Cherry Surprise Ice Cream

I heart ice cream...or anything ice cream-related. I think this may perhaps be the 5th or so ice cream post I have done since starting this blog in February! Ice cream is my number one favorite food, if you can call it that, hands down. But I don't let my lack of dairy get me down, and I try to keep coming up with new flavors. Our Cuisinart ice cream and fro-yo maker gets its workout at our house.

This ice cream is a bit different; it has something sneaky in it ;) A beet. If you are skeptical about taste, let me assure you that the sneaky antioxidant filled veg that is hidden in this ice cream is well hidden! I wish that I had kid testers around sometimes for my recipes. Then I would know if my tricks really work. If you feed this to your kids and they like it, be sure to let me know!

Cherry Surprise Ice Cream

Serves 2-4
Ingredients

• 2 cups ripe cherries, measured after being de-stemmed and pitted
• 1 small beet, peeled
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp black cherry preserves or jam (I use 100 % fruit sweetened St. Dalfour brand)
• Optional: 2 dates (soaked if dry), or you can use honey to sweeten- We think the ice cream is sweet enough with just the cherries and preserves, but feel free to sweeten it up according to your sweet tooth. Honey is a nice complement to beets and cream!
• Optional (for extra richness): 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
  

Method

• Puree all ingredients in a high powered blender (this recipe works best in a Vitamix or Blendtec) so the beet gets finely pureed.
• For extra richness (optional) add in 2 Tbsp of melted coconut oil to the mixture once everything else is pureed.
  
• Freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions. Mine is usually ready in about 20 minutes with no extra freezer time needed.
• Serve immediately.

This post has been linked up to: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free