Once in a Blue Moon

Blue Moon ice cream is a Midwest favorite among kids, and has a cult-like following among adults as well.  When I was growing up, the chance to actually pick Blue Moon for my cone came along just about as often as a Blue Moon.  With four kids and lots of dribbly cones to manage, my parents limited us to flavors they actually wanted to lick.  I'm probably the only kid to who truly believed that Butter Pecan, Chocolate Almond, Carmel Cashew and Butter Brickle were better than Superman, Bubble Gum, Black Cherry and Blue Moon.

 Given the very adult flavors of soy ice cream on the shelves, I started seeing the same parenting pattern evolve here as well. "Don't worry kiddo, chocolate and vanilla really are the best flavors...so many possibilities for embellishment..."  Well, today I took matters into my own hands, plucked up some tastebud courage and tasted...really tasted...the Blue Moon ice cream.  The flavor is a bit hard to describe, but it is not fruity like I expected.  It's kinda bland, sweet, with a little almond, nutmeg and faint lemon...and very blue.  This dairy-free and egg-free Blue Moon  recipe is based loosely on one by Laura at the Organizing Junkie. (The post was sent to me by a friend.  I'm not a follower of her blog, in fact, I'm a complete Fly Lady flunk-out from the words 'shiny sink'.)

 I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker which works great.  It's probably worth buying one.  If you use it 5 times, you've spent as much on the equivalent amount in Tofutti pints...but the big blue grins alone would sell me anyway!

Blue Moon Ice Cream for Everyday Use

3 cups plain soy creamer (about 1 1/2 pints)
20 regular marshmallows (about 1/2 bag)
1/3 cup sugar
2 T. oil ( I used avocado, coconut or canola would be fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil
Blue food coloring ( I used Wilton gel icing color in sky blue)


1.) Put the marshmallows in a big microwave safe bowl (I have an 8 cup Pyrex that is perfect for this)
2.) Heat for 1 minute, until soft and puffy.
3.) Whisk the soft marshmallows until smooth, then slowly pour in the soy creamer and sugar.
4.) Microwave for another 3-5 minutes, stirring every so often, until the creamer is hot but not boiling.
5.) Stir in the nutmeg, vanilla, lemon oil and enough blue to do the job.
6.) Cool the mixture down in the freezer or refrigerator before pouring into an ice cream maker to freeze. I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker that works pretty well.
7.) Enjoy!