Ice Cream

Coconut Ice Cream

After the TWD coconut tea cakes I had about a cup of regular coconut milk leftover. Since Mimi Jr. and Boy Mimi are avid coconut fans, coconut ice cream seemed like a good way to used that up. I've never been much of a coconut lover but I am becoming a convert.

Coconut Ice Cream
1 cup regluar coconut milk
1 - 14oz can light coconut milk
1 cup cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 to 1  tsp coconut extract (to taste)
*The amount of coconut extract is up to you. The first time I made this I didn't use extract and the coconut flavor was almost too mild. Remember, the flavors will seem to be muted in the frozen final product, so if it tastes a little strong beforehand, it's ok*

 toasted coconut, for serving

Mix together all ingredients except toasted coconut.  Stir to dislove sugar. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions. It took me about 45 minutes in my Cuisnart model, resulting in a soft serve ice cream. For a firmer ice cream I put it in a freezer safe container and tossed in in the freezer for an additional hour or so. Serve sprinkled with toasted coconut. 

printable recipe

Even Mr. Mimi and Mini Me who are avowed coconut haters enjoyed this mild flavored ice cream. The crispy toasted coconut on top really picked up the coconut flavor for my two coconut lovers and the added crunch was the perfect contrast to the rich and smooth ice cream. Boy Mimi said next time he is going to mix in some dark chocolate bits or toasted almonds to make an Almond Joy/Mounds ice cream, but as with any ice cream, the possibilities are endless!

This is the cuisinart ice cream maker that my family bought for me.  It's a compressor model (ICE-50BC), so no ice or pre freezing the canister is necessary. It makes most ice creams is 30 to 45 minutes to a soft serve consistency. The only draw back is that it is a bit noisy, but that's a small price to pay for fresh ice cream.