Saturday, June 11, 2011

Coconut Ice Cream


Coconut is one of those things that most people either love or hate.  I definitely fall on the LOVE side of this debate. I could eat coconut every day for the rest of my life and be happy. Hmm, let's make that coconut, chocolate, and ice cream. 

When my parents gave us a Cuisinart ice cream maker as one of their Christmas presents to us last year, I was excited to start making my own ice cream like we did growing up, but I wanted to try to figure out how to not get that weird film you get on your tongue when you eat homemade ice cream. 




The recipe that I debuted in the maker came out delicious, creamy, sweet, and without a film. In fact, I {ahem} at the whole 1 1/2 quarts just about by myself in 7 days. Yes, that is an outrageous amount of ice cream, but... but... it has lower fat, calories, and sugar than most store bought and homemade ice cream recipes I've seen. 


Plus, the ingredients for this are so inexpensive and the recipe is so, so simple. Three cans + coconut. No stove-top cooking. Easy peasy.



If you like coconut and ice cream, I recommend that you make this soon. Don't skip the toasted coconut on top; it's what makes this whole thing come together. The original recipe calls for toasted coconut in the ice cream; however, if you want ice cream that is smooth and not chunky, opt for untoasted in the ice cream with toasted coconut ready to get sprinkled generously on top.



Coconut Ice Cream
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Makes 1 1/2 quarts (I'll let you decide how many servings that is. They say 10.)

Ingredients
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) Coconut Milk (recommended brands: Thai Kitchen or A Taste of Thai)
  • 1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk 
  • 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1/2 cup (large handful) of shredded sweetened coconut 
For best results, make sure the ice cream maker freezer bowl has been frozen on an even surface for at least 24 hours. Take out the freezer bowl just before pouring in the contents. The least amount of time at room temperature, the better.


Whisk all of the wet ingredients in a medium bowl to combine. If you have time, refrigerate the bowl for 30 minutes to chill the ingredients. Stir again, and with the ice cream maker turned on, pour all except for 1/2 cup into the freezer bowl. Churn for 5-10 minutes and then add a big handful of coconut. Churn for another 10 minutes or until the ice cream is soft serve consistency. Pour and scrape contents into a freezer safe 1 1/2 quart container with lid. Or, use a large container with wax paper placed directly on top of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze for 3 hours, or until your desired consistency. 


Alternatively, pour mixture into a shallow pan and freeze, stirring frequently, until frozen. (I have not tried this method, but the original recipe suggests it.) Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart freezer safe container with lid.


When ready to serve, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 or so minutes to make it easier to scoop. 


Top with chopped up semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) and toasted coconut (not optional).


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
This is what happens if you pour all of the ingredients into the ice cream maker. I haven't confirmed that 1/2 cup is a sufficient amount to remove in advance, so take a look at it every few minutes and scoop out from the top any that looks like it will overflow. 





11 comments:

  1. Wow, this sounds amazing!!! I wish i had an ice cream maker *pouty face*

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  2. Agh! I wish that blogger allowed replying to comments! You supposedly can make this work without an ice cream maker. 4 paragraphs up from the bottom tells you how. Let me know if you try that out!

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  3. I definitely fall on the LOVE side of coconut too! I just got an ice cream maker and am on the hunt for yummy recipes to try out. This one sounds easy and delicious.

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  4. I just gave ours away... but I'm thinking after looking at this post that that may have been a poor decision on my part. Sad!

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  5. Jenn- Yes, this is so easy and the perfect new user recipe. Talk about instant gratification!

    Ash- Yeah, that is a little sad that you gave it away. :( I suppose your pre-baby clothes that you just fit back into will thank you.

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  6. I'd love for you to share this at our One Cool Summer linky. We are on a popsicle mission but ice cream is just as cool!

    http://smilemonsters.blogspot.com/p/popsicles.html

    Jo @ SmileMonsters

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  7. Oh my goodness! We just got an ice cream maker, and I have been meaning to look for a coconut recipe - looks like I found it! This looks SO amazing, and you're right, toasted coconut should never be optional. I think we may be soul mates.

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  8. This looks absolutely scrumptious! You have my mouth watering for ice cream before 9 A.M.! I featured you on my blog today here:

    http://www.oopseydaisyblog.com/2011/06/wednesdays-wowzers-2.html

    Have a great day!

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  9. I'm going to make this recipe this weekend! The sweentend condensed milk makes sense! I use it to make fudge and it is so smooth and creamy. Thanks Joy

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  10. I just made this for my husband for his birthday. I'm not a coconut lover myself, but I tried it to make sure I had the sweetness right and all that, and it is delicious! I would even eat this coconut delight!

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  11. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Resplendentquetzal! Thanks for coming back to let me know. ;)

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