I think that coconut milk is a natural choice for this ice cream, but you can use any non-dairy milk you like and omit the coconut extract. Need a chocolate fix? See “Variation” below for Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream. Finally, you’ll notice quite a range in the amount of minced ginger you can use. My husband loves ginger, so I’d use the full ½ cup, but that might be too much for some people.
3½ c. coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
¼ - ½ c. minced ginger (depending on how gingery you like it)
¾ c. sugar
2 T. arrowroot
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. coconut extract (optional)
¾ c. crystallized ginger, chopped into small pieces
Directions:
Mix ¼ cup of coconut milk with the 2 tablespoons of arrowroot and set aside.
Mix the coconut milk and minced ginger together and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and set aside for 25 minutes to steep. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the minced ginger. Keep the milk; throw out the ginger.
Mix the coconut milk and sugar together and bring to a boil. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should immediately cause the liquid to thicken (not a lot, but a noticeable amount; it will be thicker when it cools).
Stir in vanilla extract and coconut extract, if using.
Set the ice cream mixture aside to cool. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Add crystallized ginger in the last five minutes of freezing.
Variation:
Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream: Add ½ cup chocolate chips and/or ¼ cup cocoa powder with the sugar. For an extra chocolate kick, add 1 teaspoon pure chocolate extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla or coconut extract.
