My love for coffee knows no bounds. If it was up to me, I would breathe coffee-flavored oxygen too! But sadly, that can’t be done. What can be done is that I keep finding exciting ways to incorporate more and more coffee into my daily life.
My daughter loves ice cream. It would be freezing cold, and yet she couldn’t help herself with a nice serving. I often have to pay for her mischief by wiping her nose all day. One fine day, when I was digging for something new related to coffee, I came across a wonderful treat. It instantly stuck to my mind because the recipe had two of our favorites together in one. It is none other than the famous German Iced Coffee or Eiskafee.
The Origin of Ice Coffee + Ice Cream
The history of iced coffee goes back to 1840. In Algeria, it was made with coffee syrup mixed with cold water. This was the same time when other cold beverages like slushies popped up on the market. Over time, instead of mixing coffee syrup in cold water, coffee was brewed properly, and milk was added to it.
The coffee was either poured hot over ice or was chilled first in the refrigerator. Since sugar does not dissolve well in cold liquids, it was added separately or added before chilling. Iced coffee became famous when brands like Dunkin Donuts started selling it.
Although eiskaffee seems to have German origin, the concept originated in other parts of the world. It is also speculated that the origin of ice cream coffee is Italian. It is no surprise that the ice cream parlors in Germany are mostly run by immigrants from Italy.
The classic eiskaffee consists of a milk-based coffee mixed with vanilla ice cream and is served as a drink. It can be served as a dessert with different sides like fresh fruit and cookies, but the original eiskaffee only has coffee and ice cream. Other common flavors of coffee include cappuccino and espresso.
Eiskaffee is exactly what it sounds like – a bowl of yummy ice cream with chilled coffee. It is super easy to make and can be enjoyed on a hot sunny day or a freezing evening. You can serve this delicious dessert after dinner to your guests as well, and you are sure to get a ton of praise. Here are the recipes that I found the most fascinating:
1. Classic Eiskaffee
This recipe requires nothing fancy. You can add toppings of your choice, but here I have added the most basic recipe for Eiskaffee.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold coffee
- 1 cup vanilla ice cream
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- 2 to 3 tsp. sugar
Method
- Brew some cold coffee and set it aside. In a bowl, mix cold coffee with evaporated milk and sugar.
- Chill the mixture. I suggest that if you plan to have this drink in the morning, put the mixture in the refrigerator at night.
- Take a tall glass and put a scoop full of ice cream in it. Pour in the chilled coffee mixture.
- Serve it as it is with a long ice cream spoon. You can add whipped cream on top if you want something filling.
Eiskaffee with a Twist
Ingredients
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup chilled German coffee
- ½ cup whipped cream
- 1 tsp grated chocolate
- Wafer cookies
Method
- Brew coffee and refrigerate it until completely chilled.
- Take a fancy drinking glass and put a full scoop of ice cream in it. Pour the coffee to the full, leaving just a little space.
- Make a mountain of whipped cream at the top, or use a piping bag to make delicate swirls. Be generous with the cream because it will enhance the overall flavor.
- Sprinkle freshly grated chocolate on top. In addition, you can also use colorful sprinkles to make it look pretty.
- Poke a wafer at the side of the glass, and your eiskaffee is ready to be served. Serve it with sugar on the side for people who prefer more sweetness.
Conclusion
Who would have thought that a hot beverage like coffee could be added to freezing ice cream, and the result could be so delicious? But to my absolute happiness, it happened, and I cannot thank the Germans/Italians enough. Now I can enjoy ice cream with coffee to my heart’s content, or maybe I can choose a coffee-flavored ice cream to double the fun. I am sure my daughter will happily give me company, and I will gladly wipe her nose as long as she lets me enjoy my eiskaffee in peace.
