Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream with Condensed Milk Swirl

In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water. Set aside to cool slightly.

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

While the milk mixture is heating, whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl until pale and slightly thickened.

Slowly drizzle a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. This prevents them from scrambling.

Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 5-7 minutes). Be careful not to overheat, or the custard will curdle. The temperature should reach around 170-175°F (77-79°C).

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the dissolved coffee and vanilla extract.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until completely chilled.

Pour the chilled ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes.

While the ice cream is churning, place the sweetened condensed milk in the refrigerator to chill (this will make it easier to swirl).

Once the ice cream is churned, transfer half of it to a freezer-safe container. Drizzle half of the chilled sweetened condensed milk over the ice cream. Repeat with the remaining ice cream and condensed milk.

Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl the condensed milk into the ice cream. Be careful not to overmix, as this will cause the swirl to disappear.

Cover the container tightly and freeze for at least 2-3 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.

Serve and enjoy!