In my previous post I admitted my long term love for ice-cream … but I didn’t mention caramel … ahh … my second love!

Put the two together and you have got me!  But I am also aware that traditional “caramel” recipes should be a rare treat.

So I have been on the lookout for a “caramel” that is more “body friendly”, and this recipe is a combination of a few that I have seen lately, plus my own tweaks which gave me the result I wanted.

I incorporated this caramel into the Creamy Traditional Ice-Cream on the precious post, and it is truly amazing!

So make the date caramel at the same time as you make the ice-cream, so that the caramel is nice and cold when added to the finished ice-cream later.  Just keep it in the fridge until you need it.

Date Caramel Ice-Cream (the healthy version!)

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

All ready to eat ... yum!

Author: Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Serves: 4 cups

Ingredients

• 200-220g medjool dates, pitted, and at room temperature
• ½ tsp bi-carb soda
• 40g maple syrup
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes (or to taste)
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  
  
• 1 x Creamy Traditional Ice-Cream to mix the caramel into

Instructions

1. Boil the kettle, then allow it to sit for 5 minutes whilst you get the other ingredients ready
2. Pit the medjool dates and put into a glass container
3. Add the bi-carb soda
4. Pour over enough hot water (which has been off the boil for 5 minutes) to cover the dates
5. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then drain BUT keep the drained water
6. Put the dates, maple syrup, sea salt flakes and vanilla bean paste into TM bowl and mix 10 seconds / speed 5
7. Lift lid and stir … repeat this process 4 or 5 times until you get a consistency that you are happy with, adding up to 3 tablespoons of the reserved liquid if you feel it is too thick (I used 3 tablespoons the first time, and only 2 the second time so this can vary … you want the mix to be thick like a caramel, but not so thick that it is hard to spread)
8. Taste the caramel and adjust salt if necessary
9. Take your ice cream out of the freezer to soften for 10 to 15 minutes, before layering the caramel in the ice cream (I used ⅓ ice cream, topped with ½ caramel, then ⅓ ice cream, then ½ caramel, and then final ⅓ ice cream)
10. Use a knife to swirl the caramel through the ice cream
11. Return ice cream to freezer and let set for a minimum of 4 hours (I always like to leave it overnight)
12. Then hold yourself back and show restraint as you serve yourself a single scoop!

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