Dark Chocolate Peppermint Soft Serve - no ice cream maker required!

Anyone who knows me, knows that out of all the 'off-plan' treats out there, I'm most likely to fall victim to ice cream's call to me. Rather than fight that temptation, my solution is to find a healthier alternative go-to instead.

In my quest for healthier ice cream, last night Dark Chocolate Peppermint Soft Serve was born. This recipe is meant to be made and eaten that night, so if you are only going to eat one serving that night, only make one :)

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Soft Serve

makes 4 large scoops

Ingredients:

- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (use the good quality stuff for this recipe!)

- 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate whey protein isolate

- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 1/2 cup of 2% cottage cheese (higher fat content contains less water and more creamy texture - my advice? don't go for the fat free version for this one)

- 1/2 package of sugar free instant chocolate jello pudding mix (don't omit this ingredient - it's important so the recipe won't overfreeze! if you don't want the added sweetener, you can experiment with other powder gelatin options! let me know how they work)

- 1/2-2 tsp of peppermint extract (this is all up to you...start w/ a half tsp and add as your taste dictates)

optional: 2 squares of 85% (or darker) Lindt chocolate broken up

1) Take all ingredients (except the chocolate chunks if you choose to use them)
2) Blend well in the magic bullet until creamy smooth.
3) Pour into a tupperware container (should be approx 2" deep in the container)
4) Put in the freezer with the lid off.
5) Approximately every 20 minutes, remove from the freezer and using a spoon stir the mixture. You'll likely have to 'break through' the top shell layer that forms and mix well. Make sure you do this in relatively regularly increments so it doesn't overfreeze and you can still mix it. Scrape the sides of the container well so all of the mixture is blended and doesn't freeze to the sides.
6) Repeat step 5 three-four times, until desired consistency is acheived. Once it's creamy smooth, add additional crunchy toppings if you so desire.
7) Grab an ice cream scoop (because we all know, ice cream tastes better when scooped properly!) and scoop into your dish. Sit down and enjoy every bite

*if you happen to overfreeze it, just let the container sit out for a couple of minutes and then start mashing it up!

Calories per scoop (makes 4) 95; fat 2g; carbs 7g; fibre 3.5g; protein 12g;