Sunny ice cream flavours

We can’t deny the fact that we are an ice cream loving nation. There was Canning’s ice cream in 1931, followed by Flavourite ice cream in 1970. But it wasn’t until the Willies Ice Cream brand opened its doors that we were offered home-made ice cream in local flavours commercially. This flagship coconut flavour paved the way for a slew of other flavours, and other local ice cream brands such as Munch Kings, B’s and Dreamy Creamy to name a few. These brands were not only known for selling home-made style ice cream, but they also proliferated the market with local flavours. Then, coconut ice cream was the most popular, followed by soursop. Not long after flavours such as Guinness, nutmeg, passion fruit, pineapple, mango and chocolate followed. Prior to that home-made ice cream vendors could mostly be found on bicycles once or twice per week.

While good quality local home-made ice cream can be purchased, nothing beats making your own. Lifting the paddle out of a pail of just-made ice cream, light, melty, cold and delectable is sensational, tempting and delicious.

Coconut ice cream with tonka

4 tbs instant custard powder

1 cup full cream milk

½ cup granulated sugar

4 cups fresh coconut milk, (from 2 dried coconuts)

1 tbs grated tonka bean

1 tin condensed milk (395gm)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

Combine custard powder, milk, sugar and coconut milk and tonka bean in a heavy saucepan.

Heat gently and cook until cook until thick.

Cool then stir in cream and condensed milk and vanilla.

Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker and proceed according to manufacturer’s directions.

Soursop ice cream

4 tbs instant custard powder

1 cup full cream milk

½ cup granulated sugar

4 cups fresh soursop pulp (from 2 soursops)

1 tin condensed milk (395gm)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

Combine custard powder, milk, and sugar in a heavy sauce pan.

Heat gently and cook until cook until thick.

Cool then stir in soursop pulp, cream and condensed milk and vanilla.

Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker and proceed according to manufacturer’s directions.

Males 1.5 litres

To make soursop pulp: Peel soursop, remove seeds and cut up flesh, pour on 2 cups water and puree in blender.

Pineapple ice cream

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple

1 tsp vanilla

Beat the eggs with sugar until thick. Heat milk and combine with sugar and eggs, add vanilla and return to the heat. Cook until custard is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon, do not boil.

Remove from heat, strain and cool slightly.

Add cream and stir in pineapple. Chill for 4 hours.

Place in an ice cream freezer and process as per manufacturers instructions.

Makes 1 quart.

Sorrel coconut ice cream

4 tbs instant custard powder

1 cup full cream milk

½ cup granulated sugar

3 cups fresh coconut milk, (from 2 dried coconuts)

1 cup brewed sorrel, unsweetened

1 tbs grated lime zest

1 tin condensed milk (395gm)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

Combine custard powder, milk, sugar and coconut milk , sorrel and lime zest in a heavy sauce pan.

Heat gently and cook until cook until thick.

Cool then stir in cream and condensed milk and vanilla.

Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker and proceed according to manufacturer’s directions.

Trini chocolate ice cream with coca nibs

6 ozs dark Trinidad chocolate: 70 per cent cocoa solids

1 tsp grated tonka bean or 1 tsp good quality vanilla

1 cup full cream milk

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup cocoa nibs

Melt chocolate over a double boiler, remove and set aside.

Place tonka, milk and sugar into a sauce pan, and gently heat, stirring until sugar is melted.

Stir in cream and nibs, stir.

Add melted chocolate and stir.

Cool at room temperature them place in your ice cream maker to spin.

Makes 8-10 servings.