Why Lactose Free Ice Cream Is Good For You

Every summer I make a thick mango juice, put it into plastic kulfi holders and freeze it. We have it as a formal dessert for the next few months. You can do it with most fruit juices – watermelon, phalsa, jamun. I learnt this from my mother who would always have orange popsicles waiting for us when we came back from school.

Sonal makes delicious vegan ice cream in Gurgaon under her brand White Cub. Once a year when I have my organic food mela, for ten days at Delhi Haat, we give her a stall and watch everyone enjoy ice cream that has no milk in it. There is an Indian site called The Vegan Store and they sell dairy-free ice creams online. These are 100% cholesterol free, gluten free and 100% trans-fat free. Most importantly, they are a compassionate food choice: both to animals and to your own body which you stuff with rubbish every day. White Cub helps those with dairy allergy – almost everyone in India, as we do not have lactase in our body to digest lactose, lactose intolerance, gluten allergy – to enjoy rich creamy ice creams. My favourite is banana- strawberry.

The secret to vegan ice cream is full fat creamy coconut milk. Some ice creams use almond milk, or soya milk, but coconut is the creamiest. Add a little cornstarch or arrowroot starch. Put in a sweetener and cook it till it becomes thick. Make sure any sweetener you add is in syrup/liquid form, or it’ll cause crystals to form. Make sure all your ingredients are as cold as they can be. That’ll help everything combine.

For a sweetener you can put in agave (if you can get it), honey (this is not vegan, though, since it is bee vomit) , maple syrup, gur or just plain sugar. To the coconut base can be added anything from nuts, fruit and fruit juice, mint, dark chocolate, and tropical flavours.

Start with a can of coconut milk for a rich and creamy base. Simply combine the coconut milk with some almond milk and blend in ripe fruit and organic sugar. Chill the mixture, then freeze in an ice cream maker. Scoop and enjoy.

Start with a can of coconut milk for a rich and creamy base. Simply combine the coconut milk with some almond milk and blend in ripe fruit and organic sugar. Chill the mixture, then freeze in an ice cream maker. Scoop and enjoy.

For a firm, scoop-able consistency, transfer to a freezer container and freeze until firm. Homemade ice cream freezes very firm. To serve, let the coconut ice cream soften at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft enough to scoop.

Here are some recipes for homemade ice cream. I have taken them from the Net. Get yourself a small ice cream maker. There are three steps which enable ice cream to be made without an ice cream maker. The idea is to prevent crystals getting formed in the ice cream so that the texture remains smooth. The first step is to add cornstarch to the ice cream mixture. Cornstarch absorbs any extra water in the mixture. The second step is to put a cling-film on the container while freezing it. The cling film should touch the surface of the mixture.

Along with using both the above methods, an essential technique is to take the ice cream mixture out of the refrigerator while it is still being set and beating it all over again, preferably with an electric beater, before keeping it back to set. This needs to be repeated after about two hours each time, at least three times during the setting of the ice cream. Beating the ice cream mixture midway ensures that the crystals either do not form or get dissolved if at all they start forming. This gives the ice cream a smooth texture.

What You Need-

Ingredients:

2 (13 to 15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk

½ cup agave syrup / maple syrup / honey / turbinado sugar / or cane sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch (or 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch)

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional extras: nuts, chocolate, fruit puree.

Equipment:

Measuring cups and spoons

Whisk

2-litre saucepan

Wooden spatula

Glass or plastic dish, for cooling the base

Ice cream machine (at least 1½ quart capacity)

Plastic wrap

Freezer container, like a loaf pan or pint container

Parchment or wax paper.

Instructions:

At least 24 hours before you plan to churn the ice cream, put the ice cream machine’s bowl in the freezer to freeze. It should be frozen solid before using (you should hear no liquid sloshing inside when you shake it).

1.    Cans of coconut milk separate into a thick, creamy layer and a thin watery layer on the shelf. Before opening them, shake the cans of coconut milk thoroughly to incorporate the layers.

2.   Open the cans of coconut milk. Measure ½ cup and set this aside.

3.   Pour the remaining coconut milk into a 2-litre sauce pan.

4.   Measure the sweetener (agave, maple syrup, honey, or sugar), and add it to the coconut milk, along with the salt.

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

6.   Measure the cornstarch and add it to the reserved ½ cup coconut milk. Whisk thoroughly until the cornstarch is totally dissolved.

7.    Pour the cornstarch mixture into the warm coconut milk while whisking gently.

8.    This is your ice cream base. Increase the heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, continue cooking the base until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow the base to come to a boil.

9.    Remove the base from heat and stir in the vanilla.

10.  Pour the base into a shallow container. Let the base cool slightly on the counter so it’s not hot when you put it in the fridge. Before refrigerating, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface — this coconut milk base doesn’t form a skin quite as badly as a milk-and-egg base, but it doesn’t hurt! Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 3 days.

11. Remove the base from the fridge. It should be completely chilled and slightly pudding-like in texture. Pour the base into your ice cream machine and begin churning.

12. Churn the ice cream until it thickens considerably and is roughly the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Depending on your machine, this could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. If you want to add any extras, add them now and churn a few more seconds until they are fully incorporated.

13.  Scrape the ice cream into your freezer container. Press a piece of parchment, or wax paper, against the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming.

14. Transfer the container of ice cream to the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours to harden the ice cream.

15. If your ice cream is too hard to scoop, let it warm a few minutes on the counter before scooping. Coconut ice cream melts a little more quickly than milk-based ice creams, so don’t wait too long!

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Coffee Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Yield : 6 cups

2 (15 oz) cans full fat coconut milk

¾ cup regular sugar

¾ strong brewed coffee

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Combine coconut milk, coffee and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until well combined – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to let cool completely in the fridge – at least 6 hours, overnight being preferable. Transfer to ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer instructions. Pour into container, smooth out top, and put a plastic wrap directly on the ice cream. Cover with lid. Let harden for several hours in freezer. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Combine coconut milk, coffee and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until well combined – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to let cool completely in the fridge – at least 6 hours, overnight being preferable. Transfer to ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer instructions. Pour into container, smooth out top, and put a plastic wrap directly on the ice cream. Cover with lid. Let harden for several hours in freezer. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Yield: About 2 ½ cups

Ingredients:

2 (13.5 oz) cans of full fat coconut milk

1 ¼ cup sugar

½ cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder

In a pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients and stir. Allow to simmer until thickened slightly, about 8 minutes. Place in a container and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. Add to an ice cream maker and churn until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Freeze until desired consistency is reached. Churn time is 15 minutes for a “soft serve” consistency and another 2 hours of freeze time for a harder scoop style ice cream.

You can mix with bananas, strawberries, cherries.

Mango Coconut Ice Cream

Yield: 4 cups

1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk (do not use light or cream of coconut)

½ cup organic evaporated cane sugar

½ cup unsweetened almond milk (homemade or purchased)

1½ cups chopped ripe mango

1 tablespoon orange liqueur such as Grand Mariner or Cointreau

½ teaspoon pure vanilla.

Combine coconut milk, sugar, almond milk and mango in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Add orange liqueur and vanilla and blend. Cover and refrigerate coconut mixture at least 4 hours, until well chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Makes about 1 quart (4 cups)

Combine coconut milk, sugar, almond milk and mango in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Add orange liqueur and vanilla and blend. Cover and refrigerate coconut mixture at least 4 hours, until well chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Makes about 1 quart (4 cups)

Homemade ice cream freezes very firmly. Adding the orange liqueur makes a slightly softer ice cream since alcohol does not freeze.

For a soft serve consistency, serve immediately.

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