When I was younger, I visited my grandparents in Cape Cod every year, sometimes for just two weeks and other years, for 2 months. I’d go to the beach. I participated in junior theater, but as I got older, dance led my life.

Unfortunately, the studio I used to dance at is no longer, but I still have girlfriends who’d I dance and perform with for seven straight years. Boy, did we work hard, but we also played hard – it was summer after all – and time after time, we’d head to the ice cream shop after a long rehearsal, especially when it was hot. Like Maine, Cape Cod barely had AC either.

This is still a working recipe, but it’s my favorite flavor from those summers – the purple cow, which is black raspberry ice cream studded with chocolate chunks + wild blueberries. This custard has the consistency of pudding before going into the ice cream maker, which yields a ridiculously creamy and smooth soft serve when churned. It uses a good amount of puree so the flavor really comes through but if you can’t find fresh raspberries, you can always make the purée from frozen.

makes 1 quart

ingredients

1 (13.5 oz) can of full fat coconut milk
½ cup cashews, preferably soaked for 1-2 hours to soften but not crucial
1 ½ cups black raspberry purée (recipe below)
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon grass-fed gelatin
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup (2 ounces or 1 bar) your favorite dark chocolate, cut into chunks
¼ cup blueberries

black raspberry puree

4 cups black raspberries
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla

MAKE THE PUREE. In a medium sauce pan, combine all of your ingredients and heat over medium heat. Crush the berries and let them cook until the mixture reduces by 1/4.

Pour the mixture into your blender, adding the vanilla, and carefully blend until smooth. You can use it as is for the recipe above or strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds before using.

MAKE THE ICE CREAM. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and vanilla. Sprinkle the gelatin over the mixture and let it set to bloom, about 5 minutes.

Once set, heat a small pan over low heat and melt and gelatin mixture slowly until it’s smooth.

In a high speed blender, add the coconut milk, cashew and raspberry purée and blend until smooth. Turn the blender on low, and very carefully, pour the gelatin mixture into the blender to mix fully.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool, about 4-6 hours. When you’d like to spin your ice cream, whisk the custard smooth before following the directions of your ice cream maker, adding the chocolate chunks and wild blueberries at the end.