Cafe De Olla Ice Cream

Yup, its Saturday and I am in Mexico…well, not literally but virtually. After eating a bowl of this sinful, ultra glamorous and ever graceful ice cream, I can only imagine people enjoying their favorite Cafe De Olla in Mexico and sipping their way to renewed energy every day. Before you start wondering about my Mexican obsession, let me tell you I am way more obsessed about Tuscany and Austria…What brings me to Mexico is this lovely and decadent ice cream which is inspired by the Cafe De Olla coffee which is a traditional Mexican coffee beverage. This type of coffee is principally consumed in cold climates and in rural areas.

The “Olla” here refers to a tall, ceramic pot used in Mexico for simmering stews and beans. It is also the preferred vessel for brewing this traditional sweet coffee beverage as it gives a special flavor to the coffee. This method uses fewer beans than other brewing methods to produce a less concentrated extraction. Boiling the grinds enhances the beans’ bitterness and acidity, so piloncillo (a dark Mexican cane sugar with molasses-like flavors) and cinnamon are used to tame the coffee’s bite in Mexican households.

Being a marvelous adaptation of this ice cream and an inspiring delight in itself, it is really easy to make this ice cream as well. I have tried to mold the recipe on such a way that you enjoy an ice cream which is as creamy, light and rich in flavor as a market bought ice cream. Two secret ingredients – CMC powder and GMS powder give you a creation which won’t melt that fast and has the perfect texture. Just hop onto our all-time favorite – Amazon to get these products delivered and everything else you will find right in your fridge.

Let me tell you where the magic lies in this ice cream recipe and what makes it so incredible:

  • The mild coffee flavor rather than a strong mocha one makes it superbly delicious and helps the coffee to blend rightly with the other ingredients.
  • It superbly creamy, just so smooth and silky – you literally see a shine on the surface as you make it.
  • I have used way less sugar and that makes it a little healthier if not more and extremely graceful. It’s not like any other ice cream which is loaded with a lot of sugar.
  • The flavor of the orange and the spices added to it helps to distinguish the ice cream from all its peers. The orange blends with the coffee like long lost friends and the spices help to enhance their delightful combination.

One thing to note – I have used a dark roast Kenyan coffee here and Nescafe as well. The dark roast and strong Kenyan coffee gives the ice cream a different kind of flavor and to prevent the ice-cream from becoming too much of it (the strong dark roast flavor), the Nescafe is a good addition. You can use any strong coffee you have and mix it with Nescafe to do justice to this lovely creation.

Well, give this recipe a go and do post me updates….enjoy the impressive and delicate flavors of Cafe De Olla as you transport yourself to a Mexican sojourn within the confines of your balcony….its Mexico calling this season!

 

RECIPE:

A sinful combination of spices, orange and coffee, this ice cream is a tad hard to resist and forget. Inspired from the traditional Cafe De olla coffee from Mexico, it is the best coffee flavored ice cream you will ever have….Take my word….tastes like death!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup hot brewed coffee (I added 1 1/2 tbsp of dark roast coffee and 2 1/2 tbsp of Nescafe in some water to make this brew)

100 ml full fat milk

2 1/2 tbsp of Nescafe

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

4 tbsp sweetened condensed Milk

1 cup Amul cream

1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel

1/4 tsp CMC powder

1 Tbsp GMS powder

1 Tbsp cornflour

 

Method:

  • Combine hot coffee, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in sweetened condensed milk until blended.
  •  Cover and chill until cold.
  •  In a small bowl add the corn flour, CMC powder and GMS powder . Take about 3-4 tbsp of milk from the 100 ml milk to make a smooth paste of these.
  • Now heat the remaining milk in a pan and let it come to a boil. Add sugar and mix well. Then add this paste and stir well with the help of a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Keep the flame on medium.
  • The mixture will tend to thicken in 2-3 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool down.
  • Then strain the mixture with the help of a wire mesh to eliminate any leftover lumps.
  • Add the cream in a bowl and add the above mixture to it. Combine them well. Now add the chilled coffee mixture and mix everything well together.
  • Add the ice cream mixture in a container, cover it up and let it chill for 5-6 hours.
  • Then take out the chilled mixture. Let it be at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
  • Use a beater to beat the ice cream mixture. Within minutes the volume will almost double up and the mixture will be smooth, creamy and thick.
  • Pour it into your ice cream container now. Cover the top with a foil. Place the lid on top and let freeze for next 10-12 hours.