Mocha Madness Oreo Ice Cream

The one word I’d use to sum up spring here in Rhode Island so far is rainy. I think we’ve only turned on our sprinkler system two times total, which is awesome because it means my water bill for the summer isn’t going to be nearly as insane as usual. I even ended up bringing my container herbs and veggies inside for a few days last week because I was afraid they were going to drown with all the rain we were getting!

There have only been maybe two or three days that were really, really hot. And of course those were the days I decided it would be a good idea to make ice cream. I guess that part makes total sense – eating ice cream in 90-degree weather is always a good idea! But trying to photograph it before it turns into a soupy mess? Nearly impossible.

I probably had 100 pictures of this ice cream; I think I tried to photograph it three separate times before getting a few I liked. I probably could have saved myself a lot of time and frustration if I’d just turned on the a/c and let the house cool down first 🙂

I just really wanted this ice cream to look as good as it tastes and trust me when I tell you, it is insanely good! Even though I don’t drink coffee, coffee ice cream is right up there with mint chocolate chip as a contender for favorite flavor. I’ve tried a few homemade coffee ice cream recipes, and while this is technically mocha and not coffee, it is still by far the best. I share a ton of treats with my mom but this ice cream drew rave reviews unlike anything I’ve given her in a long, long time.

There’s so much to love about this recipe. First, it’s super simple. As much as I adore custard-based ice cream recipes made using egg yolks they’re definitely more time consuming. There’s no cooking at all here – just whisk together a few ingredients, chill and churn! The ice cream is flavored with instant espresso powder as well as cocoa powder and it though it definitely has a subtle chocolate flavor, the coffee shines through stronger. The original recipe noted that this would be one of those homemade ice creams that gets super hard in the freezer so to prevent that and add a little more flavor I threw in some Kahlua too! Alcohol doesn’t freeze so even just a small amount keeps the ice cream a little softer – you’ll be able to scoop this directly from the freezer without a problem. Just for fun, a few chopped Oreos are thrown into the mix here too. I love adding texture to my ice cream but you could skip the cookies entirely or even go with another mix-in like chocolate chips. Whatever you do, if you’re a fan of coffee ice cream you have to make this ice cream – you will love it!

Mocha Madness Oreo Ice Cream
barely adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1 cup chopped Oreos

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, espresso powder, and cocoa powder until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and Kahlua until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight, which is what I did).

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream reaches soft serve consistency, add the chopped Oreos and continue churning until incorporated, another minute or two. Store in an airtight container in your freezer.

Makes about 1 quart