Chocolate entICE CREAM!

Sep 27, 2010

Did you realize that when you slightly process (in blender) frozen bananas they taste just like ice cream??  Ice cream is my vice...I could eat it after every dinner, every night. But I don't, because moderation doesn't exist for me when it comes to ice cream.  The problem is we grew up eating it -- only humongous versions we call "Beltz Bowls" which includes vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, and sometimes if we were lucky, a squirt of Reddi Whip (and then one in our mouths!)  But the ice cream/chocolate syrup ratio had to be perfect, and if it wasn't you went back to get more of the dwindling party (which usually meant more ice cream to help out the syrup...you know what I'm talking about! We've all done it!)

Anyways, last week I tried my own version of this recipe and LOVED it!  A couple of things: the bananas must be completely frozen (not in their peel), and it helps if the almond milk is partially frozen, too.  When you begin to blend it, just pulse a few times and drizzle in the almond milk until an ice-cream consistency is achieved!  If you add too much milk, you'll end up with a smoothie (which is not ice cream).

Chocolate Entice Cream:

1 banana, FROZEN!  (at the exact ripeness you like it! ...don't use the overly ripe bananas you have in your freezer for banana bread:)

1/3 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze

2 teaspoons natural almond butter (no almond butter? use peanut butter) BTW, keep almond butter in the refrigerator.  Warning: you'll become addicted to it!

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1.) In a blender, combine all ingredients. Process with 3 - 4 pulses.  Mixture will clump up and resemble ice cream.  If you need it sweeter, add some stevia, agave nectar or splenda.  Easy to double this recipe!  Makes a smooth and creamy treat that tastes JUST LIKE ICE CREAM!

*Try using milk if you don't have the Almond Breeze, but the Breeze is worth trying in this recipe, as is the almond butter!

*I also had the Unsweetened Almond Breeze in the freezer for about a hour to get it chilled and icy.   I adapted this recipe from Whole Foods, and it's my new addiction!

Ahem, I'm going to be trying different versions of this....sans chocolate, and adding chai tea instead of almond milk.  I had come black tea gelato in Washing DC a couple of weeks ago, and I'm going to try to duplicate a more healthful non-sugar version!

For those of you who are timid about this recipe, just know I served it last night to one of my college buddies, who, is a dentist that loves oreos (gross).....let's just put it that way.  He loved the "ice cream" and asked for more!

Before anyone says that bananas are high-glycemic, let me remind you that this is meant to be a replacer for ICE CREAM, not a grilled chicken salad. 

May all your potential bowls of ice cream turn into bananas....

Annessa
inspirational & motivational blog at: www.flourishyourlife.com 
Facebook:  Flourish! 

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