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71 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Uninspired and repetitive, October 29, 2009
This review is from: The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream that Tastes Better Than the "Real" Thing (Paperback)
First let me say the I did learn two things from this book -- saving it from a one-star rating. Those things were:
Arrowroot powder is a nice additive for better texture
Soy creamer can be used for a creamier texture
I have made soy-based ice cream for years now, but have never used either of these ingredients. I would merely take a regular ice cream recipe and substitute soy milk for real milk. These concoctions were good, but lacked a bit in the texture department. Now I have a solution!
As for the rest of this recipe book, it is a single base recipe for the majority with a single ingredient added to make a unique flavor. So, for Espresso ice cream, add 1/4 c espresso to the base recipe. For "Earl Grey", steep the soy milk in 8 bags of Earl Grey -- same base recipe otherwise! Are we to believe that adding a single simple ingredient will transform this recipe into the perfect balance of new flavors? No additional sugar or slightly less sugar would be better? And does every recipe really benefit from EXACTLY 1 Tbls of vanilla extract?
Also, I tried one of the "novelty" flavors -- Chocolate Martini. Next to the recipe is a picture of thick, creamy, dark chocolate ice cream with a frozen black olive on the side. Wow! Amazing that you can get such a wonderful looking ice cream from sugar water and a total of 6 teaspooons of various liquors. Well, you can't! The mix looks like dirty water and the finished product looks like a dirty slushy -- and tastes about the same.
I am going to buy "Lick It!" which is recommended by another reviewer. Sounds more promising. I'll also be experimenting with my own recipes by adding various quantities of soy creamer and arrowroot powder.
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great book, as long as you like soy and refined sugar, July 25, 2009
This review is from: The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream that Tastes Better Than the "Real" Thing (Paperback)
This book is filled with inventive, delicious and delicious-sounding recipes, accompanied by pictures that make you want to start making ice cream immediately! I had to run right out and buy the specialty items almost every recipe calls for - arrowroot powder (hint: buy it bulk online to avoid the super high grocery store prices - we paid $7 for a few ounces of the spice jar, and you can get a couple pounds for that if buying it online!) and soy creamer (I got Silk, in the dairy fridge). Update: I have now made several ice creams from this book, including one with coconut milk instead of soy creamer, and they were all delicious. I only strictly followed the recipe for one of them, and I consider that a compliment to this book, that it inspires you to be creative.
The only drawback to the book is that almost every recipe calls for soy milk or soy creamer, as well as either white (usually) or brown sugar. Out of 150, there are only 12 or 13 that do not have soy milk or creamer (and a few of those are sorbets with no milk at all). The author recommends experimenting with nut and coconut milks, and even gives a recipe for making your own cashew milk, but I have not tried this yet. Given how "creamy" soy creamer is compared to say, almond milk, I am uncertain about how the ice cream might turn out. Maybe too much "ice" and not enough "cream"? Specific suggestions would have been useful here. For the sugar, I have been substituting agave with mixed results. (Most recipes call for about 1/2 to 3/4 a cup of sugar to make 1 quart of ice cream.) Update: I have found that when substituting agave for sugar, about half the amount the recipe calls for is good. I think agave must not "disappear" when freezing the way sugar does.
In short, if you want vegan ice cream, and you aren't put off by soy or sugar, or aren't afraid to experiment, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Update: this book inspired me to experiment and I love making my own vegan ice cream. After making several batches of ice cream and identifying several more I can't wait to make, I still wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Update 2011: Years later and I still use this book. I use coconut milk instead of soy in most of the recipes with outstanding success. My non-vegan ice-cream-loving mother requests my spicy chocolate ice cream whenever I am making dessert! However, I have found some recipes that *must* contain typos. Specifically, the spicy chocolate, and the lavender. Either that or the author and I have very different types of cayenne pepper and lavender extract! I still recommend this book, but if you see something that sounds outrageous, you might want to be skeptical.
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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yum!, May 20, 2009
This review is from: The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream that Tastes Better Than the "Real" Thing (Paperback)
This book has some of the best recipes for vegan ice cream I've ever tried. The author really knows his ice cream. The recipes are easy and usually only call for a few ingredients. There are beautiful pictures every few pages. The recipes I've tried so far have been amazing. Not sure if I would try some of the more unusual flavors like wasabi, eucalyptus, or seaweed but the pictures make them look pretty good.
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