Coconut and basil are a perfect pair of flavors that you would normally find in a hot veggie and chicken Thai dish. Not in ice cream, right?

Wrong.

As one of our first few ventures using the new ice cream maker (like this one) we didn’t know quite what to expect as a result, especially using coconut milk.

But let’s be honest, anything with coconut and chocolate will turn out like heaven. I feel bad for all the coconut haters out there. I’ve come across a few and I just don’t understand what coconut could have ever done to them to deserve such hatred.

One of my favorite memories as a kid was going to Thrifty and getting my little hands on a deeelicious pineapple-coconut square scoop of ice cream. Weren’t those square scoops just the coolest?!

Why don’t pharmacies these days have an old school ice cream station anymore? I bet that was my parents’ favorite store to drag us in, because they knew we would (somewhat) behave if ice cream was involved.

Genius idea.

If you were wondering what is holding the ice cream, that was our first try at making chocolate waffle cone cups, without the waffle part. Apparently, if you want the waffle design you will have to buy an expensive waffle cone press. Meh. A skillet will do just fine…

Anyways, it’s a work in progress, but it tasted pretty awesome with the ice cream!

Toasted Coconut & Basil Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Adapted from The Kitchn

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups (1 can) unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup half & half
3/4 cup milk (we used 2 %)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Directions:

In a medium saucepan or pot, combine the coconut milk, half and half, milk, basil, sugar, vanilla bean paste. With an immersion blender, puree the basil for about 30 seconds, until they are mostly small pieces. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the milk mixture to a regular blender and blend until the basil is well-incorporated, then return back into the saucepan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks until a little frothy, continuously for about 2 minutes. Add about a cup of the hot basil coconut milk, slowly streaming it into the yolks, whisking until incorporated. Whisk the yolk mixture into the rest of the hot basil coconut milk, to make the ice cream base; return it to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5-8 minutes, until thickened slightly. If the texture of the ice cream base seems to be a bit chunky (most-likely do to a lapse in whisking), use the immersion blender for 10 seconds to give it a final mix.  Remove from heat and pour into a glass container and cover. Refrigerate until cooled completely (4-6 hours).

When the mixture is completely chilled, churn in the ice cream maker, following the manufactures directions. In the last 5 minutes of the churning process, add the toasted coconut* and the dark chocolate pieces. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours before serving.

*Little Yellow Note: To toast the unsweetened shredded coconut, spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,
Chrissy