lemongrass & kaffir lime coconut icecream (paleo, gf,df,nf)

I have worked out over time that my body tolerates most dairy pretty well, but I have done many periods dairy free when I’ve been following strictly the paleo or AIP diets.  Even if you love dairy, this coconut ice cream is a tasty alternative.  It is best eaten straight from the ice-cream churner as it’s more of an ice-cream texture then, but if you take it out of the freezer 15 mins or so before you want to eat it, it will soften too.

The great thing with this recipe is that it’s so versatile – you can experiment with flavours, sweetener types or levels (or omit completely) or just have it plain.  It’s yummy on it’s own, served in the date and nut tart shells, or with your favourite dessert.

Base recipe (it’s really like making a custard)

• 1 large (560ml or there abouts) can full fat coconut cream
• 2 whole eggs or 3-4 yolks (yolk alone are richer and harder to ‘scramble’)
• 1 tsp vanilla paste (omit for AIP as vanilla is a seed)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or alternative sweetener or omit if you aren’t the sweet tooth!)

1. Heat the coconut cream in a saucepan over a medium heat until just before the boil, but don’t boil it. Keep it on a low/med heat and not boiling.
2. Whilst the coconut cream is heating, whisk the eggs until starting to thicken.
3. When the coconut cream is hot whisk a ladle full in with the eggs, then another ladle full or 2.  The idea is to temper the egg and not cook or scramble it.
4. Add the egg mixture in to the saucepan, whisk well.
5. Add vanilla, maple syrup and any other flavours (eg lemongrass & kaffir lime leaves – see below) and whisk until thickening.  It won’t as thick as a normal custard, and be careful not to let it get too hot or it will separate/scramble.
6. Pour mixture into a container and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until cold.
7. Churn in an ice-cream machine until frozen (if you don’t have an ice-cream machine you can google alternative methods of this stage).
8. Best eaten immediately.

Serves 4

Lemongrass & kaffir lime version.

• 1 stalk lemongrass finely chopped
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed – can leave whole or roughly chop

1. Place lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in either a nut bag, piece of muslin or new chux cloth.
2. Put into the coconut cream either from the beginning heating stage or after the egg is added.
3. Remove either before you refrigerate or at least before you churn! The longer it’s left in the stronger the flavour will  be.   Make sure you really squeeze the nut bag to extract all the flavour.

* You can put the lemongrass & kaffir lime leaves directly into the custard, but you will have to strain them out well before churning.

Serve as is, or in a date nut tart shell.