Coconut Almond Ice Cream

Happy Friday guys!  Definitely glad that the weekend is here!  I've got to work tomorrow night, but I have Sunday and Monday off, so it won't be too bad!  And no school work to think about, so hey, I'm in good spirits!

I was privileged enough to be a part of a Thanksgiving blogger compilation over at Guerrilla Gourmet.  They did a "cornucopia project" on how people from all 50 states celebrate Thanksgiving and I was lucky enough to represent Kentucky.  They didn't get posts from all 50 states, but they got 40 of them, so that's not half bad!  So hope you guys check out the post and see how different parts of the country celebrate the common tradition!

And, as promised, here's the almond recipe that tied with last week's poll!

Ingredients:

Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe

Ice Cream

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
1 cup light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-3 teaspoons of almond extract (depending on how deep of a flavor you want!)
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon coconut rum

Coconut Tortillas & Fruit Salsa

2 flour tortillas
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 egg white
1 mango, peeled and diced
5 large strawberries, diced

To make the ice cream, combine coconut milk, whole milk, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan under medium heat.  Stir in desired amount of almond extract (a little goes a long way!) and bring to a simmer.  Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and cover saucepan with aluminum foil.  Allow mixture to steep for about 30 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the coconut milk mixture.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat under medium heat until it reaches a temperature of about 160 F.  This took about 6-10 minutes for me.  Cool the mixture at room temperature for 1 hour.  It will resemble a custard.  Chill in the fridge for an additional 2 hours.

Slowly stir in coconut rum into custard mixture.  Process the custard in an ice cream machine for about 25-30 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least an hour.

In the meantime, you can start on the coconut chips and fruit salsa.  Preheat your oven to 375 F. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and cut each tortilla into 8 wedges.  Assemble onto parchment paper.

In a small food processor, combine coconut flakes and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Pulse for about 30 seconds.

Beat the egg white in a small bowl until it is foamy.  Brush the egg white onto the tortillas and sprinkle with desired amount of coconut/sugar mixture.

Bake in oven until tortillas are crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes.  Let cool until ready for use.

To make fruit salsa, combine mangoes and strawberries in medium bowl and sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of sugar.  Mix well.

Scoop ice cream into a bowl or, in my case, a margarita glass, and top with fruit salsa.  Place about 2 or 3 coconut tortilla chips in ice cream as well, and dig on in!

Although I didn't use actual almonds, the almond extract provided such a deep flavor to this ice cream, that it was definitely the star.  There were many textures in this dessert, and you would think one would overpower the other, but the crunch of the tortillas, the creaminess of the ice cream, and the sweet bites of fruit all worked together as one, shining together.  Who says you can't have ice cream in the winter time?  In the words of Andy... "ice cream is any time food.  breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  ice cream is good any time.' 

Hope you guys enjoy your weekend!