ICE CREAMMMMM

If anyone were to ask me or ask anyone who knows me well – what puts a smile on her face or can turn her gloomy day into a brighter one?

…it’s got be ice cream/gelato!

So I finally got an ice cream maker a couple of weeks ago and I was so excited! I think I was giggling so much that my better half was even laughing! So right away, I started googling for recipes and interestingly enough, I came across a ton of recipes that do not require an ice cream maker! O.o How did I not know this?

This made me wonder if I really needed an ice cream maker. Of course, the best way to find out is by making it without using the machine. 🙂 So I did and it turned out surprisingly well. The texture is good but I think I need to play around with the ingredients proportion a bit more to get the ideal taste I like. I didn’t make it that sweet so if you want this to be sweeter then add more agave nectar/honey to it.

Here’s my ingredients list :

• One large frozen banana
• 1/4 of medium ripe avocado
• greek yogurt
• 2 tbsps agave nectar or honey
• 1/2 tsps almond extract
• 1/4 cup  or more pistachio nuts
• 1/8 tsp xanthan gum (optional)

I mixed everything together in a blender until smooth. Pour it into a container and added a few of the pistachio for garnishing. Then put it in the freezer.

I took it out at 1 hr mark and churned it by hand. This helps break down any ice crystals. Its also a good time to eat it if you like it as a soft serve. I usually prefer my ice cream on the more frozen side. 🙂

   

I made another batch of mixed berry frozen yogurt with even less ingredients ’cause I got lazy. 😛

It’s just frozen bananas, mixed berries and greek yogurt! I would suggest you put in some honey or agave nectar if you like your cold treats on the sweeter side. This was more on the tarty/sour side. But very refreshing!

    

In the end, I decided to return my ice cream maker. There’s probably better use of that kitchen space for something else. PLUS how did people make ice cream back in the day when there was no ice cream machine and yet it tasted just as delicious?! I know it’s just more work but hey, food taste better when you work for them… IMHO! 😀