Create - 6 Jan 2020

Recipe: Cherry Coconut Ice Cream

Who doesn’t love ice cream? No one. The answer is no one. It’s the most delicious treat ever. If you’re planning a winter getaway to somewhere tropical, make sure the local ice cream shop is on your list. What people forget about nutrition is that it is all about balance. Ice cream can totally be enjoyed as part of your diet, but in moderation. If you want to enjoy ice cream once a week, you go girl.

This cherry coconut ice cream really hits the spot. Depending on the time of year, you can either use fresh or frozen cherries in the recipe. Cherries are a rich source of polyphenls and vitamin C, which both have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. But what is even better, chrries are also a good source of tryptophan (an amino acid that is essential to making serotonin), serotonin (the happy hormone) and melatonin (the sleepy hormone).

Seriously, these little guys are the bomb-diggity. So in short, if you eat this cherry ice cream, not only does it taste amazing but it is good for you. Life win!

Cherry Coconut Ice Cream (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

400ml full cream milk
200g greek yoghurt
6 egg yolks
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup frozen cherries
¼ cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Place the milk, yoghurt and vanilla bean paste in a pot. Bring to boil, stirring regularly.
Once boiling. Turn off the heat and leave it to sit for 10mins, stirring occasionally.
Whilst the milk mixture cools, beat in a bowl the egg yolks, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until pale.

Slowly add the milk mixture to the egg mixture, beating as you go.
Pour the ice cream mixture into a clean pot and return to a low heat. Stirring for about 5mins. You’re looking for a slightly thick mixture that coats the back of the wooden spoon.

Allow to cool. Then place in the fridge for 30mins.
Remove the mixture from the fridge and pour into a blender, add the frozen cherries and coconut. Blend until combined.
Pour into a plastic container and freeze (I only have a nutri bullet, so I had to halve the mixture and freeze in two containers).

After a couple of hours, remove from the freezer. The edges should be frozen. Remove from the container and blend again.
Repeat step 9 two more times.
Then pour into a container to store in the freezer.

It will need to be frozen for a few hours before serving. Or if it is in the freezer overnight, place in the fridge for an hour before serving.