Ube Ice Cream (Purple Yam Ice Cream)

1. Place the ube and butter in a non-stick pan.
2. Cook over medium heat while moving the ube around the pan. Make sure the ube doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Mix it frequently with the butter until cooked through and the mixture looks like mashed potato. This can take about 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the stove.
3. Add the ube extract if using, and mix it in well with the ube paste.
4. Place the ube paste in a medium pot, with the coconut milk, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Use a stick blender to blend the mixture until nice and smooth.
5. Heat over medium heat while stirring frequently until the mixture boils, and then thickens to a very thick pudding-like consistency. This can take about 10 - 20 minutes, depending on your stove and pot size.
6. Place the thick ube base in a large jug or bowl that can hold 4 - 5 cups of water.
7. Add the whipping cream and fold until the mixture is completely smooth with no lumps.
8. Cover the jug with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge overnight, until the whole mixture is chilled. You should get about 800 - 900 mL of the ice cream base.
9. The following day, churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Once churned, transfer the ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 3 hours.
10. If the ice cream hardens too much (this is normal due to the absence of eggs and reduced sugar in this recipe), let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, and it will soon be easier to scoop.

For the no churn version (please note that the texture will be different)

1. Measure out the ube base in a measuring jug. You should have about 1.5 cups of the ube base. Let it chill in the fridge until completely chilled.
2. Measure out 1.5 cups of chilled 35% cream, and whisk it in a cold, metal bowl until it's almost at stiff peaks (mid peaks).
3. Fold in the chilled ube base until there are no white or dark purple streaks. Place the ice cream in a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 4 - 5 hours, or until frozen.