Tiramisù Ice Cream

I woke up the other morning wanting nothing but a nice slice of Tiramisù. Cream, coffee, and chocolate–mmm, a great way to start the day. Funny how those urges come over you at 4:30 in the morning. Unfortunately, I did not have one made and I did not have the time to make one–sigh.

Later in the day, I was running errands with my children and we passed a local ice cream stand. Inside, there was a gentleman standing at the counter. My son turned to me and said, “Who buys ice cream this time of year?” My first reaction was, “Have I taught you nothing about sugar and sweets? Ice cream is a year- round treat even if it is still 35° F outside.” I needed to make this boy some ice cream, STAT. Then my thoughts went immediately to the Tiramisù I was craving–problem solved.

The first time I made this recipe, I told my children that I needed them to taste test something.There was an immediate stampede into the kitchen with shouts of joy in anticipation of a sugary treat (that actually happens about once a day). I filled three silver teaspoons with this concoction, handed them over, and waited for a response. I will spare you all the mmms and ohhhs that went on in “the galley” and just tell you that this is an unbelievable and complex scoop of ice cream. My husband says he could survive on just this ice cream for a week. It is smooth and creamy, tangy and sweet, with hints of coffee and chocolate rippled throughout–it is some kind of good.

This is a mascarpone based ice cream layered with a mocha ripple syrup. As good as the original sounded, I had to make adaptations to suit my own taste. If you remember my post on Tiramisù, I don’t care for ones that have rum, brandy or marsala. That is just too much hard liquor for me. Not that booze is a bad thing, but I feel those flavors overpower the tangy mascarpone, the coffee, and the bit of cocoa. So, I omitted the liquor, slightly increased the amount of Kahlúa, and added some espresso powder to the chocolate ripple syrup (of which I only used half the amount originally called for) for a mocha taste. Because of the liqueur, the ice cream does not freeze rock hard. It stays smooth like frozen yogurt–a perfect texture, and the taste– Heaven!

Tiramisù Ice Cream
makes about 1 1/4 quarts

For the Ice Cream Base
2 cups mascarpone
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup Kahlúa, or other coffee-flavored liqueur

For the Mocha Ripple
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 heaping teaspoon espresso powder
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, purée the mascarpone, half-and-half, sugar, salt, and liqueur until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

To make the Mocha Ripple, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, espresso powder, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil; cook for one minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and chill completely in the refrigerator before using.

Freeze the mascarpone ice cream base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove it from the ice cream maker, alternate several layers of the ripple with the frozen ice cream, beginning and ending with the ice cream, in a 1 1/2 quart freezer-safe storage container. Do not stir the ice cream with the ripple, otherwise you will lose the swirled effect. Place the ice cream in the freezer for several hours to set. Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from The Perfect Scoop

Tiramisù Ice Cream

Prep: 15 minsCook: 5 minsRefrigeration Time: 4 hrsTotal: 4 hrs 20 mins Servings: 1.5 quarts All of the flavors and layers of Tiramisù in one creamy, dreamy, frozen spoonful!

Equipment

• 14-cup food processor
• Ice cream maker
• Ice cream container

Ingredients 

For the Ice Cream Base

• 2 cups mascarpone
• 1 ½ cups half-and-half
• ⅔ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅓ cup Kahlúa, or other coffee-flavored liqueur

For the Mocha Ripple

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 1 heaping teaspoon espresso powder
• 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

1. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, purée the mascarpone, half-and-half, sugar, salt, and liqueur until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
2. To make the Mocha Ripple, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, espresso powder, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil; cook for one minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and chill completely in the refrigerator before using.
3. Freeze the mascarpone ice cream base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove it from the ice cream maker, alternate several layers of the ripple with the frozen ice cream, beginning and ending with the ice cream, in a 1 1/2 quart freezer-safe storage container. Do not stir the ice cream with the ripple, otherwise you will lose the swirled effect. Place the ice cream in the freezer for several hours to set. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 2428kcal, Carbohydrates: 192g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 165g, Saturated Fat: 102g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 385mg, Sodium: 728mg, Potassium: 499mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 179g, Vitamin A: 5057IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 699mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.