So I’m on a roll now that I tried my ice cream maker. I kind of knew this would happen. In fact, the reason why we originally purchased the ice cream maker was because we were inspired by a party we went to in NYC. The hosts invited us for a 4th of July rooftop party, overlooking the Hudson. Brownstone rooftop parties are rare in NYC, especially any with a decent view, since most brownstone buildings are much smaller than their modern-day counterparts.
I don’t recall the food, but the ice cream lingered in my mind for a long time. It was homemade and some type of intriguing combination of flavours that you wouldn’t expect, yet was completely delicious.
My experiment today is rather “normal”, except that it’s dairy free and sugar free. Plus, I’ve added some chocolate drizzles and cardamom to make it a bit more exotic.
Cardamom Infused Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream with Chocolate Drizzles (Helado de Fresa y Coco, con trozos de Chocolate y aroma a Cardamomo)
Ingredients
- 1 package of 200ml creamed coconut
- 500g fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup honey (more or less, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom (fresh cardamon pieces are probably even better)
- 3 – 3 1/2 cups water
- 150g bittersweet chocolate, melted (optional if you do not like chocolate)
(If you don’t have the creamed coconut, which produces a slightly creamier and thicker ice cream, you can substitute it for coconut milk – not “coconut water” – the same amount of water in this recipe can be substituted with coconut milk)
Process
In a blender, add coconut, strawberries, honey, vanilla, cardamom, and water. Pulse to create a soup.
Pour into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you’re doing it the old-fashioned way, place the mixture into a sealable container and freeze for at least 6 hours, stirring every hour or so to ensure no ice crystals form.
In another sealable container, drizzle melted chocolate onto the bottom. Then add a layer of the just-churned or freezer-ready ice cream to the container. Drizzle more chocolate over the layer of ice cream, stir it in, breaking up the chocolate pieces. Continuing layering the ice cream and chocolate and stir.
When done, cover the container and freeze until firm or of desired consistency. Scoop and enjoy!
