National Ice Cream Month...

... was July. But since I still haven't posted June photos yet, being a day or two late to make up an ice cream recipe isn't so bad, right?!

So, those that know me know that I love to find a bargain and save money. They also know that two of my four boys don't do dairy.

Fact #1: Non dairy products are usually very expensive.

Take for example milk. Non-dairy milk (soy/almond/coconut/flax) costs anywhere from $2.99 on up to over $4 for a half-gallon, depending upon where I go (To put it in perspective, I can buy a whole gallon of milk for $2.50). Cheese? Usually $3.50+ for 6-8 oz of your choice of veggie shreds. And ice cream?? Well, unless I get the Trader Joe's soy (cherry chocolate chip or vanilla) for $3.99/qt, I'm paying $5 for a pint. Sheesh.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

The natural solution would be to tell my dear boys that they don't get ice cream. Period. But I love food. And I love ice cream. And I can't imagine a life without it. So, every once in a while, when I think my husband has had a bit too many root beer floats (again, my fault since I buy the glass IBC bottles from Costco-- but hey, they are made with cane sugar ;)... well, I pull out my handy $20 garage sale purchase.

Fact #2: Not all non-dairy ice cream recipes out on the internet are good.

They don't last as long, so you don't want to make a large batch, and usually they are more like the consistency of flavored ice. Hard like that. I've tried many different kinds, with things to soften them like guar gum, xantham gum, arrowroot, and cornstarch. I've tried adding more fats, changing sugar mediums and adding alcohol. I feel like I'm back in the lab at times, but eventually give up. Not because of my lack of determination (see my macaron story for that), but because I pity the test subject forced to eat all my failed attempts that are not quite comparable to the store-bought stuff.

But, I decided, in honor of July... to try again. :)

Fact #3: We have a lot of mint growing in our backyard.

Fact #4: My husband's favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip.

So, I decided to try to appease his desire with a less expensive version of the store-bought stuff.

The Verdict??

Aiden: "Mmmm."

Mind you, that doesn't necessarily mean its good. Because anyone who has been around him knows that this sound comprises about 80% of his verbal communications at this point.

Liam: "It smells like mint and tastes like apple licorice."

Hmmm... what?! Although I happen to love good ole' Amish green apple licorice, I'm not sure if I should take this as a compliment. But I guess I should as he proceeded to eat what was left in the bowl, lick the stir attachment and get who knows how much out of the main ice cream while I searched for a freezer container. It pays to be around Mommy when she's making ice cream ;)

Joel: "Should I finish it now or leave a bit for later?"

I guess that means I have a winner. He said that it was hard out of the freezer, but not as bad as some of the recipes I had tried and still definitely eatable. He said after 5-10min of thawing, it was perfect. Loved the fresh mint flavor. And since he ate the whole container before I was finished nursing Callum... well, I didn't get to get a picture of the finished product.

But I've already started scheming on what to make next... :)

And the recipe for those that were interested...

Dairy-Free Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

(makes about a pint)

- 1 can of coconut milk (not light, you need the fat to help it to be creamy)

- 1/8c of cream of coconut (find this in the mixer section of the grocery store)

- 1/3 c of sugar (I wouldn't mind skimping on this, but again it helps so that the ice cream doesn't freeze as hard)

- 1 1/2T cornstarch

- 12 sprigs of mint (mine were 4-6in... I wanted to make sure I had a lot of mint flavor)

- homemade df dark chocolate chunks*

1. Open the can of coconut milk and put in a small saucepan, separating out 1/4 c to a separate, small bowl. Add sugar to saucepan and begin to cook on low, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

2. Mix cornstarch with reserved 1/4c coconut milk until it is fully dissolved.

3. Add cornstarch mixture and cream of coconut to the saucepan after the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. You will notice the coconut milk starting to thicken.

4. Remove from heat, add mint sprigs. Cover, and let steep for about 30 minutes. Once cooled. Place in refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours (you might be able to do less, I just ran errands for that period of time :).

5. Remove from fridge, take out mint leaves (a bit messy, but i just squeezed the milk from them with my clean hands. You could probably do a strainer, but I was in a hurry), and put mixture in ice cream maker. Freeze according to ice cream maker's instructions, adding chocolate chunks towards the end before it gets too thick.

* You could use normal chocolate chips/chunks. I just didn't have any dairy-free one's on hand so I made my own. To make them, melt cocoa powder, EVCO, and honey over a double boiler, stirring to help melt and incorporate. Remove from heat, and add a bit of vanilla. Then pour in a parchment lined small container (like a storage container or bread pan. I skipped the parchment lining and just used silicone muffin tins). Place in refrigerator to harden.