Vietnamese coffee ice cream

Considering how we can’t start our morning without a glass of cafe sua da, it was a no brainer to turn one our our favorite drinks into a frozen treat. We’ve been making Vietnamese coffee ice cream since we got a Cuisinart ice cream machine years ago but haven’t thought about putting it on the blog until recently. After testing it out at several parties and ice cream socials, it won first place for the most popular ice cream among ten other frozen treats. A very coveted spot! The Earl gray and honey blossom ice cream and passion fruit frozen yogurt were trailing right behind. 

We use the same coffee that we make Vietnamese iced coffee with, Cafe du Monde's coffee and chicory.  The milk and cream mixture is gently boiled and the coffee granules are steeped for about 8 minutes to impart that beautiful coffee taste.  My friends and coworkers were pleasantly surprised at how similar in taste it was to the actual Vietnamese coffee drink minus the caffeine high.  The intense coffee flavor will make your taste buds dance.  It's almost like drinking a glass of cafe sua da but in frozen form.  Many people asked for the recipe so it would be a crime not to share! You can now enjoy this delectable treat at home or find someone that is willing to make it for you!

Vietnamese coffee ice cream

1 cup of organic heavy cream
1 cup of organic 2% milk
½ cup of condensed milk
3 tablespoons of Vietnamese coffee (my favorite is Cafe Du Monde with chicory)
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 large organic egg yolks

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine cream, milk, and condensed milk.
2. Put the pan over medium heat and let the mixture boil gently to bubbling just around the edges (gentle simmer). Remove from heat.
3. Add the coffee and let it steep for 8 minutes until the cream has taken on the coffee flavor, stirring occasionally and tasting to make sure it’s not too bitter.
4. While waiting for the coffee to steep, in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up and whisk in sugar. Set aside.
5. Put the saucepan back on the stove over low heat and let it warm up for 2 minutes.
6. Carefully measure out ½ cup of hot cream mixture.
7. While whisking the eggs constantly, whisk the hot cream mixture into the eggs until smooth. Continue tempering the eggs by adding another ½ cup of hot cream to the bowl with the yolks.
8. Pour the cream-egg mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it is thickened and coats the back of a spatula, about 5 minutes.
9. Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container.
10. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziplock freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in an ice bath until cold, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate the ice cream base for at least 2 hours or overnight. I like to refrigerate the base overnight for the most flavor.
11. Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister of your ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
12. Spin until thick and creamy about 25-30 minutes.
13. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.