Ruth's Plasma Recipe
Coffee ice cream in a chocolate-iced jar rolled with Oreo crumbs and lined with chocolate drizzle. Topped with espresso whipped cream, an old-fashioned doughnut, a pirouette, a dusting of espresso powder, and a final chocolate drizzle.
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Ingredients
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Chocolate-iced jar & coating
Coffee ice cream
Espresso whipped cream
Toppings & garnishes
Tools & optional items
Method
Chocolate-iced jar & coating
- 1
Prepare chocolate coating
Line a small heatproof bowl with two-thirds of the chopped semisweet chocolate. Melt in 20–30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between bursts, until smooth. Stir in neutral oil if using for shine. Allow chocolate to cool slightly but remain pourable (warm, not hot).
- 2
Coat jars
Hold each clean, dry jar upside down and spoon or brush a thin even layer of melted chocolate on the inside rim and sides about 1/2 inch from the top to create an inner chocolate shell. Rotate jar to evenly coat. Place jars upside down on parchment and chill in refrigerator 5–10 minutes to set. Apply a second thin layer if needed for an even coat; chill again.
- 3
Apply Oreo crumb rim
Pour the finely crushed Oreos onto a shallow plate. While the chocolate is still slightly tacky (work quickly), press the rim and upper inside of each jar into the crumbs so they adhere to the chocolate. If the chocolate has fully set, warm it slightly with a quick blast of warm air (or reheat a little chocolate and touch up) so crumbs will stick. Chill jars until fully set, about 10 minutes.
Coffee ice cream
- 4
Infuse milk & cream
In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, and the granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat until small bubbles form at the edges (do not boil). Whisk in the instant espresso powder until dissolved and the mixture is evenly colored and aromatic; remove from heat.
- 5
- 6
Cook custard
Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil to avoid curdling. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- 7
Chill custard
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill in the refrigerator until thoroughly cold (at least 3 hours or overnight).
- 8
Churn
Churn the cold custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until thick and scoopable. If you don't have an ice cream maker, place the custard in a shallow freezer-safe container and freeze, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours until creamy.
- 9
Espresso whipped cream
- 10
Make whipped cream
Chill a mixing bowl and whisk or beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Pour 1 cup cold heavy cream into the bowl, add powdered sugar and the cooled strong espresso (1 tsp). Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Keep chilled until assembly; transfer to a piping bag fitted with a wide round or star tip if desired.
Toppings & assembly
- 11
Warm drizzle chocolate
Melt the 50 g of chocolate in short bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler until smooth and pourable for drizzling. Keep warm but not hot.
- 12
Assemble final sundae
Remove a chocolate-iced jar filled with firmed coffee ice cream from the freezer. Pipe or dollop a generous swirl of espresso whipped cream onto the top center. Place one old-fashioned doughnut (whole or halved for large doughnuts) leaning against the cream so it sits partially on the ice cream. Insert a pirouette cookie into the cream for height.
- 13
Finish touches
Using a fine mesh sieve, lightly dust the whipped cream and exposed ice cream with the 1 tsp espresso powder for aroma. Drizzle melted chocolate over the whipped cream, doughnut, and rim for a decorative finish. If desired, sprinkle a few extra Oreo crumbs over the top for texture. Serve immediately with a spoon and napkin.