Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of my favorite things to make. It’s so simple.

Make the base a night or two before you want to be eating ice cream. Prepare the ice cream maker (for me that means freeze the bowl 24 hours in advance).

Then churn away! Now you have freshly made ice cream.

Eat as is for a soft serve treat, or freeze in a covered container for a more traditional ice cream texture.

The other great thing about ice cream: the variations. There are so many different options for flavor, and so many different ways to infuse said flavor!

This toasted coconut ice cream is one of the most intensely coconut ice creams I’ve had. Perfect for the coconut connoisseur.

While eating this I’m taken back to the scenic upcountry drive on Maui, eating freshly made coconut candy.

Escape to your own tropical paradise with this toasted coconut ice cream today!

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Recipe from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded organic coconut
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To Make the Ice Cream:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes. Stir it frequently so it doesn’t burn. It should smell very strongly of toasted coconut and be golden brown when finished.
2. In a medium sized pot warm the milk, 1 cup heavy cream, sugar, salt and toasted coconut over medium heat.
3. Split the vanilla bean in half. Scrape out the inside of the bean and add it all to the pot. Cover and remove from the heat. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. Rewarm the milk infusion over low heat. Set a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the mixture. Discard the solids and add the strained mixture back to the pot.
5. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into the bowl and place the mesh strainer back on top.
6. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly ladle in some of the coconut infused milk while continuing to whisk. Keep doing this until all of the milk has been mixed in. Pour it all back into the pot.
7. Over medium heat cook the mixture, stirring and scraping constantly. Cook until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture through the strainer. Discard the solids then mix in the vanilla extract.
8. Place bowl in an ice bath and stir until chilled. Place chilled custard in fridge, covered, for 24 hours. Once thoroughly chilled freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions (or do it by hand like I did for the caramel ice cream).

In the book David recommends a few different flavor parings to swirl in with your coconut ice cream. My recommendations: pineapple, roasted banana, or chocolate.