Mango Macadamia Honey Ice Cream and a visit to Maleny Dairies

Nestled in the green mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is a beautful local producer and farm, Maleny Dairies

A family run farm with strong ethics and care for their animals and a factory that is at the heart of its community. They believe in what they do and in quality products. As a cook I have never used a cream as real, rich and thick as the Maleny Dairies cream.

It is so natural it is almost yellow and it whips in seconds.

It truly makes the best ice cream, my kids know if they see Maleny Dairies cream in the fridge there is a good chance ice - cream is on the menu!

Coffee Ice Cream

Chocolate Macadamia Ice Cream

And my latest creation!

Mango, Macadamia & Honey Ice-cream!

Ingredients

• 1 x 600ml container of cream, (I always use Maleny Dairies rich and natural cream)
• 2 ripe mangoes
• 2 tabelspoons raw honey (or to taste)
• 2 droppers of sweat leaf vanila stevia drops ( you can get these from most health food shops and many supermarkets, I know the Maleny IGA stocks them OR use a good vanilla paste in its place and increase your honey to taste if needed.
• 2 teaspoons dark coconut sugar (optional you could also you raw cane sugar) 
• 1/2 cup raw macadamia's

Method

• Pour the cream into a large bowl, add the honey, liquid stevia drops ( or vanilla paste/essence), coconut sugar.
• Carefully whip the cream, making sure not to over-whip it.
• Taste it for sweetness. Drizzle carefully with some extra honey.
• In a blend blend both mangoes worth of flesh until it smooth and runny.
• Arrange some ice-cream moulds, plastic cups or a tub for your ice-cream on a bench.
• Pour into each mould a layer of the cream.
• Drop in some loose macadamia's.
• Top with a layer of mango, then  more cream, nuts and mango again etc until containers are filled.
• You can now either freeze as is OR use a paddle pop type stick to swirl the flavours together a bit for effect and flavour.
• Place a paddle stick into each one.
• Freezer covered with cling wrap or similar for at least 4 hours.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• You can also make this tub style and pour the ingredients into a tub on top of each other and then use a spoon to swirl them into each other and top with a drizzle of honey and macadamias.
• If you have a dairy allergy but still want to make these swap the cream for:
  the equivalent in Coyo coconut yoghurt (do not whip), Sanitarium vanilla ice-cream (allow to soften slightly at room temperature so easier to work and do not whip) or with a tin of full fat organic coconut cream (yum) - still absolutely delicious, may take a little longer to set, still give a light hand whip and chill in the fridge for 2 hours before using. 

Visiting Maleny Dairies.
I have always believed it to be very important that kids get to know where all foods come from that they are going to eat, so whatever your chosen diet for your children they should become familiar with where everything they put into their bodies comes from, I think it gives them a more down to earth appreciation for food and their bodies.
I recently took the kids for a fun filled day out to the dairy to do their farm tour.

 The kids had the best time! What a fantastic day out and so much for kids to do. They get to feed baby animals, ride the toy animals, see the cows coming in from the field to be milked, see all the amazing machines filling the milk bottles and even watch a hilarious Moovie!

It is a fun and also peaceful day out and after your tour everyone gets to taste some dairy deliciousness, buy goodies farm direct and relax on tables and chairs while the kids run around on the green, green grass with happy chooks cruising around, a giant chess set and toy animals they all race to ride.

RECIPE - coffee cookies and icecream - Maleny Supa IGA Recipe Cards

If you’re going to have an indulgence, make yourself one that is tantalising and day dreamy like this beautiful and very simple home-made ice cream and cookies. Made with gorgeous Maleny Molinaro Coffee, Maleny Dairies Cream, Rawganix Eggs, divine Noosa Natural Chocolate Co. Cranberries. All products can be purchased from the Maleny IGA.
Ingredients (Ice Cream)

• 600ml Maleny Dairies cream
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 1⁄4 cup double strength percolated molinaro coffee, cold
• 1 packet noosa natural chocolate co. cranberries

Ingredients (Biscuit)

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup maleny iga brown sugar
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup cold percolated coffee
• 1 rawganix free range egg
• 1⁄2 cup maleny iga ground almonds
• 2 & 1⁄4 cups plain flour
• 1⁄4 cup walnuts

Method – Ice Cream
• Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
• Combine the cold coffee and condensed milk.
• Gently fold the condensed milk mixture though the whipped cream, adding in the chocolates as you do.
• Pour gently into a container with a lid and put in freezer overnight.
• Serve!

Notes
• Make a mocha version by adding some melted milk chocolate into the condensed milk mixture.• Serve with coffee flavoured biscuits.

Toddler Tips
• Swap the coffee for organic hot chocolate or just leave out for a nice vanilla ice cream.

Method – Cookies
• Pre heat oven to 180`c. • Put butter, vanilla essence and sugar in a bowl, beat together until fluffy.
• Add egg, beat through
• Pour cold coffee in, mix through.
• Sift the flour and ground almond meal into the mixture.
• Mix.
• Roll into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper, gently push each one down with a walnut.
• Bake for approximately 12 minutes, keeping an eye on them as all ovens run a little differently.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Serve or store in an air tight container.

Notes
• Add chopped walnuts through the dough mixture.
• Choc chips are good through this mix.
• Replace the coffee with chocolate drink mixture or cocoa powder, for children.
Make it stronger with stronger coffee if desired, you could also use very strong dissolved instant coffee.