I know I'm a rare bird...among other things, I like to eat ice cream in the wintertime (in front of a nice warm fire or heater - very important). I also like to use fresh pumpkin instead of the canned stuff. Every fall I load up on fresh pumpkins. They're so beautiful, they're fun to decorate the house with, they're relatively inexpensive yet nutritious & tasty. They also last...for months. And months. One year I had a stockpile of pumpkins in my garage until May (and I was still using them)! Granted, I did have to toss a few in between, but I made loads of pumpkin goodies all winter & well into spring.
So while for some, ice cream is just a summer treat & anything pumpkin belongs on a fall menu, for me it also makes complete sense in January.
In all honesty...I did originally develop this recipe (& take this picture) back in November for my 'Raw Food 101' Whole Foods class I was scheduled to teach the Friday before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I had to cancel that class as I had the flu (which caught me completely by surprise since I hadn't been sick in years!) so I never got to share the love & bless you with this recipe. Anyway, some of you thought this sounded intriguing & have asked for the recipe, so here it is!
There are several parts to this recipe. It's a sundae. There are several layers - four in mine, to be exact - plus two lovely garnishes, don't you think? ;-)
Gingersnap Crust Crumble
2 C pecans, soaked, rinsed & dehydrated
1/4 C flax seeds, ground
1/2 tsp Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2 dates, pitted
1 Tbs blackstrap molasses
Process dehydrated nuts, ground flax seeds, salt & spices in food processor until nuts are chopped finely but before they begin turning into nut butter. Add dates; pulse a few times until mixture is crumbly. Add blackstrap molasses; pulse briefly just until incorporated.
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
1/3 C coconut oil
5 C fresh pumpkin, cubed
1/3 C maple syrup
1/3 C honey
3 Tbs psyllium husks
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/3 C Water, or more if needed for blending
If needed, melt coconut oil by placing a glass container with the oil inside a bowl or other container with hot water, stirring until melted.
Blend all ingredients except coconut oil in a high-speed blender (VitaMix) until creamy. With the blender on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the coconut oil & blend just until incorporated. Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Alternately, you may place the mixture in a bowl in the freezer & freeze several hours or to desired consistency, stirring every 30-60 minutes.
Note: If you must, you can use canned pumpkin. ;-) Just cut out most or all of the added water. Also, if desired, you may use pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices (adjust the amount to your taste). Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of 'warming' spices, usually containing most or all of: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice & mace. If you mix it yourself, use any or all of these & adjust to your taste.
Cranberry Sauce
1 C fresh cranberries
6 soaked dates
1/3 C date soak water
1 T lime juice
Blend or process all ingredients to desired consistency.
Cashew Creme
1 C cashews, soaked & rinsed
1/2 C coconut meat
1/4 C honey
2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 vanilla bean)
1/4 tsp Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Water, if needed for blending
Soak the cashews 4-6 hours, drain & rinse well. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender (VitaMix) until creamy.
Note: This is my VitaMix blending method for thicker mixtures, such as the cashew creme. This will prevent having to add more water than absolutely necessary, which will help you obtain a thicker, creamier result. Start with the blender on low speed & very slowly increase the speed. Using a (firmly gripped!) spatula, scrape the uppermost sides & stir the mixture as you blend (carefully - without getting the spatula in the blades!); this will help maintain the air-bubble-free vortex required for a consistent creaminess.
Spoon each layer into a pretty bowl or glass & garnish with a cranberry & a sprig of mint. Serve to your guests with unabashed pride!
So let me know if you make this in January...or May...or Summer...or this Fall. :-)
Peace, love & kale rocks...
xoxo,
Kat
P.S. - Even Dylan was eyeing the cashew creme...adorable.
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