Coffee Ice Cream Sodas Worthy of Anne Beddingfield (and Miss Ivy’s Obsession)

Hello friends! Gather ‘round, because I’ve got a story involving two of my favorite things: food and mystery. You see, in our house, there’s been a bit of an Agatha Christie takeover lately—and by “lately,” I mean I’m starting to wonder if I should just go ahead and install a secret bookcase door and keep a magnifying glass handy at all times. Miss Ivy—my darling, book-devouring daughter—is OBSESSED. With a capital O. And a capital B-S-E-S-S-E-D.

I’m not exaggerating when I say she’s working her way through Agatha’s entire collection like it’s her job. At this rate, she’s going to finish the canon before she’s 25—which, might I just add, is going to happen far faster than her mama is emotionally ready for. (Excuse me while I sit quietly in the corner with my knitting and existential dread.)

Anyway, being the enabler (ahem…supportive mother) that I am, I decided to feed the obsession in the most natural way I know how: food. I found a cookbook called “Recipes for Murder”—yes, that’s the actual title, and yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds. It’s chock full of recipes inspired by Ms. Christie’s novels, from quaint little cucumber sandwiches that scream “tea with Miss Marple” to decadent treats Poirot would most certainly arrange just so on his breakfast tray.

And then Ivy spotted it. The recipe she simply had to have: Coffee Ice Cream Sodas.

Why? Well, two reasons:
A) She loves Anne Beddingfield in The Man in the Brown Suit. (If you know, you know—Anne is adventurous, witty, and a little reckless, which, honestly, is also a decent description of Ivy.)
B) Ice Cream Sodas. I mean, do we even need to elaborate on that?

Ivy begged me to make them, and I—being a sucker for a good mother-daughter bonding session—agreed. But with two conditions:

1. I’d get to photograph them and share them with all of you (hi, blog fam!).

2. We’d both drink two, just like Anne in the book.

Spoiler alert: There’s no mystery here. They’re delicious. So much so that I considered going for a third, but my caffeine tolerance tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Ma’am, do you value sleep at all?”

The Case of the Perfect Coffee Ice Cream Soda

Let’s talk about what makes this drink so darn good. It’s the perfect marriage of grown-up flavor (coffee) and childhood nostalgia (ice cream soda!). There’s a little fizziness, a little creaminess, a lot of cold frothy magic, and a dash of “Oh wow, why don’t I make these all the time?”

And the best part? You don’t need Poirot’s little gray cells to make it happen. Just some good coffee, a scoop (or three) of ice cream, and a willingness to pretend you’re a glamorous 1920s adventuress in between sips.

Recipe: Coffee Ice Cream Sodas

Ingredients

• 3 cups chilled strong coffee (or cold brew, if you’re fancy)

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup of half and half

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 2–3 scoops vanilla ice cream per glass (coffee ice cream also works if you want to double down)

• 1/2 cup chilled club soda (or seltzer) per glass

• Whipped cream (optional, but let’s be honest, also mandatory)

• A sprinkle of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions

1. Brew your coffee. Or open your cold brew like the modern sophisticate you are.  Then add the vanilla, half and half and sugar.  Combine until the sugar desolves.  Let it chill—because a warm soda is just…wrong.

2. Scoop that ice cream into a tall glass. Be generous. Ann Beddingfield would approve.

3. Good stuff coming in. Time to add the coffee.  Fill each cup about half way up. Pour it gently over the ice cream so it's even prettier.

4. Fizz it up! Slowly pour the club soda on top and watch the magical foamy head rise. (Resist the urge to stick your finger in it like a 5-year-old. Or don’t. This is a judgment-free zone.)

5. Crown it with whipped cream and a little chocolate garnish because why not lean all the way in?

6. Drink two. It’s what Anne did. It’s what Ivy insisted. It’s the law now.

The Verdict

Friends, these are dangerous in the best possible way. They’re refreshing yet indulgent, caffeinated yet nostalgic. Ivy slurped hers down with the satisfied grin of someone who just solved the case before the detective even showed up, and I…well, I drank my two, took approximately 47 photos for this post (because apparently I am the one living in a whodunit where the victim is “good lighting”), and briefly considered a third before my hands started vibrating like Poirot’s moustache in a stiff breeze.

Will I make them again? Absolutely. Will I insist they be served with every future Agatha Christie marathon we have in this house? 100%.

Also, side note: Ivy has now informed me that she wants to try the Murder Is Announced Delicious Death cake next, so if I mysteriously disappear, just know I was last seen with enough chocolate to cause spontaneous demise.  And don't worry, there WILL be photos of that beauty coming, too!

So, there you have it—my foray into literary beverages, maternal bribery, and the fine art of photographing something before it melts into a sticky puddle. If you’ve got a budding detective (or just a caffeine fiend) in your life, whip up a couple of these Coffee Ice Cream Sodas and toast to good mysteries, good books, and the kind of mother-daughter moments that make all the sticky countertops worth it.