No, this one is not a fast and easy one, but looked to darned good not to include in what seems to be becoming a raw vegan ice kream fiesta for my blog. Plus you know it’s going to be good, as it’s from master chef Russel James.

Ingredients:

ICE CREAM

• 2 cups cashews
• 1/2 cup coconut butter/oil
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup tightly-packed fresh mint leaves

FLORENTINES

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 3 tbsp cacao powder
• 1/4 cup melted cacao butter
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp agave nectar
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs
• 1/2 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Directions:

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. For the ice cream, 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. You could use metal rings with plastic film stretched over the base of them.

For the Florentines, 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. 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 molds. Decorate the outside of the mint ice cream with some more chopped pistachio nuts.