Chestnut financiers

Chestnuts are so underrated, and they shouldn’t be because they are delicious! Boiled, roasted or candied, chestnuts taste amazing, with their soft, creamy and delicate texture. If you want to make me happy over the holidays (or any time, really), get me a box of candied chestnuts! They are to die for!

I’ve been wanting to make a dessert out of chestnut spreads for some time now, but never really got to it. Last year, I made all these plans for a homemade Mont-Blanc. Spent weeks researching for the perfect recipe, planning, buying all the right ingredients, and everything. In the end, I got lazy and my plans went nowhere…

This year, I stumbled on a few cans of chestnut spread while grocery shopping and took it as a sign that I should pull through, this time. Not with the Mont-Blanc, though. That’s way too time consuming. I wanted to bake something simple but tasty. My personnal favorite snacks are financiers, so I decided to give chestnut financiers a try, to see what they taste like. I must say, the result is more than satisfactory! It also helps that this cake is beyond easy to prepare!

Chestnut financiers

Makes approx. 15

ingredients

• 2 cups ground almonds

• 500gr chestnut spread (1 can)

• 4 eggs

• 6 tbsp butter

• salt

directions

1. Preheat oven at 320.

2. Prepare muffin pan with liners.

3. Melt the butter and set aside.

4. Separate eggs yolks from the egg whites.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, and set aside.

6. Still with the electric mixer, mix the egg yolks with the chestnut spread until combined.

7. Add the butter, then the ground almond, mixing well after each addition.

8. Incorporate the egg whites to the mixture, and mix delicately with a spatula.

9. Fill the muffin cases 2/3 full and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

10. Let the cakes rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

And that’s it! How simple was that? The cakes are moist, slightly crumbly, with a sweet but delicate chestnut taste. I dusted the cakes with some icing sugar only to make them pretty, but that’s what I like about financiers (aside from being super easy to make) : they don’t need icing or frosting.

Enjoy!

Almond Pithivier

It’s been a while since I posted anything. I must admit that I’ve been stuck in a rut lately and felt greatly uninspired. I felt lazy and only wanted to stay in familiar and safe territory. But a week or two ago, I decided to give myself a big kick in the butt and start exploring new recipes. I still had a great deal of almond flour in my pantry, as well as puff pastry sheets in the fridge, so I decided to make my own pithivier.

Full disclosure, I am still being lazy here as I used store bought puff pastry sheets instead of making my own, but I know my limitations and puff pastry is one of them. Though I am all about exploring new territory, I am not into setting myself up for failure.

Anyhow. What’s a pithivier, you ask? It’s originally a French pastry made of puff pastry stuffed with a sweet filling, usually frangipane, but it later diversified, with different sweet and savory fillings. In my opinion, however, the almond pithivier is the only one that matters. It’s basically very simple to make but its appearance makes it look intimidating and we assume it’s a hassle to prepare. The key ingredient, really, is dexterity.

Almond pithivier

Makes 8 portions

Ingredients

• 2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 egg and 2 yolks, separated

• 1 1/3 cup almond flour

• 2 tbsp flour

• 2 tbsp rum

• powdered sugar, for dusting

directions

1. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

2. Roll out the puff pastry sheets and cut out a disk in each one. One disk has to be larger than the other. Mine measured 20 and 15 cm. Place each disk on a tray and refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes.

3. While the disks chill in the fridge, prepare the almond cream.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

5. Beat in the egg and one yolk, until combined.

6. Add the rum, then than flour and almond flour. Mix until combined.

7. Remove the disks from the fridge.

8. Spoon a generous amount of almond filling at the center of the larger disk, leaving a 5 cm border around the edge. The filling must form a little mound at the center.

9. Beat the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl with a little bit of water, and brush it around the border.

10. Lay the smaller disk on top of the filling and press its borders down.

11. Lift the lower disk’s border up, and carefully fold it over the smaller disk. Make small folds, pinch them between your fingers and press them down, like you would a pie crust.

12. The filling has to be sealed inside the puff pastry sheets.

13. With a sharp knife, make a small hole in the center.

14. Put the pithivier in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes.

15. In the meantime, preheat the oven at 400°.

16. Remove the pithivier from the fridge and brush the egg yolk over its surface.

17. With the tip of a sharp knife, draw arcs in the top pastry sheet, starting at the center and going toward the outer edge. Make sure you’re not piercing through the sheets, though!

18. Make sure the filling is sealed under the puff pastry and then put it in the oven for 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

19. Turn the heat down to 350° and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes.

20. Remove the pithivier from the oven, turn the heat back up to 400° and dust the pastry with powdered sugar. Bake for another few minutes (4-5 minutes, tops), until the sugar has caramelized and the pastry is glossy.

21. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

For extra indulgence, I like to eat my pithivier with a few spoonfuls of good vanilla ice cream!

Variations

The rum definitely gives the pastry some personality, but if you don’t like the smell or taste of it, just leave it out, but use some almond extract instead (1/2 tsp), for extra flavor.

From then on, use whatever filling you like. Almond is a super versatile flavor that can be combined with any fruit. Pear, apple, peach are all winners.

Also, you cannot lose with chocolate chips!

Have fun and enjoy!

Pistachio/ almond cupcakes

I love pistachios. I love almonds. And it’s only a matter of time before I incorporated my two favorite nuts into a single cake and the result exceeded my expectations! Full of flavor, nutty, a bit crunchy, dense but moist… And instead of a regular frosting, I opted for icing in this case. A thick, almond-flavored icing. The simplicity of the cake only adds to its appeal. The cake is so pretty it can be served for special occasions and dazzle your guests, or it can be a quick snack and/or breakfast. I chose to bake cupcakes but you can easily bake the batter in a loaf pan if you prefer it that way. In that case, bake for up to 50 minutes.

What I like about this recipe is that the quantities for the dry ingredients can vary depending on what’s available in your pantry. Ideally, you need a total of 2 cups of flour mixture (3/4 cup ground almonds, 3/4 cup ground pistachios and 1/2 cup flour). But, as it turned out, I did not have enough pistachios at the time I wanted to bake the cakes, and I really didn’t feel like going to the grocery store just to purchase that single item. So, I compensated with more ground almonds. The recipe below is the one I made when I didn’t have enough pistachios.

Even though I used less pistachios than almonds, the pistachios’ flavor is strong enough for it to stand out. It also helped that I did not grind the pistachios into a fine flour. Since I like a little bit of crunch, I coarsely ground them so that chunks are in the mix.

Pistachio/ almond cupcakes

Makes approx. 16

ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1 cup ground almonds

• 1/2 cup coarsely ground pistachios

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• Zest from 1 lemon

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp almond extract

• 3 tbsp milk

For the icing

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

• 3 tbsp heavy cream

• 1 tsp almond extract

• toasted sliced almond for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 350 and put cupcake liners in a muffin pan.

2. In a bowl, sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix in ground almonds, pistachios and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix sugar and butter at medium speed, until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.

4. Add eggs and lemon zest. Mix well until smooth.

5. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts and milk. If the mixture looks a bit curdled, don’t worry.

6. With a spatula, fold in the flour mixture until well incorporated.

7. Scoop batter equally into cupcake liners and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Let the cakes rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

9. While the cakes cool, prepare the icing.

10. In a bowl, mix together the sifted confectioners’ sugar, cream and almond extract until the mixture is smooth. The result should be thick but pourable.

11. Pour the icing on the cooled cakes with a spoon, until icing reaches the border of the liner, and decorate with sliced almonds on top.

And that’s it! The whole process did not take over an hour to prepare and that’s what I like about this recipe. You crave something, you make it in no time and then you eat it. Should not be any harder than that.

Little note : it goes without saying but you must wait until the cakes have cooled completely before pouring the icing on top. If the cakes are still warm, the sugar will melt and the icing will lose some of its texture.

Enjoy!

Easy brownies

Brownies are uncontestedly the best comfort food out there. And for that reason, they should not require much time not effort to prepare, because the comfort is needed NOW!

I have tried and tested numerous recipes over the years, and to be frank, almost most of them are great. This one is still my favorite because it requires only one egg, not much flour and can quickly be made in one bowl before being sent in the oven. If you like chewy and crunchy brownies, this recipe is for you.

Easy brownies

Makes 16 2” squares

ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 3/4 to 1 cup packed brown sugar (the quantity depends on how much of a sweet tooth you are)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

directions

1. Preheat oven at 350.

2. Line a 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.

3. In a bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and salt until combined.

4. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well.

5. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Stir until incorporated. If not using an electric mixer, use a spatula for this step, it’ll be easier to mix.

6. Fold in the chocolate chunks and pecan.

7. Pour batter in the pan, spread it evenly into an even layer.

8. Bake for 18 minutes.

Let cool a bit on a rack, slice and enjoy!

The cake should be soft and chewy. I prefer by far chocolate chunks to chips because they add some crunch to the dessert but you don’t have any or prefer melted chocolate, use chips. I also use dark chocolate but semi sweet will also do but personally, I find them too sweet. The pecans are there for more crunch and to add some nutty flavor as well.

The resulting brownies are a bit thin but I like that!

It took less than half an hour from beginning to end, to make these brownies, and that’s perfect.

Enjoy!

Lemon/blueberry mille-feuilles and pistachio/raspberry tartlets

I made a few little pastries for our office Christmas party, and since a lot of people have since asked me for the recipes, I decided to share them in a blog post.

I wanted to make something easy, but pretty, and most importantly tasty! I usually do not have that much time to whip something up after work and supper, so these desserts were just perfect! I made mille-feuilles with lemon curd and glazed blueberries on top, as well as little tartlets with pistachio frosting and raspberries. Ideally, the lemon curd and the pistachio frosting should be made in advance, so that all you’re left to do is bake the puff pastry and assemble everything! Both mille-feuilles and tartlets were made with sheets of puff pastry to save time. To save even more time, I bought sheets of frozen puff pastry. Yes, I could make my own, but when it comes to puff pastry, I prefer to buy it for 2 reasons : I save tons of time because puff pastry is a hassle to make and most importantly, home-made puff pastry requires A LOT of butter, and that stuff is super expensive! So store-bought it is

Anyways, here are the instructions !

Lemon/blueberry mille-feuilles and pistachio/raspberry tartlets

Makes around 20 mini pastries

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh raspberries

• 1 box of 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed

• 4 tbsp sugar

Glazed blueberries

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Lemon curd

• Click here for recipe

Pistachio frosting

• Click here for recipe

directions

Puff pastry

1. Preheat oven at 375.

2. Unroll a sheet of puff pastry and cover evenly the surface with 1 tbsp of sugar.

3. Turn the sheet over and cover the other surface with 1 tbsp of sugar.

4. Proceed the same way with the other sheet of thawed puff pastry.

5. Put the sheets in the freezer for 10 minutes.

6. Cut the sheets into the desired shapes. I chose 2”x5” rectangles, 2”x2” squares and 2” circles.

7. Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet and transfer the cut puff pastry onto the cookie sheet.

8. To prevent the puff pastry from puffing up to much (we want them to stay super thin), put parchment paper on top of the puff pastry, and place at least another baking sheet on top. In my case, I bought a set of 3 baking sheets of 3 different sizes. I used the biggest one for the puff pastry and put the 2 smaller ones on top.

9. Bake for 20 minutes.

10. Remove the cookie sheets and parchment from the top of the puff pastry and continue baking for approximately 10 minutes. This step allows for the sugar on top of the puff pastry to caramelize a bit.

11. Keep an eye on the puff pastry because each shape will bake at different speed. Have a cooling rack ready, and remove each piece one by one as they appear done and uniformly brown.

12. Let the puff pastry cool down completely before assembling.

Berries

1. Wash the berries thoroughly and dry them.

2. Set the raspberries aside.

3. Put the blueberries in a large bowl and cover them with lemon juice.

4. Mix them carefully with the powdered sugar, making sure that all the berries are completely covered with sugar.

5. Set them aside, either on the counter or uncovered in the fridge.

Assembling the lemon/blueberry mille-feuilles

1. Transfer the lemon curd into a piping bag, with a round tip (I used a Wilton W5569).

2. Take 2 pieces of puff pastry, making sure they are the same size. I used the square shape in this case.

3. Pipe the curd on one pastry sheet, and spread a tiny bit of curd at the enter of the other.

4. So now you have a sheet of puff pastry with piped lemon curd on top (sheet A) and a sheet of puff pastry with a little bit of lemon curd spread on its center (sheet B).

5. Place sheet B on top of sheet A, curd side up.

6. Carefully place blueberries on top of sheet B. The spread lemon curd ensures that the blueberries don’t move and stay in place.

Assembling the pistachio/raspberry tartlets

1. Transfer the pistachio frosting in a piping bag. I don’t really remember which piping tip was used, but a star-shaped tip like a Wilton 4B or a Wilton 6B will do the trick.

2. In this case, I used the rectangular and the round puff pastry.

3. Apply frosting on one surface and then decorate with raspberries.

And that’s it! Of course, you could make lemon/blueberry tartlets and pistachio/raspberry mille-feuilles as well! Which I did, a bit, since I had some leftover ingredients afterwards. I had fun mixing things up a bit!

The pastries were a hit at the office Christmas party, and their colors were on point also! They’re great because they are not too heavy or too filling, and the lemon as well as the raspberries provide a much needed freshness in the palate!

This is a super easy dessert to prepare, as long as you plan ahead!

Enjoy!

Pistachio frosting

As I have very often mentioned, I love, love, love pistachios! If I want a fancy dessert, chances are that I will resort to using pistachios because not only do they taste amazing, but they also provide a beautiful dash of green color. This works particularly well if I want to make something special for Christmas. Add cranberries or raspberries, and you are set!

I have looked long and hard for a frosting recipe that will not diminish in any way the color nor the taste of this amazing nut, and I think I’ve found it! It requires some pistachio paste, so I recommend that you make it before hand to save some time. For how to prepare pistachio paste, click here.

Pistachio frosting

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (more if needed)

• 3/4 cup pistachio paste

• Pinch of salt

directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and powdered sugar at medium/high speed, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. About 2 or 3 minutes.

2. Add the pistachio paste and a pinch of salt, and continue mixing at medium speed. Add more powdered sugar if the mixture is not as sweet as you would have liked or if it doesn’t have the consistence that you desire.

3. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed, and mix at high speed for a minute or two.

And that’s it! Your pistachio frosting is done and it should have kept its green color! If you don’t need right away, you can store it in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for up to a week. What’s great with this frosting is that it’s not too sweet, and you don’t lose any of the pistachio’s flavor.

Enjoy!

Lemon curd

I love lemons. To me, they are synonym to brightness and freshness. They alleviate any meal and/or desserts they are added to. So, when I want to make a light and not too sweet dessert, I always turn to lemons. And lemon custards are my favorite things to prepare because they can be eaten alone, with a simple cookie or wafer on the side, or they can be added to tarts, creams, cakes, and the list goes on and on! Lemon curd is super easy to whip up and is a life-saver!

My favorite recipe comes from Patrice Demers, one of the best pastry chefs around, and certainly the best one in Montreal. If you speak French, I highly recommend that you check out his books, La Carte des Desserts, Les Desserts de Patrice and Parcours Sucré. The recipes look intimidating at first but don’t let appearances discourage you! Individually, each recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and the chef makes clear and concise instructions as to how to assemble the desserts so they look original professionally made. His books, among others, have become my baking bible.

Back to the topic at hand, lemon curd. The important thing to know here, is that it must be prepared at least one day before. So plan ahead and accordingly!

Lemon curd

ingredients

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 cup sugar

• 4 eggs

• lemon zest (2 or 3 lemons)

• 1 cup non-salted butter, cubed

directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat lemon juice, zest and 1/2 sugar until boiling.

2. In a bowl, whip the remaining sugar with the 4 eggs until well combined.

3. While whisking constantly, pour the hot lemon mixture into the sugar/egg mixture.

4. Pour everything back into the pan and heat at medium/high heat. Continually whisk the mixture.

5. Put the cubed butter in the bowl on an electric mixer.

6. When bubbles start appearing in the lemon mixture, take it off the heat and pour it on top of the butter.

7. Turn the electric mixer on at medium speed and whip until the butter has melted and is fully incorporated into the lemon mixture.

8. Press a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate over night.

And that’s it! The next day, you have a delicious, creamy lemon curd that can be used for any dessert! Seriously, I could just sit and eat spoonfuls of this stuff.

Mini baked sour cream donuts

I woke up the other day with a crazy craving for donuts. Unfortunately, there are no proper donut places nearby and since we are in the dead of winter, I really did not want to dress up and trek almost across town for the sole purpose of satisfying my cravings. It was easier to make them myself. That way, I get the flavor I want and I get to stay in pajamas!

The downside, though, is that I am absolutely terrified of deep frying! So, I had to resort to baking, which means that texture-wise, I would not get exactly what I had a hankering for. But that’s ok.

I’ve never really been into those extravagant, super colorful, hyper decorated donuts to begin with, so I was looking for something pretty simple and easy to make. I went for sour cream donuts. And, of course, me being me, I made them bite-size because a) they are way cuter than regular size donuts! and b) they take up twice as less time to bake!

Mini baked sour cream donuts

Makes about 48 mini donuts

ingredients

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/8 tsp almond extract

• 1/4 cup canola oil (+ more to grease the mold)

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• a pinch of cinnamon (optional)

For the glaze

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/8 almond extract

directions

1. Preheat oven at 350.

2. Grease your mini donut mold.

3. In a bowl, mix together sour cream, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, canola oil and sugar, until combined. No need to use an electric mixer here. I mixed everything together using a spatula and it worked out fine!

4. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until combined.

5. Fill the mold only half-way. I used a piping bag with a small round tip to make filling the mold easier.

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until the donuts are slightly golden on top.

7. Let the donuts rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

8. To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl until well combined.

9. Before covering the donuts with glaze, prepare your work area: put parchment paper on a big cookie sheet, then put a wire cooling rack on top. This prevents the glaze from trickling down on your counter top, and the parchment paper prevents you from having to wash the cookie sheet!

10. Once you’re set up, dip the mini donuts in the glaze using a fork (see photo below). Let the donut rest on the fork a while to let the excess glaze drip down and back into the bowl before putting it on the rack.

11. If you have some left-over glaze, dip the donuts back in for a double-glaze!

12. Let the glaze set completely before enjoying the mini donuts.

That’s it! How easy was that? The hardest part was waiting for the glaze to set. This recipe makes about 48 mini donuts but they’re so tasty that you’ll gulp them down in no time! I was afraid I would only get donut-shaped cakes, but the result is actually pretty close to what I was craving! Texture-wise, they are quite close to old-fashioned donuts : a bit dense, but still moist. Needless to say that my hankering was completely satisfied!

This made me confident enough to explore more baked donuts recipes. I’ll keep you updated!

Black sesame seed ice cream

This dreadful and seemingly endless winter we’ve had this year is over and ice cream season has finally come! Ice cream is undoubtedly my favorite dessert because it’s got everything to make life better: it’s sweet, cold, refreshing and comes in so many different flavors and textures that we can never get bored!

That being said, we often times have to search for special flavors. Stores always sell the same old traditional flavors while parlors that actually make original flavors are rare and usually not that accessible. That’s why, a few summers ago, I decided to invest in my very own ice cream machine. I can now make any ice cream I want, whenever I want! Truth be told, making a proper good ice cream is not that easy and requires some patience, which I do not have when in the midst of a serious craving. But I still consider a 45 minute commute and waiting in line behind a bunch of undecided people who cannot make up their mind already, the worst of all possible options.

Anyways, after having made regular ice creams like vanilla or pistachio, I decided to tackle something different: black sesame seeds. I love sesame seeds. They add so much flavor, depth and texture to meals, it’s incredible. Though black sesame seeds pretty much taste the same as the white ones, their color is the reason why I chose them over white sesame. I wanted something different, something that would stand out.

Not only is the result eye catching, but it’s also delicious! The taste is incredible, the ice cream is unctuous and the little sprinkle of toasted black sesame seeds on top adds a very welcome crunch. Amazing!

ingredients

Black sesame paste

• 1/2 cup black sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp honey

Ice cream

• Black sesame paste

• 1.5 cup milk

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 4 egg yolks

• 1.5 cup cold heavy cream

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping (optional)

• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds

• 1/8 tsp salt

directions

1. Roast the black sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat. Set aside fora few minutes to cool.

2. Grind the sesame seeds in a food processor. When a paste starts to form, add the honey. Continue grinding to mix the ingredients together and until the mixture attains a paste-like consistency. The whole mixture must be able to hold together.

3. In a bowl, vigorously whisk egg yolks. Set aside.

4. In a pot over medium heat, mix together milk, sugar, sesame paste and salt, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves.

5. With a ladle, add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, one spoonful at a time, whisking constantly so the eggs don’t curdle. Mix until incorporated.

6. Return the mixture to the pan and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. If you can draw a line on the back of the spoon, you can stop stirring.

7. Pour the cold heavy cream in a bowl and pour the milk mixture in it as well. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.

8. Cover the surface with a plastic wrap and put the bowl in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

9. Make the ice cream in the ice cream machine, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

10. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze until firm.

11. In the meantime, prepare the topping by roasting the remaining sesame seeds with the salt. Transfer into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Before scooping, let the ice cream rest a bit at room temperature, as it tends to harden a bit in the freezer. Once scooped, top it with a bit of salty roasted sesame seeds, or with the topping of your choice.

If you’re looking for a different flavor, this one is definitely it. The flavor is rich and dense, but quite indescribable. I must admit that it is not for everyone but it absolutely deserves a try!

Vietnamese coffee ice cream

My childhood memories are mostly food related. Tastes and smells often trigger something deep in my mind, taking me back in time. My fondest memory revolved around my father and his ice coffees. Every day during summertime, he would make himself one and, if I'm good, he'd make one for me too. Didn't matter how young I was, didn't matter that I wasn't even old enough to go to school yet, I was already drinking coffee! These sort of things never bothered my parents, and or that, I'm grateful! 

My father usually made a simple instant coffee with ice cubes. He'd make his black and he would put some sugar in mine. But, when he's in a good mood or when he feels fancier, he'd go to the store and buy a can of condensed milk. I loved these cans! Still do! What is he doing with the condensed milk? Well, Vietnamese ice coffee, of course! Also known as cà phê đá (cà phê = coffee and đá = ice), Vietnamese ice coffee, along with staples such as the Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) are the perfect result of the effect of French colonialism on Vietnamese culture. 

There are different variations but typically, you make a Vietnamese coffee by pouring some condensed milk at the bottom of your glass, then pour freshly brewed coffee on top. Add ice cubes, mix the whole thing together and enjoy! On very hot days, my father would substitute the condensed milk for vanilla ice cream, and I'm in heaven! 

My father would make these coffees out of nostalgia. He was homesick and sipping this refreshing cold drink reminded him of home. The other day I was myself also feeling nostalgic and decided to revisit one of my childhood favorites. Anyone who knows me well would tell you that although I love baking, my absolute all-time dessert of choice is ice cream. I worship ice cream! Can't have enough and I would eat them at any time of the year. Who said they were just for summer? Anyways, it was a hot summer day and I realized that I hadn't had a Vietnamese coffee in decades. Even though I started drinking coffee at a very young age, I did not grow up to be a coffee maniac. One cup a day in the morning is enough for me. Since I just bought myself an ice cream machine, I decided to combine my favorite childhood treat with my favorite dessert, and behold, the Vietnamese coffee ice cream!

The result was extremely satisfying! It tasted like my early childhood, it was refreshing and the coffee still had a kick (I was concerned all the ice would have diminished its effect).

So, if you're looking to make something different this summer, why don't you give this one a try? Plus, it's super easy to prepare!

Vietnamese coffee ice cream

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup of good freshly brewed coffee
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix together the coffee, condensed milk, and cream until combined. Cover and chill the mixture overnight.
2. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze until firm.

That's it! How easy was that? I like to sprinkle some ground coffee in the mixture in step 3 because I enjoy the little crunch. If that's not your cup of tea, leave it like that or add a few dark chocolate chips if you like. Even better, melt the chocolate and pour it in the ice cream machine, when the ice cream is almost ready. If your machine does not allow that, pour it in the mixture in step 3 and delicately mix a little bit. The melted chocolate will freeze into fine and delicate strands. The end result would be more refined than just chocolate chips.

Note: If the coffee is too strong for you, use 1 cup of brewed coffee instead of 1 1/2. 

Enjoy!