Cacao Pistachio Florentine & Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

Russell James

Ice Cream



2c cashews

1/2c coconut butter/oil

1/4c agave nectar

1 vanilla pod

1c almond milk*

1t lemon juice

1/2c tightly-packed fresh mint leaves



- Scrape the inside of the vanilla pod, and discard the outer part. Alternatively, you can leave the outer part in water to infuse, making ‘vanilla water’.



- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.



- Pour mixture into 4, round, equal-sized moulds and place in the freezer to set. I used metal rings with plastic film stretched over the base of them.





Florentines



1/2c cashews

3T cacao powder

1/4c melted cacao butter

1/2t lemon juice

3T agave nectar

1/4c almond milk

1/4c cacao nibs

1/2c pistachio nuts, roughly chopped



- Blend all ingredients, with the exception of the cacao nibs and pistachio nuts, in a high speed blender until smooth.



- Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the cacao nibs and pistachios.



- Use a spoon to form 8 Florentines (circles as big as the ice cream moulds you used) on some non-stick paper and place in the freezer to set. If you haven’t got enough room in your freezer to lay them out flat, you can put them in the fridge first, until they are firm enough to stack up in the freezer.





Before Serving



- Remove the ice cream and Florentines from the freezer 1 - 2 hours before serving.



- Assemble the sandwiches with one Florentine on the bottom, and one on the top, of the ice cream that you removed from the moulds.



- Decorate the outside of the mint ice cream with some more chopped pistachio nuts.



* The almond milk you need for this recipe can be be made by blending 1c soaked almonds in 2c of pure water. You should then strain the mixture through a nut milk bag, or a sieve if you don’t have a nut milk bag.





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