Coffee Ice Cream

Let me start by saying coffee ice cream is not my preferred flavor.  When I first purchased my ice cream maker I asked Ruth and Stacey what kind of ice cream they wanted me to make and they both said coffee.  It only took me 6 months to finally make coffee ice cream.

As far as coffee ice cream goes, this is a good one.  The secret, just like my mint brownie fudge ice cream, is infusing the milk/sugar/cream mixture with your flavoring agent for a long period of time.  A very long period of time.  When the flavors have adequate time to marry, every bite is deeply flavorful and intense.

Because I am a bit high maintenance, I don’t make coffee at home, and yes, I buy coffee everyday.  Monday-Friday I usually stop at 7-11 for my fix, but on Saturdays and Sundays I like to visit my favorite Park Slope coffee shop, Venticinque.  They have the only cafe au lait, my drink of choice, I will drink without sugar.  It’s that delicious and flavorful without any of the bitterness that can so often accompany coffee.

By no means am I a coffee connissquer, but I like what I like.  I stopped by Venticinque to pick up some Counter Culture beans to make the ice cream with, I believe good beans matter.  You can use your favorite bean, even decaf.  All-in-all, coffee ice cream is a fantastic recipe to have in your arsenal for all the coffee lovers in your life.

One Year Ago: Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Print the Recipe!

Coffee Ice Cream
Yield – 1 quart
Adapted from Simply Recipes via David Lebovitz

1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans, I used Counter Culture
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 + 1 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
85 grams (about 5) egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
1/8 cup whipped vodka

1. Place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer the night before.
2. In a medium sauce pan with a lid, bring the coffee beans, milk, sugar, and 1/2 cup of heavy cream to a simmer.  Once the mixture has reached a simmer (not boil), turn off the heat and place the lid on top for one hour for the mixture to seep.
3. After an hour bring the mixture to a simmer again.  Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks with a pinch of salt.
4. Add the coffee/milk mixture to the eggs one ladle-full at a time while whisking to temper the eggs.  Once the eggs have reached a warm temperature, add them to the pot on the stove.
5. Heat the coffee/milk/egg mixture until it thickens, stirring often.  The mixture should coat the back of a spoon and when you draw a line through it with your finger the line stays.
6. Push the mixture through a fine sieve and make sure to squeeze all of the liquid from the coffee bean.  Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream, vanilla, espresso powder, and vodka.  Stir to combine.
7. Refrigerate until the mixture is cold.
8. Churn according to your ice cream machine’s directions.  Place a in a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm.