The Best and Easiest No Churn Ice Cream/Gelato... an Espresso Gelato Variation.

Espresso Ice Cream/Gelato Variation... No Churn, One Bowl, 4 Ingredients. Since I mentioned in my last post the amazing ice cream I've been making this summer ... I knew I couldn't let it go without sharing it with you as well. I know it's kind of late, why with summer being almost over... but ice cream, well, ice scream can be made all year round:).

If you've always wanted to make ice scream at home and had no ice scream  maker... well, this recipe is for you. 

If you've always wanted to make homemade ice scream that was smooth, creamy and without ice crystals... then this recipe is for you. 

If you've always wanted to make a ton of ice scream variations without so many recipe variations... well, this ice cream is for you. 

If you enjoy the store-bought Tallenti gelato... well, this homemade version is it! Actually, my husband says it's way better. 

Ok, so  I hardly ever call a recipe AMAZING... because recipes are quite subjective. What I may call amazing, you may not... and while others may call a recipe amazing, I may not. But... this ice scream recipe is truly outstanding. And it's super, super simple to make! It will amaze you and amaze your guests as well.  Well, at least those of us that like ice scream:)...

I've made this ice cream(more like gelato) many times... it's foolproof! I've played around with the flavor variations, and they've all been delicious. And while I've posted exact measurements for best results, I've also used a can of sweetened condensed milk  combined with 1 (475ml=2 cups) heavy cream container... to make a double batch. This way you don't need to buy a second container of heavy cream:). It's a tad sweeter, but not noticeably. 

While you can find variations to the no churn ice cream online, I find this is by far the easiest to do. You place all the ingredients in a bowl and whip to soft peaks... this of course doesn't include any add-ins you may choose to include, which you' ll fold in at the end. The only thing you have to remember is to not over beat the cream... otherwise it will turn buttery. Beat it to the consistency of a light mayonnaise and you'll be ok.. And all this is done in a single bowl... no need to beat the cream separately.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do... I know my husband enjoys it the most:).  This would be lovely... placed in disposable containers with a pretty label... perfect to bring as a hostess gift. Hope you enjoy...

Note: You can make this ice cream/gelato with with a ton of variations... the idea is to use heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and flavorings of choice. 

The alcohol can be optional, though it keeps the ice scream from freezing solid in the freezer.

Variations I have made in the past included ingredients I had on hand at the moment:

 1)A mint chocolate chip, adding mint extract, and mini chips along with 1 TBS cherry liqueur, 

2) A chocolate rum-walnut, adding 1-2 TBS dark cocoa, rum extract and chopped walnuts along with 1 TBS cherry liqueur, 

3) A cherry shaved chocolate(cherry garcia), adding just the cherries from  fruit-sweetened cherry preserves, almond extract, and shavings of dark chocolate along with 1 TBS cherry liqueur.

But variations can be endless... adding broken up cookies, brownies, cookie dough, various cooked down fruits, nuts and chocolate can all be used. Be creative and make your own... apple pie, pumpkin pie and cherry pie sound wonderful:)...

Ingredients: Adapted from Nigella Lawson - makes about 1 1/2 pints (or 800 ml) 

1 ¼ cups cold heavy cream

⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons Irish Cream (or you can use espresso liqueur)

Directions:

1. Measure and place all ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Using a hand held mixer(or you can whisk by hand) beat ingredients  until soft peaks form, and has thickened into an airy mixture, almost similar to a light mayonnaise consistency. Do not overbeat.

3. Pour in a freezer proof air tight container, and freeze overnight.

4. Enjoy a scoop of delicious and super smooth ice cream:)!

Coffee Concentrate... cold brew method without a coffee maker.

Coffee Concentrate(Coffee without a coffee maker)... single cup serving, coffee for a crowd, or used in desserts. A few months ago, our favorite coffee maker gave up on us. And because we love having our daily cup of coffee, we had to  find another coffee maker. In our search for a new coffee maker, we decided to settle on a french press this time around. Even though the french press may look like a simple coffee maker, it makes some outstanding coffee! Love it.  However, there is a drawback with the french press. Our old coffee maker could make a large batch of coffee, and it was especially handy when we had guests. But with the french press, making coffee for a crowd isn't that convenient.

Recently the Kitchn came up with a recipe for making coffee for a large crowd... even without the use of a coffee maker! The technique was rather simple, one that I had known about before. It's allowing coffee grounds to be steeped in water, infused, and strained... yielding a highly concentrated coffee flavored liquid. Yet I had only associated this idea with making iced coffee. Somehow it just never clicked with me that I could also use the concentrate to make a hot cup of coffee. The idea was brilliant! So I set out to make a batch, because I rather liked the idea of having a coffee concentrate that could serve a crowd... or even a single serving for that matter. And I simply loved the idea that you could adjust the strength according to preference.

The coffee concentrate was a real winner! I've really been enjoying the hot coffee... the concentrate produces a smooth tasting cup of coffee.... super quick. Once the concentrate is made, all you have to do is add some boiling water  and you have a great cup of coffee instantly. And of course, you can add milk, sugar, etc to the coffee to make your own a customized version. Loved that you can use the concentrate for other uses as well. It's great for making iced coffee, but it's quite helpful when you want to add a mocha flavor to any baked dessert, ice cream, or frosting. You could even use it in savory dishes, such as chili, stews, sauces. Hope you enjoy...       

You will need:  from the Kitchn

12 oz ground coffee

6 cups cold water

Extra:

boiling water (for hot coffee)

cold water (for iced coffee)

milk/nut milk

sweetened condensed milk for Vietnamese-style coffee, if desired. 

sugar or flavorings of choice

Directions:

1. Place ground coffee in large container/bowl

2. Pour cold water over coffee grounds and stir to completely wet all the coffee. After it sits for a few minutes, you will notice some coffee grinds forming a thin layer on top. Stir the mixture yet again. This will ensure maximum contact of water and grinds. 

3. Cover coffee mixture and allow to "steep" at room temperature for about 24 hours. 

4. Strain coffee concentrate using a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, paper towels/coffee liners, etc... the cheesecloth, coffee liners take longer to strain.

I found it best to use a simple fine mesh strainer... it works especially if you are careful not to disturb the coffee grounds that settle on the bottom. I like to press on the grounds to extract as much of the coffee as possible. You might still get some grounds in the concentrate, but it does settle on the  bottom, so when you pour concentrate in the cup, it's mostly free of grounds. However, feel free to use whatever method works for you.

5. Store coffee concentrate in fridge.  

~Use 1:2 ratio( coffee to boiling water) for a cup of coffee. You can easily adjust the ratio to preference. A 1:3 ratio works well, too... especially when you add some milk.