Coffee Ice Cream Dreams

We are having a heat wave here this summer and what’s better in the heat of summer than ice cream? I love coffee and I love ice cream, not to mention good Mexican vanilla, so this recipe brings it all together with decadent Kahlua (which I was pleasantly pleased to discover is really not all that hard to make yourself!). Unless you have a problem with alcohol, don’t skip the Kahlua in this recipe. The alcohol content keeps the homemade ice cream from getting rock hard in the freezer, so it stays creamy and wonderful. Of course, if you’re going to eat it all before it gets to the freezer that’s not a problem. But otherwise, leave it in! It’s delicious and really not enough to even count …

The recipe I started with used heavy cream. I lightened it by substituting fat free half and half. It’s still rich and creamy, but you don’t have to feel guilty when you eat it!

My friend has asked me to make a non-dairy version of this because he’s lactose intolerant. Soon, soon I will!

Kahlua Vanilla Latte Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fat free half & half
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla
• 2 tablespoons vanilla espresso powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 cup Kahlua (I make my own–it’s easy! will post the recipe later …)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, mix half & half, sugar, vanilla and coffee granules. Heat, stirring frequently, until coffee granules are fully dissolved and small bubbles form at the edge of the pan.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or mixer until frothy.
3. Slowly drizzle a stream of the hot cream/coffee mixture (about 1 cup of it) into the eggs, whisking or beating constantly.
4.  Gradually add the egg mixture back into the remaining hot cream/coffee mixture in the saucepan, whisking as you go.
5. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens slightly and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon–roughly 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, transfer into a glass jar and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled–at least 2 hours.
7. Add Kahlua, cover, and shake the jar to mix thoroughly.
8. Usually if you whisk it well while you’re cooking this won’t happen, but no worries! If there are any little “chunks” from the egg, strain through a fine mesh strainer before freezing the ice cream.
9. Freeze in an ice cream maker. I love love love my little Cuisinart ice cream maker!

Sometimes in the summer I even have it for breakfast (like today)!

Nutrition Information: