Karen's Vegan Strawberry “Ice Cream” with Cashew Brittle
Kick off Summer with this creamy, delicious Guilt-Free Strawberry Ice Cream dessert! Its base is made with soaked Cashews, Almond Milk, Pure Maple Syrup and – of course – Summer Strawberries.
Soak the cashews in plenty of filtered water to cover. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours.
Wash, hull and coarsely chop the strawberries. Place them in a large bowl, add the maple syrup and salt, stir and let macerate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Strain the cashews and rinse. Add the cashews to the carafe of a blender. Add 1 cup of almond milk and process from low to high speed until very creamy about 2 minutes. Add the remaining cup of almond milk. Blend well on high speed for 1 minute. Add the strawberries and all their juices - and the coconut oil to the carafe of a blender. Blend until the strawberries are smooth, about one minute.
Place the ice cream base in a clean glass container, seal well and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours. Process the vegan ice cream in an ice cream maker until firm. TO SERVE: Scoop into individual dishes, top with a fresh strawberry and some Cashew Brittle.
Place in pint containers and freeze. Let soften a bit before scooping. Enjoy!
CASHEW BRITTLE:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw cashews, 1 large egg white (use egg substitute for vegan), 2 T. pure maple syrup, 1 pinch sea salt 1/4 t. black sesame seeds (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Whip the egg white until light and very frothy with a balloon whisk in a small bowl. Add the cashews to the bowl and mix well. Drain the cashews and place them into another small bowl (with only the egg that clings to them.) Add the maple syrup and salt, mix well. Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper (sprinkle with black sesame seeds now, if using) and cook until lightly browned - almost amber in color, but not darker (about 15 minutes.) Break up when cool, store any extra in an airtight container.
Notes
Cooking time does not include soaking the cashews for the ice cream base.