Thai Icecream with Homemade Wafer Cones

          The word "Ice cream" brings back so many memories for everyone of us irrespective of our age or work or place. It reminds us of our childhood, our summer vacations, our birthday parties or our kids birthday parties, an evening with friends in an ice cream parlour during college days or a romantic moment with your loved one .......

          When we were kids especially during summers, we have the ice cream vendor coming for his daily rounds through our streets. We used to run outside like crazy clutching a 5 rupee note in one hand tightly to get our favourite flavour.
          It was truly fun filled summer vacations. There used to be a bet among our group to see who eats the ice cream last ... it was so difficult to hold on to something so delicious and not gobble it at once....

          Each of us have a favourite flavour - mango, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, tutti fruity, pistachio. Over the years new ice cream parlours like  "Baskin and Robbins" ,"Richy Rich", "Boomerang"  dotted Coimbatore which introduced new flavours like minty chocolate chip, caramel, banana toffee etc which tickled the taste buds, filled our tummies and emptied our pockets

           My most favourite flavours: "Rum n Raisin" and "Fig n honey"- these two flavours are to die for.

           Now coming to the recipe.... I heard and eaten savoury cakes and cupcakes, even chilli chocolate cake... and so I started searching for something quite different from the usual ... I got this recipe ..... Yahooooo !!! I was happy, happy, happy and without further thought I proceeded to make this one.

           As I was preparing the ingredients, Madhan [my dear hubby] became curious about what I was making.... when he saw the ingredients he thought I was going to make thai savoury dish... The questions and answers went like this.....

Madhan : "Is it soup, fried rice, pad thai, prawn coconut curry or what????"....
Reva : "Ice cream"
Madhan : "What ???? Did u say ice cream??? Chilli, lemon grass, lime in ice cream ?????"
Reva : "Yes, u heard me right. I am making ice cream."
Madhan : "Are u feeling alright"
Reva : "................"

He didn't say anything more.... he gave me a weird look like I was going crazy or some thing.....

If the ice cream is home made, then the cone should be homemade ... isn't it!!!  This is a very easy recipe from one of my cookbook collection.

Egg white [medium]: 2.
Caster sugar: 50 gms
Plain flour: 50 gms.
Butter [melted]: 30gms + extra for greasing
Vanilla extract: 1/2 tsp.
Cocoa powder: 2 tsp.

1.Preheat oven to 180 degrees/ 160 degrees.
2.Line an oven tray with parchment paper. Draw two circles of 10 cms circles. Grease the circles.
3.Beat the egg whites until soft peaks.
4.Add 1 tbsp of sugar at a time and beat until dissolved.
5.Once all the sugar is mixed well, stir in sifted flour, butter and extract.
6.Take 1/4 of this mix seperately and stir in sifted cocoa powder.
7.Spoon this into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle.

8.Place about 1 tbsp of the plain mix in the center of the circle and spread evenly to fill the circles.
9.Pipe the chocolate stripes across the circles.
10.Bake for 5-6 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven.
11.Work quickly to lift the wafer from the tray and shape them into cones.
12.Cool on wire rack for 4-5 min and store in air tight container. Finish with rest of the mix.

Note: This given recipe makes 8-10 cones depending upon the thickness u make the cone. It is necessary to grease the circles before each time u place the mix in the circles. Don't leave the cones in open air for more than 5-6 minutes, it soften and will not be crisp. The original recipe calls for 75 gms of sugar but I added only 50 gms [just the right amount of sweetness]. Don't pile the cones roughly. Place them next to each other in an air tight zip lock bag or a large flat tin.

Even if u can't make cones, use them as wafers to garnish the ice cream when serving in a bowl.

Thai style Ice cream
Don't  be put off by the ingredients.... it is one of the most delicious of icecreams I've ever tasted.. The flavours from lemon grass and lime along with the mellow sweetness of the coconut milk takes your tired soul to tropical paradise...... and no, u will not taste the heat of the chilli.

Verdict: Who can give a better verdict on how good the ice cream tastes than a two and a half year old.... and this is her verdict - "mmmaaaa, peeeze innum venum" [mom,please want some more]

Thai red chilli: 1.
Lemon grass [bruised or silt longitudinally]: 10cms
Lime leaves [fresh or dried]:8-10
Coconut milk: 400ml.
Caster sugar: 60gms.
Ready made custard : 250ml.
Double cream:140ml.

1.Deseed the chilli and chop into tiny pieces.
2.Heat the coconut milk along with sugar and chilli.
3.Once the sugar dissolves and the mix comes to a boil, add the lemon grass and lime leaves.
4.Remove from flame and leave to cool.

5.Chill for 3-4 hrs. Remove the lime leaves and lemon grass.
6.Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Mix with the coconut milk along with the custard.
7.Stir well and freeze until 3/4 frozen.
8.Beat the mixture well to break down any ice crystals and freeze again [I repeated the process 3 times].

Place 1-2 scoops of this lovely ice cream on the cones and serve immediately.

Enjoy....

Scribbled by Reva