I absolutely love eggnog. I could drink it straight out of the carton. The whole thing, all at once. This ice cream is a great way to slow things down a bit and savour this lovely festive treat.
So Delicious makes my favourite non-dairy coconut eggnog. The flavour is very similar to its dairy-based counterpart. It doesn't have enough fat, however, to make a luscious, silky smooth ice cream. So I've included one can of full fat coconut milk, and to make up for the slight dilution of flavour, cinnamon sticks!
Simmer four cups of eggnog and one can of coconut milk with three cinnamon sticks for about 30 minutes.
Whisk together 8 egg yolks and set aside.
Now I've made amazing dairy based ice creams in the past that didn't need this step, but I have concluded that non-dairy ice creams do need a stabilizer of some sort. And while the term "stabilizer" in holistic nutrition is often frowned upon, there are some genuinely good choices out there. Gelatin is one of them. A good quality, pastured gelatin is essentially the same thing as collagen, the main difference being that collagen's been processed a bit further and doesn't gel. The heath benefits are all still there: it aids in joint care, strengthens hair & nails, improves the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and aids in digestive health. So as a stabilizer, I'm good with a bit of gelatin.
When your eggnog is good and warm, temporarily remove the cinnamon sticks.
Add 1/2 TBSP of gelatin and whisk over low heat until it has completely dissolved.
Use about 1/2 cup of the warm eggnog to temper the eggs. Gently and slowly whisk it into the bowl of yolks.
Pour the tempered eggs into the pot of warm eggnog.
And whisk. Bring this back to a gentle simmer and continue to whisk over low heat until it thickens slightly, forming a custard.
(And pop those cinnamon sticks back in!)
When the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon, it's ready to be removed from the heat. At this point, stir in 1 tsp of vanilla.
Allow the custard to cool on the countertop, then pop it into the fridge to cool completely. 8 hours to over night (keep those cinnamon stick in the custard until you're ready to churn it in the ice cream maker).
When you're ready, and the custard has cooled completely, set up your ice cream maker and churn away! Follow your machine's directions for the perfect consistency. Mine is a KitchenAid and I churned it for about 15 minutes. It expanded quite a lot, and when finished, it was the consistency of soft serve.
Place your soft ice cream into an appropriate container (a loaf pan will do just fine, one of these would be better!)
Cover and freeze for a good 6 - 8 hours to firm up.
And voila! Delicious, creamy and super festive ice cream!
Now, homemade ice cream (dairy or not) really firms up in the freezer. Just leave it out on the counter for about 10 - 15 minutes before digging in.
Top it with nutmeg.
And savour every bite.
Festive Eggnog Ice Cream
- 4 cups of eggnog
- 1 can of full fat coconut milk
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/2 tbsp unflavoured gelatin
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Bring the eggnog, coconut milk and cinnamon sticks to a simmer. Simmer on med-low for about 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Dissolve 1/2 TBSP of gelatin into the eggnog, whisking to ensure no lumps are found
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks
- Temper the eggs - gently and slowly whisk 1/2 cup of warm eggnog into the yolks
- Whisk the tempered yolks into the eggnog, bring to a simmer and cook on med low heat until a custard forms, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla
- Let the custard cool on the counter and then in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours
- Pour the cooled custard into the ice cream maker and churn according to your machine's directions
- Place the soft ice cream into a shallow, freezer friendly container, cover and freeze for about 6 hours to firm up.
Enjoy!
