"I smell ice cream!" - The Goonies

Yesterday was Flourless and Frozen, aka Ice Cream Day, and it was "chillingly" delicious. We made a variety of ice creams, sorbets, puddings, and compotes. There were a couple of busts, but for the most part, the day was a success.

First, because I know you are all asking yourselves this, what is the difference between the different types of frozen desserts? I know that I myself have continuously mixed up sorbet and sherbet. And, gelato, what the heck is that? Now, to stop the confusion:

-Sorbet is a frozen dessert made with no dairy. It does sometimes incorporate egg whites to keep it fluffy, so if you are in need of vegan sorbet, check the label! Also, alcohol is often incorporated into sorbets to create a creamier texture and reinforce the flavor (aka Cointreau in orange sorbet).
-Sherbet is a frozen dessert that contains dairy, usually non-fat dry milk.
-Granita is basically shaved ice (sweetened frozen liquid). These are super simple to make and are one of my favorite feast finales.
-Gelato is a frozen dessert made with milk and eggs. Though it doesn't have cream, it gets its creamy texture from the custard method in which its made.
-Ice cream is a frozen dessert made with cream and eggs.

Alrighty then - Recipe Time! These were two of my absolute favorites from yesterday.

Chocolate Pudding: Yields about 1 Quart
Recipe Courtesy of Jenny Matthau
4 cups almond milk
4 Tbsp agar flakes
9 Tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt
1 and 1/4 cups maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 Tbsp kuzu dissolved in
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp cashew butter

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine almond milk and agar. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer with the lid ajar until agar is fully dissolved. Stir often, making sure to scrape down the sides.
2. Whisk in cocoa powder, salt, maple and vanilla. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Whisk in kuzu and water slurry, stirring constantly until the liquid begins to boil again. Cook until the mixture is clear and thickens, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
4. In a small bowl, gradually add a small amount of cocoa mixture to the cashew butter. Stir until smooth and creamy. Whisk back into cocoa mixture.
5. Pour mixture into a pan and allow to chill in a refrigerator or freezer until set. Blend in a food processor until creamy.
If you desire, pour blended mixture into an ice cream maker and allow to chill.


Coconut Ice Cream: Yields about 1 Quart
Recipe courtesy of Lisa Boymann
5 cups coconut milk (3 cans)
2 Tbsp agar flakes
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1 cup maple syrup

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine coconut milk, agar and salt over medium heat. Whisk to combine and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until agar is dissolved, about 20-30 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally, scraping down the sides of the pan.
2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and coconut extracts and maple syrup. Pour into a shallow pan and allow to cool in a refrigerator until set, about 25 minutes.
3. Process in food processor until smooth and creamy (you might have to do this in batches). This could be used at this stage as Coconut Pudding.
4. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn until firm.


Again, these were my favorites of the day. They were both dairy-free and could be served with a variety of sauces and toppings. Hope you enjoy making them!

So, I was feeling quite ambitious when I got home last night from class and ended up making homemade cheese. Yes, I made cheese. I'll post the recipe tomorrow, as well as a couple of serving suggestions! Also, making a market-inspired meal tomorrow night. Recipes and photos to come :)