Welcome everybody to the August edition of the Crazy Ingredient Challenge! I just love this challenge every month. The challenge is to create a recipe with two unique ingredients that are not traditionally found in the same recipe. And I was so very excited to get the two ingredients this month. Spearheaded by the lovely Dawn at Spatula’s On Parade, we are a group that likes to think outside the cookbook and create some fun recipes each month. Want to know what the August challenge is? I hope you’re as excited as I am…. It’s coffee & cashews! Woot, woot!
Ooohhhh…. two of my favorite foods on earth. I drink coffee every single day and have never met a cashew I didn’t like. Salted, raw… doesn’t matter. I can eat my body weight in them. Never had both in one recipe and my brain immediately went to dessert. And Hubby’s first thought….. ice cream!
As a kid, I loved the coffee chocolate chip ice cream they had at the Ice House ice cream shop near my home. Sadly, the shop is long gone but who said I can’t do something similar? Instead of chocolate chips, I used cashews. I made my traditional vanilla ice cream recipe but added instant Cafe Bustelo espresso and dark chocolate cocoa. I didn’t think using milk chocolate would do this justice although Hubby thought that was the better option. He was overruled.
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Mocha Latte Ice Cream with Cashews
Print recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups half & half
- 1/2 cup Cafe Bustelo Instant Espresso
- 1/8 cup Hershey Dark Cocoa Powder
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3/4-1 cups chopped cashews
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| On the stove, heat about 1 cup of the half and half until just warmed. Stir in the coffee, chocolate and sugar. Cook until dissolved. You don't want to cook it over high heat. Just warm enough to dissolve the other ingredients. | |
| Step 2 | |
|
Stir in the remaining half and half, then immediately remove it from the stove, pour into a container, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.  | |
| Step 3 | |
|
Once nice and chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturers directions. Pour into a freezer safe container and stir in the cashews. Place in freezer for about 6 hours until fully chilled.  | |
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Oh my, this was good. The richness of the dark chocolate was perfect with the espresso coffee. And the cashews were yummy. I think next time I’ll use more espresso and a bit less of the dark chocolate to get more coffee flavor, but this was delicious. Maybe I’ll add another half teaspoon of vanilla bean paste too. Hubby is now saying he can have his morning coffee in ice cream form since it’s caffeinated. I think he’s just looking for an excuse to have ice cream for breakfast.
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When my kids were young we would take a drive to the London Dairy and they had the best cashew sundaes ever. I had completely forgotten about them until this post. Your ice cream looks great!!!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm recently posted…Sprinkles of Love Cake for Bundt Bakers
I love an ice cream that doesn’t require eggs! This looks perfect.
This sounds scrumptious! I like nuts in my ice cream and luckily I have lots of cashews left, just need the half and half…
Audrey recently posted…Cashew Mocha Bars – Crazy Ingredient Challenge
There’s an ice cream shop in Jamaica that has the most amazing coffee ice cream. It’s my fourth favourite ice cream. I am most definitely going to make this.
Kelster recently posted…Vanilla Mini Bundts – #BundtBakers
Lori, this LOOKS fabulous. I can’t wait to try it. My husband is newly dairy-free…so, more for me and the boys!!
Camilla @ Culinary Adventures recently posted…Lamb Tikka Masala {Dairy-Free}
ooh I love Cafe Bustelo! And cashew ice cream! YUM great job
Dawn ~ Spatulas On Parade recently posted…Mocha Cashew Bowl CIC
Ahh I can’t believe we’re jus stumbling across this Chopped style ingredient challenge! My husband and I would LOVE to participate in something like this. Your ice cream looks delicious!! We are suckers for ice cream every single time and coffee ice cream is even better!
Lair @ Our Foodie Appetite recently posted…Princess Anne Farmer’s Market – Virginia Beach
This sounds awesome… I love coffee ice cream and put in some cashew ~~~~ PERFECT!
Marlys (This and That) recently posted…Back to School ~ Clipboards