Decadent Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

I have been eating this ice cream après breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since I don't drink coffee, it's kind of like my coffee fix - I know, I'm weird - I live in Seattle and don't drink coffee. I love coffee - in ice cream!

This ice cream is so decadent - a chocolate lover's delight. And I add raspberry syrup to the mix for even more sweet decadence. (It's hard not to be a berry fiend in the Pacific Northwest - has anyone anointed this area the "berry capital of the world" yet?)

The rose is from my garden, which is also teaming with strawberries. I have started a strawberry patch because they are just so happy in my neck of the woods. They're crawling out of corners I didn't know had any soil in them. But this is not about strawberries or roses - the rose looked good so I added it to the photo. Too bad you can't scratch and sniff the photo because the rose has a wonderful scent.

My recommendation is to use chocolate that you really like - if you like chocolate high in cacao content, go for it. Note that I make this two ways - the first way is to wait until the chocolate is thoroughly melted with the coconut milk.

The second way is to melt most of the chocolate - you will see some separation of the solid in the liquid when you stir it. This way yields ice cream with small bits of chocolate throughout that melt in your mouth. And pick a fair trade chocolate if possible. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of honey (or other sweetener)
• 4 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, unsweetened
• 2 cups of coconut milk (canned or homemade; I use this brand)
• 1 tablespoon of rum or Grand Marnier (adds a slight orange flavor)

Preparation

1. Make a simple syrup by heating (on medium heat) the water and honey in a medium saucepan until the honey is dissolved.
2. Add the chocolate to the syrup and stir until chocolate is completely melted.
3. Remove the liquid from heat, and stir in coconut milk and rum.
4. Chill the liquid for about 30 minutes, and then freeze it in an ice cream machine.
5. Store in a sealed container in the freezer.

Comments

[TasteStopping]

My ice cream bowl is waiting patiently in the freezer for just such a recipe. Doesn't hurt that I'm a chocolate fan, and the coconut milk gives it some intrigue, if you ask me. It sounds (and looks) divine!

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Casey
Editor
www.tastestopping.wordpress.com

[Erica]

What a great idea - love the play on the name.

[Karen]

Oh my, this is a must try for me this week. Looks and sounds divine!

[Camila]

Can you make this without an ice cream maker? Do you think it would work by just putting it into a pan and freezing? Thanks!

[Erica]

You don't need an ice cream maker - it just takes more time to make it without one.

I have made ice cream without an ice cream maker, by using a blender. I blended the liquid for a minute, then put it in the refrigerator (the blender container and all)for 30 minutes, then blended it again, and repeated this process until it was thick enough to freeze.

So, I imagine you can place the pan and it's contents in the refrigerator, take it out in 30 minutes and mix or blend (use a hand mixer if you have one) the liquid, and repeat until you have the desired consistency.

Hope that helps!