It's summer break from my graduate courses and there is one thing I have been fantasizing about: enjoying a tropical slushy cocktail on a secluded island in the middle of the Caribbean. There I am, lounging under an umbrella on a white sandy beach with a fruity cocktail in hand while admiring the salty aquamarine waters...The waves lapping softly on the beach and sweet warm notes of coconut and almond oil fill the air around me - luring me to dreamland. I adjust my lounge chair back a few notches and my eyes shut...Something far off is breaking the rhythm of the waves, and I faintly hear someone rushing towards me in the sand. Squinting, I notice a dark clad figure running with his arms bent at his waist and hands delicately out to the side...I sit up slightly as I recognize the peculiar run. "Jack?" I barely mumble as he drops down at the foot of my lunge chair and looks quickly back to where he came from and back at me with his beautiful dark eyes. "Oh yes, my darling. Rum?" He gestures his flask towards my cocktail glass. "Thank you, love, it needed more rum," I say smiling at my favorite pirate. He takes a swig and leans in close for a moment and whispers, "I was going to come back to you that night, but
my ship was leaving and didn't want to wake you from your deep sleep." Just then, the sound of an army of men running breaks our stare as Jack looks back at the moving mass. "I'm in a bit of a rush, darling," he states as he quickly rises while leaning in to kiss my lips and then runs toward the water where the Black Pearl is awaiting her Captain. Leaning back on my beach lounge chair, I smile as I let out a satiated sigh. Oh, how I adore my fantasies...
Heather, from Sweetly Raw, has set out with a summer challenge for foodies with a brave
and adventurous spirit to create an original vegan ice cream
sundae. Captain Jack Sparrow, and my need for an island retreat, are the
inspiration behind this vegan ice cream sundae creation. Flavors of the
Caribbean: Coconut, rum, pineapple, ginger, almond, guava, and cherry - in a
banana "pirate ship" - sailing on top of a pirate's plunder of jeweled
cherries and kiwis and a pineapple rum shaved ice.
So, without further adieu, A Pirate's Plunder Sundae:
Shaved ice with cream, fruits, jellies, and sweet beans are a common islander treat found throughout the Pacific, Mediterranean, and Caribbean, thus my inspiration for the bottom half of this sundae. Some melting ice cream mixed with the fruit and the shaved ice reveals a delectable surprise under the pirate ship: a pirate's sweet plunder of jeweled-toned fruits and rum.
Pirate's Plunder Sundae
Pineapple Rum Shaved Ice
2 x pineapple cores
2 c pineapple chunks
4 c ice
3 c water (or as needed)
6 oz Coconut rum
¼ c agave
Blend all
ingredients in high-speed blender. Will be airy and icy, which is what you are
looking for. Taste and adjust for sweetness as desired. Pour into container and
freeze. (Rum can be increased or decreased per taste, but I find some amount of
liquor helps keep the ice from turning into a complete solid - making it much
easier to get a shaved ice effect.) Scrape with ice cream scooper.
Note: All
liquors used in these recipes have been rated as “Vegan Friendly” per
Barnivor.com.
Coconut Rum Ice Cream
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 cup cashews
¼ cup agave
2 oz Coconut rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp xanthan gum
Blend in high-speed blender. Pour into
ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze. Let ice cream
sit out for a few minutes before scooping to get the best scooper shape.
Pineapple Zinger Ice Cream
1 can coconut milk
¼ tsp xanthan gum
1 pineapple + core
6 oz pineapple juice
2 oz fresh Valencia orange juice
2 oz fresh ginger juice (aprox 3” cube)
2 oz Citron Vodka
Pinch sea salt
Remove pineapple skin, cut and cube
(save core). Blend in high-speed blender. (Ginger juice can be adjusted per
taste. I love it, so usually add quite a bit.) Pour into ice cream maker and
follow manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze. Let ice cream sit out for a few
minutes before scooping for best results.
Almond Rum Ice Cream
2 cans coconut milk (I used the milk
under the heavy cream that settles in the can)
2 c almond milk
1 cup cashews
¼ cup maple syrup
1/8 cup agave
2 tbs almond extract
1 tbs Bacardi Rum
½ tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
Refrigerate two cans of full fat coconut
milk overnight. Do not shake. Open cans and scoop out the heavy cream on top – there
will be approximately two inches of heavy cream. Refrigerate heavy cream for later
use as coconut whipped cream. Pour the
lighter watery coconut milk (approx. 13.5 oz) into high-speed blender with the
remaining ingredients. (I used this method to reduce the coconut flavor in this
ice cream. One could also just use one full can of coconut milk, but it will
influence the flavor.) Blend in high-speed blender. Pour into ice cream maker
and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze. Let ice cream sit out for a few
minutes before scooping for best results.
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| Louie's very interested in the process... |
NOTE: I find that a couple table spoons of liquor
and an ice cream maker
create the creamy texture - straight from the freezer - that I desire
from my homemade vegan ice creams. They won't technically be "raw," but
are still a much better option than most store-bought options.
Guava Sauce
6 ripe guavas skins on
¼ cup agave (optional)
2 oz orange juice
I have found guavas to be nearly
impossible to juice – similar to trying to juice a banana. So, the best method
for creating this sauce is to mix all ingredients in high-speed blender, then
strain through a nut milk bag to remove all guava seeds. Refrigerate. Sauce
will turn gelatinous after it is refrigerated.
Guava Cherry Sauce
8 pitted fresh cherries, juiced
1/3 cup Guava Sauce
Mix all ingredients and blend. If you
have a small bullet type blender or mixer, you can forgo juicing the cherries
and just blend them (pitted) into the Guava Sauce. Refrigerate.
Pirate's Plunder
Diced Kiwis
Diced Cherries
Refrigerate and keep cold for firmness.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Heavy coconut cream (from top of can)
¼ tsp xanthan gum
Sweetener of choice for taste
Hand mix with whisk or with mixer until light and fluffy (approx 2 min).
Assembly
Start with a layer of Pineapple Rum Shaved Ice, followed by some Pirate's Plunder (diced fruits), a dollop of Guava Sauce, Guava Cherry Sauce, a banana pirate ship with a scoop of Coconut Rum Ice Cream, Pineapple Zinger Ice Cream, and Almond Rum Ice Cream - all topped with Guava Cherry Sauce, Coconut Whipped Cream, and the Jolly Roger.
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