Mexican · Dessert
Tamarind Ice
A tangy-sweet Mexican water ice built on a dark, syrupy tamarind-style base, cooked briefly to dissolve sugar then frozen and repeatedly forked into loose, granular crystals rather than churned smooth. No dairy, no fat, just bright, puckering fruit acidity against a deep caramel-molasses sweetness, served icy-cold straight from the tray as a palette-cleansing treat on a hot day.
$0
15 minsPrep
5 minsCook
215 minsTotal
EasyLevel
Nutrition per serving
100Calories
0.5gProtein
0.1gFat
26.4gCarbs
23.8gSugar
1.7gFiber
194mgSodium
0mgChol
0gSat Fat
145mgPotassium
14mgCalcium
0.2mgIron
0mcgVitamin B12
1.3mgVitamin C
0gPolyol
0gAllulose
0gAlcohol
vegetarian
vegan
gluten-free
dairy-free
sweet-spot
hidden-gems
Instructions
1
Soak 40g chopped pitted dates in 170g boiling water along with a pinch (1g) of salt for 20 minutes to soften and infuse, mashing occasionally with a fork to break them down.
2
Strain the softened date mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to extract all the thick, dark liquid; discard the solids left behind.
3
Return the strained liquid to a small pan, stir in 22g sugar and a tiny pinch of five-spice (standing in for the tang of true tamarind pulp), and warm gently over low heat just until the sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes.
4
Remove from heat and stir in 8g lime juice; taste and adjust for a sweet-sour balance, then let the mixture cool fully to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
5
Pour the cooled liquid into a shallow metal tray (about 350ml capacity) and place in the freezer.
6
After 45 minutes, when ice crystals begin forming at the edges, scrape and fork through the mixture thoroughly to break up the crystals.
7
Continue scraping every 30 minutes for the next 2-3 hours until the entire tray is made up of loose, fluffy, deep amber ice crystals with no liquid remaining.
8
Scoop into two chilled glasses or bowls, 2 scoops each, and serve immediately while icy.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 6 oz170g boiling, for steeping tamarind water
- 1.4 oz40g pitted, chopped, simmered to soften date
- 0.8 oz22g dissolved into the tamarind liquid sugar white
- 0.3 oz8g freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0 oz1g pinch, stirred into the liquid salt
- 0 oz0.3g chinese five spice
