About Time: You Made Vegan Peanut Butter Ice CreamBy Tess Ward
In most kitchens we have our staple ingredients; the fail safes we can turn to for last minute adornments, or dish garnishes. For me the peanut is one of them.
As I recently found out, peanuts are not technically a nut, but a legume. Perhaps one of the most versatile legumes at that. I can much see pureed lentils working their way onto my morning toast with as much glee. The rich buttery texture it takes on in its most luxurious form, blitzed into peanut butter, slathered across hot toasted sourdough, with thickly sliced disks of banana and a lavish sprinkling of Maldon might be one of my favourite no-fuss snacks.
Peanut butter and banana is a food pairing that need little introduction. We all know about Elvis’s sandwich addition and no doubt Nigella’s peanut chocolate cake has lined our grateful stomach, at least once. I am acutely aware that these recipes not have given it the best rep. It certainly isn’t so common to find a recipe that doesn’t require whipping out a pipe cleaner and scrubbing the lining of your arteries at the mere mention of it.
This low-fat peanut-better, not butter, sweet heaven is a bit of a revelation. You can scoop it out of the tub, standing at the freezer door in you nightie, in full on Nigella (midnight raid) style and feel great about it. It doesn’t get much better…
Whether you opt for crunchy or smooth peanut butter is completely to choice, you can go either way. I tend to go for smooth, to achieve a really creamy texture. I also think that with the added crunch of the roasted peanuts there is enough texture already going on. My favourite Peanut Butter is undoubtedly Meridian. Its natural, not overly salted and free from the dreaded palm oil that most nut butters, cereal, biscuits are riddled with. Get it!
Vegan Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe with Banana
INGREDIENTSow to Make Ice Cream
3 ripe Bananas
2 tbs Peanut Butter
3 tbs Runny Honey
3 tbs 0% Greek Yoghurt
a pinch of Salt
3 tbs roasted Peanuts
METHOD
1. Mash the bananas with the back of a fork until they are a soft, slightly lumpy mush. Try to make them as smooth as possible.
2. Add the peanut butter, using the back of your fork to fully incorporate it into the banana mixture. Then add the yoghurt (greek is best) honey, a pinch of salt and 2/3rd of the roasted peanuts. Mix well.
3. Pour the mixture into a small tupperware container and freeze for 4 hours.
4. Enjoy with a few extra peanuts sprinkled on top.
