Chai Spiced Pear and Coconut Icecream

This is the easiest ice cream ever. I have an ice cream maker, but i didn't even bother for this recipe. Stew, blitz, freeze, eat. The pears are easily interchangeable with any other sort of stewed fruit like apple, rhubarb, plums, apricots and the list goes on... There's no dairy and no added sugar in this recipe either, just the sugar from the ripe pears. You might even feel okay about eating this ice cream for breakfast... YEAH!

Stewed Pears with Chai Spices
3 Soft pears
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp. Cardamom powder
1 pinch Salt

Chop the pears roughly. In a saucepan on a low heat, add pears, a splash of water and spices. Cover and simmer until the pears are soft . Don't worry too much about how they look, you'll be blending them anyway. Allow the pears to cool completely.

Icecream
1 1/2 cups Stewed Pears (or stewed fruit)
3/4 cup Coconut Cream

In a food processor, blitz the pears and coconut cream until combined. Scoop in to a container and store in the freezer. Stir your mixture thoroughly every 30 minutes, 5 times.
Coconut cream freezes pretty solid so remember to take it out of the freezer up to 30 minutes before serving if you don't eat it all in one go!

Pumpkin Coconut Icecream with Candied Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

I've been living in Marysville since the start of the year and although it's a quiet little town with not a lot to do, i always make a little visit to the Marysville Lolly Shop. Not only does the lolly shop sell lollies and chocolate and really yummy homemade ice cream from Butter's Cafe in Buxton, they also sell heaps of local produce from the surrounding towns in the Murrindindi Shire and fruit and veg from their little garden.
This week i managed to buy a beautiful butternut pumpkin from them and decided to experiment a pumpkin ice cream recipe.

Pumpkins are in season at the moment. Yes it's almost winter, but who doesn't eat ice cream all year round? Plus, the warming spices in this recipe will make you forget it's cold outside!

PUMPKIN ICE CREAM:
2 Cups Pureed Pumpkin (1 small butternut pumpkin)
1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk/Cream
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Rind and Juice of One Lime
Rind of One Lemon

FOR THE PUREE:
Cut the pumpkin in half, remove seeds and place skin side up on a baking tray. Pour some water in the baking tray and put in the oven on 200 degrees for about 40 minutes. If the water dries up, add some more. For the last 10 or so minutes, flip the pumpkin over and cover tray with aluminum foil to allow the flesh to become really soft. Once soft, allow to cool and remove the flesh from the skin.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend into a smooth consistency. If the mixture is still warm from cooking your pumpkin, allow to cool before churning.

WITH Ice Cream Maker:
Churn in your ice cream churner for about 30 minutes, then put in the freezer to freeze for a further 1-2 hours.

WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker:
Place cool mixture in a container in the freezer. Every 30 minutes take out the mixture and stir thoroughly. Repeat this for about 3 hours. 

THE SEEDS:
Pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
Tiny Pinch Salt
1-2 tbs Coconut Oil
a drizzle of Maple Syrup

Keep the seeds from your pumpkin and soak in a bowl with warm salty water for about 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Remove seeds from the water, remove any excess pumkin flesh that might still be hanging around and dry them with paper towel or a tea towel.
Mix the seeds in melted coconut oil, maple syrup and spices and lay on a lined baking tray. Bake for about 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.
Sprinkle over the top of your ice cream or eat them as a snack.

When serving your ice cream, it's best to take it out of the freezer at least an hour before you want to serve it as the coconut milk freezes super hard and icy!
 Good luck scooping!

Marysville Lolly Shop: https://www.facebook.com/MarysvilleLollyShop
Marysville Tourism: http://www.marysvilletourism.com/