Almond Joy Chocolate & Coconut Ice Cream Recipe

Name: Almond Joy Chocolate & Coconut Ice Cream Recipe
Yield: 1¼ quarts
Ingredients: 1/4 cup heavy cream; 1 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped; 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes; 1 quart high-quality vanilla ice cream, softened; 4.8 oz. Almond Joy bars (8 mini bars), chopped

Aug 22, 2011 by Dara 58 Comments

Last week when I posted my easy, make-ahead breakfast idea, I was bemoaning the fact that my kids were going to be back to school in a week. Well, the day is here and with it comes mixed emotions. The boys are excited to see their friends and dive back into the routine of school. I am admittedly looking forward to a few more hours each day to dedicate to my to-do list. But that gift of solitude comes with a price. The house grows decidedly quiet as the fall approaches, the sun rising later and setting earlier. No squeals of pleasure as the cold water of the sprinkler hits a bathing-suit clad kid. No dull thud of the soccer ball being kicked into the make-shift goal in the middle of the morning. No happy chatter as the boys clamber in for lunch, followed by oohs and aahs as the ice cream and cones are pulled out for a post-meal treat. No early afternoon snuggles. It’s up to us to make time for the hugs and silliness as we juggle the autumn demands of homework and after school activities. Summer is drawing to a close and we are holding on to each precious moment and stowing them away in our memories.

Last year I made a special treat – Nutella Sugar Sandwich Cookies – and set it in front of the boys when they came home from their first day of school, full of stories and excitement. This year, after a full summer of swimming, traveling, playing sports and riding bikes, I thought it fitting to celebrate the last day of summer holidays with every kid’s favorite…an ice cream cone. This ice cream was laced with the chocolate bar my kids wrestle over at Halloween, Almond Joy. Packed with coconut and chocolate, we licked away the final hours of the holiday, ice cream running down our hands.

In the spirit of enjoying the last moments of summer vacation outside rather than over the stove, I took the cheater’s way out with this recipe. Rather than making my own vanilla ice cream, I relied on a tub of a high-quality brand from the store. Not only did it take less time to pull this recipe together, but my boys were anxious to help with stirring in the pieces of chocolate bars and coconut flakes. It’s was a concession I was more than happy to make.

The recipe:

Heat cream in a small saucepan set over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat when hot, but not boiling.

Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until a smooth chocolate sauce forms. Set aside to cool.

In a medium frying pan set over medium heat, toast coconut until light golden brown, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place softened ice cream in a large bowl. Stir in coconut flakes and Almond Joy pieces.

Drizzle in 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce and stir in slightly. Do not stir in all the way or it will turn the ice cream brown.

Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and place in freezer until ice cream re-freezes, at least 4 hours. Serve.

Other ice cream recipe sure to be hits with the kids:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Dulce de Leche & Chocolate Waffle Cone Ice Cream
Brown Eyed Baker’s Tin Roof Ice Cream
My Baking Addiction’s Rolo Ice Cream
A Farmgirl’s Dabbles’ Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Graham Sprinkles