Nondairy Neapolitan Ice Cream

Neapolitan Ice-cream, also called Harlequin Ice-Cream, includes vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry  flavors in one container. This recipe is perfect for vegans and those on a gluten-free diet.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Coconut Cream, unsweetened
• 2 cup cashews, raw, unsalted, soaked
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
• 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon beet powder, for color (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the cashews in a bowl with enough water to cover. Let soak 20 minutes. Drain well.
2. In a blender container, add the soaked and drained cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend on low speed then high for 1 minute or until creamy smooth.
3. Use three freezer-safe bowls to divide into three equal parts (approximately 1 2/3 cups each).
4. Leave the first bowl plain, for the vanilla flavor. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the freezer for 4 hours or until frozen.
5. For the strawberry flavor, place the strawberries in the blender container. Add the mixture from one of the bowls. Blend on low speed then high for 1 minute or until fully blended. Return to the third bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the freezer for 4 hours or until frozen.
6. For the chocolate flavor, add to the second bowl 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Whisk until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the freezer for 4 hours or until frozen.
7. Cover each bowl with a or plastic wrap. Place in freezer for 4 hours or until hardened. Transfer each into a shallow freezer safe container, in three separate sections. Smooth out the top of each with the back of a metal teaspoon, being careful not to blend the three together. Cover with lids or plastic wrap Freeze for an additional hour before serving. Stores in freezer for up to 3 days.

Variations:

1. In place of the cocoa powder, use vegan dark chocolate chips, unsweetened. Simply add 2/3 cup of chips to a clean blender container along with mixture from one of the bowls. Blend on high speed then low for 1 minute or until smooth.
2. Use this nondairy ice cream to make a Banana Split. Place a scoop of each flavor in a banana split dish. Slice a banana in half the long way and place the two haves on either side of the scoops. Top the strawberry scoop with a desired amount of chopped strawberries. Drizzle over the chocolate scoop a desired amount of Vegan Chocolate Sauce. Top the vanilla scoop with a small amount of chopped pineapple. Top each scoop with Coconut Whipped Cream and place a maraschino cherry on top of each. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and serve immediately.

Yield:
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

* Most extracts contain alcohol primarily derived from corn, which is gluten-free. Even so, people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity may want to contact the manufacturer of the brand they are using to be sure that it’s gluten-free.

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