No matter what time of year I am in Germany, my first request is usually that we stop at an ice cream shop. I just love the way Germans make ice cream. Every town in Germany has a cute little ice cream shop with dozens of specialty Eisbecher (sundaes) to choose from. They usually have several fruit sundae options, some chocolate ones, and some nut ones. It’s so much fun when everyone gets a different Eisbecher and you can pass them around the table and try all of them. They are not quite as sweet as the types of sundaes you find in America, which is why I like them so much.
One of the first German ice cream specialties I ever tasted was Eiskaffee. It’s basically the affogato’s German cousin. What I like about Eiskaffee is that instead of using hot espresso (like in an affogato), you use cold (but very strong) coffee. This lets the ice cream slowly melt into the coffee, which allows you to take your time and enjoy this glorious dessert. Eiskaffee is the perfect late afternoon treat on a hot summer day. The best bites are at the end when the ice cream and whipped cream are nice and soft and almost completely melted into the coffee.
You could also add in a shot of coffee liqueur (I won’t tell 😉 ) for an elegant after-dinner dessert. This is so easy to throw together, and it’s another recipe with minimal ingredients that you probably already have on hand which makes it even easier!
Eiskaffee
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 cups very strong coffee, chilled
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Your favorite brand of vanilla ice cream
Bar of dark chocolate, to shave for garnish
Directions
- Whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- Fill 4 dessert glasses with 2-3 scoops of the ice cream.
- Pour the chilled coffee into each glass over the ice cream. Top with fresh whipped cream and curls of dark chocolate.
- Enjoy! (Seriously, does it get any easier?)
Genuss [Enjoyment] 