Dark Chocolate Chipotle Pecan Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

 

As we walk along the path, the sun is sinking below the horizon and the air starts to get chilly.  If I were walking alone I may start to grow conscious of the cold, but with his hand in mine, I feel very warm.  The sky fades from pink to purple to twinkling stars.  It is a beautiful night, despite the chill, and the company makes it all the more beautiful.  The stresses of the work day no longer matter, simply the here and now. I am wishing every minute of the day could be like this.  So thankful to have someone in my life to create moments like this with. 

I am talking about my boyfriend Eric.  He has made me nothing but happy lately, and I have to admit, he gives me a lot of great recipe ideas.  Which is how the ice cream in this post came to be.  It is freaking amazing, and I have to give him at least half the credit for it because we came up with it together. 

 

I decided that I needed to make ice cream last week and I asked him which flavor sounded the best out of four I was thinking of. Two of the options were Dark Chocolate Chipotle and Pecan.  He answered back, Dark Chocolate Chipotle with pecans mixed in and chunks of caramel chipotle dark chocolates mixed in (I made them last week, and he was a fan).  I was thinking something a little more simple, but what the heck, it sounded wonderful so I made it! 

 

I am glad I did, it was some of the best ice cream I have made!  Of course I shared some with Eric as well, and he thought it was delicious too.  I have a feeling I will be asking his opinion often in the future!

Dark Chocolate Chipotle Pecan Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream:
Makes 5 cups delicious ice cream

1/2 cup coconut water
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup young coconut meat, chopped
1/4 cup raw agave nectar or raw honey
seeds of one vanilla bean
a pinch of sea salt
1 tsp chipotle powder
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

1 cup chopped raw chipotle caramel chocolates or raw chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped raw pecans

 Add coconut water to a food processor, along with cashews, coconut meat, agave nectar, vanilla, sea salt, chipotle powder, and cacao powder. Process until smooth, then with the processor running, add the coconut oil slowly and process until well incorporated, about a minute. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Remove from ice cream maker, stir in chocolate chunks and pecans pour into a freezer safe container. Let chill in the freezer for a few hours until a little more firm before scooping.