Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

During the summer, I love iced coffee.  And as an occasional treat, I like to add a little sweetened condensed milk to it.  The rich caramelly flavor is great with strong coffee  without overpowering it the way cream or half & half usually does.  When I saw this recipe for Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream on Ezra Pound Cake pop up in my reader, I didn't even read past the title, and just starred it right then and there.

I pretty much left the recipe alone, just adding a little vanilla extract because, well, I felt like it.  For the coffee, I just used some of the cold-brewed coffee I keep stocked in the fridge all summer, and added about a tablespoon of the instant espresso I keep around for baking.  This makes a great summer treat- iIf I thought I could sneak ice cream past my daughter in the morning, I'd be putting a scoop of this in my coffee instead of ice!

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

What's in it:

1 1/2 c sweetened condensed milk (almost 2 cans)
1 1/2 c brewed espresso or very strongly brewed coffee, or your regular coffee with some help from instant espresso
1/2 c half-and-half or milk (using milk will result in a slightly less creamy ice cream)

2-3 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Big pinch of finely ground dark roast coffee (optional)

How to make it:

The day before you plan to make your ice cream, freeze your ice cream maker's bowl as appropriate (if you're using a KitchenAid mixer ice cream bowl, try freezing it upside down for more even ice cream churning!).

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.  Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.  I churned for about 20 minutes on medium-low speed.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet

Yes, this is the second strawberry post in about a week.  Once they're here, I can't resist them.  And there's an herb hiding in here, too.  But the difference is that you can enjoy this sorbet by the spoonful.  Because let's face it, as good as strawberry jam is, you don't really get to eat it with a spoon. 

This is a pretty basic sorbet recipe, but the basil gives it some depth.  Like the jam, the herb flavor is subtle, but it's enough to provide some interest, and enhances the bright strawberry flavor beautifully.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet
adapted from The Perfect Scoop, via Annie's Eats

What's in it:

1 1/2 lb fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
2-3 large basil leaves, chiffonade
1 c sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt

How to make it:

Combine strawberries, basil and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir until sugar dissolves.  Let stand for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Pour the strawberry mixture, lemon juice and salt into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds if desired.

Chill the mixture thoroughly (for ice creams and sorbets, I make the base the night before I plan to freeze it), then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.