Blueberry Swirl Coconut Ice Cream

We have been picking wild blueberries like crazy this week in the bush behind our house.  We are stocking up for the winter, but I also wanted to enjoy some now.  Since it is summer, ice cream was one of the first thoughts that came to mind. I was inspired by Luna and Larry’s Summer Berry Swirl Ice cream. I checked out their ingredient list and decided to test it out in my kitchen. The results are as good and in my opinion, even better. It is fluffy and creamy (and dreamy!) at the same time and keeps soft when you need to scoop it after freezing. My husband and I were fighting over the mixing paddles and he tried to lick out my bowl!
If you don’t want to make your own swirl, you can simply use your favourite jam to replace the wild blueberry jam that I make in this recipe. It will save time, but I can’t promise it will be as good.

One word of advice is to check the settings on your blender before mixing. I checked one, but not both settings on my Vitamix and ended up with scorching liquid all over me and the cupboards.

This recipe uses an ice cream maker. If your ice cream maker requires components to be frozen, make sure to freeze them overnight. My ice cream bowl requires 24 hours of freezing before use. You could probably use without an ice cream maker but it won’t be as creamy.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 LITRE

INGREDIENTS

Ice Cream Base
– 2 cans (400 mL) of full-fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen and I highly recommend. I haven’t be able to get the same creaminess from others)
– 1/2 cup organic agave (I used Wholesome Organic Raw Blue Agave)
– 1 tablespoon brandy (or pure vanilla extract)
– 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Quick Blueberry Jam
– 1/2 cup organic agave (I used Wholesome Organic Raw Blue Agave)
– 1 cup wild or store-bought berries (approximately 6 oz)
– 1 tablespoon lemon juice
– 2 teaspoons pectin (optional but recommended)

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare ice cream base by mixing coconut milk and agave in large pot on stove.  Slowly bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.
2. Put mixture in large blender or use an immersion blender (caution: liquid is hot so make sure blender is covered or if using immersion blender that your pot is tall enough that you won’t get splattered).  Blend on low speed for around 30-45 seconds. Add in the brandy and salt.
3. Pour mixture into a sealed container and put in fridge for 4 hours or more until complete cooled. To speed up the process, you could put in freezer, but don’t let the mixture freeze. You want it around 45-50F.
4. In the meantime, prepare your blueberry jam. Put blueberries, agave and pectin in large shallow pot or large cast iron/Dutch oven on stove.  Let sit for a few minutes so that juices of berries are released.  Stir in lemon juice.
5. Cook jam on medium heat, stirring regularly, until jam is thick and reduced to about 1/2.  Take off stove and cool completely.
6. Prepare ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s direction. I use my KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment. To do this, I pour the mixture slowly into the bowl while it mixes on the lowest setting. I let it mix for about 15-20 minutes on the lowest setting. I then move it to the next setting for a minute or two and then the third speed for another minute or two until the ice cream is frozen and airy.
7. Stir in jam and serve!  Store in freezer.