Icemageddon
On Thursday afternoon when I called my mom back in Texas, she said the state was about to get hit with a massive ice storm (nicknamed icemageddon in the news) and that Texans were going completely crazy—rushing the stores like it was Black Friday all over again, stockpiling food and waters and blankets and turtlenecks.
As I looked down at my car dashboard that read 70 degrees here in the northeast, it was hard for me to comprehend. My air conditioning was on, and I was wearing short sleeves.
In honor of Texas’ icemageddon, I give to you a seasonal version of my basic ice cream recipe: Gingerbread Ice Cream. This healthy ice cream recipe is rich, smooth, and insanely creamy; and the sweet gingerbread flavor offers a great way to get you into the holiday spirit. Turn on Elf or The Santa Clause (two of my favorite Christmas movies), and serve yourself a big bowl of ice cream.
Best eaten in front of a warm fire, snuggled up in a blanket.
Gingerbread Ice Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews or macadamia halves (120g)
- 1 1/3 cups milk of choice (320g)
- 3 1/2 tbsp blackstrap or regular molasses (50g)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- scant 1/4 tsp salt
- just over 1/16 tsp pure stevia, or 3 extra tbsp sugar of choice
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
In a bowl, comletely cover the nuts with water and let sit 5-8 hours. Drain, then pat dry very well with a towel. Combine all ingredients in a blender, blending until all cashew bits have disappeared and the mixture is completely smooth. If you own a Vita-Mix: Pour the blended mixture into two ice-cube trays and freeze until solid. Once they are frozen, pop the ice cubes into your Vita-Mix by pushing a knife down one side of each section. Blend on high, using the tamper until completely smooth with a soft-serve texture. Scoop the ice cream into individual bowls using an ice-cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately or freeze up to an hour for the perfect ice-cream texture and consistency. The best texture is achieved with a Vita-Mix, but you can still get a pretty good result with an ice cream maker. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker either, you can still turn the blended mixture into popsicles! Also: a reader did have success with a food processor by thawing the ice cubes a little extra before blending, and it turned out like soft-serve.) For the ice-cream-maker method: Pour blended mixture into a large container and freeze 30 minutes or refrigerate 6 or more hours. Pour chilled mixture into the ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Once a smooth texture is reached, scoop into individual bowls using an ice-cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately or freeze up to an hour for a firmer texture.
Any of the following milks works in the ice cream recipe: Silk Almondmilk, homemade cashew cream, canned full-fat coconut milk, Earth Balance soymilk, Alpro soy cream… I’m sure many others will work; I just haven’t tried them all. (It’s probably best to use a milk that contains some fat.) Due to the lack of preservatives and stabilizers in this ice cream, it tastes best on the day it’s made. However you can freeze for up to a month: it’s best to portion the ice cream into individual bowls before freezing. Then remove a bowl from the freezer 20-30 minutes before eating and it will thaw back into smooth ice cream.
Question of the Day:
Have you experienced any crazy winter weather yet this year?
Have you gotten any snow days off from work or school yet? Do you like snow days, or would you prefer to just keep the days off later in the spring?
Link of the Day: Crockpot Oatmeal
Yum this looks divine! Never used to like the whole gingerbread thing but now I love it. Now to add this on my very long must-try list…
Yes!! Today was our first day off of school in VA and I’m so excited! It snowed yesterday morning and then it turned to freezing rain. The first snow of the year did its job 🙂 I’ll be sure to make this in my free time today because it sounds fantastic. (I like ice cream in any weather) thank you Katie!
OMG Katie!!! I finally got a high-speed blender and this weekend I was trying to come up with a gingerbread ice cream recipe and wishing that you had one. Thank you so much!!
I’m in Texas and have totally been calling this Icemaggeddon. Worst part was that just the day prior it was in the 80s! And now I’m on Day 4 of being unable to get out of my driveway.
I can’t wait to make this. I already have all the ingredients. In the summer I’m known for my boozed up popsicles so I think I’ll turn this into an “adult” popsicle!
This looks so good! It’s been pretty warm here, so gingerbread ice cream would probably be amazing.
In answer to the question, we got a three-hour delay one day, and at 12:30 on a different day, the power (and heat!) went out at school so they sent us home before the only class I had that day started, so I didn’t have school at all and I don’t have to make it up because we had already gone for over half a day! Woohoo!
And I totally loooove snow days.
This ice cream looks delicious and seems so simple! Thanks for sharing!
I just made it but I find that the taste is too medicinal… maybe too much vanilla? tThe texture is great though, I’ll try with different flavor combinations.
Oh no! Definitely shouldn’t taste medicinal… did you use imitation vanilla by any chance?
No, I used pure vanilla extract, and I thought I followed the recipe exactly… it’s still ok though, and I am planning to serve it to a dinner guest tonight with vegan apple crisp 🙂
This ice cream looks so delicious and healthy! I love it.
I’ve never tried gingerbread ice cream but it sounds amazing.
Pinning!
Katie, you’re my hero right now– all the ice cream recipes I’ve found online have required an ice cream maker… But yours is BETTER in the Vitamix?!? Heck yes!!!!! Thank you! I need to pick up some blackstrap molasses, but then I’m totally going to make this!
Sound so good!! I love gingerbread and ice cream..so perfect pairing!
Can’t wait to look around your blog for more healthy dessert ideas!