Dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, Tastes Like Chocolate Ice Cream #SundaySupper

People say that baking is science and cooking is art, because for baked goods to turn out correctly, you need the right ratios of ingredients. Too much or to little of something can lead to baking disaster.

Ice cream is sort of the same way. You need the right mix to get the right consistency. There's a a continuum of frozen confection consistencies starting with ice cubes and continuing through shaved ice, granitas, Popsicles, sorbets, sherbets, frozen yogurt, and ending somewhere around the gelato/super-premium ice cream realm.

I've had people ask my why my ice cream is so smooth where other home made ice creams they've eaten that were made by other friends are more icy and seem "thin."

Well, that's because you need enough fat and sugar. If you eliminate or cut down on those, the texture is different. Think of the difference between biting into a block of ice and biting into a Popsicle. And the difference between sorbet and ice cream. It's all about the fat (usually butterfat from dairy products) and the sugar. Salt and alcohol can play minor roles, as well.

So when I challenged myself to make a dairy-free "ice cream," I knew it would be a challenge. Without butterfat, I knew I needed to add fat of some sort, or add something to thicken the mixture to get the same effect.

But then I heaped even more challenge on by eliminating soy and eggs, both of which could have been useful in getting that needed texture.

My first attempt was very tasty, but closer to a sorbet or sherbet, with a somewhat crumbly texture.

I knew I needed to find some way to thicken the base mixture, and I tried all sorts of crazy things in attempts two through too-many. Some weren't too bad. Some were disasters. Somewhere in the middle of the madness, I decided to add a banana to the mix, which did help to thicken it. But the resulting product tasted like banana. I wanted chocolate. Not choco-nana.

I was getting closer to what I wanted with each try, but I was pretty far from my ultimate goal. And I was starting to feel more like a mad scientist than a cook. That's fine if I'm playing with my molecular gastronomy toys. But I just wanted a frozen ice-cream-like dessert.

So, I went to the store and wandered around a bit. I found an almond-based yogurt that looked promising, but there was only one tiny container of the plain yogurt and it was ridiculously expensive. And I had no idea what it would taste like.

I wandered some more. Tapioca? Gelatin? Well, maybe. Then I spotted the puddings. My "cheater" ice cream recipe uses French vanilla instant pudding to create a custard-like ice cream base. But what's in instant pudding?

I read the label. No milk listed. No soy or eggs listed. Hmmmm. No wheat or gluten. So I grabbed a pack and headed home and made a phone call to the company. The only un-named ingredients on the label were the flavorings, but they assured me that if the flavors included allergens of any kind, they'd be listed specifically.

They confirmed that soy, milk, eggs, and gluten were not included ingredients, but that the pudding was not made in its own facility. So if your allergies or sensitivities are so severe that you need to worry about cross-contamination in a manufacturing facility, you might want to look for other instant pudding products that are made in their own "whatever-free" facilities.

The texture of the final "ice cream" was a lot closer to regular ice cream, despite the fact that I didn't work any extra fat into the mixture. The thickening effect of the pudding mix gave it the same thick feeling that dairy fat provides and it was super-chocolatey. Super-super chocolatey. Dark and rich and fudgy.

Pretty awesome, really. *pats self on back*

I'm calling this one a big success.

As best I can tell, all the ingredients I used are free of dairy, soy, eggs, and gluten, but if you have allergies or sensitivities, check for yourself. The Silk product clearly states that it's free of all these allergens. I called the Jell-O allergy line and confirmed that the instant pudding I used was free of dairy, soy, eggs, and gluten, but they noted that it is not manufactured in its own facility, so there is a chance of cross contamination, so keep that in mind. The Pinnacle vodka listed "artificial flavors" and did not list milk. You can eliminate this entirely, use vanilla extract instead, or choose another alcohol that you like. If you wanted to highlight the almond flavor, 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract would be good.

Tastes Like Chocolate Sorbet

1 1/2 cups Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Pinnacle Whipped Vodka*
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. (If the mixture needs to be fully chilled before churning, heed that direction, or this could end up a little too icy.)

Transfer to a storage container and freeze until firm.

*Or you can use a plain vodka or other flavor that you think would be compatible with the chocolate.

Tastes Like Chocolate Ice Cream

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package Jell-O chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
2 1/2 cups Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
1 tablespoon Pinnacle Whipped Vodka

Combine the sugar, salt, and pudding mix in a bowl. Stir to combine. Add the almond milk and stir or whisk until the sugar is melted and the mix is smooth, with no lumps. It will thicken a bit. Add the vodka and stir in.

Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. If your ice cream maker requires that the mixture is fully-chilled before churning, refrigerate, as required. An hour should be sufficient, since the almond milk was already cold.

If the mixture has thickened more during refrigeration, whisk it before churning.

After churning, transfer to a storage container and freeze until firm.

Want more "-free" recipes?

Check out what the other Sunday Supper participants made this week!

Breakfast
Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Nut & Soy Free Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding by girlichef
Dairy & Nut and Sugar Free Blueberry Tangerine Muffins by Vintage Kitchen
Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Nut, and Soy Free Homemade Mango Jam Recipe by Masala Herb

Main Courses
Gluten Free Nothing Missing Manicotti by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Gluten Free Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Meatballs over Courgette Noodles by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Gluten Free Pizza by Cravings of a Lunatic
Dairy, Egg & Nut Free Balsamic Portobello Burgers by Curious Cuisinere
Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Nut Free Mushroom Risotto Bake by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Dairy, Egg & Gluten Free Vegan Mac and "Cheese" by Webicurean
Dairy, Egg & Nut Free Creamy Mushrooms on Pasta by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Gluten Free Enoki Mushroom & Pine Nut Quinoa by Family Foodie

Sides
Gluten Free Persian Cucumber Yogurt by Shockingly Delicious
Gluten Free Quinoa with Olives, Basil and Sun-dried Tomatoes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!
Dairy Free Farro and Fruit Salad by Magnolia Days
Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Dairy Free Fattoush Salad by From the Bookshelf
Gluten Free Chickpea Fritters by The Lovely Pantry
Dairy, Egg, and Gluten Free Black Bean and Mango Salad by Soni's Food
Dairy, Egg, Gluten, and Nut Free Grilled Fennel Salad by Food Lust People Love

Breads
Dairy & Gluten Free French Bread by Blueberries and Blessings
Dairy & Gluten Free Crunchy Almond Sesame Crackers by Sue's Nutrition Buzz

Treats
Dairy & Gluten Free Individual Chocolate Pavlovas by The Girl in The Little Red Kitchen
Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies by Juanita's Cocina
Dairy, Egg & Gluten Free Apple Almond Butter Cookies by What Smells So Good?
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond Flour by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Nut Free Lemon Cardamom Wedding Cookies by Gourmet Drizzles
Dairy Free Chocolate Gelato by Growing Up Gabel
Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Sugar Free Cantaloupe, Strawberry, & Coconut Gazpacho by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Gluten Free Meringue Kisses with Dulce de Lece by Basic N Delicious
Dairy & Egg Free Vegan Everyday Chocolate Loaf by Gotta Get Baked
Gluten, Dairy, and Nut Free Coconut Macaroons by Happy Baking Days
Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Soy Free Tastes like Chocolate Ice Cream by Cookistry
Gluten Free Mousse & Cookies by Ninja Baking
Gluten Free Brown Butter Snickerdooles by Pies and Plots
Dairy, Egg & Soy Free Chai Spice Coconut Ice Cream by Daily Dish Recipes
Gluten Free Lemonade Dip by The Messy Baker
Nut & Fat Free Chocolate Angel Food Cake by Table for Seven

Drinks
Gluten & Dairy Free Honey Bear Smoothies by Neighborfood
Sugar Free Strawberry Meyer Lemonade by The Weekend Gourmet

Strawberry-Balsamic Salad Dressing

I love salads, and I always make my own salad dressing. Making a simple vinegar and oil salad dressing was one of my very first kitchen tasks when I was a little kid, and I've been making salad dressings ever since.

My first dressings were pretty simple - vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, maybe a sprinkle of sugar. Maybe some herbs.

When I was a little kid, the only vinegars my mother had were plain white vinegar, cider vinegar, and red wine vinegar. And the oil choices were pretty slim, too. I think it might have been generic vegetable oil.

Now, my oil and vinegar choices are vast, and I've got a whole array of other interesting things I can add. This time, I took advantage of strawberries. I used them in the dressing, and then I also added sliced strawberries to the salad, as well.

As I started pawing through the refrigerator looking for salad makings, I realized that I had a lot of ingredients, in the red-pink range. I used radicchio, baby red peppers, radishes, and strawberries.

If I had red onions, I might have added those, too.

Strawberry-Balsamic Salad Dressing

6 medium strawberries
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar*
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
2 tablespoons mild-flavored oil
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon agave syrup (or to taste)

Put the strawberries, white balsamic vinegar, oils, and salt in your blender, and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if needed.

If the dressing is too tart for your taste, add agave syrup (or honey or sugar) to taste.

*Red wine vinegar would also be lovely. Regular balsamic vinegar would taste fine, but would muddy the color of the dressing. Champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, or any other light-colored vinegar that you like would also work.

Strawberry Creme Fraiche Ice Cream and Home Made Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

After long winters that seem to be filled with potatoes and squash, I get a little overexcited when the spring and summer produce shows up, looking all sunny and bright.

Strawberries are one of the things I look forward to, and for a while it seems like I can't get enough of them - buying them almost every time I go shopping.

At first, it's good enough to eat them plain, or perhaps with a little bit of whipped cream, or on top of ice cream.

When I've eaten my fill of plain berries, I start thinking about what else I can do with them. And that's when I start getting just a little more creative.

I love strawberry ice cream when it's made from fresh berries, and I've made several different versions over the years.

I've never made one with creme fraiche, though, and I have to wonder why. It's the perfect pairing, and the results were outstanding.

When I make strawberry ice cream, I always strain out the seeds. I don't mind seeds in jam or in strawberry pie or when I'm eating fresh strawberries. But I don't like seeds in ice cream, so I strain them out. If you don't mind the seeds, you can leave them in.

Put I suggest you try straining them out once, and see what you think.

Strawberry Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

1 pound strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups creme fraiche
1 tablespoon cake-flavored vodka

Wash, core, and quarter the berries and combine them with the sugar and salt in a small bowl. Let this sit at least a few hours, or refrigerate overnight. The berries will soften and release a lot of juice.

Blend the berries in your food processor or blender. Pass the puree through a fine strainer to remove the seeds. It takes a bit or work to get the majority of the pulp through the strainer, but I think it's worth it. I ended up with slightly less than 2 cups of puree once the seeds were removed.

Add the creme fraiche and vodka and stir (or whisk) until it's completely combined.

Refrigerate until well-chilled (check your manufacturer's instructions for how cold the mixture needs to be before churning). Once the mixture is chilled, churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Transfer to a storage container and freeze until firm.

Strawberries and Vinegar

I'm sure you've seen all sorts of flavored balsamic vinegars - there are all sorts of flavors -with figs or vanilla or citrus. I don't know if I've ever seen a strawberry balsamic vinegar, but why not? Strawberries and balsamic vinegar are a classic combination. Usually the vinegar - and usually a good balsamic vinegar - is drizzled over the berries.

But why not combine the berries and the vinegar?

This vinegar is fruity and thick and a little sweet. It would be perfect drizzled over fruit, or for a salad. Or over vanilla ice cream.

This isn't the time to break out the expensive balsamic vinegar. An inexpensive one is just fine. By the time you're done, it will taste more expensive.

Depending on how much you reduce this, you should end up with about a cup of the finished balsamic vinegar.

Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 pound strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt

Clean, core, and quarter the strawberries, and add them to a heavy-bottomed pan (if you have a low-sided pan like a saucier, that's ideal.) Add the sugar, vinegar, and salt.

Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring and mashing the berries until the mixture is has thickened and has reduced by about half. Keep in mind that it will be even thicker after it has cooled.

Let the vinegar cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh strainer, mashing and pressing to get as much of the berry pulp through while leaving the seeds behind.

Transfer to a bottle or jar for storage.