We are T-minus three days until it’s officially midterm Election Day, but the frenzy has been in full force for, well, two years? More? Regardless, here we are. We are older, wiser, and better equipped to actively participate in the resistance. And ice cream? Ice cream.
I’ve been deeply immersed in the launch of What’s Your Story? podcast—the first season is well underway, a powerful symphony of stories from women running for office—and have hardly had a moment to spare for the kitchen. But. But. Late one night, early this week, I found myself attempting a batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies for my neighbors. They were a flop (I tried to sub almond butter for almond milk, heaven forbid), but the perfect crumbly texture for…ice cream?
I liked where this was going, and decided to keep with the vegan theme. Remembering I’d once made a literally perfect batch of vegan vanilla ice cream from the book N’ice Cream by Virpi Mikkonen and Tuulia Talvio, I got to summoning ingredients. It’s simple, thank goodness, because the election anxiety-addled brain could hardly handle anything complex.
Here’s what you’ll need: A couple cans of coconut milk. Some raw cashews, soaked. Some maple syrup. Some sea salt. Some vegan chocolate chip cookies, or your cookie of choice. An ice cream maker, whose churning vessel you’ve frozen overnight.
The point here is to de-stress, to let the political anxiety and news cacophonies inside your mind flow away like rivulets of melting ice cream. For the sound of the ice cream churner to gently massage the corners of your soul that have become mangled messes of polling results and forgotten hope. This is ice cream to fill your psychospiritual bucket of resistance, to get you through whatever might happen on Tuesday.
And if the thought of making ice cream is contributing to, rather than detracting from, your election anxiety, might I suggest this handy kitchen trick? Go buy yourself a pint and forget I ever mentioned making it yourself.
But in the case that you feel drawn to give yourself the gift of this extraordinary plant-based, totally vegan ice cream, know that you are in for an incredible treat. This recipe makes enough to serve at least 8, so feel free to halve it if necessary. But maybe you’d like to de-stress a crowd of anxiety-ridden friends, too?
Go forth and election anxiety ice cream yourselves through Tuesday. And might I suggest an episode of What’s Your Story? with your next scoop?
ELECTION ANXIETY COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM (VEGAN).
Ingredients
Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream, adapted from from Virpi Mikkonen and Tuulia Talvio's book N'ice Cream
- 1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
- 2 13.5-ounce cans full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 generous pinch sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups crumbled vegan chocolate chip cookies, or cookies of choice
Instructions
PREPARE YOUR ICE CREAM MAKER & SOAK YOUR NUTS.
- The night before you plan to make the ice cream, freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker. 24 hours in the freezer is best.
- Place cashews in a medium bowl and cover with at least two inches of water. Cover with a towel, and soak overnight (on the counter or refrigerated if it's very warm).
MAKE THE ICE CREAM.
- The next day, drain the cashews of water, and place the nuts in a blender with the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Freeze in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Transfer one third of the frozen mixture to a freezer-safe container, and top with cookie crumbles. Add another third of the ice cream, and top with more cookies. Add the final third of the ice cream, and smooth the top. Sprinkle with any remaining cookie crumbles. Freeze for at least 4-6 hours before eating.
NO ICE CREAM MAKER?
- This recipe is intended to be made with an ice cream maker, but if you don't have one, you can attempt the following churn-by-hand method: Once the custard chills, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer and remove after 1-2 hours or whenever it begins to freeze. Mix using a whisk or electric mixer, to break up any ice crystals. Repeat every 30 minutes or so until fully frozen, with the aim of minimizing ice crystals as it freezes. When it's the texture of soft serve, mix in the cookie crumbles.
