Vegan Raspberry Brownie Ice Cream Bars | Kitchen Vignettes for PBS

I typically get requests for recipes which are much less reliant on butter & eggs, and which are gluten-free, so I needed to give you a enjoyable plant-based recipe that will be refreshing for these sweltering warmth waves we’ve been having, and likewise gluten-free. (And never require an ice cream maker since I don’t have one!)

On sizzling days, I discover myself reflecting greater than ever on the connection between what we placed on our plates and the local weather disaster we discover ourselves in. There’s no query that agriculture and the transportation of meals throughout lengthy distances are main contributors to local weather change. However discovering options and sustainable methods of consuming could be sophisticated. As an illustration, if I forgo my beloved native grass-fed butter in these brownies, however use an avocado that was shipped from Mexico, or olive oil that was shipped from Italy, which of all these three has the lesser carbon footprint? I don’t have the reply to that. However I do know that my food regimen has a hefty carbon footprint (at the same time as somebody who eats largely from my very own backyard) and I’m dedicated to discovering methods to minimize that footprint. And whereas nobody has all of the definitive solutions, reflecting on the complexity of those points is vital. One factor I do know for positive, you may’t actually go flawed by striving to eat extra locally-grown meals, whether or not it’s by supporting native sustainable farmers in your space, or having a backyard. Procuring at farmers’ markets the place there may be a lot fewer plastic packaging and meals hasn’t traveled very far is is a win-win as a result of it additionally helps your native financial system and agricultural group. And naturally, most likely the largest impression we might all have can be to switch our consumption of factory-farmed meat with both vegetarian choices, or locally-produced grassfed and natural meat and dairy. Regardless of my questions on whether or not a vegan brownie is admittedly higher for the planet than a non-vegan one, I need to say I completely take pleasure in creating plant-based recipes. Not solely do they drive you to be inventive along with your components however they’re actually scrumptious!

For this recipe, I needed a plant-based brownie that wasn’t overly candy. I like desserts and chocolate however I can’t abdomen a very candy brownie and I discover most recipes have approach an excessive amount of sugar. I used to be intrigued by an avocado brownie recipe I discovered on Spruce Eats, however I felt it wanted some changes to offer it the wealthy and chewy brownie texture I used to be searching for. So I fiddled round with the recipe till I arrived at a scrumptious gluten-free brownie that has change into a typical go-to in my kitchen. It’s nice by itself, however made much more thrilling sandwiched with creamy raspberry “ice cream” (which is admittedly extra like a sorbet, however “sorbet sandwich” doesn’t have fairly the identical ring to it). Now this raspberry sorbet is admittedly one thing. First, it has solely 2 components! Raspberries and sweetened condensed coconut milk (which you will discover at any well being meals retailer). You can additionally make it with dairy-based condensed milk if that’s what you could have readily available. Additionally, no ice cream maker is required (although you’ll want a excessive velocity blender). It’s so creamy and so refreshing and also you’re principally simply consuming berries, so good for you!

This recipe is a good way to utilize raspberries, and I’m blessed with a raspberry patch of each crimson and yellow raspberries. Sure! Yellow raspberries are a factor! They style like a cross between apricots and raspberries and so they’re my absolute favourite. This selection is named “Anne”. And no, you actually don’t want to make use of yellow raspberries, I simply threw some in there as a result of I had them.

The great factor about this recipe is you may make the raspberry sorbet and simply take pleasure in it by itself. Identical with the brownies. They don’t want one another, however they positive do improve each other and make a beautiful marriage of flavors and textures.

Get pleasure from!

An ideal deal with for a heat day! The great factor about this recipe is you may make the raspberry sorbet and simply take pleasure in it by itself. Identical with the brownies. They don’t want one another, however they positive do improve each other and make a beautiful marriage of flavors and textures.

Components

• For the brownies:
• 1 cup oat flour (or common all-purpose)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup mashed avocado
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• For the raspberry ice cream / sorbet:
• 4 cups frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk (or dairy-based condensed milk when you want)

Instructions

1. To make the brownies:
   In a blender, puree the avocado, sugar, soy milk, olive oil, and vanilla. In a bowl whisk collectively the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Pour the moist combination into the dry combination and blend properly till clean. Pour half the combination right into a parchment paper-lined 9 x 5 loaf pan. Bake at 350F for about quarter-hour or till a toothpick comes out clear or with just some crumbs (begin checking at 10 minutes although as a result of these can prepare dinner actually quick). Take away and funky the brownie on a rack. Repeat with the remainder of the batter so you find yourself with 2 skinny brownies.
2. To make the sorbet:
   In a excessive velocity blender (ideally one with a plunger as it’s will make your job a LOT simpler), pour within the frozen raspberries and the sweetened condensed coconut milk. Mix slowly at first, stirring with the plunger and progressively rising the velocity. This may take a while to get to a clean puree, be affected person. In the event you don’t have a plunger along with your blender, you’ll should pause typically to stir and push the raspberries down between mixing, till you get a clean raspberry sorbet.
3. Utilizing the identical loaf pan you baked the brownies in, put down one of many two brownies. Pour the raspberry sorbet on prime of it, smoothing it out. Place the second brownie on prime of the raspberry sorbet and push down a tiny bit to make sure good contact between the sorbet and the brownies. Place within the freezer for at the very least 4 hours. When able to serve, take away from the freezer and slice into bars. It’s also possible to slice into bars and return them to the freezer in a lined container and preserve them there till able to eat. Letting the bars sit out for a couple of minutes earlier than consuming helps soften them a bit. Get pleasure from!

Yield: 10 bars

Aube Giroux is a meals author, a James Beard award-winning documentary filmmaker and a passionate natural gardener and residential prepare dinner, who shares her love of cooking on her farm-to-table weblog, Kitchen Vignettes.