Playful 6-Ingredient Mexican Street Corn Gelato. August is sweet corn season in Michigan! If you enjoy following the seasons and their harvest, you’ll enjoy this recipe. Toasted sweet corn, coconut and lime zest offer a playful, sweet interpretation of Elotes – or Mexican Street Corn.
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Playful 6-Ingredient Mexican Street Corn Gelato – from savory street food classic to a new sweet craving
When you think of Elotes, you likely envision grilled corn on the cob, slathered in a cream sauce, with fresh lime juice, salt, a little salty cheese crumble, fresh cilantro and chili pepper on top. At least that’s what comes to mind when I’m craving street corn. But what’s this Playful 6-Ingredient Mexican Street Corn Gelato thing all about?
Honestly, I love anything made with corn. Tortilla chips, polenta, even a good jalapeño cheddar corn muffin or slice of cake. So why not a frozen dessert?
The madness to the method…or something like that
For the purists out there (simpatico), I recognize I am blurring a lot of lines with this recipe. We’re going from savory to sweet with the corn. We’ve replaced the Mexican Crema with a sweet mixture of 1/2 and 1/2 and sweetened condensed milk. But there are some similarities, too. Citrus and salty notes are carried over through the use of lime zest and salt to balance the sweetness. And if you crave a little earthy heat, a familiar dash of cayenne pepper is there to play with your taste buds.
This recipe for Playful 6-Ingredient Mexican Street Corn Gelato also plays with the definition of a gelato. American ice creams get their mouth feel from the fat in the cream. But gelatos are typically made with milk, so they have less fat. However, because they are churned longer, they retain a similar, silky texture.
In this recipe, we cut the difference by using 1/2 and 1/2. Early test versions that used all cream and sweetened condensed milk were too heavy, too sweet, and not at all refreshing. Another version that called for all milk and sugar proved icy and grainy. However, the sweetened condensed milk and the 1/2 and 1/2 produced both a lighter dessert, and enough sweetness and body for the mixture to churn properly.
This is what I do
I play with my food. I lose myself in it and I absolutely love playfully interpreting favorites. Sometimes a happy accident presents itself, like the idea for this recipe. Other times, that playfulness results in an epic failure of an unpalatable nature, and that’s OK. It’s all just part of the process. But f you enjoy sweet corn, are a little adventurous and like to have fun in the kitchen, give this recipe a try. And add a dash of cayenne at the end. It won’t disappoint!
Playful 6-Ingredient Mexican Street Corn Gelato
Course: DessertCuisine: Mexican-AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 cup sweet corn kernels, lightly toasted
1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted
1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
2 tsp. fresh lime zest
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
- Prepare the ice cream maker and storage container
- Prepare the ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions.
- Place a 6-cup capacity container into the freezer before churning the gelato.
- Prepare the ice cream mixture
- Remove the sweet corn kernels from the cob. Over medium-low heat, toast in a dry nonstick pan for approximately 10 minutes or until the kernels become somewhat dry and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
- In the same pan, toast the coconut flakes. Keep them moving to ensure they are evenly toasted to a light golden brown. Approximately 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a 4 – cup capacity measuring container, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 and 1/2 , lime zest and salt. Add the toasted sweet corn and coconut flakes.
- Pour the gelato mixture into the ice cream maker and churn for 25 – 30 minutes. The ice cream will still be very soft, but is ready when it is has reached the consistency of a fresh-churned gelato.
- Remove the storage container from the freezer. Pour the finished gelato into the chilled container and return to the freezer to firm up. Allow to chill for 2 hours before serving.
- Sprinkle ground cayenne pepper on top to taste if desired.
