Scooped
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[Photograph: Max Falkowitz]

Ice cream that's aromatic with the gentle flavor of whole cardamom pods and the rich bitterness of coffee.

Note: Use whole cardamom pods for the best flavor. The amount below will give a very subtle cardamom flavor to the ice cream. For a more cardamom-forward scoop, double the amount, but remove before adding the ground coffee.

About the author: Max Falkowitz is the editor of Serious Eats: New York. You can follow him on Twitter at @maxfalkowitz.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: makes about 1 quart
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hours, plus an overnight chill (or at least 6 hours)
Special equipment: ice cream maker

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
  • 2 tablespoons medium ground coffee
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Procedures

  1. In a heavy saucepan bring cream and milk to a simmer. While dairy is heating, toast cardamom pods in a dry skillet until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes, and press down on them to open with the flat side of a knife. When dairy comes to a simmer, remove from heat, stir in cardamom pods, cover, and steep for 30 minutes.

  2. Bring dairy back to a simmer and stir in ground coffee. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 15 minutes. In another medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until very well combined and slightly thickened.

  3. Strain dairy into egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids. And whisk immediately to combine. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until a custard forms on the back of a spoon but a finger swiped across the back leaves a clean line. Strain into an airtight container and stir in salt. Chill custard in refrigerator at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

  4. The next day, churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to airtight container and chill in freezer until firm and scoopable, 3 to 4 hours.