key lime pie ice cream sammiches

just because i live in a climate where 75 degrees is considered sweltering doesn't mean i'm immune to the it's-june-and-that-means-frozen-summer-treats mindset. i recently read that ciao bella is releasing several new frozen desserts this summer....one being a key lime ice cream sandwich. well, key lime pie has been one of my absolute favorites for as long as i can remember and when i read the ciao bella news i thought "i must make this. now!" this treat might win fastest turn around time from my brain to my belly. and the best part about them is that they exceeded my highest expectations.

the ice cream is creamy, tart and smooth just as key lime pie filling should be, and it really does taste like pie. and the graham crackers are, well, like graham cracker crust! i made my own graham crackers* which i would highly recommend because you can bake them slightly less so that they are a little soft rather than crispy crispy crackers.


key lime pie ice cream sammiches
ice cream ingredients:
1 14 ounce can coconut milk (not lite)
3/4 (scant) cup sugar
1/2 cup soy milk (plus a little)
1/2 cup key lime juice (i used nellie and joe's double strength**)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

measure your coconut milk and top off with enough soy milk to get an even two cups. pour into a bowl and add the sugar. whisk until the sugar is dissolved. stir in the remaining 1/2 cup soy milk, key lime juice and vanilla extract. taste and add more lime juice if needed.

pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the maker's instructions (mine took about 30 minutes). pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and smooth out so that it's about an inch thick. freeze until firm.

to assemble:
i used a biscuit cutter to make nice uniform graham cracker circles. as i mentioned above, i cooked them so that they were still a little soft. once the ice cream is firm use a slightly smaller cookie cutter to cut through the ice cream. place onto a graham cracker, top with another and press together slightly. wrap individual sammiches in wax paper and freeze until you're ready to eat them.

*need a graham cracker recipe? there's a great one in vegan cookies invade your cookie jar that is both tasty and fast (no chilling time). this is the one i used with one little change - i used agave syrup instead of molasses for a lighter flavor. there's also a yummy one over at smitten kitchen that i've made with delicious results.

**my bottle claimed to be double strength. don't know if it really is but if yours appears to be normal strength you might need to use a bit more. if you can't find key lime juice regular lime juice should work just fine.

-d