Chocolate PB Swirl Ice Cream

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Are you grabbing Weight Watcher's Ice Cream off the shelf while trying to lose weight? THINK AGAIN!

Ingredients = Milk Fat and Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Fudge Revel (Maltitol Syrup, Water, Maltitol, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Butter, Nonfat Dry Milk, contains 2% or Less of: Pectin, Salt, Potassium Sorbate as Preservative, Sucralose)Peanut Butter Base (Peanuts, Peanut Oil, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides)Peanut Brittle (Peanuts, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Molasses, Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Salt, Vanilla)Polydextrose, Maltodextrin, Cellulose Gel, Mono & Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Polysorbate 80, Vitamin A Palmitate.

You may think the key to weight loss is "Calories In, Calories Out"...It is WAY more complicated than that. If you want to lose weight one main ingredient to steer clear of is trans-fats. As you look through the ingredients, you may think, "Maria, there are no hydrogenated oils in the list." BUT manufacturers have become aware that people know "hydrogenated oils" are a bad word so the FDA allows them to call it something different now! Manufacturers are now using mono- and di-glycerides--which are also hydrogenated oil products.

Once you become a savvy consumer, you will be amazed at the number of places that this detrimental little plastic molecule shows up.

WHY TRANS-FATS ARE SO BAD? Well, for MANY reasons, but one thing is that it slows metabolism. The oils are most likely a partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Soy blocks the absorption of zinc and iodine from the thyroid, which depresses the thyroid. A snowball effect happens: this will lower your energy levels, you don't feel like exercising, and your body can't process the food as efficiently and eventually makes you fatter! To read more on which foods enhance our thyroid go to the HORMONE chapter in my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.


Making low sugar ice cream is tricky. If you use an erythritol-based sweetener (like Organic Zero, Swerve or ZSweet), it hardens to a ROCK! BUT if you use Chicory Root (AKA "Swerve": click HERE to find), it stays nice and creamy! Another trick is to always add a pinch of salt to the mixture.

VANILLA ICE CREAM:
5 egg yolks
1 cup Swerve (or Just Like Sugar)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup unsweetnened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp Celtic sea salt

In a medium saucepan place the egg yolks and sweeteners in to mix on high with a hand mixer (TIP: Since the Just Like Sugar is all a fiber, it will "gum" up if you don't constantly stir while adding it to the yolks). Whip yolks until light in color and double in size. Stir in the whipping cream. Place the saucepan onto medium heat on the stove and cook, stirring constantly (I used my hand mixer, see photo). Stir until thickened into a custard. Remove from heat and stir in the almond milk and salt. Let cool completely (I cooled overnight...it was hard to wait!). Place into your ice cream machine (click HERE to find the one I love AND it is 1/2 off the original price!!!) and watch the magic happen within 45 or according to your ice cream maker's directions. Freeze until set for vanilla ice cream or stir in your favorite swirl flavor to mix it up. Makes 5 servings.

PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL:
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup erythritol (or Swerve)
1/2 tsp stevia glycerite
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
CHOCOLATE SWIRL:
2 TBS butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS heavy cream or coconut milk
1/4 cup Confectioners Swerve (or erythritol ground in a coffee grinder)
1 tsp stevia glycerite


CHOCOLATE SWIRL: Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water). Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), add in the cream and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick. Swirl into finished ice cream.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 1/2 cup serving)
Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream = 230 calories, 23 carbs, 0 fiber, 4 g protein
"Healthified" Vanilla Ice Cream = 137 calories, 1.3 carbs, 0 fiber, 3.4 g protein

Ben & Jerry's PB Ice Cream = 360 calories, 27 carbs, 1 fiber, 6 g protein (26 effective carbs)
"Healthified" PB Ice Cream = 338 calories, 5.4 carbs, 1.6 g fiber, 7 g protein (3.8 effective carbs)