churn baby churn!
I did it! I made good on my idea to try combining lemon and coriander with coconut milk to make ice cream. The result is light, creamy, and just hints at lemon and coriander while letting the coconut milk shine through. This would be lovely after a spicy Thai or Mexican meal, or topped with fruit preserves or candied ginger. After a second night sampling, I think this would make an excellent ice-cream cake in a gingersnap crust with ginger-caramel syrup!
We had friends over las night who had never had coconut milk ice cream before,and they were so impressed with it’s texture and flavor I think it’s safe to say they’re adding it to their usual dairy repertoire- I think thats why coconut milk is so damn fantastic- It has the perfect texture thanks to a high fat content (don’t use low fat versions), and it has plenty of built-in flavor versus the non-dairy milks made for pouring over cereal- and on that note, it doesn’t actually need pre-thickening like almond, soy, or other non dairy milks, which speeds up the freezing process. It’s safe to say I plan on making a quart or two a week just to explore the flavor possibilities.
Coconut Coriander Ice Cream
2 14oz cans coconut milk
3/4 cup agave nectar *
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
the zest of 1 lemon
1/4 c coriander seeds, crushed
a pinch of dried ginger
Combine the coriander seeds and one can of coconut milk in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for ten minutes to infuse the milk with flavor. Let cool before straining and discarding the seeds. Once cool, combine both cans of coconut milk with the remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Chill for at least 2 hours before processing in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instruction. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, or enjoy ASAP at soft serve consistency.
Coconut Lemon Coriander Ice Cream
*for people watching calories, try 1-2 packets of stevia either with some, or no agave at all, and taste the chilled batter before freezing to see if additional sweetener is needed. freezing dulls flavor, so what seems sweet enough at room temp will be bland once frozen. i’ve never done this, so let me know how it goes!
