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Ice Creams & Sorbets
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We haven't an ice cream and sorbet recipe thread so I'm going to start sharing some of the best recipes making the most loveliest you'll ever have tasted. First is a strawberry ice cream by food writer Anna del Conte. I am convinced this is one of the best strawberry ice creams I have ever eaten.
Strawberry and balsamic vinegar ice cream
Serves 6
Ingredients
450g fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
150ml whipping cream
Rinse the berries in a colander then remove their stalks. Put the berries and sugar into a food processor and blitz till smooth and bright scarlet. Introduce the balsamic vinegar and keep blending till there are no lumps.
Whip the cream in a cold bowl until it forms soft peaks. Stop beating when the cream will just hold a gentle peak. Stir the puree into the cream then pour into a freezer box and cover. Freeze for two hours until the ice cream is starting to freeze around the edges. Beat the ice cream with a whisk to mix the frozen bit into the liquid centre then return quickly to the freezer. Continue freezing, whisking every two hours or so until the mixture is thick and slushy. Leave for a further couple of hours to harden.
Of course, you can make it in a machine. Pour the mixture into the bowl of your ice-cream machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Strawberry and balsamic vinegar ice cream
Serves 6
Ingredients
450g fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
150ml whipping cream
Rinse the berries in a colander then remove their stalks. Put the berries and sugar into a food processor and blitz till smooth and bright scarlet. Introduce the balsamic vinegar and keep blending till there are no lumps.
Whip the cream in a cold bowl until it forms soft peaks. Stop beating when the cream will just hold a gentle peak. Stir the puree into the cream then pour into a freezer box and cover. Freeze for two hours until the ice cream is starting to freeze around the edges. Beat the ice cream with a whisk to mix the frozen bit into the liquid centre then return quickly to the freezer. Continue freezing, whisking every two hours or so until the mixture is thick and slushy. Leave for a further couple of hours to harden.
Of course, you can make it in a machine. Pour the mixture into the bowl of your ice-cream machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
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Note: You need to start 24 hours in advance to get the flavour from the walnuts, but it's well worth it.
SERVES 6-8
For the ice cream:
walnuts 100g
double cream 500ml
vanilla extract ½ tsp
caster sugar 100g
water 50ml
egg yolks 2
For the walnut praline:
walnuts 100g
caster sugar 100g
water 50ml
salt pinch
Start the night before you wish to serve this ice cream.
Heat your oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Spread the nuts for the ice cream and the praline out on to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place in the oven for 4-5 minutes, just until you start to smell them. You are not trying to toast them, but merely warm them to bring out the oils. Measure the cream into a large jug, separate out half of the walnuts and roughly chop them, leaving the other walnuts on the tray. Drop the chopped walnuts into the cream, add the vanilla and chill the mixture overnight.
The praline can be made the night before as well. Place the sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat with the water and salt, and stir to dissolve. Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and turn the heat up to high. Cook the sugar until it turns a deep amber colour and starts to smell like caramel. When the caramel is ready, pour it over the warmed walnuts on the baking tray and leave it to harden. Break up the praline with a sharp knife into bite-sized chunks and keep overnight in an airtight container in the freezer.
Start to make the ice cream the next morning if possible, so it has ample time to freeze. Select a pretty enamel pie tin or shallow bowl that can hold the ice cream and place it in the freezer to chill. Remove the cream from the fridge and strain through a fine sieve to remove the walnuts. Discard the nuts. Whip the cold cream up into soft, billowy peaks and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water and stir to dissolve. Stop stirring and cook the syrup for 3 minutes until thickened but not coloured. Meanwhile, place your egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until they begin to get light and frothy. When the sugar syrup is ready, Pour it into the yolks in a steady stream, whisking by hand or with an electric whisk until pale and very fluffy. Fold in the whipped walnut cream until just incorporated. Sprinkle over the praline and fold it through. Pour the ice cream into the cold container and place back in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
A beautiful, delicate and sunny ice-cream. Serve with shortbread biscuits or scattered with toasted pistachios or almonds. Makes 800ml, or enough for four to six servings.
300ml whole milk
1 generous pinch saffron threads
4 large egg yolks
80g caster sugar
2 tbsp runny honey
300ml double cream
Put the milk and saffron in a saucepan and heat, stirring a few times, until bubbles appear at the edge. Set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy.
Beat the milk into the egg mix, then place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water) and stir until the custard coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat, stir in the honey and cream, cover the surface with clingfilm or greaseproof paper to prevent a skin forming, and leave to cool.
Strain through a fine sieve and churn in an ice-cream maker according to the instructions.
Scrape into a plastic container and cover the surface with greaseproof paper.
Freeze for at least a couple of hours. Remove from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving.
This recipe contains alcohol. Please follow any laws regarding alcohol purchase where you live. Do not purchase alcohol if you are under the legal age. If you are under the legal age, then you must ask your parent or guardian before making this recipe.
The use of Grand Marnier or Chambord is lovely if raspberries are substituted, but sieve or whizz them into a sauce thinned with a little orange juice. Serves 6.
250ml double cream
250ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod, split
4 large egg yolks
100g caster sugar
1 plain sponge cake
90ml Pennard raspberry liqueur, Grand Marnier or Chambord
750g raspberries
200ml whipping cream, whipped
60g flaked almonds, toasted
First, make the custard. Put the double cream and milk in a pan with the vanilla pod, and heat until not quite boiling; remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and caster sugar, then whisk in the hot cream. Pour back into the pan and stir constantly over a very low heat until it thickens, making a glossy coat on the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir for a few minutes longer, until it cools slightly. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, then chill. When cold, it should be spoonably thick, rather than pourable.
Break the sponge into chunks and press gently into the bases of six large glasses, filling the bottom third. Pour a tablespoon of liqueur (or raspberry sauce) into each glass to moisten the sponge, then fill the next third with chilled custard. Spoon in the raspberries, then top with some whipped cream. Finish with a sprinkling of toasted flaked almonds.
Blackcurrants are so intensely flavoured that you don't need much of their purée to make an ice cream. This recipe keeps the purée very tart and sharp. Half of it is used to flavour a classic, custard-based ice cream, while the other half makes ripples of very intense, concentrated fruit juice. It's a tantalising, sherbety, sweet-and-sour effect.
Serves 6 - 8
Place 600g blackcurrants in a saucepan with a dribble of water to get them started and 50g caster sugar. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, until the blackcurrants are completely soft and the juices have run. Rub the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and chill.
Measure 500 ml double cream and combine half of it with 250 ml whole milk. Scald this mixture in a pan until almost boiling. Mix 4 egg yolks with 125g caster sugar, then pour the hot milk and cream on to them, whisking all the time. Return this custard to the pan and stir constantly over a very gentle heat until it starts to thicken. Take off the heat and keep stirring as it cools and thickens further.
Combine the custard with half the blackcurrant purée, mixing thoroughly. Lightly whip the remaining 250 ml double cream and fold it in. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if you think it needs it. An ice cream mixture before freezing shouldtaste a little too sweet, as sweetness is muted in the freezing process.
Now either pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until nearly frozen or freeze-churn the old-fashioned way by putting the mixing bowl in the freezer and removing every hour or so to whisk up and emulsify the half-frozen mixture.
Whichever route you choose, when the ice cream is thick enough to hold its shape but soft enough to work a little, spread it in a large mixing basin and make several channels, grooves and holes in it. Into these, trickle little pools of the remaining blackcurrant purée. Cut and turn the mixture a few times to spread these ripples around, but don't overdo it, or they'll get too mixed up with the ice-cream. The aim is to create a contrast of both colour and taste.
Pack into tubs and freeze. Leave at room temperature for a good half-hour before serving. Serve with shortbread or other sweet biscuits.
This is fun to make and delicious to eat! It's ready in 25 minutes and serves 4
125g Swiss or Belgian dark chocolate, broken into pieces
50g caster sugar
250ml double cream
50g chopped mixed nuts
2 fresh peaches
12 scoops raspberry ripple ice cream
1. To make the sauce, put the chocolate, caster sugar, 100ml double cream and 50ml hot water in a heavybased pan. Stir over a gentle heat until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet and place under a hot grill until golden. Leave to cool.
2. Place the peaches in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes, drain and refresh under cold running water. Carefully peel the skins. Halve the peaches, remove the stones, then cut into wedges. Reserve 8 slices.
3. Whip the remaining cream into soft peaks. Arrange half the peaches in four sundae glasses and top with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle over a little sauce and sprinkle with a few nuts. Top with the rest of the peaches, two scoops of ice cream, more sauce and sprinkle over more nuts. Finish with the whipped cream and two peach slices. Pour over the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the rest of the nuts.
Makes: around 2 Servings of Kulfi.
Ingredients
Evaporated Milk 1/2 Cup
Sweetened Condensed Milk 1/3 Cup / 80 ml
Cardamom Powder 1 (available from Asian grocery stores, Waitrose or Morrissons)
Kulfi Moulds 2
Pistachios 2 Tbsps
Silver Warq 1 (real silver foil available at Asian grocery stores)
Finely chop the pistachios and keep aside.
Bruise the cardamom and grind the seeds into fine powder.
Bring to boil evaporated milk in a sauce pot, add cardamom powder.
Boil for couple of minutes to let the milk absorb all the cardamom flavor.
Cool the milk to room temperature, stir in condensed milk, half the chopped pistachios.
Pour the milk into kulfi moulds and seal with lid.
Each kulfi mould can hold upto one third cup of the flavored milk.
Alternatively, use any small bowls or glasses to fill up and cover with aluminium wrap.
Freeze the kulfi moulds in freezer for good 6 hours.
Run the moulds under hot water to ease the removal of kulfi.
Remove the kulfi onto a plate, garnish with remaining pistachios and silver warq.
Serve kulfi immediately.
Notes: Make sure to freeze the kulfi pots well.
Suggestions: You can place the kulfi moulds in ice cubes sprinkled with salt.
Variations: Alternatively, boil full fat milk till its reduced to one third instead of using evaporated milk and condensed milk. In which case, use sugar to sweeten the milk. Also fold in a tbsp or so of whipping cream if desired.
Other Names: Kulfi, Pista Kulfi, Elaichi Kulfi,.
Ingredients
250ml double cream
450ml whole creamy milk
1 vanilla pod split lengthways, but with stalk intact
6 egg yolks
120g caster sugar
Pour the cream and milk into a pan. Scrape out the vanilla seeds and add these, and the pod to the milk. Place the pan over a low heat and bring to just below boiling point. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Bring the milk back to below boiling point, remove the pod and pour onto the yolks, whisking quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Now return the custard to the pan and place on a low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens. This should take about 15 minutes. the custard should be thick enough to coat the spoon. Allow the custard to cool completely before churning for 40-50 minutes in an ice cream maker. Note, even a cheapie ice cream maker will freeze the custard mixture in no time at all.
To make the banana, matcha, chocolate or berry ice creams, follow the above recipe, stirring each variation into the custard before churning
To make the liquorice ice cream, place the liquorice in a pan with the milk. Simmer for 15 minutes, cool, the puree until smooth. Stir in the colouring and add to the cooling custard.
For other wonderful flavours:
3 bananas roasted in the skins (pricked with holes or they'll explode in the oven) at 180C for 20 minutes - be very careful - content will be HOT - and mashed. For custard use soft brown sugar instead of caster.
or,
3 tablespoons matcha powder, whisked with 6 tablespoons of hot water until mixed.
or,
180g dark quality chocolate (not cooking chocolate), melted in a bain-marie
or,
300g of frozen berries and 100g sugar, turned into a coulis
or,
150g soft liquorice chopped; 150ml whole milk and 4 to 6 tablespoons of black natural food colouring
This very easy pudding is pure, sugary, hot-and-cold indulgence, the sort of thing to send a shiver down your spine in the most appealing way. Serves four.
150g chocolate fudge, roughly crumbled or chopped
25ml milk
100-125g frozen raspberries
Vanilla ice-cream
50g slivered, toasted almonds or other nuts of your choice (optional)
Put the crumbled or chopped fudge into a small pan and add the milk. Heat gently, stirring constantly and crushing the fudge pieces with a spoon as you do so, until the fudge has melted into the milk, making a smooth, pourable sauce.
Take the raspberries out of the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, so they soften a little. It's worth doing the same with the ice‑cream, to make it easier to scoop.
Put two scoops of ice-cream into each of four glasses or sundae dishes, scatter over the raspberries and top with hot fudge sauce. Finish off with a generous scattering of nuts, if you like.
This very easy pudding is pure, sugary, hot-and-cold indulgence, the sort of thing to send a shiver down your spine in the most appealing way. Serves four.
150g chocolate fudge, roughly crumbled or chopped
25ml milk
100-125g frozen raspberries
vanilla ice-cream
50g slivered, toasted almonds or other nuts of your choice (optional)
Put the crumbled or chopped fudge into a small pan and add the milk. Heat gently, stirring constantly and crushing the fudge pieces with a spoon as you do so, until the fudge has melted into the milk, making a smooth, pourable sauce.
Take the raspberries out of the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, so they soften a little. It's worth doing the same with the ice‑cream, to make it easier to scoop.
Put two scoops of ice-cream into each of four glasses or sundae dishes, scatter over the raspberries and top with hot fudge sauce. Finish off with a generous scattering of nuts, if you like.
This is an original recipe by cook and food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittinstall
This luscious, sweet-tart ice is great with shortbread biscuits. Serves 4
500g gooseberries
125g caster sugar
250ml double cream
125ml whole milk
2 large egg yolks
Put the gooseberries and 65g of the sugar in a large pan with a trickle of water – just enough to cover the base of the pan (don't add water if you're using frozen berries). Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the berries are completely soft and mostly broken. Rub through a sieve into a bowl, and discard the skins and pips. As soon as the puree is completely cool, chill in the fridge.
Combine half the cream with the milk in a pan and bring to just below boiling point. Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, then pour the hot milk and cream on to them, whisking all the time. Return this custard to the pan and stir over a gentle heat until it thickens. Remove from the heat, pour through a sieve into a clean bowl and cover the surface with clingfilm or greaseproof paper, to stop a skin forming. Leave until completely cool, then chill.
Combine the custard with the puree. Very lightly whip the remaining double cream, just until it holds soft peaks (if you make it too stiff, it will be hard to fold in), and fold into the gooseberry custard. Taste and add sugar if you think it needs it – it should taste a little too sweet because its sweetness will be muted once it's frozen.
Pour into an ice-cream machine, churn until soft-set, then transfer to the freezer to freeze completely. Alternatively, pour the mix into a plastic container and freeze for about an hour or until the sides start to get solid; once this happens, mash with a fork, mixing the frozen sides into the liquid centre, and return to the freezer for another hour. Repeat this twice more at hourly intervals, then leave to set solid. Remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving, to soften a little.
All you need is a freezer, a metal or ceramic bowl, and something to stir it with (a whisk or mixer is best, or just a fork if you haven't either). Follow my instructions to make ice cream really easily.
Make the ice cream mixture according to the recipe instructions. If the mixture is cooked or heated at all, chilling it first will speed this process along immeasurably and result in an ice cream with a creamier texture. You can do this by putting the mixture in a large metal or ceramic bowl (the same one you're going to freeze it in) and setting that bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice. Stir once in awhile until mixture is cold.
Put mixture in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
After mixture has been in the freezer for about 20 minutes, take it out of the freezer and whisk it. If any bits have frozen along the side of the bowl, be sure to whisk them into the rest of the mixture. Do this as quickly as possible and return bowl to the freezer. Repeat this – whisking the mixture every 20 to 30 minutes it's in the freezer – until the mixture is frozen.
Keep freezing the mixture and whisking it about every 20 minutes. I know this is going to take some time, but it will slowly but surely thicken.
The mixture will eventually freeze enough to be more or less soft-serve ice cream texture. It will cling to a whisk. At this point you may need to switch to a spoon or spatula to stir the ice cream unless you have a very strong whisk.
At this point, the mixture is thick enough to add chocolate chips, crushed cookies, chopped nut, pureed fruit, or other flavour additions without them simply sinking to the bottom of the mixture again and again. Stir in any additions you want, though note: Adding something at this point will un-freeze the mixture slightly. This is to be expected, so don't worry about it.
Continue freezing and stirring the ice cream – at 20 to 30 minute intervals – until the ice cream is firm and becomes difficult to stir.
Transfer ice cream to a container you plan to store it in (or simply cover the bowl you've frozen it in) and freeze until hard. Allow ice cream to soften slightly at room temperature for about 10 minutes, scoop and serve and it's done!
This custard ice cream recipe is a building block for any ice cream you have the imagination to create. It can be enriched, infused, tricked up, or paired down until you get your ice cream just the way you like it. Our twins Soph and John are having a great time right now making ice cream and I'm getting loved for it. :cool:
Heating the milk before adding it to the egg mixture might seem like a needless step. Adding pre-heated milk reduces cooking time and starts to heat the eggs slowly and gently, which thickens the custard without risking cooked eggs.
Be careful not to add the milk while it's still to hot or you'll get scrambled eggs. Ideally, you should be able to comfortably hold your finger in the milk for 10 seconds.
Basic custard ice cream base. If you want to skip this, buy 1 litre or 1¾ pints of ready-made custard. It's alright to cheat and even better if the custard contains real vanilla!
3 cups dairy (whole milk, double cream, or a 50/50 mix of)
1 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon real Bourban vanilla essence. Don't use the cheap artificial stuff, it's foul. Or fowl if you're the forum chicken.
Bring the dairy to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-high heat. That's about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat as soon as you see bubbles forming and let sit until it's cooled to room temperature. Umm, that's about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs, sugar, and pinch of salt into a thick paste. When the dairy has cooled, stream it in while stirring the egg mixture.
Once combined, return everything to the pan and cook over medium-low heat. Stir gently in an "S" shape, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.
The sauce is ready when it looks silky, has thickened so it coats the back of a wooden spoon, and has reached a temperature of about 170-degrees. Strain it into a bowl set over an ice water bath and stir in that lovely real vanilla essence. I use Nielsen-Massey, but shop around as it can be expensive.
1. Having prepared your ice cream mixture as above, chill it over an ice bath. Basically this a box containing crushed ice.
2. Put a deep baking dish, or bowl made of plastic, stainless steel or something durable in the freezer, and pour your custard mixture into it.
3. After forty-five minutes, open the door and check it.
As it starts to freeze near the edges, remove it from the freezer and stir it vigorously with a spatula or whisk. Really beat it up and break up any frozen sections. Return to freezer.
4. Continue to check the mixture every 30 minutes, stirring vigorously as it’s freezing. If you have one, you can use a hand-held mixer for best results, or use a stick-blender or hand-held mixer. I have a Braun Multipractic, it's brilliant.
But since we’re going low-tech here, you can also use just a spatula or a sturdy whisk along with some modest physical effort.
5. Keep checking periodically and stirring while it freezes (by hand or with the electric mixer) until the ice cream is frozen. It will likely take 2-3 hours to be ready.
You can easily make Stracciatella ice cream with Italian-style chocolate chips: Drizzle pure melted dark or milk chocolate (about 5 ounces or about 140 g) over the almost-frozen mixture, then stir, breaking up the ribbons of chocolate as they start to freeze, to create little ‘chips’.
Transfer the ice cream to a covered storage container until you're ready to serve.
How to make the Chocolate Brownies is included below just for fun.
This recipe, cut down from 25 litres' commercial recipe, makes around 1.5-2 litres depends on how many brownies you include.
300ml double cream
300ml milk
100g dark chocolate
3 egg yolks
85g caster sugar
2 really generous handfuls of cubed chocolate brownies
1. Put the chocolate and milk into a heavy bottomed pan and warm through. Stir until all of the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth chocolate milk. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until soft and thick.
3. Pour the egg liquid the cooled chocolate mixture, stir, then put the pan back on a low heat. Continue to stir to form a custard – don’t let the mixture boil or it will curdle. [Life saving tip here: take the custard off the heat, add one heaped teaspoon of plain flour to the mixture and whisk like mad using a hand wire whisk. It should stop curdling and go back to how it was]
Let it thicken until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
4. Whip the cream until you get soft peaks, then fold into the chocolate mixture.
5. When the mixture is completely cold, pour into a prepared ice-cream maker and leave to churn for 30-40 minutes.
6. When the ice cream looks nearly thick enough, chuck in the chocolate brownie cubes. Leave to churn for another minute to mix in.
Eat the ice cream now, or in the unlikely event that there’s any left over, you can pour into a container and freeze.
Chocolate Brownie
Makes 12
Takes about an hour to make.
300g soft brown sugar
250g butter
250g chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
3 large eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk
60g flour
60g finest quality cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
You'll need: a 23x23cm, preferably non-stick, or a small roasting tin
Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4.
Break the chocolate into pieces, set 50g of it aside and melt the rest in a bowl suspended over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water.
As soon as the chocolate has melted remove it from the heat. Chop the remaining 50g into gravel-sized pieces.
Beat the sugar and butter using electric beaters for several minutes until white and fluffy.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix in a pinch of salt.
With your friend holding the beaters on a low speed, introduce the beaten egg a little at a time, having him speed up in between additions.
Remove the bowl from the mixer to the work surface, then mix in the melted and the chopped chocolate with a large metal spoon.
Lastly, fold in the flour and cocoa, gently and firmly, without knocking any of the air out.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and bake for 30 minutes. The top will have risen slightly and the cake will appear slightly softer in the middle than around the edges.
Pierce the centre of the cake with a fork - it should come out sticky, but not with raw mixture attached to it. If it does, then return the brownie to the oven for three more minutes. It is worth remembering that it will solidify a little on cooling, so if it appears a bit wet, don't worry.
This is incredibly easy to make!
Recipe by cook and food writer Nigel Slater
To make things simple, get a tub of shop-bought custard, one that contains real vanilla and cream and pour it all into a small baking container.
Pour the custard and your leftover coffee into the tray and whisk to thoroughly combine it. Give it a good stir to let the flavours get to know each other.
Then, freeze the mixture: it will take a good three hours.
You will need to churn it up every hour or so.
If you thought ice cream was a tricky process, think again. It really is that easy. It's a wonderful way of using up leftover coffee. It tasted so good that I will make it again just as soon as I return to the shop to buy another tub of real vanilla custard.
Adapted from Epicurious.com
Reference: http://orangette.net/
Makes about 1 quart or 2 pints.
If time permits, try to make this mousse a day or so ahead of time, so that it has time to properly set up. When it comes to serving, Jen has presented it in several different ways: in bowls; in little high-ball glasses with a few fresh raspberries on top; and, for a picnic, in tiny paper Dixie cups with a dollop of whipped cream. However you choose to serve it, start with small portions; this is serious stuff. And if you want to gild the lily, a ruby or vintage port, or perhaps a black Muscat dessert wine, makes for a lovely accompaniment.
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream (in the UK it's double cream)
½ teaspoon vanilla
7 ounces best-quality 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped (for her most recent go, Jen used closer to 9 ounces, with superlative results)
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
6 large egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
Bring the milk, cream, and vanilla just to a boil in a small saucepan; then remove from heat and keep warm, covered.
Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
Stir together ½ cup sugar with water in a medium heavy saucepan, and bring it to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and washing down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil the syrup, without stirring, gently swirling the pan and washing down crystals, until mixture is a deep golden caramel, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and carefully whisk in the warm cream mixture (the mixture will steam vigorously, and caramel may harden). Cook over low heat, whisking, until the caramel is dissolved.
Beat the yolks with the salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a ribbon that takes 2 seconds to dissolve into mixture when the beater is lifted, 3 to 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 to 8 with a handheld one.
Add the hot caramel mixture to the yolks in a slow stream, whisking, then transfer the custard to the medium saucepan. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard is slightly thickened and registers 170°F on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Do not allow it to boil.
Press the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl with the chopped chocolate, and let stand 1 minute. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about half an hour.
Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker; then transfer it to an airtight container and put it in the freezer to harden, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. The mousse will keep well in the freezer for up to a week. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes or so before serving.
The richness of this sumptuous frozen pud is leavened with chunks of sweet, powdery meringue. As an alternative, spoon the mix into glasses, set it in the fridge and serve as a mousse. Serves 8 - 10.
1 quantity basic meringues, as above
Raspberries, to serve
For the semifreddo
150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
3 large eggs
75g caster sugar
225ml double cream
Line a 1kg loaf tin (ie, around 11cm x 22cm internal dimensions) with clingfilm. Put the chocolate in a basin over a pan of simmering water until melted, then leave to cool until tepid.
Put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk (or mixer) until quadrupled in volume, thick, pale and creamy. The mix should hold a trail when you lift the beaters. Fold in the chocolate. Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold into the mixture, too.
Roughly crush the meringues – you want some nice big bits in there – and fold into the chocolate mix. Spread into the tin and freeze for about eight hours. You should be able to slice it straight from the freezer. Serve in small slices (it's very rich), with some raspberries alongside.
In this refreshing and palate cleansing sorbet, the sugar tames the tartness of grapefruit juice. It could not be simpler to prepare. A serving delivers about two-thirds of your RDA for vitamin C, and only 145 calories. Recipe reference: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pink-grapefruit-sorbet
Ingredients
3 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice (about 4 grapefruits), divided
3/4 cup sugar
Combine 1/2 cup grapefruit juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.
Combine the sugar mixture and the remaining 2 1/2 cups grapefruit juice in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze the mixture according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon the sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze for 1 hour or until the sorbet is firm.
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Full-flavoured English Breakfast tea is usually made from a blend that includes black tea leaves. But consider substituting your favorite tea to make this refreshing lemonade iced tea sorbet.
Serves 8 (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
4 regular-sized English Breakfast tea bags
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 cup ice water
Mint sprigs (optional)
Combine 2 cups boiling water and tea bags in a large bowl; steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add sugar to tea mixture, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Stir in juice and 1 cup ice water; chill 1 hour.
Pour tea mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.
The caramel notes of brown sugar tame rhubarb's tang. If you've frozen the sorbet overnight or longer, let it stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften before scooping.
Ingredients
5 cups sliced rhubarb (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 quart water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Combine rhubarb and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing rhubarb with the back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard rhubarb. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and juice; stir until sugars dissolve. Cover and chill.
Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Remove sorbet from freezer 10 minutes before serving.
If you can find Sicilian lemons for this recipe, the sorbet will taste even better. Otherwise, look for thin-skinned lemons as they contain more juice. Rolling them first will yield more juice.
Serves 8 and takes about 10 mins to make
150 g caster sugar
8 unwaxed lemons (should give you about 300ml juice)
Finely grate the lemon zest into a pan, add the sugar and 250ml cold water, and warm over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, returning half the lemon zest to the liquid (discarding the rest). Squeeze in the lemon juice, catching any pips in your fingers.
Stir well, allow to cool slightly, then chill in the freezer for around 30 minutes, before removing.
Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn until it’s the texture of sorbet. Pop it into a plastic container and freeze for 2 hours to firm up, before serving.
Extremely fruity, fresh tasting and very moreish, this recipe from Tesco is very popular with us.
Takes 25 mins to prepare
4 hrs to cool
Serves 8
Ingredients
175g granulated sugar
250ml water
juice of ½ lemon
450g raspberries
Tip: Use the same method to make bramley apple and elderflower sorbet. Simmer 600g (1lb 5oz) apples to a purée, blend and add to the sugar mixture with 3tbsp elderflower cordial. Freeze for 4½ hours
For an unusual twist, serve with basil sauce. Put two handfuls of basil leaves in a mortar with 1tbsp granulated sugar and crush with a pestle. Push through a sieve and drizzle over
Method
Place the sugar in a pan with the water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then boil for 1 minute until the mixture is slightly syrupy. Pour into a bowl, add the lemon juice then cool.
Press the raspberries through a sieve, then pour the sugar syrup over the pips in the sieve to extract as much juice as possible. Pour the mixture into a shallow container and put in the freezer. After 2 hours take out and break up the ice crystals with a fork, then return to the freezer for another 2 hours.
Continue to break up the ice every hour until the mixture is firm. Move the container to the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
There will be more ice cream and sorbet recipes to come later
Enjoy making!
Mandy
Illustration only
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Sophie making this ice cream was a complete surprise - I didn't know she'd made it until I was called to the kitchen. Her pistachio ice cream is fragrant, creamy and loaded with chunks of pistachios and lovely bits of chocolate brownie. It's so delicious that you'll want to make more! I'm most proud of her. I won't ever buy pistachio ice cream again, her's was absolutely gorgeous!
Sophie's Tip: Substitute the almond extract for half a vanilla bean pod. Using a sharp knife, slit the bean down the side to let the tiny seeds out. After using, clean the pod, pat it dry with kitchen paper and store it in bowl of white sugar. Two weeks later you'll have delicious vanilla sugar.
Ingredients for the Ice Cream (Ingredients for the Chocolate Brownies below)
1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups of whole milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
half a teaspoon real almond extract
4 large egg yolks
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted, coarsely chopped
To make the Ice Cream
Finely grind 1 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup sugar in processor. Bring milk and ground pistachio mixture to boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in almond extract.
Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Cook over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Strain into large bowl. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.
Stir 1 cup whipping cream and chopped pistachios into custard. Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to container and freeze. (Ice cream can be prepared 3 days ahead). To add the chocolate brownie bits, when the ice cream looks nearly thick enough, chuck them in and push the bits down into the ice cream mixture.
Ingredients for Chocolate Brownie.
Makes 12
-Takes about an hour to make.
300g soft brown sugar
250g butter
250g chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
3 large eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk
60g flour
60g finest quality cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
You'll need: a 23x23cm, preferably non-stick, or a small roasting tin
Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4.
Break the chocolate into pieces, set 50g of it aside and melt the rest in a bowl suspended over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water.
As soon as the chocolate has melted remove it from the heat. Chop the remaining 50g into gravel-sized pieces.
Beat the sugar and butter using electric beaters for several minutes until white and fluffy.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix in a pinch of salt.
With your friend holding the beaters on a low speed, introduce the beaten egg a little at a time, having him speed up in between additions.
Remove the bowl from the mixer to the work surface, then mix in the melted and the chopped chocolate with a large metal spoon.
Lastly, fold in the flour and cocoa, gently and firmly, without knocking any of the air out.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and bake for 30 minutes. The top will have risen slightly and the cake will appear slightly softer in the middle than around the edges.
Pierce the centre of the cake with a fork - it should come out sticky, but not with raw mixture attached to it. If it does, then return the brownie to the oven for three more minutes. It is worth remembering that it will solidify a little on cooling, so if it appears a bit wet, don't worry.