Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches

Published on September 3, 2020 | By
ice cream sandwiches

Vietnamese coffee is guaranteed to give you a jolt, a sweet jolt. I like it iced or hot. I have had Vietnamese iced coffee pie and Vietnamese ice cream and thought why not Vietnamese iced coffee ice cream sandwiches?

Imagine this, creamy coffee flavored frozen cream wedged between two chocolate cookies. This is not your typical ice cream sandwich, but surely it will be good.

Traditional Vietnamese iced coffee is made with a strong dark roast coffee and many times with coffee and chicory such as our homegrown Cafe du Monde brand coffee. The coffee is dripped directly over the individual cup and then served with a sweet full fat condensed milk stirred into the hot or cold brew. Maybe it is my weakness for condensed milk that draws me to this coffee.

When I was a child, my grandmother, “Maw Maw,” kept a little cut glass container filled with condensed milk on her kitchen table. My grandparents actually used the condensed milk as a sweetener in their morning cup of tea.

Maw Maw would give each of the grandchildren a tiny silver demitasse spoon to scoop out a small taste of the sweet condensed milk and pop it directly into our mouths. Decadent, heavenly and a better than candy.

I do not have an ice cream maker so I searched for a quick “no churn” ice cream. Jenn Segal’s blog Once Upon a Chef,  had the perfect recipe. After combining the coffee and condensed milk, vanilla, a little salt and the heavy cream, I lightly whipped all of the ingredients together. Once they were light and fluffy, I poured the mixture into a shallow pan. I wanted the ice cream to be about 1/2 inch thick so it would hold up to cutting and shaping. I also wanted enough ice cream in the sandwich so that the flavors would not be overwhelmed by the chocolate cookies.

Do not be discouraged by the length of this recipe. Each step is easy and requires freezing in between so start these a day ahead of when you may want to serve them. You and your guests will not regret this sweet treat, ice cream sandwiches!

Ingredients

  • Chocolate Icebox Cookies:
  • 11/2 cups sifted flour
  • 3/4 cup of cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • pinch of ground black pepper
  • pinch of cayenne
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 oz butter
  • 11/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • No churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream:
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 TBSP instant espresso powder or strong instant coffee
  • Large pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1 cup, cold, heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup full-fat sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 TBSP brown sugar or molasses

Instructions

  1. Chocolate cookies: Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, pepper, cayenne and cinnamon into a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Cream the butter at medium to high speed with a mixer. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat to mix thoroughly. Beat in the egg.
  3. Add dry ingredients gradually, scraping down the bowl and beating only until mixed. Do not over beat the mixture.
  4. Lightly flour a large board or stone surface. Turn the dough out onto the board. Shape the dough into a cylinder about 10" long and about 3 " in diameter.Wrap the cylinder of dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until firm.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375.
  6. Unwrap the dough and place it on the board. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into slices 1/4" thick. Place the slices onto an unbuttered baking sheet. Leave a couple of inches between the cookies because they spread a little.
  7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the cookies feel firm to the touch. Let the cookies cool on the pan until they are firm enough to be moved. Transfer to racks or to sheets of tin foil to cool and harden.
  8. For the ice cream: In a medium bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of vanilla, the espresso or instant coffee, a pinch of salt and stir to mix well.
  9. Add the cream, condensed milk, and brown sugar or molasses. Taste and if you want a little more flavor add a little more vanilla and an extra pinch of salt.
  10. Using a handheld mixer fitted with two beaters or a whisk attachment, whip the mixture at high speed for about 3 minutes, until you get a firm, spreadable texture like fluffy whipped cream or frosting.
  11. Transfer to a container or a shallow pan and spread the ice cream mixture about 1/2" thick. Cover, and freeze until firm, at least 5 to 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks.
  12. To assemble: Use 2 cookies for each sandwich. Remove the ice cream from the freezer. You will need to work quickly for this ice cream is delicate and melts fast. I use a 3" cookie cutter to cut the ice cream into rounds the same size as the cookies.
  13. Should lift easily from the pan. Place the round of coffee ice cream on a cookie, then top with another cookie. If you wish, you may also just evenly spread a thick dollop of ice cream onto a cookie ad then top with another cookie. I wrap the cookies individually in plastic wrap and freeze until hard. Serve anytime!
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