Homemade ice cream has many advantages over store-bought: it tastes better, it only has natural ingredients, and you get boasting rights for making it yourself. If you own a simple ice cream maker, it is quite easy and not a lot of work.

This coconut ice cream is made using coconut milk and desiccated coconut and therefore full of natural coconut flavor. Of course you could even make coconut ice cream from an actual coconut, but I think getting the coconut ‘flesh’ out of a coconut is just too much trouble. When shopping for coconut milk, make sure that its only ingredients are coconut (or coconut extract) and water, with around 19% fat.

A trick I learned at Ice Cream Science is to use skim milk powder to improve the texture of ice cream. It is optional in this recipe, but does make it more creamy.

Ingredients

Makes about half a litre (2 cups) of ice cream

1 can (400 ml/14 fl oz) coconut milk

100 grams (1 1/2 cup) grated desiccated coconut

3 egg yolks

90 grams (6 1/2 Tbsp) castor sugar

30 grams (1/4 cup) nonfat milk powder (optional)

Instructions

Combine 3 egg yolks and 90 grams castor sugar, as well as 30 grams of milk powder (if using) in a saucepan.

Whisk until the mixture is pale and thick.

Add a whole 400 ml can of coconut milk, and stir to mix.

Heat this mixture to 85C/185F, stirring all the time.

Add 100 grams of grated desiccated coconut, and stir to mix.

Allow this mixture to cool first to room temperature and then in the refrigerator until completely chilled. To speed up the cooling process, you can put the saucepan in water with ice cubes and stir regularly.

Once the mixture is completely chilled, churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you like you can freeze the ice cream afterwards to firm it up more or to store it for later use. Please note that freezing ice cream may introduce ice crystals.

Serve the ice cream preferably at a temperature of -10C/+14F.

Wine pairing

Oak aged Sauternes has a hint of coconut (from the oak) and is wonderful with this ice cream.

Flashback

Picanha is a cut of beef that is very popular in Brazil and Argentina, that is known as “rump cap” in the United States or as staartstuk in the Netherlands. It is a tender and flavorful piece of beef from the rear of the animal with a fat cap on top. In South America it is often served with chimichurri sauce, a green sauce with parsley, olive oil, and vinegar as its main ingredients.