Coffee ice cream

Australians love their coffee almost as much as their ice cream. While tiramisu was the only coffee-flavoured wonder doing the rounds when I was growing up, these days coffee gelato, frappés and affogatos all rank highly on the summer hit list. This recipe makes a great base for drinks, but is also perfect just on its own… or drizzled with some Coffee syrup or Chocolate syrup. Caffeine, dairy, sugar, icy… what’s not to love?

Makes 1 litre (35 fl oz)

½ vanilla bean

300 ml (10½ fl oz) thin (pouring) cream

250 ml (9 fl/oz/1 cup) full-cream milk

180 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) freshly made espresso coffee

8 egg yolks

45 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) brown sugar

75 g (2¾ oz/¹/₃ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

Put the vanilla bean, cream and milk in a saucepan. Bring almost to the boil over medium–high heat, then remove from the heat. Add the coffee and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and all the sugar. Gradually pour in the infused milk mixture, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture into a clean saucepan and stir over medium–low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to a thin custard consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, then pour into a bowl. Cover and chill for 2 hours, or until cold.

Strain, then churn and freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (Alternatively, you can pour the custard mixture into a large shallow cake tin and freeze for 2–3 hours, or until just frozen around the edges. Whisk to evenly distribute the ice crystals through the mixture. Repeat this every hour until the mixture is frozen and evenly textured.)

Transfer to a 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cup) plastic container. Smooth the surface over, top with a sheet of baking paper, then pop the lid on. The ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 1 week, but tastes best if eaten within a few days.

Photography © Brett Stevens

Coffee-a-go-go

Coffee almond

Stir toasted slivered almonds or chopped Vienna almonds through the ice cream as it firms up.

Coffee nut brittle

Stir about 4 tablespoons of chopped Nut brittle through the ice cream as it firms up.

Coffee caramel swirl

As you are transferring scoops of the coffee ice cream to a storage container, drizzle with Chocolate syrup between scoops. Smooth the top down when you are done and drizzle a little more Caramel syrup over the top.

Coffee maple walnut

As the ice cream firms up, stir in some toasted chopped walnuts, then swirl some maple syrup through.

Mocha

Add 100 g (3½ oz) grated dark chocolate to the hot custard mixture just after it has thickened; whisk until melted and evenly coloured.