Coconut Sugar Apple Ice Cream

Here's my story behind this coconut sugar apple ice cream recipe…You're gonna enjoy it….

As we drove from work one evening, laying there in wait for an unsuspecting  customer was this queer looking fruit I hadn't seen for ages. I almost forgot what a rich and diverse range of fruits we are so blessed with here in the Caribbean.  Not really caring too much, I drove past the vendors.  That's when my wife blurted out, “You pass dat Cashima straight? Le' we go back and buy. You know how long I eh eat Cashima!”

Again, I was unconcerned and just wanting to reach my destination.  Needless to say, I humbly turned the car around and stopped by the vendors. “How much for de Cashima?” I asked.

“Dis one is $30.00”, the vendor answered.

That's when my eyes lit up. I had never seen a sugar apple that big before, and I just had to have it.  Of course, I had to buy about two more for the in-laws because you just can't have your sugar apple and eat it too lol 🙂

In case you don't know what a cashima is, you may better know it as sugar-apple.   As a matter of fact, the sugar apple has many names in the Caribbean and Latin America, such as custard apple, sugar apple, kachiman, sweet-sop, pomme cannelle and annona guatemala. Its relative is soursop so you could guess its many uses, though it is most preferred as is straight from the tree.

Thoughts of A Sugar Apple Ice Cream

Anyway, that encounter was the beginning of a great love affair with sugar apple. I had to stop nearly every evening to buy the sugar apple. Sometimes reserving a few that weren't even ripe on the tree. My wife just couldn't have enough. Me, I preferred mine chilled and wanted to have it like ice cream. That is when the bells went off; the lights started blinking and I was having a great idea. Why didn't I think of this earlier? I had already made soursop ice cream, why not a sugar apple ice cream?

 

An Egg-base or Coconut-base Ice Cream?

Well this idea mulled around in my head for a few days. Then I thought of all the visitors who are either vegetarian or vegan who always ask me for an eggless version of a dish posted before. That's when the idea for a vegan base came to me. 

After much research, I settled with what we have here for you all today.  So it's like killing about two birds with one stone. This ice cream is eggless and non-dairy at the same time. Yes, no eggs; no milk (nada, nothing) and believe me it still tasted redonkulous lol haha.

Now, I manage to save the pulp of one of the large sugar apples, bearing the magnificent size of about 10 cm in diameter and 17 cm long.  I kept it in the freezer until it was needed for this ice-cream recipe.  This cashima, like all the other I bought,  had a sweet fragrance, and was somewhat thick in texture. 

Its taste is much like custard and the pulp was soft, slippery, with a lot of small, shiny, black seeds.  It is much like another of my favourite fruit, soursop.  (As a side note, I felt compelled to collect most of the seed from the largest fruit for cultivation.)

 

Coconut Sugar Apple Ice Cream

I must say that cashima can be quite a satisfying snack. It is known as a high energy fruit and an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B.   Most important, it would add an excellent flavour to creamy deserts  like this one. 

Most ice creams are made with milk, cream and eggs.    This ice cream is for everyone, including those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to eggs.  Its substitutes are coconut milk and cornstarch.  This ice cream is surprisingly light and creamy.  You would never get enough it!  Here is our coconut sugar apple ice cream. Enjoy!

 

 COCONUT SUGAR APPLE ICE CREAM

3 cups Cashima (Sugar Apple) pulp
2 coconuts blended in 2 1/2 cups water (yield 3 1/2 cups coconut milk)
1 cup honey or sugar
1/3 tsp coconut essence
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cornstarch or 1 tbsp arrowroot starch

 

Making the coconut milk: I prefer fresh coconut milk for this recipe.  Remove the coconut meat from two coconuts, slice and blend with 2 1/2 cups of clean water.   For step by step instructions on how to make coconut milk refer to this recipe.

Note: Before you begin set aside 1/2 cup coconut milk.

Remove the pulp from the cashima and carefully remove the many seeds from the pulp.

 

Set aside the pulp.

 

Pour the 2 cups of coconut milk into a saucepan. Add the sweetener (honey or sugar) and salt to the coconut milk.

Warm the coconut milk on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sweetener is completely dissolved into the coconut milk, (approx 1 to 2 minutes.)

 

 

In the meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch thoroughly into the reserved 1/2 cup coconut milk.
Make sure it is totally dissolved.

 

Add the cornstarch mixture to the coconut milk.  Gently whisk while the coconut warms.

 

Increase the heat to medium. Stir occasionally.
Heat the ice cream base until it thickens for about 6 to 8 minutes.
Do not allow the base to come to a boil.

Stir in the vanilla and coconut essence.

 

Next, add the cashima pulp to the coconut base.

 

Stir to incorporate the mixture well.  Allow to cool.

Pour the mixture into a shallow container and chill.

Note: Before you place the container in the refrigerator,  press a piece of parchment or grease proof paper against the surface of the mixture to prevent ice.  Much like you would for milk or egg base. Cover and allow to chill (not freeze) for 4 hours.

 

Now you are ready to churn the ice-cream.

Remove the container from the fridge. The Sugar apple mixture should be completely chilled and almost like a pudding in texture.  Pour the base into your ice cream machine and begin churning.  Churn until  ice cream thickens to the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.   This could take up to 25 minutes.

Next, place the ice cream in a container and freeze. Freeze for at least four hours.

Some Other Considerations

Note: Some form of ice crystals do form on the ice cream.  You can minimize this by pressing a piece of parchment paper against the surface of the ice cream.  Remember, this ice cream does not contain any egg or milk, so some ice crystals may form.

So, for the final step, once the ice cream is frozen remove the container from the freezer and blend mixture in  a blender until smooth..  Refreeze the ice-cream for at least 4 hours to harden the ice cream before serving.

 

 

The ice cream is ready to serve.  The ice cream is easy to scoop out when you let it rest for a few minutes in room temperature.  Well, until a another post….  As promised, we plan to post a few more recipes.  Hope you liked our coconut sugar apple ice cream.

Ah gone! : )