Coffee Twilight
Cooking Time
Prep Time
Difficulty
Cuisine
Under the gentle light of the evening, Crépuscule Café evokes a suspended moment, where time seems to slow down to make room for a pause of pure pleasure. This is an ice cream designed as an intimate experience, where each bite blends the delicate smoothness of a vanilla base with the comforting intensity of coffee. A dessert that invites you to savor the moment, far from the hustle and bustle.
The recipe is built on a creamy base of cashew nuts and coconut cream, subtly infused with vanilla. This plant-based milky sweetness brings a silky, melting texture, creating the perfect setting for the layers that follow. It’s this base that gives the ice cream its indulgent and enveloping character, while remaining light.
Then comes a deep, aromatic coffee ganache, which brings an elegant contrast to the sweetness of the vanilla. The combination of dark chocolate and coffee, enhanced with a touch of espresso or coffee extract, unfolds a richness of flavors that reveals itself fully upon tasting.
Finally, the dark chocolate coating delivers that irresistible crunch, a fine shell that delicately yields under the teeth before giving way to the cream’s roundness and the warm aromas of coffee. A play of textures and sensations that, like a summer sunset, leaves a gentle and unforgettable imprint.
Coffee Twilight
Equipment
- 1 popsicle molds
Ingredients
Vanilla base
- 100 g raw cashews (soaked 30 minutes in boiling water)
- 200 ml canned coconut cream
- 60 ml plant-based milk (almond or soy)
- 50 ml maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dark rum (or other neutral alcohol)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 small pinch of salt
Coffee ganache
- 100 g dark chocolate (minimum 60%)
- 100 ml canned coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon coffee extract or 1 tablespoon very strong coffee espresso
Chocolate coating
- 200 g dark chocolate (minimum 60%)
- 30 g neutral oil (odorless sunflower, grapeseed, or mild canola)
Instructions
- Tip: before you start, measure out 100 ml coconut cream (liquid or stirred thick part) for the coffee ganache, then stir the rest of the can well before using it for the vanilla base.
Make the vanilla base
- Drain the cashews. Blend them with the coconut cream, plant-based milk, maple syrup, rum, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or vanilla if needed.
Two-step molding (part 1)
- Insert the sticks into the molds before pouring in the mixture. Fill each cavity up to two-thirds with the vanilla cream.
- Freeze for 30 to 45 minutes, just until the base starts to set (semi-firm, not fully frozen).
Make the coffee ganache
- Chop the dark chocolate and place it in a bowl.
- Heat the coconut cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer, then pour over the chocolate.
- Let sit for 1 minute, then gently stir until smooth and glossy.
- Add the coffee extract or espresso, mix well, and let cool to room temperature.
Two-step molding (part 2)
- Remove the popsicles from the freezer and check that the base is set but not hard.
- Pour the coffee ganache over the top (filling the remaining third), smooth if needed.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
Prepare the chocolate coating
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat.
- Add the oil and stir until smooth and fluid. Pour into a narrow container suited to dipping the popsicles.
- Let cool to about 32–33 °C (fluid and lukewarm to the touch, not hot).
Coat the popsicles
- Unmold each popsicle one at a time. Dip quickly into the chocolate or spoon it over. The coating will set in seconds.
- Place the popsicles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Finish and refreeze
- Return the popsicles to the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to fully set the coating.
- Then store them in an airtight container.
A recipe proposed by Maison Marmite
