I hesitated to share this one with you all. It's weird. Really pretty amazingly awesome, but weird. I also wanted to work out a better way to serve this, as I think the final consistency/texture is uber important to one's enjoyability of it.
So, what's so scary about this recipe, you might ask? Mint? Chocolate? Ice cream? That's always a winner in my book! Well, as the title might have lead you to think, this isn't really ice cream. I don't own an ice cream maker. If I did, I would eat ice cream every day, all day. When done right, the final product of this recipe has a great consistency, much like ice cream or gelato. The cool thing? It's absurdly healthy for you. I know, no way, right? The gorgeous green and awesome healthy fats? Yea, they're from the main ingredient in this recipe....avocados. I know! I know it sounds super crazy, but trust me, I've made this twice and licked the bowl clean on both occasions. Just get past the fact that it's avocado and this could change your sweet-craving world.
When you choose a mint extract, be careful and make sure it is safe to consume. Some mint oils/extracts are for therapeutic/topical use only. Do NOT use one of those in this recipe! Each mint extract is going to be a bit different in terms of potency. For that reason, make sure you add a bit at a time and taste as you go to get the right balance. I find that I like a LOT more than the original recipe suggests. I haven't tried this with fresh mint yet, but I imagine tossing some mint leaves in to mix with the rest of the goodness would be very good, but probably couldn't stand alone. You also probably really need the coconut oil for this. It's important that the oil solidify at cooler temperatures, and most oils (vegetable oils and such) do not. You could maybe use butter, but it would definitely affect the taste. If you don't have coconut oil, I personally think your best bet is to just omit the oil all together. The sweetness of this recipe also depends on you. I find that I need very little, but you may want more...taste! See what works for you. Without further adieu...
Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Goodness
makes one large serving or 2 smaller servings
adapted from Detoxinista
1 ripe avocado, peel and pit removed
1/4 cup milk (almond, soy, cow)
1 tablespoon (or more) honey (or maple syrup, or agave syrup)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 tspish peppermint extract
1 oz. dark chocolate (I like Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips)
Toss all ingredients, except the chocolate, into a high-speed blender or food processor (I've only ever used the food processor, but I think the blender would work just fine). Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping and scraping down the sides as you go. Taste and make sure you like the balance of sweetness and minty-ness. Add your chocolate and blend now, or wait and shave it over top when you serve.
Scoop small spoonfuls of the "batter" into an ice cube tray, filling each ice cube "hole" about halfway. Let freeze for at least an hour. When ready to consume, place desired number of cubes into your food processor. Pulse until smooth and of an ice cream consistency. This may take a little while and at first, it won't seem like it's ever going to work, but it will, promise. Then scoop it out into a dish and enjoy!!
When you choose a mint extract, be careful and make sure it is safe to consume. Some mint oils/extracts are for therapeutic/topical use only. Do NOT use one of those in this recipe! Each mint extract is going to be a bit different in terms of potency. For that reason, make sure you add a bit at a time and taste as you go to get the right balance. I find that I like a LOT more than the original recipe suggests. I haven't tried this with fresh mint yet, but I imagine tossing some mint leaves in to mix with the rest of the goodness would be very good, but probably couldn't stand alone. You also probably really need the coconut oil for this. It's important that the oil solidify at cooler temperatures, and most oils (vegetable oils and such) do not. You could maybe use butter, but it would definitely affect the taste. If you don't have coconut oil, I personally think your best bet is to just omit the oil all together. The sweetness of this recipe also depends on you. I find that I need very little, but you may want more...taste! See what works for you. Without further adieu...
Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Goodness
makes one large serving or 2 smaller servings
adapted from Detoxinista
1 ripe avocado, peel and pit removed
1/4 cup milk (almond, soy, cow)
1 tablespoon (or more) honey (or maple syrup, or agave syrup)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 tspish peppermint extract
1 oz. dark chocolate (I like Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips)
Toss all ingredients, except the chocolate, into a high-speed blender or food processor (I've only ever used the food processor, but I think the blender would work just fine). Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping and scraping down the sides as you go. Taste and make sure you like the balance of sweetness and minty-ness. Add your chocolate and blend now, or wait and shave it over top when you serve.
Scoop small spoonfuls of the "batter" into an ice cube tray, filling each ice cube "hole" about halfway. Let freeze for at least an hour. When ready to consume, place desired number of cubes into your food processor. Pulse until smooth and of an ice cream consistency. This may take a little while and at first, it won't seem like it's ever going to work, but it will, promise. Then scoop it out into a dish and enjoy!!