First of all I just want to apologise for being a little ‘off-the-radar’ recently; my computer’s been having some real problems, so it’s taken about 4 hours to write and publish each of the last few posts, so I’ve been really reluctant to update a lot, especially as I’ve been really busy at work – good news is that I’m finishing at Mezzet in a week and a half, and then I’m having some friends over for a 20s themed garden party for my birthday, so although I’ve been lazy with recipes recently, you’ve got something to look forward to in a little while (I’m planning on making violet creams, custard creams, macarons and lots more little goodies!) A few updates from the life of Emily that have happened over the last few days: I went to the paralympics with my Mum, which was incredible (especially the blind runners who sprint attached to a guide), I’ve started a little project to knit a jumper by the end of the year (I’m working on a scarf at the moment to practice) and I’ve been really trying hard to gain a few more pounds so I can give blood on the 18th of September – wish me luck!

Anyway, on to the recipe… It’s been such a lovely day today so I thought I’d have a go at making home-made vegan ice cream as a cool treat! I thought that coconut would go really well with strawberry – and if, like me, you don’t own a blender, then this recipe’s a good one, because the little chunks of juicy strawberry really added a lovely texture and taste. This recipe was really perfect for the nice weather we’ve been having, really creamy and light. I haven’t eaten ice cream in a long time, but this did taste so much better than any shop bought ice cream I’ve ever had – don’t be nervous about making home-made ice cream, it’s a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it’s suitable for any dietary requirement imaginable :)

Strawberry & Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients 

160ml of coconut cream

200ml of coconut milk

250g of strawberries

2 tablespoons of agave syrup

Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract

Half a teaspoon of lemon juice

Method

1. Cut and gently crush the strawberries with a potato masher, making sure that it creates a purée but the texture’s not completely smooth, so that there are still a few juicy blobs of strawberry in the ice cream.
2. Mix the other ingredients together well, then stir in the strawberry so that it turns a mild pinky colour.
3. Transfer into a tub and freeze for around 4 hours, stirring every half an hour or so until it turns creamy and smooth.

Fills a two-litre tub, serves about 4 people