What, you don’t have ice cream for dinner?
This was actually Mother’s Day dessert, c/o my husband who knows me all-too-well, but I easily would eat it for dinner. And it’s vegetarian. And, quite possibly, the best ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Counts, right?
Toasted Coconut Cream Ice Creamadapted from The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz
1 cup dried, shredded coconut
1 cup whole milk
2 cups coconut cream
3/4 cup sugar
Big pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread coconut on baking sheet and toast for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown.
2. In a medium saucepan, warm milk, 1 cup of coconut cream, sugar, salt, and toasted coconut. Using a small knife, scrape vanilla seeds into the warm milk, then add the whole pod. Cover, remove from heat, and steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Rewarm milk mixture. Remove the vanilla bean pieces. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coconut-milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping the bottom, until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spatula. Stir the remaining 1 cup of coconut cream into the saucepan. Mix in vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.
4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then churn in your ice cream maker.
