The Ice Cream Smackdown

It is the Ice Cream Smackdown! This is an ongoing event in which my friends Ryan and Zach and I, in addition to other friends who express interest in getting involved, make ice cream for each other and keep trying to top what was done before.

With which, yesterday we made Coffee Gelato.

Actually it took two days. On Thursday around midnight at Big Blue, I mixed up the heavenly soupy mixture of sugar, milk and egg yolks that gets turned into ice cream. It was incredibly labor intensive involving infusing heated whole milk with ground coffee beans and then straining it. But it is worth it!

The ice cream mixture chilled over night and so did I.

Then on Friday it was time to whip a cup of cream and fold it into the mixture and pour it all into the ice cream machine and let it rip. That could not have been accomplished without the help of Zach who whipped the cream and also stood over me offering guidance.

Big surprise, but I found myself thinking of Leonard Pennario. He loved ice cream and we would go to Coldstone Creamery where he had a favorite sundae he would order. The exact sundae will be revealed in my book. Wait for it!

Meanwhile, back to the Coffee Gelato. It turned out yummy, a feat considering that Zach and Ryan had set the bar extremely high last week with sesame ice cream. One thing we agreed on is that when you make ice cream you have to have a gathering. There must be people around to eat all that ice cream because you do not want it to be you eating all that ice cream, and in my experience it is always best the day it is made.

Should you wish to try making your own Coffee Gelato first go out to your nearest garage sale and purchase an ice cream maker. Mine is a made-in-Buffalo Deni Scoop.

Would that it were a vintage ice cream maker with a crank!

But a woman has to know her limitations.

After procuring your ice cream maker try this recipe. It is pretty close to the recipe I used.

Then ....

.... enjoy!