I’m not shy about proclaiming my love for coffee ice cream. I’ve made various versions over the years, but I enjoy this one not only for its flavor, but for its unique method. Unlike a lot of custard-based ice creams, this gets its creaminess from cornstarch and a little bit of cream cheese instead of eggs. Like cold brew, coffee grounds steep directly in the liquid to extract a stronger, more intense flavor. That means, much like its namesake, this ice cream has a stronger flavor than regular coffee ice cream. But it’s still just sweet enough to be the perfect frozen bite.
Makes 1 Quart
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (363 grams) half and half
- ½ cup (41 grams) dark roast ground coffee
- 1 ¼ cup (300 grams) heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cup (300 grams) whole milk
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream
- In a glass or plastic lidded container, combine the half and half and the coffee. Shake and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
- Using cheese cloth over a bowl, separate the grinds from the steeped half and half, squeezing the liquid out as much as possible. Discard the grinds and set the steeped mixture aside.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk to combine the heavy cream, milk, sugar, cornstarch and espresso powder. Cook over medium-high, stirring often until thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, add the cream cheese and allow to melt. Mix in the vanilla and steeped half and half. Pour into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Churn the ice cream mixture according to your machine’s instructions, about 20 minutes. Eat as soft serve immediately or stash in the freezer until set for hard ice cream. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
