Today, 6 September is National Coffee Ice Cream Day. Although not everyone drinks coffee, when it comes to coffee ice cream … that is another story.
Although there are many stories about how or when coffee was discovered no one really knows for sure. One popular legend traces its roots back to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. The story has it that a goat herder, Kaldi, first discovered the effects coffee beans had on his goats. He noticed his goats became very energetic after eating the beans and did not sleep at night.
According to the National Coffee Association, Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.
Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia and by the 16th century, it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.
Meanwhile, the first flavored ice cream was invented at the request of the Roman emperor Nero, his servants went to the mountains and collected snow to make a frozen dessert flavored with honey, nuts, and fruit toppings. Gelato is typically credited to Bernardo Buontalenti, a 16th-century Florence native, who served it at the court of Catherine de’ Medici.
Another Italian, Giovanni Basiolo, found success in New York when he started selling semi-frozen coffee and milk products popular in Genoa by 1770. “In 1869, coffee ice cream was first used in a parfait,” states the Celebrate Everyday website. “It appeared again in a cookbook in 1919. One recipe appeared in a 1919 cookbook for an Egg Coffee, consisting of cream, crushed ice, and coffee syrup.”
Coffee ice cream was one of the original 28 flavors on Howard Johnson’s menu. It is also typically the ice cream used when making Mississippi Mud Pie.
To celebrate National Coffee Ice Cream Day, Chef Andy Chlebana, Pastry Chef Instructor at Joliet Junior College and the Team Coach of Club Coupe du Monde Team USA, has shared his ultimate recipe for the creamiest, flavorful coffee ice cream. It is best on its own but shines when paired with a slice of moist chocolate cake, gooey hot fudge, or even a high-octane affogato.
Ultimate Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
| Quantity | Ingredients |
| 2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) | Whole Milk |
| 1/2 cup (4 ounces) | Heavy Cream |
| 1/2 cup (3.6 ounces) | Granulated Sugar (Quantity 1) |
| 1/3 cup (0.9 ounces) | Ground Coffee |
| 6 each | Egg Yolks |
| 1/3 cup (2.4 ounces) | Granulated Sugar (Quantity 2) |
| Pinch | Salt |
| 1 each or 1 Teaspoon | Vanilla Bean (Team USA uses Nielsen Massey) or Pure Vanilla Extract (Team USA uses Nielsen Massey) |
Instructions:
- Combine ground coffee and milk in a mason jar, shake well. Place in the refrigerator for 24
hours. - When ready to make the ice cream base, place ice in a large bowl or pot and set aside.
- Strain the cold infused coffee milk through a coffee filter.
- Place the cold infused coffee milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar (qty #1),salt, and the split and scraped vanilla bean into a saucepan. (NOTE: If using vanilla extract, add it after straining the ice cream mixture in Step 7. )
- Combine the egg yolks and sugar (qty #2) in a bowl, whisk together.
- Bring the milk/cream mixture to a boil and gradually whisk into egg yolks.
- Return this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Using a thermometer cook the mixture to 180 F. Do not boil the mixture as the egg yolks will curdle.
- Strain the finished ice cream base through a fine mesh strainer and cool in the ice bath.
- Once cooled cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Freeze according to ice cream machine manufacturers instructions.
“I really enjoy the flavor of a cold-infused ice cream recipe. It gives you a strong coffee
flavor without the bitterness you normally find when brewing coffee,” says Chef Chlebana. “It allows more of the subtle flavor notes of the coffee to come through. Give it a try you may find caramel, chocolate, or spicy notes that you may not have noticed when brewing.”
NOTE FROM CHEF CHLEBANA
I recently received a Ninja™ CREAMi®. In a professional kitchen this is comparable to a Paco
Jet. It works a little differently and I feel that it produces a better quality ice cream at home.
When using the Ninja Creami you prepare the base the night before and freeze the base in a
Creami Pint overnight. The next day the frozen block of ice cream base is placed in the Ninja
Creami and processed. A fast spinning blade shaves through the ice cream base creating a silky
smooth finished ice cream.
Team USA will be competing in the 2023 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France on 20-21 January 2023. They recently won the Silver Medal at the Americas Continental Selection in Santiago, Chile.
Note: This recipe may be reprinted, without permission, will appropriate credit. Please credit: Recipe courtesy of Club Coupe du Monde Team USA (www.pastryteamusa.com).