It’s probably one of my favorite flavors, lucuma ice cream, and now that the heat is oppressive in Houston, I have to have it.
I adapted the recipe for vanilla ice cream from David Lebovitz, an authority on ice cream. The lucuma has specific properties that emulsify and theoretically make it possible to do raw ice cream without a custard base. I went the traditional way this time, resulting in more complex flavored ice cream and a nice creaminess. I like my ice cream melt-in-your-mouth, without crystals of ice.
What is Lucuma ice cream made of?
Lucuma is a fruit common in Chile and Peru. In the USA, lucuma ice cream will be made with lucuma powder in a custard with eggs and heavy cream or with evaporated milk and heavy cream.
What does lucuma ice cream taste like?
When ripe, lucuma tastes a little tart and hints of maple syrup. The lucuma powder does a great job preserving the flavor, so the ice cream is pretty accurate but much smoother.
Can I buy Lucuma fruit in the USA?
No, I have never seen here fresh. You can buy powdered lucuma at Whole Foods, Amazon, and other big stores. Goya brand also has frozen lucuma pulp, which is a lot more challenging to find, best shot Latino markets like Fiesta in Texas.
Can I buy Lucuma ice cream in the USA?
Yes, Peruvian bakeries have this flavor. In Houston, Sweets by Belen has a delicious lucuma ice cream.
Other traditional Chilean ice cream flavors:
Maybe you will also like the recipe: Easy Dulce de Leche Flan.
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Lucuma Ice Cream
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 2 cups whipping heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered lucuma, I buy it from Amazon
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dulce de leche, optional
Instructions
- Mix the heavy cream and lucuma powder in a large bowl, and stir to incorporate.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, salt, and milk, and place over medium heat.
- In another medium bowl, place the two yolks and whisk for 20 seconds.
- Stir the milk with a spatula to ensure the sugar is dissolved. When the milk is warm, the first bubbles form on edge (do not wait for it to boil). Mix the milk with the yolks, continuously whisking, and do it in a thin trickle. This is done to temper the yolks and not end up with scrambled eggs. When all the milk has been incorporated, return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, constantly stirring, until the custard cover the back of a spoon. Remove from heat immediately.
- Stir the mixture of cream and lucuma a few times and start adding the custard while whisking refrigerated overnight.
- The next day, make the ice cream following the manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream machine and add the dulce de leche in the last 3 minutes.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Ready for Dessert, de David Lebovitz
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Ice cream
- Method: Stove-cooked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Great recipe, the flavor is spot on.
Good recipe, thanks
We added the mixture to the refrigerator. Now what’s next? It says “next day make the ice cream”. I don’t understand it. Could you please explain?
You put the cold mixture on the ice cream machine. If you don’t have one freeze 1 hour, scrape with a fork. Freeze 30 minute, repeat 2 times or until creamy.