Coconut Milk Ice Cream.

ice cream is awesome. but finding a version that is awesome and paleo-friendly?

well, these guys have a pretty brilliant base on their site, and we are officially down with it. here’s our version:

2 cans coconut milk (full fat please)
1 packet gelatin
1 cup maple syrup
6 egg yolks
3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 – reduce the maple syrup over medium heat by about half.
2 – pour coconut milk in a large pot. sprinkle gelatin on top, let sit for a minute, then whisk thoroughly. turn heat to medium, add in the maple syrup with a pinch of salt. heat until not quite simmering.
3 – while the mixture is warming, beat the 6 egg yolks very well. when the coconut milk mixture is warm, slowly whisk in the egg mixture. don’t let the yolks cook!
4 – add the butter, again whisking well.
5 – over medium/low heat, blend with an immersion blender for about 5 minutes. this is supposed to improve the texture.
6 – let the mixture chill for several hours, then toss in the ol’ ice cream maker.

one particular version we just made added the following when the ice cream went into the machine:
3 oz. mini chocolate chips
2 oz. sliced almonds
1/2 cup almond butter

this ice cream is sweet and has a wonderfully satisfying texture. it does have a coconut taste to it, but i don’t think that bothers either of us. super effective!

Maple and Chocolate-Bacon Crunch Ice Cream

I wanted some ice cream, and I have had some regular ol’ Ben and Jerry’s but I wanted to start working on finding ice cream that fit my lifestyle, that is dairy free. So, I went looking around and I found this. It’s delicious, rich, and with a nice salty crunch anytime you get a piece of bacon.

* You will need an ice cream maker.

Ingredients

4 cups full fat coconut milk
1 pack gelatin
1 cup maple syrup
6 egg yolks
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Pinch salt
4 pieces of thick cut bacon
3-4 ounces Dark Chocolate (72%)

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan, reduce the maple syrup by about half over medium heat. Set aside.

2. Pour coconut milk in a medium sauce pan and sprinkle gelatin on top WITHOUT stirring. Let sit for 1 minute and then whisk in. Turn the stove on medium and then whisk in the reduced maple syrup and pinch of salt. Lightly simmer the mixture until just before boiling.

3. Then in a mixing bowl off to the side, beat the egg yolks until light in color. (Not sure what to do with the leftover egg whites? Freeze them individually in an ice cube tray and then store for later use.)

4. Slowly temper the eggs with the hot maple cream mixture. Add the butter and then either return back to the stove and whisk for 5 minutes OR Vitamix that shizz for 5 minutes. I think blending it makes it lighter and silkier.

5. Remove from stove and bring to room temperature before chilling for at least 6 hours or overnight. You want it to be plenty cold before churning in the icecream maker.

6. Prior to churning, fry up 4 pieces of bacon until crisp but not burnt. If you cook the bacon in a microwave it will produce a dryer, crispier bacon that works better for this type of recipe. So if you own a microwave, use it, but it isn’t necessary.

7. Layer a baking sheet with parchment paper.

8. Melt chocolate using a double boiler and then dip bacon strips in it. (I trimmed off any excess rubbery fat from my jerky-like bacon before coating with chocolate.) Lay on baking sheet.

9. Chill for 15 minutes and then cut into small bite-sized pieces.

10. Follow the directions of your icecream maker and churn the maple ice cream. Throw in the chocolate bacon pieces towards the end of churning.

11. Pack into pints or an airtight container and freeze before serving.