Mocha Ice Cream

The Simple Chocolate Ice Cream recipe that came with my Cuisinart ice cream maker is definitely a favorite in our household. As I was food shopping this morning and contemplating what I would be making for dessert tonight for our weekly dinner with my brother-in-law, I decided to see if I could take our favorite chocolate ice cream recipe and turn it into Mocha Ice Cream. The result? Big success.

The coffee flavor is subtle, but as Ina Garten always says when she's making anything with chocolate, adding coffee definitely brings out the chocolate flavor even more. I figure too that if you want a more intense coffee flavor, you can just add more ground coffee (I only used 1 tablespoon).

Mocha Ice Cream

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process preferred)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons ground coffee

Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, and ground coffee. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Turn machine on; pour mixture through fine-mesh sieve into freezer bowl, using a wooden spoon to push through as much of the liquid as possible. Let mix until thickened, about 25 to 35 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.