Hermes Cafe Bon Temps~Good Times Cafe

[gracekelly]

Hello all , I hope everyone is having a nice weekend! Here's a pic of my latest attempt at making a creamy, not too sweet, coconut milk "ice cream". I’ve been on a mission to create a recipe we love, this one is mocha chip. Getting close, recipe needs a bit more tweaking, but pretty good!

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This looks incredibly yummy, but what do you do with people like me who detests coconut? Can you taste it and smell it?

 

[etoile de mer]

This looks incredibly yummy, but what do you do with people like me who detests coconut? Can you taste it and smell it?

Hi gracekelly, we love and use all forms of coconut so frequently, I think I may be immune to its smell and taste a bit, so I may be the worst person to ask! Having said that, I do think the coconut flavor must be overpowered a bit by this recipe. This was my third attempt (other two were too icy) and my first try using a cooked custard base with egg yolks. The egg yolks, cocoa, coffee, and dark chocolate chips likely mute the coconut a bit. But for about a pint, this does use a lot of coconut - 1 can coconut milk, plus the equivalent amount of coconut cream (just the solids from canned coconut milk). I felt like this batch tasted too strongly of coffee, and I tasted a bit too much egg, so still needs some tweaking! I'm quite sure I didn't answer your question! Are you sure you dislike coconut, it's so good! Does seem to be one of those things that divides the masses!

 

[gracekelly]

Hi gracekelly, we love and use all forms of coconut so frequently, I think I may be immune to its smell and taste a bit, so I may be the worst person to ask! Having said that, I do think the coconut flavor must be overpowered a bit by this recipe. This was my third attempt (other two were too icy) and my first try using a cooked custard base with egg yolks. The egg yolks, cocoa, coffee, and dark chocolate chips likely mute the coconut a bit. But for about a pint, this does use a lot of coconut - 1 can coconut milk, plus the equivalent amount of coconut cream (just the solids from canned coconut milk). I felt like this batch tasted too strongly of coffee, and I tasted a bit too much egg, so still needs some tweaking! I'm quite sure I didn't answer your question! Are you sure you dislike coconut, it's so good! Does seem to be one of those things that divides the masses!

Here is the weird thing. There is a curried chicken salad with apples and fresh coconut that I love at a local grocery take away counter. I can't explain that at all. I can sniff out coconut in any baked good or cookie and I just can't abide it! I like many Thai dishes and i am sure that they are made with coconut milk. Perhaps it is the semi-synthetic stuff that turns me off?

 

[chicinthecity777]

Here is the weird thing. There is a curried chicken salad with apples and fresh coconut that I love at a local grocery take away counter. I can't explain that at all. I can sniff out coconut in any baked good or cookie and I just can't abide it! I like many Thai dishes and i am sure that they are made with coconut milk. Perhaps it is the semi-synthetic stuff that turns me off?

You see that's why I am the ideal audience of this recipe because I LOVE coconut taste! I also like coconut flakes as you can imagine.
Soya product is still the most established dairy alternative here and there is soya ice ream available. I have also tried almond milk but the forula formula is quite thin. There is also oat milk which I haven't tried. I find myself the older I get, the less tolerant of cow's milk I am.

 

[prepster]

Hi gracekelly, we love and use all forms of coconut so frequently, I think I may be immune to its smell and taste a bit, so I may be the worst person to ask! Having said that, I do think the coconut flavor must be overpowered a bit by this recipe. This was my third attempt (other two were too icy) and my first try using a cooked custard base with egg yolks. The egg yolks, cocoa, coffee, and dark chocolate chips likely mute the coconut a bit. But for about a pint, this does use a lot of coconut - 1 can coconut milk, plus the equivalent amount of coconut cream (just the solids from canned coconut milk). I felt like this batch tasted too strongly of coffee, and I tasted a bit too much egg, so still needs some tweaking! I'm quite sure I didn't answer your question! Are you sure you dislike coconut, it's so good! Does seem to be one of those things that divides the masses!

How funny and true. DH is very “Meh,” about coconut and I think it’s nature’s perfect food. What doesn’t taste better with coconut? Lol! When I’m in Hawaii, for breakfast I often have a scoop of the “homemade” coconut ice cream from the little shop in the Hilton village. I probably eat my weight in coconut ice cream when I’m there. I’m so impressed that you’re bravely experimenting with recipes.

Jenni’s is a boutique brand I love, and I believe they use cream cheese or some such thing to avoid ice crystals. My homemade ice cream never seems to have the right texture.

 

[chicinthecity777]

How funny and true. DH is very “Meh,” about coconut and I think it’s nature’s perfect food. What doesn’t taste better with coconut? Lol! When I’m in Hawaii, for breakfast I often have a scoop of the “homemade” coconut ice cream from the little shop in the Hilton village. I probably eat my weight in coconut ice cream when I’m there. I’m so impressed that you’re bravely experimenting with recipes.

Jenni’s is a boutique brand I love, and I believe they use cream cheese or some such thing to avoid ice crystals. My homemade ice cream never seems to have the right texture.

Lucky you! I would love to be able to buy coconut ice-cream every day! unfortunately we only have the dairy and soya versions at the moment. I will experiment with making coconut ice cream when it comes to summer.

 

[prepster]

Lucky you! I would love to be able to buy coconut ice-cream every day! unfortunately we only have the dairy and soya versions at the moment. I will experiment with making coconut ice cream when it comes to summer.

Lol! I'd be in trouble if I had access to coconut ice cream every day. I had to laugh this morning about discussion on a thread about being sophisticated, as I sit here having a blueberry Pop Tart for breakfast. Probably not the breakfast of a sophisticated woman. We normally try to eat healthy things but my nephew was here this weekend and my housekeeper always buys these when he comes. No wonder kids that eat this stuff are so hyper. Between this and the caffeine in my coffee I'm going to be zooming. That is until my blood sugar crashes.

 

[katekluet]

How funny and true. DH is very “Meh,” about coconut and I think it’s nature’s perfect food. What doesn’t taste better with coconut? Lol! When I’m in Hawaii, for breakfast I often have a scoop of the “homemade” coconut ice cream from the little shop in the Hilton village. I probably eat my weight in coconut ice cream when I’m there. I’m so impressed that you’re bravely experimenting with recipes.

Jenni’s is a boutique brand I love, and I believe they use cream cheese or some such thing to avoid ice crystals. My homemade ice cream never seems to have the right texture.

Jeni s ice cream IS great! And she has a cookbook so you could make it at home, the recipes work well

 

[prepster]

Jeni s ice cream IS great! And she has a cookbook so you could make it at home, the recipes work well

Thanks for the recommendation! I went to the website and ordered the cookbook for me and some ice cream pints for a friend.

 

[chicinthecity777]

Lol! I'd be in trouble if I had access to coconut ice cream every day. I had to laugh this morning about discussion on a thread about being sophisticated, as I sit here having a blueberry Pop Tart for breakfast. Probably not the breakfast of a sophisticated woman. We normally try to eat healthy things but my nephew was here this weekend and my housekeeper always buys these when he comes. No wonder kids that eat this stuff are so hyper. Between this and the caffeine in my coffee I'm going to be zooming. That is until my blood sugar crashes.

Ha! That's why I said I wish I could buy coconut ice cream every day, not I could eat it every day. Lol! Generally speaking I don't have a sweet tooth and don't crave ice cream in the winter. But the idea of coconut ice cream is so good and I am sure I would enjoy it in hotter days or some odd days. The option would be lovely!

 

[lulilu]

My local mall has a gelato place that serves coconut gelato. yum.

 

[etoile de mer]

Here is the weird thing. There is a curried chicken salad with apples and fresh coconut that I love at a local grocery take away counter. I can't explain that at all. I can sniff out coconut in any baked good or cookie and I just can't abide it! I like many Thai dishes and i am sure that they are made with coconut milk. Perhaps it is the semi-synthetic stuff that turns me off?

gracekelly, I was going to ask if you like Thai food, my favorite is the classic, chicken coconut soup, so good! I think you’re on to something regarding the artificial flavoring, and or adulterated coconut! My mother was allergic to coconut, so we never had it growing up. And the only time I experienced it was as the gloppy, strangely textured, and overly sweet innards of chocolates. I had that once, assumed I hated coconut, and avoided it for years! It wasn’t until my early 20s that I had the real thing, and realized I loved it!

 

[etoile de mer]

You see that's why I am the ideal audience of this recipe because I LOVE coconut taste! I also like coconut flakes as you can imagine.
Soya product is still the most established dairy alternative here and there is soya ice ream available. I have also tried almond milk but the forula formula is quite thin. There is also oat milk which I haven't tried. I find myself the older I get, the less tolerant of cow's milk I am.

xiangxiang, I may have mentioned this before, but I make nut milk once or twice a week. It’s so much better than the boxed variety! And you can control the thickness by the quantity of nuts you use. It’s also so delicious made with a mix of a few types of nuts, which is what I do.

Regarding the sensitivity, I find the same. But, as I really prefer the nut milk, I don’t mind. However, I would be distressed if I couldn’t have my yogurt, kefir, etc...! I also find I’m more sensitive to artificial fragrance. Not sure if things are just more strongly scented now, or if I’m just more sensitive, but I have to avoid as much as possible!

 

[etoile de mer]

How funny and true. DH is very “Meh,” about coconut and I think it’s nature’s perfect food. What doesn’t taste better with coconut? Lol! When I’m in Hawaii, for breakfast I often have a scoop of the “homemade” coconut ice cream from the little shop in the Hilton village. I probably eat my weight in coconut ice cream when I’m there. I’m so impressed that you’re bravely experimenting with recipes.

Jenni’s is a boutique brand I love, and I believe they use cream cheese or some such thing to avoid ice crystals. My homemade ice cream never seems to have the right texture.

prepster, just the mention of Hawaii had me daydreaming, love it there so much! The egg yolks/custard preparation seems the best solution to avoiding ice crystals. First try I used rice syrup, second try I used vodka, neither were winners. Liquid type sugar is supposed to keep it pliable, and alcohol is supposed to keep it from fully freezing. I can tell you both of those recipes required an ice pick to serve! Plus I really dislike the taste of alcohol, and as it’s not cooked into the base, the flavor was very apparent (despite what the recipe said). We’ve had our ice cream maker many years, languishing in the back of a cabinet. Like you, I had trouble getting dairy recipes to come out right, so had given up. Just kind of got inspired to give this non-dairy variety a whirl around the holidays, and then got doggedly determined to make it work! I really do find it fun to experiment in the kitchen, but more so when we love the results!

 

[etoile de mer]

For fellow coconut lovers (and to entice others who are on the fence), here's a photo of my favorite coconut items. Bottom right is made by Mother Nature. The others are coconut oil in solid and liquid forms, canned coconut milk, and coconut water. I find quality makes a big difference in flavor, so I buy the best available. I especially like this brand of coconut milk, as it has no thickeners.


Lots of local grocers seem to sell these young coconuts, now. If you ask, they’ll often be willing to cut off the hard shell on the top to expose the coconut meat. Cutting a hole in that exposes the fresh coconut water, so good! And as these are younger coconuts, the meat is softer, so it's easy to scoop out to eat, or use in recipes.