So that recipe for candied rinds told me to discard the sugar syrup after I'd sweetened and softened up those orange bits. Nuh-uh! That's sweet, fragrant sugar water we've got there, why would I throw that out? The orange flavour was quite delicate and I was after something that would allow that to shine through. My mind turned to the subtle and summery vice cream that I tried back in January - I've never teamed cashews and oranges before, but I thought it was worth a shot.It was. With a bit of extra oomph from a few drops of orange essence, the two flavours shared the spotlight nicely. However, the texture just didn't work out for me this time. I tried soaking the cashews beforehand and they were looking pretty soft, but I guess I just didn't give them long enough in the food processor. Once in the ice-cream maker, this mixture was looking super-thick after only 15 minutes (this typically takes 30-40 minutes with a standard ice-cream recipe) so I took it out. Perhaps a bit of extra time churning would have improved the texture, but I suspect it all goes back to the processing phase.
So, this rendition of orange-scented cashew ice was a bit too big on the ice. But teamed with the blueberries sitting in the freezer, I'm sure we'll be able to polish off this slightly fruity number.
Orange-scented cashew ice
1 cup cashews
1 cup orange-infused sugar syrup
1 cup water
a few drops of orange essence
Soak the cashews in the sugar syrup and water for at least an hour (or up to a day) in the fridge. Add the orange essence and blitz the mixture in the food processor until the cashews are as liquified as possible. (It may help to drain some of the liquid away and then re-introduce it after the cashews are completely blended.) Return the mixture to the fridge until it's super-cold, then churn it in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
I have a recipe for cashew cream that I think must be similar, it's not ice cream though. I had it at a health retreat in the blue mountains. I purchased the cook book too and must dig it up for that recipe and I will post it. Vida x
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see that recipe, Vida! I have had some lovely cashew creams at vegan-friendly restaurants but never made it myself.
ReplyDeleteYou will laugh when you see how simple it is, here goes: 2 cups of raw cashews, vanilla to taste, 400ml water (enough to make a smooth paste) or 3 cups orange juice in place of water and vanilla. Blend all ingredients together until the desired texture is reached. Delicious as a fruit dip. It's that simple! There is a fabulous recipe for cashew nut loaf but that is longer and we would have to fax or email or something. Vida x x x
ReplyDeleteFwoar! Sounds SO nice, especially right now when I've been stuck out in the sun and heat all day working. Wish I had me a bowl of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vida! I'm bookmarking this recipe to try later.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I wish I'd been able to send some your way. :-) It's a little more refreshing than your average dairy-based ice-cream.