Chocolate mallow ice "cream"
Ever wonder where the word marshmallow comes from? Well I learned recently, wondering what that pretty weed covered in beneficial gardens bugs is. Mallow!
Mallow is healthy for your garden - and your body too! I started drinking it, hoping it’s anti-phlegm properties would help with my allergies. I haven’t noticed a difference yet (but I haven’t been a faithful drinker, either).
Think of the texture of a marshmallow - soaking any part of the plant in water offers a thick, silky texture that I can easily imagine making into a marshmallow or use as an egg replacer. But I’d rather combine it with chocolate for a rich-textured dessert.
We made chocolate mallow ice “cream” for my birthday. The next time we’re going to just try it as mousse/pudding, since freezing was the biggest hassle, and I don’t like really cold food/drinks anyway.
But here’s how you can make ice cream (or put it in the fridge for mousse/pudding):
- pick 2 cups of mallow plant (leaves, stems, etc) and chop into 1 inch pieces
- soak in 3 cups of water for at least an hour, or even overnight
- put in blender/food processor and strain out mallow (just use the thickened water, and if there are small pieces of mallow that’s okay too)
- put liquid back in blender with 1 avocado
- add 1/2 cup sweetener (sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc)
- add 2 t vanilla
- add 1/4 cup cocoa powder
possible alterations:
- cashews or bananas rather than avocado
- add mint leaves/mint essential oil
- use fruit rather than cocoa powder
- for more powerful thickening, boil mallow plant in water (rather than just soaking it)
To make into ice cream, pour into one or more containers (metal might freeze faster than the glass we used) and put in freezer. But you have to get it out every hour or so and stir it if you don’t want it to turn into chocolate ice. (Stirring breaks up the hard crystals.) Since we don’t run our freezer overnight ours didn’t freeze til late the next day.
Honestly, we both thought if we didn’t know what was in this, we’d believe we were eating chocolate fro-yo (or lower-fat chocolate ice cream). Didn’t taste avocado or plant at all. Give it a try - we’re curious what you’ll think!
I’ve seen mallow everywhere I’ve lived, and never knew we could eat it as salad, dessert and more! Read about it and find it in your yard. If you find it in/near your garden, let it grow and see if it draws firefly orgies like it does for us:-) Fireflies eat all sorts of bad bugs in your garden - they’re fun and great predators, too.
4 Comments:
August 29, 2018
GORGEOUS fireflies–so colorful! And great to know about the mallow . . .
August 29, 2018
We’ll have to make it together sometime - really fun!
August 31, 2018
Ooh, I’ve been wanting to try and cook with mallow! Thanks for the idea :)
August 31, 2018
I’ll be curious to hear what you discover! Since we usually have eggs around I haven’t used it for that, and I’ve never been a jello fan. But mousse, I do like mousse! Almost the same idea, without cow hooves!