Coconut and Cacao Ice Cream Popsicles.
For the past year or so I have secretly harbored a love affair for two
rather specific foods - coconut and cacao. Funnily enough, I never liked either
of these whilst growing up but nowadays you’ll almost always find me sneaking
some kind of coconut or cacao into most things I eat. Quite simply, I think
that the both of them are the epitome of deliciousness.
Unless you’re an obsessed foodie or healthy chocolate connoisseur,
you’ll probably be wondering what the heck cacao is. You’ll probably also now
be wondering how someone can be a healthy chocolate connoisseur because
traditionally chocolate cancels out any kind of healthy label.
It was a rather traumatic day that I decided I seriously wanted to
get healthier and lose some weight. Evidently that is a huge decision to make
and commit to, but far more concerning for me was the prospect of having to
seriously reduce my chocolate intake. I come from a long line of chocoholics.
You could even go so far as to argue that to not be a chocoholic would be a
failure to the family. In his own opinion, my dad likely considers himself the
king of chocolate and I genuinely cannot think of a moment that dad has ever
refused to eat something in which the main ingredient is chocolate. The apple
absolutely did not fall very far from the tree because here I am in all my
red-headed glory with a serious addiction to chocolate. Therefore, quite
potentially the best day of my life was the one in which I discovered cacao.
Cacao is essentially the healthier older sibling of the more commonly
known and used cocoa powder, which is traditionally the base ingredient for
chocolate. However cacao has no added sugars, salt, or anything else and is
simply the shelled and crushed seedpods of the cacao tree. It’s raw, it’s
gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and it’s downright delicious. Conveniently it’s
also a great source of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron and
copper – i.e. a whole bunch of minerals that your body needs to be healthy. The
upside of all this is that it is 100% possible to be a healthy chocolate
connoisseur (my unofficial title).
When you combine cacao with the equally delicious coconut and a few
other natural, raw ingredients, you end up with these ice cream popsicles,
which are so delicious that they almost shouldn’t be legal (not that I am
biased or anything…). Perfect for a dessert without need for any guilt, or for
a hot summer day, these ice creams are so healthy that you could probably even
have one for breakfast, which is exactly what I plan on doing tomorrow morning
(with no regrets, and also assuming that they survive the night – not likely!).
Ingredients;
Ice Cream
400ml can coconut milk
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
3 tbsp pure sweetener (maple syrup/agave syrup)
1. Take the can of coconut milk
and shake it up. Canned coconut milk has a tendency to separate into a more
solid part and then a liquid, so by shaking the can you will combine those two
parts ensuring that you have a thicker, creamier liquid, which is better for
ice cream.
2. Pour the contents of the shaken
can into a bowl. Add in 2tbsp of pure sweetener and mix well.
3. Take approx. 4 tbsp of the
sweetened coconut mixture and set aside.
4. Take some popsicle moulds
(readily available from kitchen shops and supermarkets) and carefully pour the
sweetened coconut mixture into the moulds, filling them up to the top. Place a
paddlepop stick in the centre, being careful to ensure it doesn’t sink down too
far! Then, place in the freezer to set for at least a few hours, preferably
overnight.
5. Take the coconut mixture that
you previously set aside and add in the cacao powder and 1 tbsp more sweetener.
Mix this really well until all the powder is fully mixed in. I used a blender
to do this but that isn’t necessary, though I would recommend if you’re a bit
lazy! The chocolate coconut mixture will keep well in a sealed container in the
fridge whilst the ice creams fully set.
Raw Chocolate
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil (in its liquid form)
Small handful chopped raw hazelnuts
1. Remove the frozen ice creams
from the freezer and gently pry them from their mould. Then, dip the tip into
the chocolate coconut mixture and set on a flat plate/tray. When all the ice
creams have been dipped, place back in the freezer while you make the raw cacao
to drizzle over the top.
2. In a small bowl, mix the three
ingredients together really well. If you’re in a cold climate, sometimes the
coconut oil will set a little, in which case a bowl of warm water underneath
will keep it fully liquid (although this will then not make it fully raw as
such).
3. Remove the ice creams from the
freezer and, using a spoon, drizzle the raw cacao mixture over the top.
4. Sprinkle some chopped hazelnuts over the top of
the cacao drizzle (quickly otherwise it will set). Repeat for all the ice creams
and then return them to the freezer for a few minutes to set the raw cacao
drizzle. Keep in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve (my
bet is that they won’t be there for very long!)
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