There’s been a heat wave in my part of the world, which
calls for drinking lots of cool water and a good iced coffee or tea
whenever possible. And then there's ice cream, gelato and sorbet.
As far as ice cream goes, once we feel pleasantly satisfied
with the simple glories of vanilla and chocolate, there is a certain
restlessness to explore other flavor combinations
and possibilites. The beauty of buying an ice cream machine and making your own
is not only the freshness but also the prospect of so many flavors and
textures. You can control the level of
sweetness and fat, play with lots of intriguing additions and keep on going. I’ve done a fair amount of experimenting here
as well as in my cookbook, where I feature some of my favorite
blends.
Today’s journey is another iteration of some of my beloved flavors. I
love coffee and nuts and I also love creamy and I love crunchy. So I set to work on putting
these all together. The result
is a toasted
almond and coffee gelato with an addition of some of Joanne Chang’s
caramel coffee brittle, which adds a crunchy sensation of sweet and
bitter. I like the texture contrast but the gelato is
also delicious without it.
I hope you’re cool wherever you are, enjoying a scoop of
your favorite ice cream, gelato or sorbet.
Bench notes:
- Make the coffee brittle first so it has time to cool and set
up. I used 1/2 recipe from Joanne Chang. You’ll have some extra but it keeps well in
an airtight container and you can garnish plain vanilla ice cream or
enjoy with a cup of coffee.
- Some simple tips for making caramel:
*I use medium high heat and watch it closely.
*To prevent crystallization, have a glass of water and a pastry brush handy to wash down the sides of the pan a couple of times as the sugar is heating up.
*Do not stir caramel while it's cooking.
*Never turn your back on caramel once it begins to show the slightest hint of color. For better control, I like to let it get to a medium amber or honey color and when it starts to smoke, I take it off the heat. At this point, the temperature of the caramel is so high it will continue to cook, darken and smoke. When it looks like it’s reached the right color after about another minute or so, I add the next ingredient to stop the cooking.
*To prevent crystallization, have a glass of water and a pastry brush handy to wash down the sides of the pan a couple of times as the sugar is heating up.
*Do not stir caramel while it's cooking.
*Never turn your back on caramel once it begins to show the slightest hint of color. For better control, I like to let it get to a medium amber or honey color and when it starts to smoke, I take it off the heat. At this point, the temperature of the caramel is so high it will continue to cook, darken and smoke. When it looks like it’s reached the right color after about another minute or so, I add the next ingredient to stop the cooking.
*Once caramel starts to get near the right color, there are 2 ways to
stop the cooking process: from below and from above. To stop the cooking
of caramel from below, you can set the bottom of the pan in ice water
to cool off the pan. However, it will stop cooking much faster if you
cool from above, which means adding another ingredient, such as room
temperature cream or water. For caramel syrup, you would add water. For
caramel sauce you would add various ratios of cream and butter or orange
juice, liquor, cider or other flavored liquid.
*Once you add another ingredient, You can expect the mixture to expand and sputter quite a bit for about a minute, so caution is in order. Make sure the pan is big enough to contain the expansion and sputtering. Wear an oven mitt or rubber glove if you’re worried about getting burned from the caramel or from the steam.
*Ingredients added to stop the cooking should be at room temperature to avoid seizing the caramel.
*Once you add another ingredient, You can expect the mixture to expand and sputter quite a bit for about a minute, so caution is in order. Make sure the pan is big enough to contain the expansion and sputtering. Wear an oven mitt or rubber glove if you’re worried about getting burned from the caramel or from the steam.
*Ingredients added to stop the cooking should be at room temperature to avoid seizing the caramel.
- Cornstarch soaks up water and inhibits ice crystal
formation. Egg yolks also usually perform
that function but I wanted to make this without eggs.
- Toast the sliced almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350
degree F oven for about 6 - 8 minutes. Watch them closely as they will
burn very, very
quickly.
- Homemade ice cream and gelato don’t have any commercial
emulsifiers or additives. So, depending
on the level of sugar and fat, a fresh homemade batch usually needs to sit at
room temperature for a few minutes to soften up for the best enjoyment.
- The cookies featured in these photos are Saucepan Fudge Drops.
- The cookies featured in these photos are Saucepan Fudge Drops.
Almond Coffee Brittle Gelato
Makes about 1 pint
Coffee Brittle
adapted from Joanne Chang
Makes about 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon (5 grams) whole coffee beans
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar
2 tablespoons (1 oz) water
1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter @ room temperature
pinch salt
Almond Coffee Gelato
2 cups (16 oz) heavy cream
1 cup (8 oz) milk, divided
1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (26 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
pinch salt
1 tablespoon (9 grams) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
For the coffee brittle, line a baking sheet with a silpat or
lightly greased parchment. Crush the
coffee beans with a rolling pin or a grinder to medium-fine crumbs.
Combine the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to
a boil over medium high heat, washing down the sides with a pastry brush dipped
in water. Cook until it turns light
amber. Add the crushed coffee
beans (it will foam up a bit), swirl them around in the caramel and
continue to
cook until the caramel turns a medium amber. Remove the pan from the
heat and carefully
whisk in the butter and a slight pinch of salt (it will sputter a bit).
Immediately pour the brittle onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly
tilt
the baking sheet to get the brittle to flow into a thin layer. It’s very hot so be careful not to let it
splash on you. Working quickly, use a metal spatula to spread it into an even thin layer. Cool completely.
Place 2/3 of the cooled brittle in a plastic bag and break
it into small pieces by smashing it with a mallet or rolling pin. Break the
remaining brittle into shards and use them as a garnish.
For the gelato, place the heavy cream, 3/4 cup milk, toasted almonds, both sugars,
instant espresso powder and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup cold milk with
cornstarch until smooth and set aside.
Simmer the cream and nut mixture on medium low heat until
the sugar is dissolved. Add the
cornstarch slurry and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until
slightly thickened. Take off the heat
and add almond extract. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed. Pour into an airtight container and
cool. Cover and place in the
refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s
instructions. Fold in the crushed coffee brittle. Pour into an airtight
container, packing it down to eliminate any air pockets. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface,
cover and place in the freezer to firm up.
Let the gelato sit at room temperature for a few minutes
to soften up before scooping and serving.
