Vegan Ice Cream Social

Summer is here, and what better way to kick it off than with a good old fashioned ice cream social!  Eleven of us gathered together at Well on Wheels headquarters to learn how to make icecream and feast on a menu featuring strawberry shortcake, four flavors of vegan icecream, double chocolate brownies and coconut whipped cream. I feel like I ate a house. 

 I'm really happy to be able to share delicious food with everyone, and I loved the positive response.

"So delicious, Mary!!!"

"That was quite a treat today!"

"Karen and I had such a wonderful time, and felt so at home with everyone. Thank you so much for hosting such an amazing afternoon, Mary...you're fantastic!!! ...and for the chance to meet such awesome people."

Preparations began nearly a week ahead as I transformed the kitchen into an ice cream production facility.  Recipes were tested and tweaked and flavor combinations invented to create a Five Course Dessert Tasting Menu of pure decadence.  

We started off with a seasonal favorite, Strawberry Shortcake.  This version was made with a spongey, gluten free cake layered in a parfait cup with gorgeous, sweet local strawberries and topped with a luscious coconut whipped cream and mint sprig from my garden.

Then we got into the ice cream.  The next course was a Hot Fudge Sundae made with Maple Bourbon Butter Pecan and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk ice cream.  The scoops sat atop a dense double chocolate gluten free brownie and were topped with a stream of chocolate sauce.    

I think the unanimous favorite was the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk which had a rich and creamy base of full fat coconut milk and was sweetened with coconut sugar which added a hint of caramel flavor, loads of natural peanut butter, and chunks and swirls of chocolate embedded throughout.   

The next course was a Blueberry Streusel ice cream topped with a fresh blueberry sauce, date nut granola, and a dollop of coconut whipped cream.  It was light by comparison, but still super dreamy delicious.  This one would've made Violet Beauregard deliriously happy.

We finished with a demonstration of how to make ice cream.  For this I chose a simple tropical flavor combination of mango and coconut.  I explained the process of incorporating the sugar into the coconut milk, chilling, preparing the ice cream maker, cutting a mango, and starting the churning process.  

After twenty minutes, we had a silky soft serve treat to savor.  Once we cleaned out the container, the real socializing began as we dug our spoons into the remaining ice cream I had prepared.  Seconds?  Thirds?  Who's counting!  

Thank you everyone for making this such a fabulous event. I look forward to hosting more events like this over the summer.  Stay tuned!

Sweet Claude's

It wouldn't be summer without a trip to Sweet Claude's.  I don't know who it was that told me about this hidden little gem on Rt. 10 in Cheshire (Josh, maybe? if so, thank you!!), but I've been making the pilgrimage every year once the weather warms up.  Friday's visit was the perfect reward after a long week of painting, gardening, cooking, and teaching. 

How long has it been since you've had Pistachio ice cream?  If you're a vegan, you might only have distant memories of rides to Friendly's after dinner for a sugar cone topped with that glowing green goodness.  When you swear off dairy, this treat becomes a thing of the past.  Until now. 

On a recent visit to Sweet Claude's  I was excited to find four flavors of Tofutti ice cream, one of which was my childhood favorite, Pistachio.  I got it in a cup topped with their "wet walnuts", which I think are walnuts in corn syrup.

Totally decadent, unhealthy, but what the heck... so gooooood.  How often do I get to do this?  Next time I think I might try basic chocolate topped with their peanut butter sauce.  Yeah.  That's right.

Sweet Claude's

I arrived at Sweet Claude's (otherwise known as "vegan sweet tooth heaven") just before 7 PM last night. It had been a lazy summer day; cooking in a hot kitchen in the morning, followed by a sticky afternoon in the garden. I was craving relief. I was craving... Tofutti.

In my mind I had conjured up a large cup of unnaturally green pistachio soy ice cream drizzled with hot fudge, so I hopped in my car for the 25 min. drive through the woodsy backroads to this little oasis in Cheshire. Even on an overcast evening, it's as if a beacon of light is shining on the cute red house atop the hill.

Inside, the menu board displayed my options: Cookie, Vanilla with Raspberry Swirl, Chocolate, and Coffee Chip Crunch

While the raspberry swirl sounded healthy and good, I knew it wouldn't compare to the wild raspberries I've been eating every day for the past week on my walks through Edgewood Park. That left me with three variations of Chocolate from which to choose (what to do... what to do...). I narrowed it down to Cookie and Coffee Chip Crunch, and decided to go with 1 scoop of each. Oh, and topped with a hefty portion of "Wet Walnuts" (which, as far as I can tell, are walnuts soaked in corn syrup). Yeah, I know. But how often do I make this drive?

(who could possibly resist this??)

I must report, every bite was as creamy and delicious as you might imagine. My hands will probably get itchy from the non-gluten-free chocolate cookies mashed up in the vanilla soy ice cream, but it will be worth it.

Halfway through my indulgence, I decided to pack up and go with the intention of freezing the remaining portion to be enjoyed the next day (today). Alas, at each stop light, that melting mass got smaller and smaller. Until, all that was left by the time I pulled into my driveway was a soggy container of mocha goodness and a satisfied feeling in my tummy.

ahhh... sweet.