By Tyler Malek
This is Salt & Straw’s play on the cardamom-infused coffee drunk throughout the Middle East, often at family gatherings and in beautifully adorned cups. Here we make ice cream from coffee that’s dark and roasty and add a touch of grapefruit zest to provide a bridge to cardamom’s citrusy, floral flavor. We use two types of cardamom — green and the extra-smoky black variety — and Trojan-horse them inside white chocolate stracciatella. This way, with every lick, you first get a hit of that coffee and then a wallop of cardamom once the white chocolate melts on your tongue — a one-two punch that’ll have you returning to the pint again and again.
Reprinted with permission from “America’s Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook” by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode. Copyright © 2025 by Salt & Straw, LLC. Photographs copyright © 2025 by Stephanie Shih. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
Notes:
- The Cold-Brewed Coffee syrup will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- The Butterfat Base can be further stored in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw completely and stir well before using.
- The ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
Salt & Straw’s Iconic Cardamom Coffee & White Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the Butterfat Base:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (yes, I’m easy to find!)
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, very cold
For the Cold-Brewed Coffee Syrup:
- 1 cup medium-fine ground (as for pour over) coffee beans
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups cold water
For the ice cream:
- 3 cups 17% Butterfat Base
- 3/4 cup Coffee Syrup
- Finely grated zest of 1/4 grapefruit
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black cardamom (or more green cardamom)
Instructions
- For the Cold-Brewed Coffee Syrup, combine ground coffee beans, granulated sugar, and cold water in a glass jar. Seal the jar and set aside in a cool, dark place for 24 hours. Pour the steeped coffee through an extra-fine mesh sieve (or you can line a standard mesh sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter) into an airtight container, pressing the grounds very lightly with the back of the spoon and then discarding them. Refrigerate until cold.
- For the Butterfat Base, in a medium pot, stir together the whole milk and corn syrup. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and reducing the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, just until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cold cream and stir until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir well before using.
- To make the ice cream, in the bowl of an ice cream maker, combine the ice cream base, coffee syrup, grapefruit zest, vanilla, and salt and turn on the machine. Churn just until the ice cream has the texture of soft serve, 30-40 minutes, depending on the machine.
- When it’s almost done, in a microwave-safe bowl, stir together the white chocolate chips, oil, green cardamom, and black cardamom. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each one, until the chips have completely melted and formed a glossy syrup, 1-2 minutes total. Cover to keep melted until ready to use.
- When the ice cream is finished churning, add the melted chocolate and briefly fold it in to form streaks that will quickly harden into shards as they cool in the ice cream.
- Transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or for up to three months.
Notes
- The Cold-Brewed Coffee syrup will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- The Butterfat Base can be further stored in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw completely and stir well before using.
- The ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
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