Think of the things that bring out the flavour of coffee: cream, chocolate, maple syrup and alcohol. Then put them together and you have this coffee recipe.
This is a wonderful grown-up, dinner party dessert. But you can also enjoy it in a cone, while gardening.
This ice cream has a coffee ‘hit’ with a mellow hint of chocolate and earthy sweetness from the maple syrup, which you can use instead of sugar.




Add a dash of coffee liqueur, or whisky, or brandy to the mix, which keeps the ice cream lusciously soft.
Add some freshly ground dark chocolate and/or ground coffee bean for even more sophistication and a wonderful look and taste.

INGREDIENTS:
4 egg yolks
4 tblsp (60ml) maple syrup (or 150g caster sugar)
500mls whole milk
1 tblsp cocoa powder
1 tblsp instant coffee or espresso powder
300mls double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tblsp (30ml) alcohol of your choice: coffee liqueur / brandy / whisky
50 gm freshly ground good dark chocolate (ground in your coffee grinder)
1 tblsp freshly ground coffee beans (optional)
                     
METHOD:
1.     Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the maple syrup (or sugar).
2.     Heat the milk to just below simmering point.
3.     Pour half of the milk into the egg mixture and stir together.
4.     Pour all this mixture back into the milk pan; add coffee powder and cocoa powder.
5.     Stir in and cook over a very gentle heat, as for a custard; keep stirring and do not boil.
6.     When thickened, pour in to a separate bowl and allow to cool.
7.     When cool, stir or whisk in the cream, alcohol and vanilla extract; then add ground chocolate and/or ground coffee beans.
8.     Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (or, if no machine, freeze and whisk again every 30 mins for at least 2 hours).
9.     Spoon into containers, then place in the freezer to firm up.
When you serve this at dinner, you can ‘garnish’ with a shot of whatever alcohol you chose for the mix