Kid-friendly Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug Recipe - Sticky Fingers Cooking
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Recipe: Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug

Recipe: Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug

Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug

by Erin Fletter
Photo by Natasha McCone and Kate Bezak
prep time
30 minutes
cook time
1 minutes
makes
1-2 servings

Fun Food Story

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Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug

Warmer temps call for lighter recipes that perk up our taste buds and remind us that summer is right around the corner. This coconut lime custard is made in a mug, and the cooking time is less than a minute. Kid chefs will get to crush crackers with their hands and press them into the bottom of their mugs to make a crust before whipping up a smooth, sweet, and sour lime custard. Then, they can add a dollop of Whipped Coco-Lime Crema. Kids can look forward to lots of tactile learning and delicious sweet treats to boot!

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Chef Erin, Food-Geek-in-Chief

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

  • crush :

    to put pressure on a food, like a garlic clove, to break the skin and release its flavor; or to pulverize or grind a food, like a cracker, into small particles with your hands, blender, or food processor.

  • freeze :

    to lower the temperature of a liquid or solid food below its freezing point to change its properties or to preserve it.

  • juice :

    to extract or squeeze out the juice of a fruit or vegetable, like a lemon, orange, or carrot, often cutting open or peeling the fruit or veggie first to access its flesh.

  • melt :

    to heat a solid food so it becomes liquid, like butter or chocolate.

  • whisk :

    to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

  • zest :

    to scrape off the outer colored part of a citrus fruit's rind (skin or peel) using a metal tool with small sharp blades, such as a zester, microplane, or the small holes of a grater (avoid the "pith," the white, spongy lining of the rind that can be bitter).

Equipment Checklist

  • Microwave
  • Microwave-safe mug
  • Measuring spoons
  • Small bowl
  • Metal spoon
  • Freezer
  • Cutting board
  • Kid-safe knife (a butter knife works great)
  • Zester (or grater with small zesting plate/side)
  • Citrus squeezer (optional)
  • Whisk
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Ingredients

Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug

  • 1 T butter **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free butter, like Earth Balance brand)**
  • 3 to 4 plain crackers, like Ritz, Club, saltines, etc. **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY substitute gluten-free/nut-free crackers OR 1/3 C corn flakes)**
  • 1 tsp shredded coconut
  • 1 lime
  • 3 T cream cheese **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free cream cheese OR 3 T silken tofu + 1 squeeze lemon juice)**
  • 1 T full fat plain Greek yogurt **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free plain Greek yogurt OR more canned coconut cream)**
  • 1 T coconut cream (from the top of full-fat coconut milk can)
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 T granulated sugar

Food Allergen Substitutions

Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug

  • Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free butter, like Earth Balance brand. For 3 T cream cheese, substitute dairy-free/nut-free cream cheese OR 3 T silken tofu + 1 squeeze lemon juice. For 1 T plain Greek yogurt, substitute dairy-free/nut-free plain Greek yogurt OR more canned coconut cream.
  • Gluten/Wheat: For 3 to 4 plain crackers, substitute plain gluten-free/nut-free crackers OR 1/3 C corn flakes.

Instructions

Mexican Coconut Lime Frozen Custard in a Mug

1.
melt + crush

Microwave 1 tablespoon of butter in your microwavable mug for 30 to 40 seconds until it melts. Then crush 3 to 4 plain crackers with your hands in a small bowl until you’ve created fine crumbs.

2.
add + mix + freeze

Add 1 teaspoon of shredded coconut to the cracker crumbs. Carefully pour in the melted butter and mix everything together with a spoon. Scoop the mixture back into the mug using the spoon and press down firmly with your hands to create a crust at the bottom of your mug. Pop the mug into your freezer to chill.

3.
wash + zest + juice

Wash and zest 1 lime and add all of the zest to a small bowl. Slice the zested lime in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into the bowl with the zest.

4.
measure + whisk

Measure and add to the bowl 3 tablespoons cream cheese, 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon coconut cream (from the top layer of a can of full-fat coconut milk), and 1 pinch of salt and whisk well. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and mix again. If your custard mixture is lumpy, keep mixing until it becomes smooth. Tip: Whisking back and forth in a bowl helps release the ingredients from the whisk if they get stuck!

5.
pour + freeze

Take your mug out of the freezer and pour the custard on top of the chilled crust. Pop the mug back into the freezer to chill for at least 20 minutes! Top with a dollop of Whipped Coco-Lime Crema before serving! "Buen provecho" or "Eat well" in Spanish!

Surprise Ingredient: Coconut!

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Photo by yaroshenko/Adobe Stock

Hi! I’m Coconut!

"Knock, Knock! Who's there? Coco. Coco Who? Coco Nut! You guessed it! I'm a Coconut! I'm kind of like the moon because you can sort of see a face on my outer shell. See those indentations? They could be my eyes and nose! (Or maybe you see a really small, hairy bowling ball!) I may be a hard case to crack, but I'm tasty inside! Try me flaked or shredded, sweetened or unsweetened, in cookies, pies, cakes, salads, and shakes! Yum!"

History

  • Coconuts are native to tropical islands in the Pacific around Southeast Asia, but they were spread around the globe by explorers hundreds of years ago. 
  • In Thailand, for about 400 years, pigtailed macaque monkeys have been trained to pick coconuts.
  • In the United States, you can write an address on the outside of a coconut, slap on the correct postage, and drop the whole thing in the mail. Amazing! Yes, coconuts are mailable as long as they are presented in a dry condition and not oozing fruit juice! Try it! 
  • A coconut can survive months of floating in the ocean, and when it washes up on a beach, it can germinate into a tree! 
  • Globally, coconut oil was the leading oil until the 1960s, when soybean oil overtook it.
  • May 8 is "National Coconut Cream Pie Day" in the United States.

Anatomy & Etymology

  • Coconuts are related to olives, peaches, and plums. Coconuts are NOT nuts; they are big seeds!
  • The term "coconut" can refer to the whole coconut palm tree, the seed, or the fruit, which technically is a drupe, not a nut! A drupe refers to a fleshy fruit with a stony seed inside that's protected with thin skin or hard, stony covering. Examples are peaches, coconuts, and olives. The word "drupe" comes from "drupa," meaning overripe olive. 
  • An average coconut palm produces about 30 coconuts a year, although it's possible for a tree to yield 75 to 100 annually. 
  • A coconut will ripen in about a year; however, if you want to harvest it for the coconut water, it will be ready within six to seven months. If you shake a coconut and hear water sloshing around, it's not fully ripe, and there won't be as much meat.
  • The outer skin of the coconut covers a thick, fibrous husk, which can be used for making ropes, mats, brushes, sacks, caulking for boats, and stuffing for mattresses.  
  • Coconut leaves have many uses, too, such as making brooms, weaving baskets or mats, or drying for thatch roofing.
  • Traditionally, the trunk of the coconut palm tree was used for its wood to build boats, bridges, houses, and huts.
  • The word "coconut" comes from the mid-16th-century Spanish and Portuguese word "coco," which can mean "bogeyman" or "grinning face" after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.

How to Pick, Buy, & Eat

  • The coconut comes from the coconut palm tree. These trees prefer hot weather. Where in the world do you think they grow? Throughout the tropics and subtropical parts of Earth, in over 80 countries! 
  • The three highest coconut-producing countries are the Philippines, Indonesia, and India. 
  • The coconut palm tree can grow up to 98 feet tall!  
  • Coconut milk is sweet and water-like but eventually dries out as the coconut ripens.
  • The coconut palm is sometimes referred to as the "Tree of Life" because it's useful from top to bottom. Except for the roots, every part of the coconut tree is harvested in the tropical areas where coconut palms are common.  
  • If buying a coconut whole, choose one that feels heavy for its size. Young coconuts will be full of coconut water and covered in a green, smooth shell with tender flesh. While older, mature coconuts have a more brown and fibrous outer shell with firmer and drier meat inside.
  • Coconuts are not easy to open! You have to forcefully crack them open to get to the edible goodness inside.
  • Coconut meat can be dried and shredded and used in salads, baked recipes, sprinkled over fruit, and enjoyed as a snack. It can also be eaten fresh and added to smoothies. 
  • Coconut water is hydrating and can be enjoyed straight or poured over ice with other juices for a refreshing treat. 

Nutrition

  • Electrolytes! Fresh coconut water is a source of electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and manganese. What do electrolytes do? They replenish the body by helping our muscles to move, our hearts to beat, and our brain cells to communicate with each other. 
  • Coconuts are rich in a type of fat called lauric acid, which is known for being antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. These properties help prevent us from getting sick by protecting our immune system.
  • Coconut is very nutritious and has lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is classified as a "highly functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. 
  • Pacific Islanders especially value coconut oil for its health and cosmetic benefits.

 

History of Custard!

Photo by CGissemann/Shutterstock.com
  • Custards baked in pastry were popular during the Middle Ages. The word "custard" comes from the late Middle English "custarde and "crustarde," indicating a pie with a sauce made from eggs and milk, from the Old French "cruste" (crust).
  • Today, custard is a dessert, not necessarily with a crust, or it may be a sweet sauce. Custard is made with eggs, milk, and sugar, with varying consistencies. 
  • When custard is a thin pouring sauce, it is called "crème anglaise." It is a base for or is poured over cake, fruit, or meringue (floating island). 
  • Eggnog is a type of custard you can drink. It is served primarily during the Christmas season.
  • It can also be a thick mixture called "crème pâtissière" or "pastry cream." It is often used in pastries made with "pâte à choux," a dough that puffs when baked and creates a hollow area in the center that can be filled with pastry cream. These include cream puffs and éclairs. Pastry cream is also used in cakes (Boston cream pie), doughnuts, fruit tarts, and a French puff pastry dessert called "mille-feuille." 
  • Sweet custard can also become several similar desserts, including crème brûlée, crème caramel, and flan. Custard is also added to a particularly British dessert, the "trifle."
  • Frozen custard is similar to ice cream except for one additional ingredient. Ice cream is generally made with milk, cream, and a sweetener, usually sugar. Frozen custard consists of those same ingredients and egg yolks, making it richer and thicker than ice cream.

Let's Learn About Mexico!

Photo by Alena Darmel
  • Officially, Mexico's name is "The United Mexican States." It is one of several countries and territories in North America, including Canada and the United States of America.
  • Spanish is Mexico's national language, and Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Mexican people didn't always speak Spanish, though. For thousands of years, Native Americans lived there and built great cities. The people had advanced language, education, and calendar systems, and they had very clever ways of raising food. Mexico is also the country with the largest number of native American speakers in North America. 
  • The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. Mexican legend says that Aztec leaders were told to build their great city of Tenochtitlan at the site where they saw an eagle sitting on a nopal cactus with a snake in its beak. That image is in the center of Mexico's flag. The Aztecs built their city on an island in the middle of a lake. The ruins of Tenochtitlan are at the center of Mexico City and still sit on top of a lake! As water is pumped out to serve the needs of the city's growing population, the city has been sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches per year.  
  • Indigenous Mexican people included the Aztecs in the central interior of the country, the Mayans of the Yucatan peninsula, and the Zapotec of the south. Spanish explorers landed in Mexico in the early 1500s, and they ruled Mexico for over 300 years. During this time of colonization, Mexico's Mesoamerican civilizations mixed with European culture.
  • Before the arrival of Spaniards, native Mexican food primarily consisted of corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and herbs. Indigenous people occasionally hunted and added wild turkey, rabbit, deer, and quail to their largely vegetarian diets. Native royalty sipped chocolate drinks. Europeans introduced cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, sugarcane, and wheat to Mexico upon their arrival. 
  • Mexican cuisine uses chili peppers to give it its distinct flavor. Jalapeños, poblanos, and serrano peppers are commonly used in Mexican dishes. Dishes that include mole, a sauce made of dark chocolate, chili peppers, cinnamon, and other spices, may be served on special occasions, such as Día de los Muertos. 

What is it like to be a kid in Mexico?

  • Mexican children may live near the ocean or the gulf, in the desert, or in the mountains. 
  • Kids often live with extended family, including grandparents. Their full names include their father's and their mother's.
  • Most kids speak Spanish, but Mexico also recognizes 68 native languages. 
  • They attend school from September through June. Large schools have two shifts—one group in the morning and one in the afternoon. Students are usually required to wear uniforms. 
  • They may play soccer, baseball, and other sports. Jumping rope and other outdoor games are very popular. They might play a game similar to bingo called Lotería. It is played with picture cards and songs. 
  • Corn tortillas are a staple for kids, along with beans and rice. Dishes that include mole, a sauce often made of dark chocolate, chili peppers, cinnamon, and other spices, may be served on special occasions. 
  • A popular family holiday is Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a celebration to remember and honor a family's ancestors. Family members decorate the graves of their relatives who have passed on. Typical foods served for this holiday include empanadas, tamales, pan de muertos (a sweet bread in which a ring with a tiny plastic skeleton is hidden), and calaveras de azucar (sugar candy skulls). 

That's Berry Funny

What is hairy, brown and wears sunglasses? 

A coconut on vacation!

That's Berry Funny

I decided to make a custard last night, and it was awesome!

I love it when a flan comes together.

THYME for a Laugh

Where does bad dessert go?

Into custard-y!

The Yolk's On You

What do you get when you cross a brontosaurus with a lime? 

A dino-sour!

Lettuce Joke Around

What did one coconut say to the other?

"Got milk?"

THYME for a Laugh

Where do intergalactic coconuts grab a drink?

At the Milky Way!

Lettuce Joke Around

What do you give an injured lime?

Lime-aid!

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