Strawberry Ice Cream (Paleo, Vegan)

Okay guys, so technically when you go paleo, you are supposed to be really hard core for 30 days.  You are not just supposed to jump into making a million and one paleo desserts.  You are not supposed to have any desserts at all for that first month.  But, BUT…I just had to make one last dessert.  It’s what I do.  And it’s really good.  You’ll understand when you taste it!

This ice cream is made with coconut milk and sweetened with honey (or maple syrup or agave for a vegan version).  The strawberry syrup has a little balsamic vinegar in it, just to deepen the flavor.  Don’t worry, you won’t taste it.  You can hardly even taste the honey and coconut–this is mainly just strawberries and cream flavored.  It’s fabulous, and there’s nothing bad or unnatural in it.

Ingredients (makes about a quart):

For the strawberry syrup:

2 cups fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon honey, agave, or maple syrup
3 tablespoons water
1 scant tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt

For the ice cream base:

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1/2 cup honey, agave, or maple syrup (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the strawberry syrup, hull and halve the strawberries.  Place them in a saucepan over medium heat with the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring often, until the strawberries have softened and are starting to break up (about 10 minutes).  Cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor.  Blend until smooth, and strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, pressing on the pulp to extract as much liquid as possible.  Discard pulp and refrigerate syrup until cold.

To make the ice cream, whisk together all the ice cream base ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.  Whisk in the cold strawberry syrup, taste, and adjust the sweetness as desired.  Refrigerate until chilled, and freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving.