"Non-Dairy" Avocado Ice Cream (or "How I Spent My Summer Vacation")

Serving 1: With slivered honey almonds

It has been an interesting summer. I took a break from my dance class to rest my knees, get much needed recovery time, and get a chance to clean up around the house. It really felt I had a vacation, even though I was still working. I loved the extra free time that I had to take walks, window shop and even read! I miss that.

An interesting side effect was I also ended up spending extra time in the kitchen. It is one of my creative outlets, although it is mostly due to the necessity of nourishment. Regardless, it gave me a chance to play with ingredients and be inspired. 

One of these experiments was making my own frozen desserts. I guess it started when I made Avocado “Ice Cream”. I’ve always wanted to make Avocado Ice Cream like my Dad did every summer. Avocado was one of his favorites (and still is) so he would take one or two avocados, mash them and mix them up with condensed milk and put it in the freezer and enjoy it for a week. Dad would be back at the fridge once or twice a day getting avocado ice cream while I had my normal Magnolia Chocolate Marble (Yeah!) or Mocha. Back then, I did not like avocado and preferred chocolate (well, I still do), so Dad enjoyed it all by himself.

Frozen fruit in the (Ninja) Blender

Now, I love avocado. During the season, I may have an avocado or three every week – on toast, tacos, tamales, omelets, you name it. I am a “Californian” anyway, so I think its a law to have avocado (along with Kale). There was a time when I bought mini avocados. My Hubby was wondering why I bought them – but it was the perfect size for one serving.

Back to ice cream… With my making dairy-free banana “ice cream” last year, I was inspired to make a healthier and perhaps dairy free version of my Dad’s summer favorite. I am trying to minimize my dairy and condensed milk has tons of sugar, so that was my motivation. I had a vision of combining avocado with frozen bananas and getting the perfect scoop.

Freezing the avocado was also in my vision because I usually end up with half of an avocado after lunch. That was the other rationale for freezing. I thought freezing it will preserve the lovely green color.

Here’s what I have so far…

Mad Gourmet’s Healthier Dairy-free Avocado “Ice Cream”

Inspired by my childhood summers with Dad
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 banana (about 1/2 cup)
• (Up to) 1/4 cup of coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp of agave syrup (add more to taste)
• Almond slivers or coconut shavings for toppings.

Directions

1. Peel and cut banana and avocado into one inch slices.
2. Freeze (I usually do this overnight).
3. Put avocado chunks and banana in a blender.
4. Add coconut milk as needed (consistency should be like ice cream not a smoothie)
5. Top with almonds or coconut shavings and enjoy.

Verdict

Serving 2: With Coconut Shavings

I love the combination of avocado and bananas. The bananas provide the creaminess that you usually get with ice cream. The addition of coconut milk adds to the creaminess and makes it closer to the ice cream that Dad loved. It also makes for a delicious but healthy tropical treat.

As blended, it is a yummy dessert, but tricky to make a perfect scoop. It usually has a yogurt-like (or shall I say guacamole?) texture that may be a bit runny for the scooper. I find that putting the mixture in the freezer until it firms up (about 20-30 minutes) does the trick. As I am writing this, I am thinking that a quenelle may be a good alternative presentation.

After that experiment, I became encouraged to make my other frozen treats. (Hmmm... I feel another blog post coming). Think granitas and sorbets... some with summer fruit. I never thought that these would be so easy to make.

So, here’s my summer tribute to Dad. By the way, he loved Durian too… but I don’t think I’ll acquire a taste for that.

HELP WANTED: Kona Coffee-Spiked Banana Muffins

Yes, I made it! I pledged to write one blog post per month… at least the first three. This was to match my record last year. Now, I need to beat it... but it may need to wait until May.

This post really is a call for help. During our last trip to Kona, I was inspired to make Kona coffee banana bread or muffins. I think I was inspired after indulging in way too much Kona and Ka’u coffee. Oh, that magical Hawaiian elixir is so ono and so mild that it did not upset my tummy. It did not help that Kona coffee was all over the place in Kona (duh). There were several cool coffee places overlooking the ocean (again, duh). Oh yes, there was that trip to the coffee plantation too.  Needless to say, that trip was #caffeinated.

The banana bread part comes from the upcountry in the Big Island. Banana bread is a standard treat in Hawaii. When you go Captain Cook or coffee country, there is no lack of stores that sell banana bread. I always get a slice or three when we’re up there so I have provisions for the rest of trip.

Once we came back home, I looked for a recipe as a starter. I think the most promising one was an old recipe from the Washington Post on a coffee-spiked banana bread. I healthified and Maddified it with tropical ingredients like coconut oil and macadamia nuts. Since the weather is getting warmer, I muffinized it to cut down on baking time. 

Sheesh, who am I kidding... I LOVE MUFFINS!

Here’s the call for help: I baked it twice but the coffee flavor does not pop. Don’t get me wrong – the muffins were delicious, but it seems to me that the coffee should be more prominent. I tried to add coffee grounds in it (I don't think that helped with flavor, but it did on caffeine content). I even consulted the original recipe in the Mosswood Cookbook (Yes, It happened to be in my collection).

So... Here’s what I have so far.  Does it need more coffee or am I getting too caffeinated? Or perhaps Kona coffee is just too mellow.  Anyways, as the Hawaiian’s would say… Please kokua. Mahalo nui.

Mad Gourmet’s (In Progress) Kona Coffee Spiked Banana Muffins

Based on Washington Post’s Coffee Spiked Banana Bread (from October 2011) and the Mosswood Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup strongly brewed black Kona coffee
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup walnuts or macadamia nuts
• 1 Tbsp ground Kona coffee (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line them with liners. 
2. Whisk together the flour, the salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
3. Stir together the mashed bananas and coffee in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
4. Combine the oil and the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on low speed until incorporated. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well blended, then add the vanilla and almond extracts.
5. Gradually and alternately add the flour mixture and the banana mixture to the beaten egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour one. Do not overmix, or the batter will be tough. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pans.

P.S. I'm thinking of renaming these to Caffeinated Muffins. What do you think?