The Ice Dream Cookbook

Planetary Press
ISBN: 9780964126725
October 2008

Around my house, Stevia has become one of my favorite sweeteners. Nutrasweet and Sucralose are problematic and enhanced my anxiety until one doctor realized that they might be causing my panic attacks and had me stop using anything with them in it. Lo and behold, it worked. I avoid using refined sugars, but Stevia, maple syrup, agave nectar and honey are used frequently in my household. It's for this reason that I was delighted to see that these sweetening agents are used in the recipes within THE ICE DREAM COOKBOOK.

The recipes in Rachel Albert-Matesz's latest cookbook are definitely going to thrill those with a sweet tooth. Recipes use coconut milk and fresh ingredients like vanilla, strawberries and pumpkin to create delicious ice cream recipes that eliminate dairy for those who are lactose intolerant or simply enjoy the taste of coconut milk, like me. Also within this book are a number of gluten-free recipes for cookies, brownies and more and some delicious toppings for your ice creams.

As a Vermonter, the comments on maple syrup hit home. It's typical here to have maple syrup on hand year round. If you can find it, grade B has the strongest flavor. However, grade B is also considered to be of lesser quality by many and only sold to locals. Most grocers stock grade A fancy. It's watery and the flavor, to me, isn't as pronounced. I suggest avoiding purchasing maple syrup in your stores and, instead, rely on the Web sites of New England maple producers to get a better price. Right now, a gallon of grade B priced locally is at $28 and fancy is $32, so you'll quickly see just how much mark-up the stores use.

Another topic that came to mind involves a bakery in Montpelier, Vermont. The owner of this bakery, Butterfly Bakery, makes an exquisite chocolate sauce from organic cocoa, agave nectar and cashew butter. If you are looking for a store-bought chocolate sauce for your sweet tooth, I highly recommend ordering from them. www.butterflybakeryvt.com/Products.html