Book Review

Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love

by Cathe Olson
Reviewed by Tammie Ortlieb

Mouthwatering, taste-tempting, and totally dairy free. Cathe Olson's latest, Lick It!, is packed with creative, kid-friendly, completely vegan ice creams for the whole family. For starters, make up a batch of vanilla, chocolate, or variations of each for family members who go for the more traditional flavors. From there, move on to fruity tastes such as Blackberry-Plum, Lavender-Blueberry, and Lemon Cheesecake. I especially appreciated the Lighter Side lowfat ice creams, frozen yogurts, and sorbets---Lowfat Pineapple, Strawberry Sorbet, and Dark Cherry Frozen Yogurt.

And for special occasions, Olson provides a whole section on pies, cakes, tortes, and crusts. For the kids, or kids at heart, try the Pomegranate-Strawberry Pops or the Chocolate-Covered Bonbons. Cathe includes lots of treaties, as well, for those sweltering summer days-Drumstick Cones, Ice Cream Sundae Cups, Snowballs, White Chocolate Brownie Bars. She even provides suggestions for hosting a tasting party for your children's friends! Not in the mood for a bowl right now? Not a problem. Whip up an Ultimate Strawberry Shake or Watermelon Slushy instead.

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With ideas and recipes for toppings, mix-ins, and homemade sauces, Lick It! is the perfect resource for creating your own sundae bar. And don't worry if you're not quite so handy with an ice cream maker. Olson walks the reader step by step through the entire yum-alicious process. She even gives suggestions for creating her recipes without the aid of an ice cream making machine. And not to leave out the little tykes, Olson provides resources for kid-friendly machines, ice cream pop molds, and other child-centered accessories. Invite a few friends, lay out the goodies, and get the camera ready!

Whether you're vegan or avoid dairy for allergy reasons, you will love the recipes, appreciate the supply shopping guide, and go wild for the ice cream parlor taste. The author's experience in culinary creativity shows through each of her sumptuous desserts. With books like Simply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook to her credit, Cathe's work has also appeared in Natural Family Online Magazine, Mothering, and VegFamily. Ice cream lovers unite! And pick up a copy of Cathe Olson's dairy free dessert treasure, Lick It! Creamy, Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love.

Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream

Chocolate Rapberry Ice Cream

Makes about 3 cups

Rich dark chocolate tinged with fresh red raspberries—a wonderful flavor combination. To make this even more decadent, add a couple of tablespoons of Chambord liqueur.

1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups raspberries

Place the coconut milk, sugar, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and whisk until well combined. Warm on medium-low heat until the mixture just begins to simmer and get foamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the raspberries. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl (or, to save on dishwashing, over the saucepan you used to heat the coconut milk). Pour the blended mixture into the strainer and press it through to remove the seeds. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Lavender Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

Lavender blossoms give this ice cream a unique, delicate flavor. I love it with a mild-flavored cake like pound cake. It's also delicious topped with berries. This is one of my most-requested recipes.

1 1/4 cups soymilk or other nondairy milk
1/4 cup fresh lavender flowers and buds (about 8 large sprigs)
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar or agave syrup

Pour the soymilk into a small saucepan and warm on medium-low heat until it just begins to boil. Stir in the lavender flowers and buds. Cover and remove from the heat. Steep for 20 minutes.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Pour the soymilk through the strainer to remove the lavender. Whisk in the coconut milk and sugar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Buy Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love Now!

Tammie Ortlieb is a freelance writer and adjunct instructor with a Master's Degree in Developmental Psychology. She resides in southwest Michigan with her omnivorous husband, four veg kids, and small menagerie of pets. Tammie writes for various vegetarian sources, mostly on being okay with your vegetarian self. She's a book nerd, a research nerd, a health nerd, and a huge glass of soymilk half full kind of creature. Visit her blog at www.middle-agedveganchick.blogspot.com.

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