Strawberry Magnums

These strawberry magnums are deliciously creamy and are so easy to make! Yet, the best part about it is that no churning is required!

I know I have been on a frenzy with berries lately, but I do want to make the most of them in my desserts before they go out of season. Then, we will all have to wait until the warm weather comes back to make tasty, fresh berry recipes.

Now, before you go ahead and make this recipe, there is something you should consider when making the strawberry puree. For my first try, I reduced the strawberry puree on the stove and then blended it into the ice-cream mixture. Unfortunately, however, this caused the ice-cream to taste very sour. I could not even swallow my first taste; it was that bad. I thought this was going to intensify the strawberry flavour but this made the mixture inedible.

Nevertheless, I decided to give the recipe another go. This time I blitz the strawberries into a puree instead of melting them and then blitzing them. From this, I achieved a fresh, sweet puree. I was almost afraid to taste it, expecting my taste buds to be disgusted yet again with a sour tart, sour flavour. To my surprise, it was extremely pleasant. I did not even have to add extra strawberry flavour from the natural dried berry powder I have in my fridge. I was glad that the mixture was nicely balanced, in which it almost has a ‘strawberries and cream’ vibe to it.

The coconut cream really saved the dessert, producing a creamy consistency. Without it, you would be left with more of a frosty icy-pole. So, do not hesitate to add that little bit extra of coconut cream if we wish to make creamier magnums. I would suggest adding extra sweetness however, if you intend to apply more cream.

Strawberry Magnums

GF DF V P

Serves 16 - 18

INGREDIENTS:

Ice-cream

· 1 cup cashews

· 1/2 cup strawberry puree

· 1/2 cup coconut cream

· 1/4 cup coconut nectar

· 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

· 1 tsp vanilla essence

Topping

· 1/2 cup vegan chocolate (roughly chopped)

METHOD:

To make the ice-cream, soak the cashews in water for 3 hours or boil the cashews for 15 minutes until they become soft. Use a food blender to blitz the cashews and strawberries until smooth. Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until completely combined. Pour the mixture into ice-cream moulds. Place the ice-cream moulds in the fridge for 5 hours until it has set.

For the topping, melt the chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth and then drizzle it on top of the magnums or dip the magnums into the chocolate to cover them entirely (you may need to melt more chocolate if you wish to completely cover each magnum with chocolate). Place the magnums in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.