If you’ve never tried making your own ice cream, you have to start, like, right now. It’s a million times better than anything you can buy in the supermarket. And the flavors are unlimited. Ever since I bought my ice cream maker last year, creating new ice cream flavors has become one of my favorite hobbies. I have this ice cream maker and LOVE IT.
This one comes from my obsession with coconut. If it has coconut in it, I want it. Cookies, cakes, candy, sparkling water, anything. So of course, I had to create the ultimate coconut ice cream. And I must say, I think I have succeeded. It is rich, creamy, and bursting with coconut flavor. And as an added bonus, it’s gluten free. Which is good since I recently decided to start a gluten free diet. Let me tell you how awesome it is that many kinds of ice cream and chocolate just happen to be gluten free. For someone with a sweet tooth like me, this makes the transition that much easier. And being homemade means you know exactly what is going into your ice cream.
So, how do you make this awesome ice cream?
Before we get there, I need to share one point – I have found that homemade ice cream turns out way better when prepared in small batches. If you want more, I highly recommend making it one pint at a time. It will certainly not be bad made as a larger batch, but I do feel it tastes better made as a pint instead of a quart.
To make this amazing Toasted Coconut Ice Cream you will need {for about 1 pint}:
1/2 cup Vanilla Coconut Milk {I buy mine at Trader Joe’s}
1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup toasted sweetened, shredded coconut {I use Baker’s Angel Flake}
Start by whisking together the milk, sugar and salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Add the cream and coconut extract and mix to combine. Cover bowl with foil and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Meanwhile, toast your coconut by spreading out some sweetened, shredded coconut on a baking sheet and baking in a 350 degree oven for 7- 10 minutes. Be sure to toss your coconut every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn. It should look like this when it’s done:
Set aside to cool. And try not to eat it all while you are waiting.
Next, mix your cooled toasted coconut into the cooled ice cream base and place into your ice cream maker for 15 – 20 minutes.
The ice cream will be very soft at this point. Transfer the ice cream to an air tight container to firm up, it should perfect in 3-4 hours. Store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
The combination of the creamy coconut base with the added flavor of the toasted coconut makes this ice cream a coconut lovers dream. The perfect treat for a hot summers day. Cone it, bowl it, or eat it right out of the container, either way you are going to love this ice cream!
Now, what flavor to create next?….
Happy Summer,
© 2014, Terri. All rights reserved.
