First, you’ll need to toast your coconut to bring out a deeper flavor and texture. You can do this easily.
Set your oven to 350 degrees.
Once it is heated, place the coconut in a baking sheet and toast for about seven minutes.
Be sure to flip the coconut every few minutes, to make sure the heat is distributed evenly, and all sides of the shredded coconut pieces are browned.
Ice Cream Base
In a saucepan, stir milk, half of the cream (1 cup), sugar, and salt and heat through.
Slowly stir in the toasted coconut and then add the sliced vanilla been for extra flavor.
Turn off the heat and cover the mixture. Then let the mixture cool for about 1 hour at room temperature.
After it has sat for 1 hour, uncover and reheat it on low for about 10 min. Be sure to stir it occasionally.
Pour through a strainer to separate the coconut and vanilla bean from the mixture (use a spoon to press out as much liquid as possible from the coconut).
Discard the coconut and vanilla bean.**
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork.
Slowly pour your heated milk mixture over the eggs. Combine.
Then pour all of the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan.
Heat the mixture once again in the saucepan, stirring it the entire time. Remove from heat only when the mixture thickens and stiffens into a pudding-like consistency.
Chill this mixture in the fridge until completely cooled. This will take about 3 hours.
Once chilled, add the other cup of cream and vanilla extract.
In ice cream maker, churn about 25-30 minutes or according to manufacturer’s instructions.
**Helpful Hint: As a variation, you may decide to set aside the toasted coconut to add as a topping for your ice cream when the recipe is complete.