Ice Cream Fridays: Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see.

If you are like me, there is no way to get the day started without a couple of cups of decent coffee. In fact, my family knows not to mess with me until I'm properly caffeinated. Strange thing is, I never liked coffee or anything coffee flavored while growing up. This all changed when I met my husband. He couldn't start his day without a few cups of coffee and would continue drinking coffee throughout the day. There was always freshly brewed coffee around, and I started getting hooked on the brown stuff as well. The adults take coffee serious in our home!

So, when I was looking over my list of ice cream flavors still left to make before I retire Ice Cream Fridays for the year, I realized I had yet to make a coffee ice cream. Well, I definitely knew that needed to be changed. Again, I was torn between several different recipes, but this one simply won out for it's ease of preparation. The recipe calls for only a handful of ingredients and is made in 5 minutes flat. Strong coffee or espresso is mixed with sweetened condensed milk (the nectar of the gods) and a bit of half-and-half with a pinch of finely ground coffee. That's all there is to it. I think one of my easiest ice creams to date. After a good chill in the refrigerator it is churned in the ice cream maker. Done!

Whoa, can I just say buzz! This flavor was strong, delicious, and melted in your mouth. It was like eating your morning coffee in a bowl. Definite hit, and because of the ease-of-preparation factor, it deserves one of the highest ratings. My teenage daughter, who by the way is NOT a coffee lover, thought this was one incredible flavor that should be packaged and sold (if only this was my recipe). This will go into my top 5 ice creams I have made this year for sure.
So, if you are one of those coffee addicts as well, don't wait, and make this ice cream as soon as possible, and thank me later ;o)

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream
(adapted from "The Perfect Scoop")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups brewed espresso or very strongly brewed coffee
1/2 cup half-and-half
Big pinch of finely ground dark roast coffee

Preparation:

Whisk together the condensed milk, espresso, half-and-half, and ground coffee. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.