Pina Colada Ice Cream

Our answer

Nigella's No-Churn Pina Colada Ice Cream (from KITCHEN) is made with a combination of whipped cream, sugar, pineapple juice and white coconut rum. The whipped cream and alcohol should help the ice cream to have a smooth texture. Slightly more lime juice than the 2 teaspoons listed should not particularly affect the texture.

There are a few reasons why the texture of the ice cream is grainy. One is that it can be easy to over-whisk the mixture, causing the cream to curdle slightly and become grainy. As the mixture also contains lime and pineapple juices, both of which are acidic, it can be easier to whisk too much. You need some air in the mixture but you only need to whisk the mixture until it thickens, and no more than soft peaks. If the amount of alcohol used is lower then this can also be a reason, though the ice cream is usually slightly icy as well. Finally ice cream can go grainy if it is melted and re-frozen so try to freeze the mixture in the coldest part of your freezer and keep it there. Return any left over ice cream to the freezer as quickly as possible after serving.