Coconut is one of my favorite flavors, especially when combined with dark chocolate, which explains why I’ve always loved Mounds candy bars (though I wouldn’t turn down an Almond Joy, either). This ice cream embraces the spirit of the Mounds bar, but made with better quality ingredients. The coconut base is made with a combination of sweetened Coco Lopez (not to be confused with unsweetened coconut cream) and coconut milk, with a handful of toasted coconut added during the last few seconds of processing. The dark chocolate is melted and drizzled into the churned ice cream, so it forms ultra-thin chips that don’t overwhelm the delicate coconut flavor. Perfection.
Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- 3/4 cup (206 grams) cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez
- 1 1/4 cups (300 grams) full-fat coconut milk (stir well before measuring)
- 2 cups (464 grams) heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1/3 cup (23 grams) desiccated unsweetened shredded coconut
- 5 ounces (142 grams) high-quality dark chocolate (64-70%)
Instructions
Make the ice cream
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of coconut and the coconut milk until blended. Whisk in the heavy cream, salt and vanilla paste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the base for at least 4 hours before using.
- Put the coconut in a skillet and place over medium heat, tossing the coconut constantly, until it is golden brown. Set aside to cool completely. Once cool, store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Put a large stainless steel bowl in the freezer. Process the chilled ice cream base in an ice cream machine.
- While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate. You can do this either in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (heat at 50% power, stirring every 20 seconds, until almost completely melted, then stir until smooth) or on the stove (in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until melted). Set the melted chocolate aside to cool slightly.
- When the ice cream is ready, add the toasted coconut and process a few seconds to combine. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled bowl you had in the freezer. Using a small whisk or fork and working quickly, drizzle some of the chocolate in ribbons over the ice cream, then stir it in with a rubber spatula to make thin chips. Continue this drizzling and stirring until you have used all the chocolate. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving (if you can wait that long).
Recommended equipment:
Spring Chef Ice Cream Scoop with Comfortable Handle
Set of 2 Reusable Ice Cream Tub Containers For Homemade Ice Cream 1.6 Quart Ea.