Espresso flavoured ice cream : easy, tasty and ideal for hot summer afternoons!

Everyone loves a coffee during a summer afternoon. However, when the temperatures are high, we tend to prefer iced coffees - and why not, coffee-flavored ice creams !

Coffee is not only a favorite habit but it also is an excellent restorative beverage, ideal for the fatigue that sometimes affects us during the warm days of summer, whether we spend them working or relaxing at a beach, under the hot sun. Frozen coffee beverages, such as freddo espresso and frappe, and even Cold Brew or iced Greek Coffee, become more popular during summer as they combine the coffee’s flavor and stimulant properties with the coolness and relaxation that an iced beverage has to offer.

How can two of the most beloved summer habits, coffee (and especially the most delicious and strong coffee, espresso) and ice cream be combined? Adding ice cream to our espresso transforms it into an Italian affogato, but there’s another solution also: espresso – flavored ice cream.

Espresso Ice Cream is easy to prepare, with simple ingredients and does not require an ice cream machine, nor any special experience in cooking or pastry making. Follow the steps, use the right proportions and read the tips, and in 5 hours you will have a delicious espresso ice cream with intense taste and wonderful texture that can replace or accompany your afternoon coffee.

• 450 ml whipping cream
• 225 ml ful fat milk
• 110 gr sugar
• A pinch of salt 
• 5 egg yolks
• A pinch of vanilla extract
• 115 ml espresso (3 shots )

How to make the espresso ice cream :

• In a sauce pan, heat the milk, the whipping cream, the sugar and salt in low - medium heat, until the sugar is full dilluted, for about 5-6 minutes.
• In a bowl, whip the egg yolks
• Slowly add the hot mixture in the whipped yolks, stirring constantly. Be careful not to cook the eggs ! 
• Add the mixture to the sauce pan and constantly stir in low heat, until it comes to boil.
• Remove the pan, add the espressos and the vanilla extract and stir gently.
• Let it rest until it comes to room temperature.
• If you have an ice cream machine, put the mixture in it and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• If you don't have an ice cream machine, put the mixture in the refridgerator. Check it every fourty minutes : when it starts to freeze, remove, shake it in a blender and put it back in the refridgerator. Follow this step for 3-4 hours, until the ice cream is ready, having the right temperature and texture. 

Tips for a delicious espresso ice cream :

• You can add less espresso, if you want the ice cream's tast less intense. Be sure that the total amount of liquid is 150ml (you can add some water)
• For even stronger taste, you can add some ground coffee - but don't exaggerate, half a teaspoon is enough.
• You can server it with whole coffee beans or an ice cream sirop - chocolate or caramel sirop is just fine. 
• You can also easily prepare homemade espresso sirop : in a saucepan, stir in low heat 60ml of water and 200gr sugar. When sugar turns into a dark caramel, add 60ml espresso (1.5 espresso shot) and continue stirring unti you have a thick sirop.
• If you use an ice cream machine, your ice cream will have a crystal free, silky texture. If you use the alternative method described, the ice's cream texture will be slightly different. It's a good idea to leave it in room temperature for 5-7 minutes before serving.
• You can add more ingredients in the ice cream base, like chocolate chips, nuts of caramel chips, although it's taste is intense and there is no need to add anything.
• Be careful of the cafeine ! This ice cream contains three whole espresso shots. Have this in mind if you are going to serve it to children, or use decaffeinated espresso instead.
• Any espresso is fine for this recipe. If you have an espresso machine, prepare them by yourself, elseway you can buy them from a coffeshop (or you can look for an affordable home espresso machine).