Allergy friendly, Dairy Free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Hot fudge Sauce

This is a basic coconut ice cream recipe I adapted from a chocolate coconut recipe. We've found that canned coconut milk is remarkably versatile. I was surprised that the coconut flavor adapts so easily to so many other flavors without an overwhelming coconut flavor. We had ice cream very similar to this in Thailand -- they made it fresh on the boardwalk and then scooped out a fresh coconut and served it in the shell with the shavings! It's super easy ice cream and once you get hooked on it, you'll want to have some on hand all the time! I've even converted Bryan, who can have regular ice cream. He actually prefers this now! Store it in a microwaveable container -- it does freeze harder than dairy ice cream so I zap it in the microwave for a minute or let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes or so until it's soft enough to scoop. Oh, and a word of warning. DON'T eat it as soft serve right after you make it. If you're a fan of soft serve, you can eat a gallon without trying...Coconut milk is easy to come by. Even here in Gillette any grocery store or even Wal-mart carries it. Usually you can find it in the ethnic food section by Chinese/Thai food.

To top it, here's my dairy free, corn free chocolate fudge sauce recipe. It stores great in the fridge. If you have any left.

Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream (Dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, soy-free)

3 cans unsweetened canned coconut milk (I use 2 cans regular and 1 can lite)

1 c sugar (or about 6 T agave)

1 vanilla bean

3-4T vanilla

Scrape vanilla bean and add with pod to 1 can coconut milk. Cook over med. heat for 5-10 minutes. Chill. Combine remaining ingredients in blender and blend. Pour all into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for freezing. Serve soft serve or freeze as desired.

*Note: Blue Bunny ice cream has great reusable containers! Find a friend who buys it and steal their containers! Or ask me...I have extras!

Allergy Friendly Fudge Sauce

2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (or 6 T cocoa powder plus 2 T coconut oil)

1 c rice, coconut, almond or other milk

3/4 c sugar

2 T. brown rice syrup or sugar syrup (see my cinnamon roll recipe or corn syrup if you can...)

3/4 tsp vanilla

Combine chocolate and milk. Heat to boiling over low heat, stirring constantly (especially as it heats up). Cook, stirring, until mixture is smooth and blended. Add sugar and syrup. Increase heat to medium until boiling. Continue boiling without stirring until sauce reaches 220 on a candy thermometer or soft-ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Store in sealed container in refrigerator. Sauce will thicken as it cools -- serve hot or cold.

Variations:
We've tried several various variations on this.  These are our favorites!  P.S  I can not for the life of me remember where the original that we worked with came from.  I know it was a chocolate coconut milk ice cream...if I remember, I'll post it, but it's been so long I have no idea...

Pumpkin Pie ice cream:
1 recipe Vanilla Bean minus the vanilla bean addition

Add:
3/4 a large can pumpkin
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Serve with crushed graham crackers and/or the fudge sauce (above).

Raspberry Rum:
1 recipe Vanilla Bean minus bean and sub out vanilla for rum extract (or get brave and add rum!)
1 1/2 c frozen raspberry crumbles (or just crumble them yourself)

Tropical:
1 recipe Vanilla Bean minus bean and sub out vanilla for rum extract
1 can (not the small ones) crushed pineapple, drained
1 c frozen shopped mango (partially thaw and chop smaller if desired, or add it to the blender)

Mint Chocolate Chip:
1 recipe Vanilla Bean minus bean and sub out vanilla for peppermint 1 T mint (or to taste)
Add chocolate flaked off a Lindt 80% or higher bar for a soy free version, or mini chips if soy is tolerated.  Add green food coloring if desired.
May also be made with the chocolate base for Double chocolate mint.