End of Summer Strawberry Float

Well it is officially the last week of summer and you have to hurry and make my strawberry float.  It saddens me that everyone dooms summer as soon as Labor Day is over.  I, on the other hand, savor the last fruits of its labor.  Summer is my favorite season after all.  Amazing in season fruit, free festivals and concerts in downtown Chicago, fun barbeques, incredible weather: what’s not to love?  So this week, as I bid adieu to Summer and welcome Autumn with open arms, I decided I would share fun season inspired recipes for ice cream floats.  The first recipe is my favorite summer float because it is easy to make and bursts with fresh fruit flavor.  Check out the simple, yet delightful, recipe below, and stay tuned this week for my Welcome to Fall ice cream float. 

End of Summer Strawberry Float

• Your favorite vanilla ice cream (If you have time, make it!  I used the vanilla coconut milk ice cream recipe found below- great for Vegans or those with dairy allergies!)
• Chilled strawberry soda
• 1 pound of fresh sliced strawberries
• 2 tablespoons of sugar (I used my vanilla sugar from The Spice House)

Make a fresh strawberry sauce by tossing the strawberries with sugar in a bowl.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature as the juices release from the strawberries. 
To make float, alternate by adding a scoop of ice cream then fresh strawberry sauce to your glass.  Pour in the strawberry soda.  Garnish with whipped cream if you like.

Basic Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream (from godairyfree.org)

• 4 cups coconut milk (full fat)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 1/2 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise, and scraped* (optional)

Stir the coconut milk and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the salt and vanilla and freeze in an electric or hand operated ice cream freezer.  Makes 1.5 quarts.

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