Shiitake Blog: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Passion Fruit Pulp & Manuka Honey

As the weather warms, begin to fall in love with ice-cream again - and the best part about reuniting with an old friend? The embrace and the comfort… only with this recipe, throw all your old hang-ups and guilt about overindulging out the window - as the raw vegan version of the classic vanilla ice cream is so healthy you could have it for breakfast. Using the young coconut meat means that the recipe is very low in calories, though if you prefer a smoother, creamier texture and nutty flavor go for the cashews for that melt-your-mouth taste. If you’ve never experienced the bold intensity of Manuka honey, do your self a favour and garnish your ice-cream with this medicinal miracle.

Serves about 4 people

You Need

200g Young coconut meat, creamed (or 200 g raw cashews, soaked)
1½ cups of pure water
6 Dates, pitted
1 Banana, peeled & pre-frozen
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp orange blossom honey
3 Cardamoms, slightly crushed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (make your own by placing split vanilla pods into a small jar of vodka
4 Passionfruits, pulped
6 tbsp Organic Manuka Honey (for garnish) or light agave nectar

Method

1. Place all the ingredients together in a blender except for the cardamoms and passionfruit pulp and blend until very smooth.
2. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the cardamoms and place it in the refrigerator. After about 20 minutes, take the bowl out, remove the cardamoms and pour the mixture into an ice cream maker.
3. Turn it on and let it churn for about 10 minutes, or until thick and creamy.
4. When the ice cream is half frozen, add the cardamoms, and leave in the freezer for another 10 minutes until the flavour infuses. After that, please remove all the visible cardamoms.
5. Scoop the ice cream into four bowls, drizzle the pulp of one passionfruit and some raw organic honey on top of each portion and serve immediately.