Dairy-free dessert good for any time

After a bit of a hiatus, I’m hoping this is the first of several Idea Alley columns.

As of deadline, I’m still awaiting recipes, but I’m confident Alley Kats will follow through with their submissions.

This recipe for Jenni Duncan is actually from my files. It isn’t exactly ice cream weather, but we’re in Arkansas so you never know what next week will bring.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Ice Cream

¾ cup water

1 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream (the thicker, the better)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

powder

Pinch espresso powder ¼ teaspoon salt

6 ounces dairy-free dark

chocolate, finely chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together the water, coconut milk, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt. Bring mixture just to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Simmer, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until melted.

Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and chill thoroughly, overnight recommended.

Churn mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve immediately as soft serve, or transfer to freezer-safe pan, cover and freeze until firm, 4 to 6 hours.

Makes about 6 servings.

The following are requests from 2018 that were never answered. I don’t have high hopes for answering them now as many are for restaurant recipes and recipes from operating restaurants nearly impossible to obtain, let alone recipes from places that have been closed for years. But it never hurts to ask.

REQUESTS

■ Bog Hollow bread for Sandy Soderquist.

■ Potato soup like Chip’s Barbecue for Helen Austin and Audrey.

■ Coleslaw like Shorty Smalls for Peggy Jacobs.

■ Meatloaf with Creole sauce like that served at Your Mama’s Good Food for Debbie Oxandale.

■ Dill sauce like Taziki’s for Harold Sharp.

■ Bean soup like that served at Mont Ne Inn Chicken in Rogers for A. Cantrell.

■ Lemon jumble cookies like those made by Jackson Cookie Co. (formerly in North Little Rock) for Glenda Hefley.