CHOCOLATE CHIP NICE CREAM

England is currently facing some strange heat wave and we don’t really know how to deal with it. How is it possible that people can be at all productive in a country that is hot for more than four days a year? I just want to chill out, preferably on my yoga mat, and do nothing but enjoy the sun. Also, how do you sleep in the heat? (Which reminds me, I was meant to buy a fan today). And is salad all you eat? Because I tried to make a veggie cottage pie a couple of days ago and I almost cooked right along with it.

Anyways… you’re here for ice cream! On the same night I made the cottage pie I was also in charge of dessert. I had (a little more suitably) decided on a chocolate vegan ice cream recipe I had seen on Pinterest. But when I went to check the ingredients that morning I realised it wasn’t going to happen; I should have already had coconut milk in an ice tray freezing overnight. However, not to be one to give up (especially when dessert and chocolate is involved) I decided to wing it, and I’m glad I did because the outcome was delicious - even my milk chocolate loving family went back for seconds.

Ingredients:

• 2 overripe bananas

• 4 dates (stones removed)

• ½ cup coconut milk (full fat, it makes it super creamy!)

• ½ cup cashews / or 1/4 cup cashew butter

• 2 tbsp cacao powder*

• 1-2 tbsp maple syrup (you’re sweetenig to taste here!)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/8-1/4 cup cacao nibs (or dark chocolate chips)

*If you have someone you are feeding who doesn’t like chocolate ice cream (yes! Apparently that’s a thing!!) simply omit the cacao.

Method:

• Put all the ingredients except the cacao nibs into a blender and process until super smooth.

• Pour into a tub and stir in the nibs.

• Pop into the freezer for at least 6 hours to set.

• Remove from the freezer for 10-15 minutes before serving to make it scoopable! (Let’s pretend that’s a word!)