The Great Cake Company: Sunday Baked: Coffee Ice Cream

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sunday Baked: Coffee Ice Cream

I SCREAM. YOU SCREAM. I MADE ICE CREAM.

I am not going to deny it. I totally indulged and bought an ice cream machine specifically for this week's Baked Sunday Mornings challenge. Silly, I know, but I figure with three little kids and an ice cream loving husband it will get put to good use in the long run. After all, it has been on the "would love to have" list for a long time. Totally justified, right?

OK, probably not, but I'd have to say that it was totally worth the splurge. Homemade ice cream is WONDERFUL! I had no idea it was so good or so easy. The kids are already trying to bribe me to get their favorite flavor selection made next (not that they had any of this alcohol and caffeine based concoction to know how fantastic it was). Whoops.

The whole process was rather simple, really. Bring (2 cups) whole milk, (1 3/4 cups) heavy whipping cream, (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar, (3 tablespoons) instant espresso and (1 teaspoon) salt to a simmer. Then, slowly stream half of the coffee mixture into 6 gently whipped egg yolks. Whip the egg yolks like crazy and add them back to the coffee mixture. Heat over medium-low heat until you have custard or until about 175-degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Remove the custard from heat and strain it into a bowl. Whisk in the Kahlua (1 tablespoon) and place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a crust from forming. Cool the custard for a few hours in the fridge.

After the custard cools, put it into your ice cream maker and let the magic happen. Twenty minutes later voilà... Ice Cream!

Technically, this is more frozen custard than ice cream since it has the addition of egg yolks. Either way, it is creamy, rich and full of great coffee flavor. A totally delectable pick-me-up.

Grab a bowl or a cone and ENJOY! This stuff is good.