Toasted Coconut & Pecan Ice Cream

About a month ago Elsie got me a copy of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. I've been thumbing through it and just waiting for a night when I could try out some of Jeni's amazing recipes. I absolutley love her cookbook! If you are interested in making ice cream at home, I highly recommend you check it out. Super thourough and really pretty to look at too. I'm a big fan of food photography- I like it almost as much as I like cooking. 🙂Along with tons of delicious looking and sounding recipes, Jeni's book offers base recipes with suggestions for experimenting and finding your own favorite flavors. So, of course, I had to try that out. I wanted to create a flavor similar to a blizzard creation that Katie suggested to Elsie and I. Yes, we are the kind of friends who discuss favorite foods often. That's the best kind of friend if you ask me. Toasted Coconut & Pecan Ice Cream, makes one quart. Recipe adapted from this book.  

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons cream cheese
pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
2/3 cup chopped candied pecans (I used these) 

In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. Set aside.In a medium pot combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes, then remove from heat. Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and stir into the hot mixture. Sprinkle in the salt. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Pour the mixture into a bowl or large ziplock bag and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour (up to overnight).

Follow your ice cream maker's manufacturer instructions to freeze the ice cream batter. Toast the coconut in a dry pan over medium heat until most of the flakes have browned slightly. Once the ice cream is a soft serve consistency, stir in the coconut and chopped nuts. Place into your ice cream container and freeze until hard. Thanks for letting me share my kitchen experiment and a new favorite cookbook with you. Happy cooking! xo. Emma