Cocktails with Vanilla ice cream
Vanilla ice cream is a churned, frozen dairy dessert made from sweetened cream and milk, flavored with vanilla.
How it's used
It is sweetener, dairy base and ice in one, so an affogato or a milkshake needs little else. It melts fast: blend it quickly, serve it at once, and expect the drink to change in the glass. Coffee is the classic partner, and a little warm spice on top keeps a dessert drink from being only sweet.
Substitutes for Vanilla ice cream
An affogato needs a real frozen scoop, so mixes will not do.
Vanilla gelato
Works one for one. It has more milk and less air, so it is denser and less fatty than ice cream.
Soft serve or frozen dessert
Fine in a shake in the same amount. Some are made with vegetable fat, which tastes less creamy.
Heavy cream, syrup, and ice
For a shake, use 30 ml of heavy cream and 22 ml of 2:1 syrup per 100 g of ice cream. Add a few drops of vanilla extract and 3–4 ice cubes, then blend. The shake comes out thinner, so pour a little less of any milk.
Storage
Frozen, closed, and never refrozen after melting: the ice crystals grow coarse and the texture goes grainy for good. It also absorbs freezer smells quickly, since ice cream is mostly water and air with fat around it.
