Macapuno Ice Cream

Macapuno Ice Cream served with (more) macapuno and jelly

I had a jar of Macapuno (Shredded Sweet Coconut) sitting in my pantry and it took me a while before I could decide what to do with it. I would have wanted to make Ube-Macapuno Cake, but I didn't have the other ingredients needed, so I made ice cream instead. It was also a good excuse to clean my ice cream maker and put it to use after its long hiatus.


What you need:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup Macapuno
• 6 egg yolks
• pinch of salt

What to do:

Scald (heat below boiling point) the evaporated milk by putting it in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the coconut milk, heavy cream, and salt. Stir continuously until it begins to simmer. Remove immediately from heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Add the coconut cream. Pour in the hot custard mixture in a thin stream while whisking. Then return the entire mixture to heat (low setting) and cook until thick or it reaches the nappe stage. To test this, coat the back of the spoon with the mixture and run a finger across it. The mixture should hold, and produce a clean line.


Cool for about 5 minutes, strain and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.

Pour the cold custard mix into an ice cream maker and process according to unit's instructions. The time should depend on how smooth you want your ice cream to be. Generally, the longer the better. I set mine to churn for an hour. Add the macapuno about 10 minutes before the set time ends.

Ice cream maker (with Guy Fieri and Ina Garten in the background)

Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze overnight. Top with more macapuno and jelly before serving.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Coconut cream is sweet and is used in drinks and desserts. Coconut milk is white and is usually used in dishes (like curry).
2. Patience is key in making this dessert. You have to do a lot of hard work and wait for days before even tasting it. But the payback is awesome. Definitely worth the wait.
3. Don't worry if your custard mixture seems puny. A few minutes in the ice cream machine and it will double in volume. Mine actually quadrupled and almost went over when I added the macapuno.
4. If the ice cream is too sweet for your taste, cut back on macapuno or coconut cream.
5. DO NOT burn the custard. Keep an eye on it and keep stirring/whisking.