Food Network Monthly Cookalong: If I had an ice cream truck

If I had an ice cream truck, I would have the best ice cream you ever saw and everyone would want some! At least that's the dream right?! There would be sugar cones and sprinkles and Dandies and lots of sauces. Sundaes, banana splits and of course a cherry on top! Even one of those old school horns that plays little songs and a bell to ding so all the kids in the neighbourhood would know we were coming.

I asked Mac what he thought we would call it and he said "Ice Cream Truck". He's from the keep it simple school of thought. Can't go wrong though...it's straight to the point and no one would walk up and ask what we were selling. I was dreaming about it and came up with what would be my signature flavour. The one that would keep them coming back for more. I was even smart enough to keep track of what I was doing and wrote it down so I could share the recipe!

So here it is...Ice Cream Truck's signature flavour...Drumstick Sugar Cone!

Trying to take a picture of ice cream is no easy task! I have a even bigger amount of admiration for Hannah Kaminisky and her upcoming ice cream book now for sure.

Drumstick Sugar Cone Ice Cream

Sugar Cone Milk (totally inspired by Momofuku Milk Bar's Cereal Milk)

8 sugar cones

3 cups soy milk (I used Original which is sweetened)

2 tbsp coconut sugar

2 tbsp brown sugar

pinch of salt

Ice Cream Base

2 cups Sugar Cone Milk

8oz silken tofu (not the boxed stuff, just organic silken tofu that would be in the fridge at the health food store)

1/2 cup icing sugar

3/4 cup turbinado sugar

1/2 cup oil (I used grapeseed but you can use any light tasting vegetable oil you like, sunflower, safflower)

1 tbsp barley malt syrup

1/2 tsp custard powder (I use Go Bio brand)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp maple extract

Your favourite caramel sauce (I used a test recipe so I can't share but I know there are lots of good ones out there)

Chopped Peanuts

Chocolate Covered Sugar Cone Pieces (I painted melted chocolate on and inside two sugar cones, popped them in the freezer for 5 minutes, then used a butter knife and sheer will power to crack them into pieces)

1. Make the sugar cone milk: Break up 8 sugar cones into a large bowl, cover with 3 cups of soy milk and let stand for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, pour the soymilk and cones into a strainer (with another bowl under it). Gently push the cones to release all the milk but don't push so hard that the cones start to smoosh through the strainer. Add the sugars and salt to the strained milk and put in a covered container. Put it in the fridge overnight to let the flavours meld. Also, I found after soaking and straining, I lost a cup of the soymilk just so you know that this recipe makes what you need for the ice cream base.

2. Make the ice cream base: The next day, place all the ice cream base ingredients into a blender and blend it on high for a minute or two. You want to get it all creamy and thick. Chill and then process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

3. While the ice cream is churning, get all the add ins ready so you can stir them in right before you put the ice cream in the freezer. I stirred the peanuts and chocolate covered sugar cone pieces in the machine and put in ribbons of caramel sauce as I was putting it in the storage container. You don't want to stir it into the ice cream. Let the ice cream sit in the freezer for awhile (I know it will be hard to walk away) to let it set up. Serve on a sugar cone for extra sugar cone goodness!

Speculoos Ice Cream

While testing for Carla Kelly I got to try out simply the best ice creams I have ever made or eaten for that matter. I keep begging her to write an all ice cream book it's that good! All ice creams I make now are based on her formula with slight variations. I didn't want to blog about them without asking Carla but she has given her blessing on it so I can share one of the variations I created using her super duper ice cream formula.

Speculoos cookies are definitely addictive. They are like plain and yet not all at the same time. I love them and so does everyone else in my house! I found four packages of them at a specialty shop here in Ottawa (Swiss Pastries in Carlingwood for the locals) and I greedily bought all four. I couldn't wait to experiment with them! I had them for a few days and all I had done with them was eat them straight up with in itself is an excellent way to do it but I wanted to incorporate them into something else. I then tried them as a graham cracker substitute in the crust to my first Vegan Pie in the Sky pie which worked pretty well but was a bit greasy since I didn't compensate for the oiliness of them when I mixed it up. Then I mixed up a batch of Brown Sugar Cinnamon ice cream (which I blogged about the other day) and served it with two cookies which worked really well together and then I realized I need to make the cookies into an ice cream. I thought about the best way to do it that night and went to work at it the next day. I used the basic formula from Carla's ice cream but incorporated broken up cookies right into the mix and made a few changes since the cookies themselves are sweetened and oily (see...lesson learned!). I mixed it in the Vitamix figuring if it could crush whole nuts into cream that the cookies would incorporate into the ice cream base just as well and it worked! I added a few things and gave it a taste and oh man! It tastes just like the cookies except better because it is smooth and rich and creamy! Like Speculoos and (non-dairy) milk. Like if Christmas were edible, it would taste like this.

Now go and find some Speculoos cookies and mix up a batch...you won't regret it!

Speculoos Ice Cream (Variation of Carla Kelly's vanilla ice cream recipe)

1 pkg Speculoos cookies (minus two cookies that you will eat while the blender is blending)

1/2 pkg extra firm boxed tofu (like Mori-Nu)

1 1/2 cups soy milk

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in blender and mix on highest speed until smooth. This will work best in a Vitamix or other high speed blender. Once it is completely smooth and creamy, place in the fridge until well chilled then process according to your ice cream maker's instructions. If you have a counter top self-chilling ice cream maker (yes I am spoiled!) you can simply pour from the blender into the machine and process immediately. Store in freezer once it's done, enjoy!