Dragon Fruit Ice-Cream (Churned)

I love ice cream!!!! It is fabulous in summer and or winter and all the seasons in between. I love it so much, when I had the chance to pick up a 2nd hand ice cream maker I jumped at the chance. Now I know that not everyone has an ice cream churner, but if you do this recipe is a winner.

Probably one of the things I love about this recipe is that you can use it for different fruits, for example, mango, another fruit we seem to have plenty of here in summer. It is very cool to see the looks on guests faces when you dish up “Neapolitan Ice Cream” using the vibrant Blood Red Dragon Fruit, Mango and a bit of good old fashion Vanilla ice cream in a bowl.

Ingredients

• • 2 cups of peeled & cubed Dragon Fruit
  • ½ – ¾ cup of sugar, this is dependant on how sweet you like it, personally I use just under ½ a cup – note you will use this is 2 stages
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup thickened cream
  • ¾ cup milk

Method

• • Ensure you have had your freezing bowl from ice cream churner in the freezer for a min of 24 hours prior (I keep mine in the large freezer in a large plastic bag to ensure it stays clean)
  • In a blender, add Dragon Fruit, Lemon Juice and approx. ¼ of the sugar you are going to use, puree until texture is smooth. Set aside
  • In a large bowl, combine the thickened cream, milk, remaining sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved
  • Gently stir in the pureed Dragon Fruit mixture to your milk mixture
  • Cover and chill the mixture for at least 1 hour either in the fridge or the freezer (I find the freezer works best given the Queensland heat)
  • After the hour is complete set up your ice cream churner as per your machine’s settings, including your pre-frozen mixing bowl.
  • Remove your fruit mixture from the fridge/freezer
  • Turn on the ice cream churner and when the bowl begins to turn, pour the mixture into the churner. Churn for approx. 30mins or follow manufacturer’s instructions
  • This next step is completely up to you, I once was told that adding a tablespoon of vodka helps stop the ice cream from freezing into a solid block or icing over. I’ve been doing this for years and seems to work, this is completely optional
  • Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer to freeze till your desired firmness
  • Stores in the freezer for months – if you can make it last that long 😊.