Turkish Coffee Affogato with Cardamom Ice Cream

**Cardamom Ice Cream:**

In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, milk, and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly drizzle a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper them. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.

Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture. Add the crushed cardamom pods. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. This should take about 5-10 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the cardamom pods. Stir in the ground cardamom, if using. Let the mixture cool completely.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and the mixture to chill thoroughly.

Churn the ice cream base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up ice crystals. This will result in a slightly icier texture.

Once the ice cream is churned or partially frozen, transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours to harden completely.

**Turkish Coffee:**

Combine Turkish coffee, water, and sugar in a Turkish coffee pot (cezve). Stir well to dissolve the sugar.

Place the cezve over low heat. Slowly heat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until foam starts to form on the surface. Reduce the heat to very low and let the coffee simmer until the foam rises almost to the top of the cezve. Avoid boiling.

Remove the cezve from the heat and let the foam settle for a few seconds. Repeat the process of heating and letting the foam settle 2-3 times to achieve a rich, foamy coffee.

**Assembly:**

Scoop a generous portion of cardamom ice cream into a serving glass.

Pour a shot (approximately 2 ounces) of hot Turkish coffee over the ice cream. Serve immediately.