Festive RecipesFarmacy Chocolate and almond nice cream

A rich, delicious nice cream with a  creamy edge and chocolate fudge chunks in the middle. Perfect for cheering up Winter nights.

Ingredients (serves 6–8)

For the fudge

50g (1¾oz) coconut flour
3 tbsp cacao powder
6 tbsp maple syrup
¾ tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For the ice cream

6 peeled, sliced and frozen bananas (you can use fresh but these take longer to set)
175g (6oz) smooth Almond Butter – see below
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Put all the fudge ingredients into a small food processor and blend until well combined. The mixture should resemble dry brownie pieces. Turn into a bowl and break up the mixture into chunks or finer pieces if desired.

Put all the ice cream ingredients into a blender and whizz at a high speed until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture into a freezer-proof container. Add the fudge pieces, folding them in with a spoon until they are evenly distributed. Freeze for 4–5 hours until set.

Almond Butter

500g (1lb 2oz) raw, peeled almonds, unsoaked

This recipe is a one-ingredient wonder that transforms almonds into a luxurious, velvety spread. We use it as a butter replacement in our recipes and in a variety of plant-based dishes. Almonds are high in vitamin E and are one of the most nutritional of all nuts. The butter adds flavour and thickens sauces with all the nutty goodness that almonds provide.

Preheat the oven to 150˚C (300˚F), Gas Mark 2. Place the almonds on a baking tray and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Be careful not to colour the nuts too much; do not fully toast them.

Place the nuts in a food processor and process at high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce to medium speed and process until the mixture has a creamy, tahini-like texture, and is smooth and velvety. If there are still lumps, continue processing.

The mixture will go through different states, turning from almond meal to powder and then into butter. Be patient and scrape the bowl frequently, especially at the start. The time it takes will vary depending on the freshness of the nuts – this process can take up to 15 minutes.

Notes

This is one recipe for which you don’t need to soak the almonds. The almond butter works best when the nuts’ natural oils are warmed, allowing them to be released more easily. This recipe does not work with ready-ground almonds. Raw, peeled almonds produce a creamy and velvety butter texture free of the solids of the skin. Alternatively, you can use almonds with their skins to create a darker butter with a slightly different flavour. This keeps well in an airtight container in a dry, cool place.