I hear ya! I’m so excited for all things pumpkin, but am hanging tight to my last days of sunny warm weather and occasional thunderstorm evenings, which I love! Nothing like the sound of rain and thunder to make me sleep like a baby. But to satiate my pumpkin cravings, I decided to bring together the best of both worlds in a delicious and decadent Brazilian-inspired Pumpkin Coconut Ice Cream! Pumpkin and coconut is a very popular combination in Brazil. We mostly eat it as a compote, with cheese, but you will find lots of desserts that play with these wonderful flavors.
For last year’s Halloween, I made Pumpkin and Coconut Brigadeiros that I attempted to shape like little pumpkins. They were adorable and delicious, but a bit on the sweet side. This time I didn’t go too heavy on the sugar so that we would be able to taste all the flavors in the ice cream, instead of just an explosion of sweetness! To be completely honest, I did feel tempted to add just a tad more sugar, but I had to think of my husband, who likes way less sugar than me. I think I found a perfect balance and he was crazy about the results, so I guess that settles the sugar battle.
I also didn’t add any spices – cloves and cinnamon are usually associated with pumpkin in Brazil – because I wanted to keep it summery and fresh. Feel free to spice it up to your likings if you want some more Fall flavors in this hybrid dessert. Just don’t skip the shredded coconut. It adds an amazing texture and the flavors go really really well together. If you haven’t tried pumpkin with coconut, now is the time, my friend!
I was happy I got to use my ice cream machine (which is actually a Kitchen Aid attachment) again, considering I haven’t made any homemade frozen treats since May, when I made Avocado Ice Cream. I was also specially glad that someone decided to store the ice cream bowl in the freezer when we were unpacking the kitchen boxes! Because I obviously only thought of it at the last minute, when I was done making the custard and was like “OH NO! THE ICE CREAM BOWL NEEDS TO BE FROZEN!”. So I ran to the freezer to check and there it was, all cold and frosty! :-) Thanks, Mom!
And speaking of my mom, she left back to Brazil last week. :-( After a whole day of crying and the usual “What the heck am I doing in another country?”, I am now feeling a little better, but you can definitely expect lots and lots of comfort food coming your way. Especially PUMPKIN comfort food. Because I have about a million pumpkiny ideas on my mind! I honestly can’t think of anything better to have on my mind! :-P P.S. Wanna keep in touch? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up making one of my recipes, I would love to see it! Just take a photo and post it on your preferred Social Media and tag me or use the hashtag #oliviascuisine!
