the pretzels out of the freezer. Remove the tray. Wrap the bag in a towel and step on it to crush the pretzels. Over a garbage can or sink, carefully remove the parchment paper, leaving the pretzels in the bag.  If your ice cream is still being made, pop the pretzels back in the freezer to stay cold.

When your ice cream is done, transfer it to a large container and stir in the pretzel bits.

Now you are ready to eat your glorious creation.

Cookie Ice Cream

Ah, cookies and ice cream. A perfect match. The ice cream sandwich has been around for a while but cookie ice cream? I would like to think this genius idea was born right here in our own kitchen. Aaron and I have done this with Oreos (aaahhhhhmazing) but for this post we did it with peanut butter oatmeal cookies (these, without the chocolate chips). Ie this ice cream is great for when you bake a triple batch of cookies, your friends eat less than you thought they would, and now you have half of your fridge taken up by cookies and you don't know what to do with them. Use whatever cookies you want, or a combination if you're feeling adventurous.

Cookie Ice Cream (makes 1 batch)

16 cookies, whatever kind you want

1 pint soy creamer

1 cup soy milk, divided

2 Tbls. arrowroot powder

1/4 cup sugar*

*Depending on how sweet your cookies are you may need more or less sugar. This amount has worked for us each time but sweeten to your own liking.

Take 8 of the cookies and chop or break them up small. Seal in a tupperware and freeze.

Take the other 8 cookies and blend with the soy creamer, 1/2 cup of the soy milk, and the sugar.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/2 cup of soy milk with the arrowroot powder and set aside.

Pour the cookie mixture into a pot and heat until boiling, then quickly whisk in the arrowroot mixture to thicken. 

Refrigerate until cool, then make according to your ice cream maker's instructions. In the last few minutes of churning, add in the frozen cookie bits.

Brandy Alexander Ice Cream

When I was a teenager my family went on vacation to one of those all-inclusive caribbean resorts. Knowing perfectly well that I wasn't about to drink away my winter break my parents let me have the "adult wristband," which gave me 24/7 access to all the alcohol I could desire. I used this period of exploration to try a number of ridiculous cocktails, coming to the dinner table each night with a variety of rainbow-colored drinks, only to take a sip and pronounce it disgusting. The one exception to this was the Brandy Alexander, which a fellow wristbanded teenager described to me as "an alcoholic Frappuccino." It does taste remarkably similar to Starbucks' signature drink, and what a better way to honor it than to turn it into ice cream? Yes, there is brandy in this, but no, it won't get you drunk. Not even buzzed. Sorry.

Brandy Alexander Ice Cream

1/2 cup + 2 tbls. water
2 Tbls. ground decaf coffee
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brandy
2 cups (1 pint) soy creamer
2 Tbls. cocoa powder
2 Tbls. chocolate chips
1 cup soy milk
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. coffee extract

Make a cup of coffee using the water and coffee grinds. Keeping the grinds in the machine, pour the coffee back into the machine and run it again to make a cup of super-de-duper strong coffee. Combine your He-Man coffee with the white sugar and brandy in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is syrupy and sticks to a back of a spoon. The alcohol is leaving during this time, just fyi. Also turn on the stovetop vent, unless you like being inundated with alcohol fumes.

Add in the soy cream, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and whisk it all together. Bring to a boil, occasionally whisking to ensure the chocolate chips melt and the powder is well combined.

While the batter is cooking, in a separate small bowl combine the soy milk and arrowroot powder.

Once the batter has boiled (watch it so it doesn't boil over!) whisk in the arrowroot and soy milk mixture until the batter has thickened. Remove from heat, let cool a bit, and whisk in the brown sugar and coffee extract.

Refrigerate until cool, then make according to your ice cream maker's directions.