Mai & Maxime

Condensed milk ice cream. Need I say more?

If you love cà phê sữa đá, you will love this dessert. If you don’t know cà phê sữa đá- this classic Vietnamese style coffee drink involves very strong coffee brewed in a phin – a traditional Vietnamese coffee filter/press, creamy sweet condensed milk, and ice.

It.Is.Heavenly.

We decided to turn it into a dessert: a Vietnamese take on Italian affogato. Rather than vanilla ice cream, we are making a condensed milk ice cream by mixing it with whipped heavy cream. You can do this by hand or with a stand mixer- no ice cream maker necessary!

For the coffee, instead of espresso- we will brew some delicious concentrated Vietnamese coffee with a phin. Pour that liquid gold on top of the ice cream and voilà, cà phê sữa đá in dessert form!

INGREDIENTS FOR CÀ PHÊ SỮA ĐÁ AFFOGATO

• Sweetened condensed milk – Sữa đặc có đường: Even though “Cà phê sữa đá” literally translates to “Coffee milk ice”, the milk is always sweetened condensed milk. You can technically use any sweetened condensed milk, but the tried and true for Vietnamese people is Longevity Brand, aka Sữa Ông Thọ.
• Heavy cream – Kem sữa béo: Also known as heavy whipping cream- this has some of the highest fat percentages amongst dairy products. This high fat content is what helps make the ice cream… well… creamy!
• Salt – Muối: Adding a pinch of salt to sweet desserts adds complexity and brings out the flavors.
• Coffee – Cà phê: Obviously I recommend using Vietnamese coffee (Robusta is the main type cultivated there) brewed the Vietnamese way in a phin, but you can use any type of coffee and brewing method you like- just make sure the coffee is nice and concentrated!

DIRECTIONS FOR CÀ PHÊ SỮA ĐÁ AFFOGATO

Make the ice cream

1. Chill your chosen ice container in the freezer. I recommend a metal loaf pan.
2. Stir together the condensed milk and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Whip the heavy cream in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until it is thick and no longer liquid.
   You can also use a hand mixer (or a whisk but be prepared for an arm workout).
4. Gently fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a spatula until combined and there are very few lumps remaining.
5. Fold this mixture back into the remaining whipped cream until fully combined.
6. Pour into the chilled loaf pan and use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly.
7. Cover and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.

Serve

1. Chill your serving glass(es) in the freezer for 10 minutes.
   This is optional but will help prevent your ice cream from melting too quickly.
2. Brew your coffee.
   Naturally, coffee brewed with a phin will not be scalding hot due to the slow drip. If you’re using a different brewing method that results in very hot coffee, let it cool down to luke warm temperature. This will prevent shocking your serving glass and melting the ice cream too quickly.
3. Add 1-2 scoops of ice cream to a glass.
4. Pour coffee over the ice cream and serve immediately.

RECIPE VIDEO

Cà phê sữa đá affogato with condensed milk ice cream

Course: DessertCuisine: Vietnamese, ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Makes

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Resting Time

5

hours 

Total time

5

hours 

10

minutes

A Vietnamese take on an Italian classic: condensed milk ice cream and Vietnamese coffee – Cà phê sữa đá in dessert form.

Ingredients

• 400 g 400 sweetened condensed milk (See Notes)

• 470 ml 470 heavy cream

• 1/8 tsp 1/8 fine salt

• Coffee (See Notes)

Directions

• To make the ice cream
• Chill your chosen ice container in the freezer. I recommend a metal loaf pan.
• Stir together the condensed milk and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Whip the heavy cream in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until it is thick and no longer liquid.
  You can also use a hand mixer (or a whisk but be prepared for an arm workout).
• Gently fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a spatula until combined and there are very few lumps remaining.
• Fold this mixture back into the remaining whipped cream until fully combined.
• Pour into the chilled loaf pan and use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly.
• Cover and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
• To serve
• Chill your serving glass(es) in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  This is optional but will help prevent your ice cream from melting too quickly.
• Brew your coffee.
  Naturally, coffee brewed with a phin will not be scalding hot due to the slow drip. If you’re using a different brewing method that results in very hot coffee, let it cool down to luke warm temperature. This will prevent shocking your serving glass and melting the ice cream too quickly.
• Add 1-2 scoops of ice cream to a glass.
• Pour coffee over the ice cream and serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Notes

• You can technically use any sweetened condensed milk, but the tried and true for Vietnamese people is Longevity Brand, a.k.a Sữa Ông Thọ.
• Obviously I recommend using Vietnamese coffee (Robusta is the traditional bean) brewed the Vietnamese way in a phin, but you can use another type of coffee and brewing method- just make sure the coffee is nice and concentrated!
  You can use as much or as little coffee as you like for serving. I recommend using about 50-70ml per serving.

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