A Recipe: Coconut Milk Candy Cane Ice Cream

I knew being a stay-at-home mom of a baby would be challenging, but I didn’t realize it would be the most difficult (though rewarding, of course) job I can imagine. I never thought about the fact that there are limited breaks and no weekends. There is no “going home from work” at the end of each day. So, on the days when Luca is cranky or sick or only taking 30-minute naps, I need a creative outlet to let off some steam. These days, after Luca's bedtime, my creative energy is focused on the kitchen. Well, to be completely clear: on desserts. On coconut-milk-based desserts.

For Thanksgiving, I made coconut-milk-based pumpkin spice pie, and guests said my pie made the traditional (store bought) one pale in comparison, and I don’t think they were just being nice.

My pumpkin craving sprung on me with the sudden chill a few weeks prior, and after I discovered Korean Starbucks don’t carry pumpkin spice lattes, I turned to coconut-milk-based pumpkin ice cream—modified (a lot) from this recipe—and it was deliciously creamy and autumnal.

Now that Christmas is approaching, my cravings have made the seasonal progression from pumpkin to peppermint.

That’s right. Coconut-milk-based candy cane ice cream. Luca really wanted some (or, perhaps more likely, he wanted to eat the bowl).

Here’s the recipe:

COCONUT MILK CANDY CANE ICE CREAM
For electric ice cream makers

2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 can of (full fat) coconut milk
½ that amount of almond (or soy, rice, etc.) milk
1 TB vanilla (I use Mexican or Malagasy vanilla—the big jars. You may want to modify if you use the little jars of extract.)
1 tsp peppermint extract (or mint extract, if the ingredients say it contains peppermint oil)
4 (ish) Candy canes crushed to where about half the chunks are tiny (some will be powder), and half are the size you’d like to eat in your ice cream—I used an off-brand slap chop.
¾ cup chocolate chips (I didn’t measure) chopped to the size you’d like to see in your ice cream—I used the fake slap chop.
1 TB of brandy (though I’m sure another liquor would work)

Beat eggs until light and fluffy (I used an electric stand mixer). Add sugar slowly while beating; beat well. Add coconut milk. Fill coconut milk can halfway with almond milk; add that too. Add vanilla, peppermint, and the smaller chunks of candy cane (about half—these will essentially melt into the ice cream to add flavor and color). Put mixture in ice cream maker and freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. When the ice cream has about 5 or 10 minutes left (getting thick, but not done yet), slowly add the rest of the candy cane chunks and the chocolate chips, letting them mix in. When the ice cream is basically done, add the brandy and let it spin about 2 minutes more. Enjoy right away or let it firm up a little more in the freezer.

I like to re-stir homemade ice creams before bed just to make sure sections don’t freeze solid. Texture is best if you eat it within a few days, but if/when it gets too hard, you can just set it out to soften before serving.