Jul 21, 2022

cherry vanilla magnums

Sweet, juicy cherries combined with a rich, creamy vanilla vegan ice cream.

As mentioned in my previous post the UK is currently experiencing a heatwave and on Saturday we bought our first batch of British cherries from the Farmers market. Considering all it seemed appropriate to make these vegan cherry & vanilla Magnum ice creams to help cool down a bit.

Drizzled, fully dipped or even without the dark chocolate, these are delicious and so indulgent. Finish with a few chopped almonds or cacao nibs to make them look even more impressive.

THE INGREDIENTS

CASHEW NUTS.

Make sure to use raw, unsalted cashew nuts. These are soaked overnight to make them softer and creamier.

COCONUT MILK.

I always use a full fat coconut milk as it gives a creamier, richer texture.

MAPLE SYRUP.

Make sure to use a 100% maple syrup and not a maple flavoured syrup.

VANILLA PASTE.

I recommend using a good quality vanilla bean paste, or alternatively a good vanilla extract.

CHERRIES.

Fresh or frozen cherries.

DARK CHOCOLATE.

Make sure to use a good vegan chocolate.

PINCH OF SALT.

The salt helps balance the flavours.

THE EQUIPMENT

BLENDER.

A good high-speed blender is necessary to get the mixture completely smooth.

Poor quality blenders or not blending the mixture until completely smooth will result in a grainy texture.

ICE CREAM MAKER.

I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker, which I absolutely love. It churns the ice cream into the perfect soft serve consistency within 25 minutes.

You could skip using an ice cream maker and just pour the mixture directly into the moulds. The ice cream might however result in a more icy, rather than smooth texture.

ICE CREAM MOULDS.

My husband bought me the cutest Magnum-shaped ice cream moulds which I love using in this recipe. If you don't have ice cream moulds, not to worry. You can transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and do the scoop and serve.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Replace the cherries with any berry you like
Replace the dark chocolate with vegan white or vegan milk chocolate
Add a few drops of almond essence to the ice cream mixture for a Bakewell Tart inspired flavour combination.
Sprinkle the melted chocolate with sprinkles or popping candy

CHERRY VANILLA ICE CREAM

Sweet, juicy cherries combined with a rich, creamy vanilla vegan ice cream.

Makes 6 Magnums

Time: 3o min, plus freezing time and overnight soaking time

INGREDIENTS

160g raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight
1 can coconut milk
160g maple syrup
1 and half teaspoon vanilla paste
pinch of salt
60g fresh or frozen cherries
100g dark chocolate (vegan), or more or less depending on how much chocolate you want on the ice cream
chopped almonds or cacao nibs to finish

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend the cherries into a chunky sauce or completely smooth (up to you) using a stick blender or high speed blender. If you are using frozen cherries let them defrost first before blending.
Transfer to a small bowl and aside until needed.
Rinse and drain the soaked cashew nuts
Add the cashews, coconut milk, vanilla, maple syrup and salt to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream churner and churn until a very soft serve consistency.
If you are not using an ice cream churner I recommend placing the mixture in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight.
Scoop the ice cream moulds about 3/4 full with the vanilla mixture. Top with a few spoonsful of the blended cherries and spread out.
Using the back of a fork or a knife swirl the cherries into the vanilla mixture.
Add a bit more vanilla mixture on top to fill the moulds and use a back of a knife or palette knife to smooth off the top.
Repeat with the rest of the moulds.
Carefully transfer the filled moulds into the freezer and freeze for a few hours.
TO FINISH Melt the chocolate over steaming water or in the microwave until completely melted.
Dip each ice cream into the melted chocolate or drizzle the ice cream with the melted chocolate (up to you). Sprinkle with chopped nuts (if using) and transfer the ice creams back into the freezer for another 10 minutes or so.
IF you are not using ice cream moulds simply transfer the ice cream into an freezer safe container, drizzle with melted chocolate (optional) and chopped nuts and freeze for a few hours or until ready to serve.
Once completely frozen, I recommend letting the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to make it easier to scoop.

HAVE YOU MADE THIS?

If you have, I would love to see your creations on Instagram.

Make sure to leave a review below and give it a rating.

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@lychees_and_leggings and #lychees_and_leggings

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