James and I are ice cream junkies.
Back in our gluten and dairy days (oh, so long ago), ice cream was a regular staple. Chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, or chocolate chunk. In a big bowl with melted peanut butter and a squeeze of Hershey's chocolate syrup, please. And a maraschino cherry if I was feeling spunky.
We ate ice cream the way others enjoy a glass of wine at the end of a long day. But we don't drink wine... or beer... or hard liquor... and we don't smoke, so we found our solace in a bowl of ice cream. Really bad days, when regular ice cream just wouldn't cut it, one of us guiltily rushed out after the kids went to bed to a local frozen custard shop for the "good stuff." It was our hard liquor.
My love for ice cream has not waned despite my intolerance for dairy.
So James came to my rescue. Actually, he came to his own rescue, too, because he loves (and misses) ice cream as much as I do. I've even had to talk him down from an ice cream ledge a couple of times after a really tough day. "Just think about how bad you'll feel afterward!"
James has always been the ice cream maker in the house. He modified our old dairy recipe to make a dairy-free and refined sugar-free frozen custard that is so creamy. I'm not just saying that either -- this stuff is awesome.
(If you're in the market for an ice cream maker, we love this Cuisinart.)
Vanilla Frozen Custard
(Dairy-Free, No Refined Sugar)
3 cups canned full-fat coconut milk (about 2 cans)
8 large egg yolks
1/2 cup honey
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. In a large saucepan, heat coconut milk over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. Split the vanilla bean in half, scraping the inside of each side and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and honey vigorously. Ladle a small amount of warm coconut milk to the eggs and whisk to combine to temper the egg yolks. Continue doing this until about 1/3rd of the coconut milk has been added to the yolks. Pour the remaining coconut milk in with the egg yolks, whisk to combine. Whisk in scrapings from vanilla bean and add vanilla bean pod to the milk.
3.Pour the entire mixture back into the large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until it reaches about 170 to 175 degrees. The mixture will be thick and easily coat the back of a spoon.
4. Transfer the custard base to a large bowl or measuring cup (like one of those glass 8-cup measuring cups) and allow to cool for about an hour. Fish out vanilla bean pod. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine.
5. Refrigerate overnight (or 6-8 hours if that fits your schedule better). Pour into your ice cream maker and follow your maker's instructions.
6. Try your best not to eat it all at once.
Back in our gluten and dairy days (oh, so long ago), ice cream was a regular staple. Chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, or chocolate chunk. In a big bowl with melted peanut butter and a squeeze of Hershey's chocolate syrup, please. And a maraschino cherry if I was feeling spunky.
We ate ice cream the way others enjoy a glass of wine at the end of a long day. But we don't drink wine... or beer... or hard liquor... and we don't smoke, so we found our solace in a bowl of ice cream. Really bad days, when regular ice cream just wouldn't cut it, one of us guiltily rushed out after the kids went to bed to a local frozen custard shop for the "good stuff." It was our hard liquor.
My love for ice cream has not waned despite my intolerance for dairy.
So James came to my rescue. Actually, he came to his own rescue, too, because he loves (and misses) ice cream as much as I do. I've even had to talk him down from an ice cream ledge a couple of times after a really tough day. "Just think about how bad you'll feel afterward!"
James has always been the ice cream maker in the house. He modified our old dairy recipe to make a dairy-free and refined sugar-free frozen custard that is so creamy. I'm not just saying that either -- this stuff is awesome.
(If you're in the market for an ice cream maker, we love this Cuisinart.)
Vanilla Frozen Custard
(Dairy-Free, No Refined Sugar)
3 cups canned full-fat coconut milk (about 2 cans)
8 large egg yolks
1/2 cup honey
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. In a large saucepan, heat coconut milk over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. Split the vanilla bean in half, scraping the inside of each side and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and honey vigorously. Ladle a small amount of warm coconut milk to the eggs and whisk to combine to temper the egg yolks. Continue doing this until about 1/3rd of the coconut milk has been added to the yolks. Pour the remaining coconut milk in with the egg yolks, whisk to combine. Whisk in scrapings from vanilla bean and add vanilla bean pod to the milk.
3.Pour the entire mixture back into the large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until it reaches about 170 to 175 degrees. The mixture will be thick and easily coat the back of a spoon.
4. Transfer the custard base to a large bowl or measuring cup (like one of those glass 8-cup measuring cups) and allow to cool for about an hour. Fish out vanilla bean pod. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine.
5. Refrigerate overnight (or 6-8 hours if that fits your schedule better). Pour into your ice cream maker and follow your maker's instructions.
6. Try your best not to eat it all at once.