Lemon Coconut Vegan Ice Cream in a Cinnamon Sugar Bowl

I've been seeing a lot of ice cream recipes made with coconut milk lately, and I wanted to try one myself.  I love coconut milk, and I also like to create vegan treats that I can potentially share with my sister, who can't have any dairy (although I have to admit, she didn't get any of this ice cream--but now that I know how to do it I'll be able to make some just for her).

I'd also been wanting to try the lemon ice cream recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home.  I like the idea of lemon ice cream because I love lemon, but I hate sorbet.  For me, sorbet is such a copout.  I've never eaten a sorbet without wishing with every spoonful that I were eating ice cream instead.

So, good news!  Vegans and people who can't eat dairy can still have fabulously creamy ice cream.  Coconut milk is so amazing here.  The main flavor is lemon, but there is a subtle coconut flavor.  But the main reason coconut milk is such a star is that it makes this ice cream just as rich and creamy as its from-a-cow counterpart.  Even if you can eat dairy, you should still try this!  If you stock your pantry with lots of coconut milk, you can be ready to make this pretty much anytime.  I can't wait to try the coconut milk ice cream base with other flavors.  All I did to make this recipe vegan was omit the cream cheese from Jeni's recipe, substitute light coconut milk for the whole milk and regular coconut milk for the cream, and add a little vanilla (I have to have a little vanilla in pretty much all my desserts--it rounds out the flavors).  The results are super delicious.

Oh, and the bowl!  I was going to just serve this ice cream in a regular bowl, until I saw this brilliant idea over at Two Peas & Their Pod (a fabulous blog that I highly recommend).  All I did was swap coconut oil for the butter in Maria's recipe, and I got this fabulous vegan cinnamon sugar ice cream bowl.  The flour tortillas I buy (Maria & Ricardo's) are certified vegan; check yours just to make sure.  This bowl takes the dessert over the top because it's like eating your ice cream inside a big crunchy piece of cinnamon toast.  It's also so easy to make that I may never serve ice cream in a real bowl ever again.

Ingredients for the ice cream (makes one quart; adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home):

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 lemons
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar (use vegan sugar to make the recipe vegan) plus 2 tablespoons, divided
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon sugar for serving (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and a couple of tablespoons of the light coconut milk to make a smooth paste.

Use a vegetable peeler to zest the lemons, making long strips of zest.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the remaining light coconut milk, the regular coconut milk, 2/3 cup of the sugar, and the corn syrup, lemon zest, and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and boil for four minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Return to a boil and cook for 1 minute or so, stirring, until thickened.

Remove the mixture from the heat and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until completely cold.

Meanwhile, roll the lemons under the heel of your hand to prime them to release more juice.  Juice the lemons (you want about half a cup of juice).  Heat the lemon juice with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.  Refrigerate the syrup until cold.

When the ice cream mixture is chilled, pour it through a strainer into your ice cream maker.  While the machine is spinning, pour in the lemon syrup.  Once the ice cream is ready, freeze in an airtight container for at least three hours before serving.

If you want to add a little crunch and make your ice cream extra fabulous, serve it sprinkled with some lemon sugar.  Just grate some lemon zest and mix it with a little granulated sugar.  Yum!

Ingredients for the cinnamon sugar bowls (adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod):

For each bowl:

1 flour tortilla
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350.  Lightly grease one small ramekin (1 cup capacity) or ovenproof bowl for each bowl you want to make.

Spread 1 teaspoon or so of coconut oil on each side of the tortilla.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar together, and sprinkle evenly over both sides of the tortilla.  Carefully place the tortilla in the ramekin, folding it as necessary to help it form a cup.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until browned and crisped on top.  Cool completely before filling with ice cream.  Cinnamon sugar bowls can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days.