In a Crunch Try a Great Pretender

I spent the weekend trying to duplicate Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream, which I consider the best ice cream flavor ever created.

This combination of rich coffee ice cream and chunks of chocolate-covered Heath Bar toffee is my passion--and downfall.

In my more selfish moments, I’ve dug through pints of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch (CHBC), eating all the Heath Bar pieces, leaving the crater-marked ice cream behind. And sometimes, to hide the evidence from my husband, I eat all the ice cream as well.

Unfortunately, I haven’t perfected my version of the classic. But I did create a recipe that blends all the flavors--coffee ice cream, Heath Bar toffee and chocolate--into one glorious sundae.

I recommend following the recipe, making both the chocolate sauce and ice cream from scratch. However, if you can’t wait to indulge, buy chocolate sauce and a good-quality coffee ice cream and make an almost-instant version.

COFFEE-TOFFEE SUNDAE

3 (3-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon instant freeze-dried coffee granules

2 generous scoops Coffee Ice Cream

2 heaping tablespoons Heath Bits

Melt together chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over low heat. Add sugar and cream and stir over low heat until thick and smooth. Stir in coffee granules until dissolved. Turn off heat, but leave mixture in top of double boiler while assembling sundaes.

Place ice cream in 2 bowls. Spoon chocolate sauce over each serving, then sprinkle with Heath Bits. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

COFFEE ICE CREAM

1 pint half and half

1 heaping tablespoon freeze-dried coffee granules

3 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

Dash salt

Dash cinnamon

Combine half and half and coffee granules in heavy-bottomed pan. Scald mixture and set aside.

Mix egg yolks, sugar, salt and cinnamon in top of double boiler and set over simmering water. Slowly pour in half and half mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk over low heat until mixture is slightly thickened and smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Process in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s directions. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.