Mango Ice Cream

Almost a year ago, S bought an ice cream maker for me as an anniversary present. I had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it but thanks to the horrible Michigan weather, that moment never came around. I had put it in the back room in my mental palace when the other day, S was like remember that ice cream maker I bought you... Think you'll use it one of these days? I looked outside and lo and behold! It was sunny! Birds were chirping, kids were playing on the field. I decided, today I'll make some ice cream.

Here is the reason why I am so excited about making home made ice cream. Sure, it may not be the most healthy, fat free, sugar free treat in the world, but making it at home gets rid of all the unknown ingredients in store bought ice cream. There are literally 5 or 6 all natural ingredients in this homemade ice cream. You can also control the amount or what kind of sugar you want to use to get the best suitable ice cream to you. And I have to say, it truly did taste better than any store bought ice cream ever.

This mango ice cream recipe is so easy, it is really no trouble at all. I had a few ripe mangos at home which were perfect for this recipe. If you have an ice cream maker at home, give this recipe a try. There are many "no churn" ice cream recipes out there, but using an ice cream maker really is important for achieving the soft, creamy texture.

I hope you try this recipe and good luck in the kitchen!

Mango Ice Cream

adapted from Pinay Cooking Corner

(6-8 servings) 

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2-3/4 cup sugar

2 large ripe Mexican mangoes (or 2 cups of mango puree)

juice of half lemon (optional)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Wash and peel the mangoes. Puree them with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to taste. The lemon juice helps bring out the flavors of the mango but even a little too much will alter the taste to a lemon-mango flavor, not unpleasant but not what we want. If you are using mango puree, skip this step.

Gently stir together the rest of the sugar, milk, vanilla, and heavy cream until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the mango puree until combined. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

Prepare the ice cream maker as according to the manufacturers instructions. Keep in mind, most ice cream machines require that you freeze the mixer bowl 24 hours in advance. Once the machine is on, pour in the chilled cream mixture and let churn for 15-20 minutes or as directed by the manufacturer. 

Enjoy the ice cream immediately for a soft serve consistency or spread into an air tight container and freeze for an additional 2-3 hours for a firmer ice cream. Leave out of the freezer for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!