Coffee Ice Cream

Ice cream is basically just a frozen custard.  Once you know how to make the custard, you can flavour it anyway your inspiration takes you.  This is The Lesson as taught to me by Chef P.

So let it be written.  So let it be done.

To be more specific, ice cream is actually a frozen Crème Anglaise — a vanilla-flavoured, stirred custard.

Theory done — now a a more practical discussion.  The most important thing to remember when you’re making a stirred custard is to be patient and work at a low heat.  See the little bits on my spoon below?  I left them there to show you what happens when you try to hurry a custard along at a higher temp.

Oh yes — you can strain those little bits of yolk away, but if you do it right, they shouldn’t be there to begin with.  Apparently, I was up to no good that day.

Chef P’s original recipe called for 1/2 whole milk and 1/2 whipping cream.  My half & half version is creamy, but has about 1/3 less fat.  Using all milk results in what you’d expect:  ice milk.  Also very good (especially vanilla).

The coffee extract is a little secret I learned recently.  You`ll find uses for it everywhere.  And, since it`s homemade, you can make it decaf if you like.

Coffee Ice Cream

Yield:  (6) ½ cup servings

Half & Half (10% MF)	2 C	250 ml
Vanilla	1 t	5 ml
Egg Yolks	6
Sugar	1/3 C	80 ml
Coffee Extract	3 T	45 ml

C=Cup      ml=millilitres       t=teaspoon        T=Tablespoon

Heat the half & half and vanilla medium heat.  Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar together well.

To temper the yolks, pour approx ¼ cup hot cream into the yolks and stir well.  Pour the remaining cream into the yolks and stir.  Return the mixture to a clean pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  The mixture is ready when it coats the back of the spoon.

Strain into a clean bowl set over ice to stop the cooking process.  Stir in the coffee extract.  Partially cover and refrigerate 8-24 hours.

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice-cream maker and proceed as per manufacturer’s instructions.  Remove ice cream to a container and freeze until ready to serve.

Tips:

• Do not mix the sugar and the eggs together until just before you need them – the sugar “cooks” the yolks, leaving them unusable.
• Strain the custard to ensure the smoothest, creamiest final product.
• Most ice-cream makers produce very soft ice cream that needs to be frozen for a couple of hours before serving.