Sweet Corn & Chili Ice Cream (vegan, no-churn)

Some kids spent their summers anxiously awaiting the jingle of the ice cream truck. I, growing up on the west side of Chicago, spent mine waiting for the elote man. An elote, or "Mexican Street Corn" as it is now referred to in the mainstream, is corn on the cob dressed with chili powder, butter, cheese, mayo, lemon or lime juice, and crema. Perfect summer body food, really. They're salty and creamy and spicy and sweet and DELICIOUS. As someone who a) hates eating corn on the cob (can't handle food in my teeth) and b) hates getting her hands dirty while she eats, I would always ask the elote man to scrape the kernels off the cob, and serve them to me in a bowl with all the fixings.  Elotes are one of my favorite snacks, and will always, always remind me of my childhood. So, summer's...allegedly...around the corner (it's snowing in Chicago as I write this) and I thought it would be amazing to transform that nostalgic, savory, calorie heavy snack-in-a-cup into a sweet and healthy treat. And let me tell you- it worked.

This sweet corn ice cream delicately highlights the two defining flavors of an elote (the corn, obviously, and the chili) and presents that nostalgic flavor in such a subtle, surprising way. Using just 5 ingredients, this ice cream is both simple and complex, and is sure to make you smile. 

Total time: 10 min hands on plus at least 8 hours to refrigerate the coconut milk and at least 5 hours to freeze the ice cream
​
Ingredients (small batch):
• 2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk (I recommend this brand), refrigerated overnight
• 3 cups frozen sweet corn kernels (thawed)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cayenne
Note: feel free to adjust the chili powder and cayenne according to your preference

Directions:
• Purée the corn in a high speed blender or food processor. Add to a bowl and place in fridge while you work on the coconut milk.
• Carefully scoop out the coconut cream from the top of the can and add to a large bowl. Do not use the water at the bottom of the can- this will cause ice crystals to form in the ice cream. You can save the water for smoothies or coconut rice, YUM.
• With a hand mixer, beat the coconut milk until soft peaks form, then gently fold in the puréed corn.
• Mix the honey, chili powder, and cayenne, and fold into the ice cream mixture
• Pour the mixture into a freezer friendly container and gently tap the bottom of container against the counter to help remove any air bubbles. Place saran wrap over the container and press it into the top of the ice cream mixture. Protecting the ice cream from the air will also help to avoid ice crystals.
• Pop the lid on the container, and freeze for 5 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to eat, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 3-ish minutes so that it softens up and becomes easier to scoop