Ah, the things I do to taste the latest dairy-free foods. Cooler box packed into the car, we headed down to Reno, and the nearest Whole Foods. Of course, the trip to a town that is 45 minutes (and an “over-the-mountain” trip) away was about more than Whole Foods, we had errands to run. But I never pass up the chance to stop in to buy a few things since we visit less than once a month.
On this trip, I opted to pick up some hemp-based ice cream. I was leary when I first heard about it, but it seems to be getting rave reviews, even from dairy-consuming columnists. We decided to get two pints, and I let my husband pick. He chose Mint-Chip (yes!) and Chocolate Fudge (Really? Are you sure you don’t want the Vanilla Bean?).
After silently whining about his choice for a few minutes, I realized I could dress up the chocolate ice cream with … hmmm, some peanut butter perhaps?
As it turned out, this stuff tastes pretty awesome, so I really didn’t need a topping. It has a rich fudgsicle flavor with a pleasant chocolate fudge ribbon throughout. Ours did melt slightly in transit, so I think it was more hard packed than a freshly purchased pint. But even so, not the least bit of ice … this stuff was truly dense and rich!
Of course, a hard-shell topping of sweet peanut butter never hurts, and this combo was magically delicious …
Alisa’s Magical Peanut Butter Shell
Recipe adapted from my book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
This is a mini-version of a recipe in my book. I make little batches most of the time because I always forget about leftoveres like this. If you opt to make more, it should actually keep on the counter for a couple of days. If you store it in the fridge, simply reheat to melt when ready to use.
This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, optionally Peanut- and Nut-Free, and optionally Refined Sugar-Free.
- 2 Teaspoons Creamy Peanut Butter or SunButter (for nut-free)
- 1.5 Teaspoons Coconut Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar or Powdered Coconut Sugar (I ground coconut sugar in my spice grinder)
- Few Drops of Vanilla Extract (optional)
- Tiny pinch of salt (omit if using salted PB or SunButter)
In a small dish, melt together the peanut butter or SunButter and the coconut oil (I just place them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds if needed). With a fork, whisk in the sugar, vanilla, and salt, if using.
Scoop ice cream, drizzle PB mixture overtop. Watch the magic happen.
Yields enough for 2 ice cream sundaes
