Spiced Strawberry Ice Cream with Toasted Hazelnut Crunch

April Cooking By Color – Red

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and Earth Day! April is not quite over yet and today I have a delicious red recipe for you that is totally guilt-free and easy to whip up. As you know I rarely feature desserts because I try not to eat them very often. But banana ice cream has a special place in my heart (and my belly). It’s a totally guilt-free treat. It’s just bananas!! To get creative you can add all kinds of things into the ice cream like other fruit, nuts, cocoa powder and mint, coconut, lemon, or top the ice cream with these things. The possibilities are endless.

Today we add strawberries and two red spices that pack quite a punch and healing properties. Cinnamon is known to regular blood sugar and cayenne boosts your metabolism. If you don’t like spicy foods than you can leave out the cayenne but don’t skimp on the cinnamon.

The hazelnut crunch is sort of like brittle but without the butter and corn syrup. I had never made a healthier version of brittle until now and hazelnuts just sounded so good! You could use any nut that strikes your fancy and feel free to double or triple the recipe to make more for later. This literally makes a small amount perfect for a few servings of ice cream.

It was impossible to make this look good because it started melting pretty quickly. If you want it to be more ice cream like then put it back in the freezer for 30 minutes or so. I just couldn’t wait to get this in my mouth!!

I personally like using the food processor for banana ice cream but a high powered blender will work great too. It’s essential that you use frozen bananas and strawberries for this or it won’t be the right consistency. I always have peeled bananas that are broken up and stored in a plastic container in the freezer for smoothies and ice cream!

Spiced Strawberry Ice Cream with Toasted Hazelnut Crunch
Makes 2 to 3 servings

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen strawberries
Dash cinnamon
Dash cayenne

Directions:
For the crunch, have a parchment (or silicon mat) lined cookie sheet nearby. Heat a small saucepan over a medium flame. Toast the hazelnuts, stirring continuously, until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside. Heat same skillet over medium high flame and add coconut oil, sugar, and maple. Bring it to a boil and continue to stir until sugar melts and gets bubbly. Continue boiling and stirring for about 30 seconds. Stir in hazelnuts and mix well. Pour mixture onto the cookie sheet and smooth over the top. Let cool completely.

For ice cream: Place bananas, strawberries, and spices in a food processor and blend for a few minutes to create a smooth soft serve like texture. Be sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl a few times to incorporate the bananas. Keep blending until no chunks remain. Scoop into two bowls (or chill in freezer for later). Break pieces of hazelnut crunch over the ice cream. Enjoy!