I've been wanting to make coffee ice cream for a long time. Finally, a few weeks ago I made it and boy do I wish I would've made this sooner! Store bought coffee ice cream can be hit or miss for me. For instance, I love Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream, but do not like another brand in which I won't name names. In fact, I used this other brand's coffee ice cream for a dessert one time and didn't like it so much that I didn't finish my serving! Now that is too unusual!
So, I was very curious how I would like a homemade version. The key is in the coffee you use. Naturally, since I love the Starbucks coffee ice cream, I thought I would use Starbucks coffee beans. Then, I figured out that the Starbucks coffee bags I had on hand were not whole beans, but were already ground. Instead of running out to the store, I used another brand (Papa Nicholas) I had on hand that were whole beans.
Do you think I liked it using the non-Starbucks brand? Uhhh...yea. LOVED it! Just like the Cinnamon Ice Cream I made from the same book (The Perfect Scoop), this ice cream is creamy and decadent. The coffee flavor is not over-powering, but is enough to keep you licking your lips. Top it on a warm brownie, and you will feel like you're in heaven!
Coffee Ice Cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups whole coffee beans
pinch of salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream, divided
5 large eggs yolks
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon finely ground coffee
Pour 1 cup of the cream into a large bowl; set aside. Whisk together the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl; set aside.
Using a medium saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, whole coffee beans, salt and the remaining ½ cup of the cream until warm. Cover, remove from heat and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
Rewarm the mixture then slowly pour into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape back into the saucepan.
Heat over medium heat while stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (about 10 minutes). Pour the custard into the 1 cup cream through a mesh strainer and stir. Press on the coffee beans to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible, then discard the beans. Stir in the vanilla and the ground coffee, stirring until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
Source: Adapted from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz
