Americans consume more ice cream than any other nation in the world. So, it’s not surprising that we celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month and that we have a National Ice Cream Day every year. That falls on the 3rd Sunday of July, and that means it is this weekend! We have President Ronald Reagan to thank for Proclamation 5219 making these designations in 1984.
Citizens of the USA eat over seven billion dollars worth of ice cream a year. Almost ten percent of all the milk produced by US dairy farmers is used to make that ice cream. Over 90% of our population indulge in ice cream treats. Many ice cream parlors & dealers will have specials going this weekend to celebrate our nation’s love of the frozen dessert. There are tons of recipes out there (and a bunch on this blog!) for those who like to do make ice cream themselves. My most recent homemade ice cream experiment is this Coconut Chip Ice Cream. It gets rave reviews from our family. I expect we will be enjoying lots of ice cream this weekend!
Coconut Chip Ice Cream
Coconut Chip Ice Cream (adapted from familycircle.com) Makes about 2 quarts of ice cream, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 8 minutes, Bake Time: 8 minutes, Cooling Time: at least 1 hour, Freeze Time: at least 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded coconut, divided
- 1 cup dark chocolate morsels
Directions:
Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, coconut milk, heavy cream, milk, and salt in a medium saucepot over medium-low heat.
Combine the base ingredients together.
Stirring constantly, heat the mixture to between 170ºF and 180ºF, about 4-8 minutes.
Heat the mixture over medium-low heat.
Strain and cool the mixture to at least room temperature before churning the ice cream.
Allow the base to cool before churning.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350ºF. Scatter 1/2 cup of the coconut on a baking sheet and toast it for 5 minutes. Stir the coconut and bake it another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is lightly browned. Set it aside.
Toast half of the shredded coconut.
Churn the cooled ice cream mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Churn the ice cream.
During the last 5 minutes of churning, stir in the toasted coconut, the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, and the chocolate morsels.
Add the coconut and chocolate to the base.
Transfer the ice cream to a lidded container and freeze it for at least 1 hour before serving.
Cool, creamy, & delicious!
Stay cool with some ice cream this weekend! ~Linda
Coconut Chip Ice Cream (adapted from familycircle.com) Makes about 2 quarts of ice cream, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 8 minutes, Bake Time: 8 minutes, Cooling Time: at least 1 hour, Freeze Time: at least 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded coconut, divided
- 1 cup dark chocolate morsels
Directions:
Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, coconut milk, heavy cream, milk, and salt in a medium saucepot over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly, heat the mixture to between 170ºF and 180ºF, about 4-8 minutes. Strain and cool the mixture to at least room temperature before churning the ice cream.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350ºF. Scatter 1/2 cup of the coconut on a baking sheet and toast it for 5 minutes. Stir the coconut and bake it another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is lightly browned. Set it aside.
Churn the cooled ice cream mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. During the last 5 minutes of churning, stir in the toasted coconut, the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, and the chocolate morsels. Transfer the ice cream to a lidded container and freeze it for at least 1 hour before serving.